Theater Ninjas' TingleTangle @ Guide to Kulchur

Ray Caspio & Eric M. C. Gonzalez in TingleTangle. Photo courtesy of Theater Ninjas. Photographer Frank Lanza.
June 1, 2002, I sat next to my grandma in the balcony at the Beacon Theatre in New York City and witnessed Liza Minnelli perform her "comeback" concert, Liza's Back. Liza was a performer who was fully alive, conversing with her audience, and living in the present moment: flaws and all. I set a goal for myself that night.

Today, TingleTangle: the show I conceived and am performing in.
Sexuality, gender, marriage equality.
Sexy, hysterical, thought-provoking.
Queer.

Press:
Cleveland Centennial (David Hansen)
Land of Cleve
The Sound of Applause: NPR/WCPN 90.3 Ideastream interview with Dee Perry

Theater Ninjas' TingleTangle is an evening of personal storytelling, gender-bending songs and no-punches pulled conversations about sexuality, gender, oppression, hate speech and compassion's transgressive power. An avant garde Muppet Show mixed with Weimar sex and danger. This cabaret-inspired performance responds to a conflicted, changing world, with love, empathy, humor and the desire to understand…not to mention some out-and-out desire!

TingleTangle revels in the nuances of identity and how we all use performance to communicate our truest selves to the world. Forming TingleTangle’s core are monologues and songs by me, drawing on my experiences as a married gay man dealing with prejudice, identity, and acceptance. I am honored to work with a talented, generous ensemble of actors who perform original comedy sketches and interactive stories, with composition and live accompaniment by Eric M. C. Gonzalez.

Tickets: https://theaterninjas.tixato.com/buy/tingletangle

Limited seating, limited run! There is nothing else like this happening in Cleveland theater.

Illustration by Ray Caspio
conceived by Ray Caspio
directed by Jeremy Paul
original composition & arrangements by Eric M. C. Gonzalez
featuring Ray Caspio, Katie Beck, Valerie C. Kilmer, Ryan Lucas, Dan Rand & Amy Schwabauer
stage manager Kaitlin Kelly
assistant stage manager & dramaturge Christina Dennis
costume design Kevenn T. Smith
lighting design Benjamin Gantose

Theater Ninjas is the Food Truck of Cleveland Theater. We’re a nomadic company who seeks out new and exciting spaces to perform. Working in non-traditional venues gives us an opportunity to reimagine how and why we tell stories, and helps us to create deep, fascinating worlds for the audience to explore. We’re always experimenting; always rethinking what theater can be: as entertainment, as art and as out-of-the-ordinary experiences.