Puppetry of the Penis, which has been playing to fascinated audiences at the John Houseman Theatre on 42nd Street for over a year, announced a closing date of Nov. 3. The sell-out spectacle which began at the midtown venue Oct. 5, 2001 will have played 452 performances and 11 previews by its close.
The unique Puppetry of the Penis, in which men bend their genitalia into shapes (it's billed as "genital origami"), currently stars Daniel Lewry and Jim MacGregor. Creators David Friend and Simon Morley played the first months of the show before auditions were held for replacements. Puppetry of the Penis has played at venues across the globe including in the US, Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada.
For tickets and information on the show at the John Houseman, 450 West 42nd Street, call (212) 239-6200.
For tour dates and future productions, visit the show's website at www.puppetryofthepenis.com.
* In September 2000, London's Whitehall Theatre opened Puppetry of the Penis, featuring two Australian men who "manipulate their genitalia into various shapes, objects and landmarks." Described in the show's UK press release as "well endowed," performers Simon Morley and David Friend (nicknamed Simon and Friendly) spend 70 minutes engaging in the ancient Australian art of "genital origami." To the layman, that means they bend, twist and stretch themselves do impressions of such items as the Loch Ness Monster, a hamburger, bow tie, wrist watch, bullfrog, atomic mushroom, windsurfer, wedding ring, sea anemone, slow emerging mollusc, 3-wood golf club and the Eiffel Tower. A video camera and TV monitors help ensure that audiences don't miss a single trick.
After debuting in Melbourne, Puppetry toured Australia, a long and hard journey documented in the film, "Tackle Happy," whose marketing slogan was, "2 Men, 2 Dicks, 2 Much Spare Time." Despite mismanagement early on, Puppetry went on to enjoy a hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is where producers David Johnson and Richard Temple caught up with it.
— by Ernio Hernandez
