Little Rock’s oldest sketch comedy group marks the slow arrival of warm weather with Spring Showmance, opening Thursday at The Public Theatre.
If you’re not familiar with Red Octopus Theater, here’s a recap: The sketch comedy group has been around since 1991, writing and performing original comedy to entertain the masses in central Arkansas. The group of 15-20 produces five or six shows a year at The Public Theatre, usually based around holidays and seasons, like their annual Pagans on Bobsleds comedy at Christmas.
Spring Showmance gives the actors a chance to play actors lamenting the trials and tribulations of showbiz — auditions, acting classes, long hours, big breaks, big egos, unemployment and all that jazz. The cast includes Allyson Bode, Drew Ellis, Michael Goodbar and Brittany Sparkles as well as Red Octopus board members Sandy Baskin and Jason Willey.
Willey says the group has been writing material since mid-April. “Typically, we have two weeks of writers meetings and then go into rehearsals,” he says, but they took a little time off to enjoy the Little Rock Film Festival. A documentary short directed by Johnnie Brannon about Red Octopus was screened at the festival as a part of the Made in Arkansas selections.
Doors for Spring Showmance open Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets can be bought at the door (no reservations available) and are $10 for adults and $8 for students, senior citizens and military; some situations and language are best suited for adults, so maybe leave the kids at home. The Public Theatre is located at 616 Center St. in downtown Little Rock.