Artspeak Radio Summer Pledge Drive and Beth & Mark’s BIG BANG at KC Fringe 20

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Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes Beth & Mark’s BIG BANG at KC FRINGE 20.

30x BEST OF FEST Global Fringe Producing Artist & Core Big Bang Buffet Artist Beth Marshall & KKFI Radio Host & Co-Founder of Big Bang Buffet- Mark Manning reunite on stage at KC FRINGE 20 to take you on their unapologetic autobiographical journey of what it was like to BE FRINGE in KCMO BEFORE there was KC FRINGE ! A Performance Art -MixTape Buffet-set to the soundtrack of their friendship serving up laughter & tears of 35 years of friendship & delving into the dark artistic truths of the old mantra… “The Show Must Go On”… Or Should It?

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW
Beth & Mark’s BIG BANG WORLD PREMEIRE at its heart is a story of longtime friendship through art and life. We delve unto the underbelly of the world of theatre with direct stories dealing with the national & local news of the ugly side of theatre including direct accounts of sexual abuse and news around late former Artistic Director of The Coterie Theatre, Jeff Church.
It is an autobiographical tale full of nostalgic memories of every art/theatre space of the 90’s in KCMO and offers advice & inspiration for the future generations of all artists. Laughter, Tears, Memories, Friendship, Trauma, Empowerment, Flashbacks and Fringe!

OUR TEAM
Executive Producers: Big Bang Buffet (KCMO) & Beth Marshall Presents (Co/Fl)
Co Writers/Co-Creators: Mark Manning & Beth Marshall
Director: Beth Marshall
Stage Managers/Front of House: Chris Foster, BJ McBride, Janice Woolery
Sound Design: Mark Manning & Beth Marshall
Sound Mixer: Mark Manning
Logo/Poster/Program/Ad/Reel/Postcard/Social Media Design…. Christopher “CMAC” Mcintrye
Set Design Artwork…. Janice “JWoo” Woolery

Show Info: WORLD PREMIERE
Venue: The Center for Spiritual Living
1014 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64111
Part of KC FRINGE 20

ShowTimes:
9:00 PM Friday, July 19
4:30 PM Saturday, July 20
7:30 PM Sunday July 21st
7:30 PM Wednesday, July 24
9:00 PM Friday, July 26
7:30 PM Saturday, July 27
Show Length: 60 Minutes
Genres: Comedy, Storytelling, Drama to Soundtrack of our Lives
Show Warnings: Rated R (Adult Language, Mature & Sexual Context, Frank talk of rape, suicide, Jeff Church)
Ticket Price: $15 plus KC Fringe Button
Tickets & More Info: KCFRINGE.ORG

Past Press Quotes:
“The 1st Amendment isn’t just for people who think like you. Free speech means sometimes listening to people and ideas which you may disagree. Kansas City’s Performance Art Group BIG BANG BUFFET was founded on this belief and they have stuck to it” -Kansas City Magazine
” Beth Marshall Presents continue to raise the bar on provocative quality theatre” -Orlando Weekly
“BMP Brings TOP SHOWS to Fringes Globally”- WFN
“Beth Marshall Presents is one of the most important and inventive theatre companies in town. Even if you do not appreciate every aspect Marshall’s shows, her willingness to experiment with content and push the boundaries of design is a vital part of the Central Florida theatre community.”
-Broadway World
“Beth Marshall (and ensemble) give the finest acting of this Fringe”
-Orlando Sentinel

BIG BANG GALLERY & SPIRIT MOON ART @KC VISUAL FRINGE
Additionally, we will be presenting our Visual Art at Union Station as part of the 20th KC FRINGE VISUAL ARTS GALLERY July 13th-27th with opening gala & KC FRINGE Kick-Off being held from 3-5pm on July 13th at Union Station. This event is FREE to the public. All art will be for sale to public and can be taken home same day of purchase. Big Bang Buffet was not just a performing arts group back in the 90’s. We hosted countless art galleries for visual artists of all mediums. In this time of honoring our journey, we felt it very important to honor our Visual Artists as well. We partnered with Spirit Moon Art to offer a buffet of genres of art from paintings, mixed media, conceptual art, stained glass, wood work, KC specific art, jewelry, sculptures & cards with affordable & accessible prices. Visit SpiritMoonArt.com and KCFRINGE.ORG for more info.

SPIRIT MOON ART & BIG BANG GALLERY VISUAL FRINGE ARTISTS:
Beth Marshall & Chris Foster of BadAss Stained Glass/Spirit Moon Art & Big Bang Gallery Bang
Christopher “CMAC” McIntrye of CMAC The Art Wizard & Spirit SPIRIT MOON ART & BIG BANG GALLERY VISUAL FRINGE ARTISTS:
Beth Marshall & Chris Foster of BadAss Stained Glass/Spirit Moon Art & Big Bang Gallery Bang
Christopher “CMAC” McIntrye of CMAC The Art Wizard & SpiritMoon Art
S. Goodwin of Spirit Moon Art & Big Bang Gallery
Jon “Piggy” Cupit of Big Bang Gallery
Janice “JWoo”Woolery of Big Bang Gallery
Darth Art of Spirit Moon Art & Big Bang Gallery
Cam’s Crafts of Spirit Moon Art

KC Fringe History for Beth Marshall & Mark Manning
BETH & MARK & BIG BANG BUFFET WERE FRINGE IN KCMO BEFORE KC FRINGE! (1990s)
THE EARLY YEARS:
-Beth Marshall served as a consultant for KC FRINGE Former Director Cheryl Kimmi & the KC FRINGE Board of Directors in the 1st couple of years of KC FRINGE.
-Beth Marshall Conducted workshops on Producing a Fringe show 101 & Touring a Fringe Show 102 within the 1st few years of KC FRINGE.
-Big Bang Buffet (Mark Manning & Sandra Davies) produced/co-created/acted in The Children of Karen Carpenter in the 1st KC FRINGE.
2008:
-Beth Marshall Co-Hosted KC FRINGE Preview
-Beth conducted Board/Staff Retreat Workshop for KC FRINGE
-Beth Marshall Presents Produced
-The Bric-A-Brac Vagabond Vintage Variety Show World Premiere by Rocky Hopson, Rob Houle & Agustin Frederic
-L’Ange Avec Les Fleurs by Rocky Hopson & Rob Houle. Directed by Rocky Hopson with Musical Direction by Agustin Frederic (based out of Austin, Tx)
2009:
Beth Marshall Presents Produced:
-THE SCREW YOU REVUE created by Dewey Chaffee & Douglas McGoech (Based out of Orlando)
(WINNER of 1st EVER SHOW to be HELD OVER at KC FRINGE)
2015:
Beth Marshall Presents Produced & Directed
CosmoLyrical (based out of Portland Maine)
2024:
-Beth Marshall serves as Mentor to Festival Executive Director Audrey Crabtree
-Beth Marshall conducts panel for Inclusivity In The Arts & The Workshop Producing Theatre 101 at Fringe 2024
-BIG BANG GALLERY & SPIRIT MOON ART have art works in Visual Fringe
-Big Bang Buffet & Beth Marshall Presents do Beth & Mark’s BIG BANG!

Visit KCFRINGE.org to book Beth’s workshop on How to Produce Theatre 101 as well as her panel moderation on Incluscivity with a focus on disability, queerness, size inclusivity & making theatre more accessible for all artists and our resposibility to amplyfying voices.

ABOUT BETH MARSHALL
Beth Marshall , Former Producing Artistic Director of Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, Former VP of Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals/Co-Founder of The United States Association of Fringe Festivals,
30x BEST of FEST Fringe Touring Producing Artist) & Core Artist w/ KCMO’s BIG BANG BUFFET)
Beth Marshall has been involved in The Fringe Global Movement since 1996. She began as a Volunteer, Actor, Director, Show Producer, Stage Manager, Associate KIDS FRINGE Producer, Asscociate Producer, Executive Producing Artistic Director, Sponsor, Donor, Creator of Programing Globally & Touring Artistic Producer. She has held thousands of workshops, classes, panels, talks, and Board/Staff/Artist Consultations including leading workshops for KC FRINGE in the start of the KC FRINGE 20 years ago with Staff, Board and Artists.
She is thrilled to be back with KC FRINGE for the 20th Annual Fesitval.
Beth’s TOP honors include: The Spirit of The Fringe Award in her honor, The Inclusivity In Arts Award, LifeTime Achievement Award in Fringe & Activist of Art.
Top 5 Most Fascinating People In Orlando (Orlando Sentinel,), Among top 14 People Making Orlando a Better Place (Orlando Weekly) Local Hero Award (Bank of America), Best Arts Advocate (Orlando Weekly), Best Producer (Daily City), Top 35 under 35 (Watermark), Best Director/New Works (BroadWay World) Lifetime Achievement Award in Theatre (John Goring Award), Orlando Arts Ambassador (National New Play Network), Top 50 Women In Theatre (WIT), United Arts Grantee and Award Winner for Community Engagement and Best Festival Producer, and Djerassi Artist Residency winner, 30 Critic’s/Patron’s Pick awards & Best of Fest in Fringe Festivals across the globe as producer/director/actor.
Beth has been around the globe to most all Fringe Festivals in the US & Canada, Scotland & Ireland and has produced, acted, directed in too many shows to list. But you can visit BethMarshallPresents.com, BethMarshallIMDB, SpiritMoonArt.com

ABOUT MARK MANNING
Mark Manning of Big Bang Buffet was in the 1st KC FRINGE as a Co-Creator with Sandra Davies in The Children of Karen Carpenter. Since Mark’s time hosting public radio at KKFI, he has always ensured space for Fringe leaders and artists on his radio shows to promote their offers.
Mark Manning is co-founder of Big Bang Buffet a KC based collective that since 1990 has created over 211 productions presenting original performance art, theatre, visual art, spoken word, music, film and dance. With Big Bang Buffet Mark wrote & produced works including: “Jesse’s Dream Our Nightmare,” “Every Gay People,” “Anti-Gone in Kansas,” “It’s A Man’s World” and (with Sandra Davies), “The Children of Karen Carpenter.” Mark also produced the shows “Slightly Effeminate Men,” and “SheBang” at Quality Hill Playhouse and “Birmingham’s Book Burnin’ Barbeque” and “The Fired Up Fruitcake Bake-Off” for Culture Under Fire.
With BBB Mark was the recipient of a Best of KC Theatre Award, and The Kip Weiner Award. Mark received a Rainbow Award. He won a Silver Reel Award from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters for “The AIDS Radio Show” (created with Lisa Cordes & Jon “Piggy” Cupit).
Mark also founded BANG Gallery, a temporary art gallery on West 39th Street in Kansas City, MO. from 1994 through 1998, producing 18 art exhibitions with open and closing receptions for individual visual artists, painters, photographers, conceptualists. Bang Gallery was also the rehearsal space for BBB’s production of Voodoo Annie.
Mark has worked in Kansas City Theatre for over 35 years as an actor, stage manager, writer, designer, & producer, at The Unicorn Theater, KC Rep, The Midland Theatre, The Fishtank Theatre, The Coterie Theatre, The Folly Theatre, The Uptown Theatre, The American Heartland Theatre, Quality Hill Playhouse, Grand Arts Gallery, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Paul Mesner Puppets, Theatre League, Gorilla Theatre, the Bloch Art Building, Tivoli Theatre, All Souls Unitarian Universalist, Unity Temple on The Plaza, Actors & Artists Against AIDS, Kansas City Pride, Willow Productions, The Cabaret, and Cafe Lulu.
As an actor Mark has played roles in The Normal Heart, Talk Radio, Antigone, The Bald Soprano, The Glass Menagerie, Guys and Dolls, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Matchmaker, Charley’s Aunt, A Thousand Clowns, The Man Who Came To Dinner, A Christmas Carol, The Stan and Fran Fundy Show, Valley of The Dolls, A Very Brady Christmas, Prop 8 On Trial, and characters as diverse as Jesse Helms, Andy Warhol, Tonya Harding, Thiresius, and Barbara Bush.
As a Stage Manager and Theatre professional Mark has worked with Michael Moore, Judy Tenuta, C & C Music Factory, Chris Williamson, Kate Clinton, Iris DeMent, Amy Goodman, Madison Ward and the Mama Bear, Jody Watley, and many others.

Mark served on the Board of Directors for: CrossCurrents Culture Inc., Big Fragile Stage, KC Free Speech Coalition, and MidCoast Radio Project.
Mark’s writing has been published in, The Object, Kristie Stremel’s “Wildflowers,” The Sexy Accident’s “Lavender 3,” and several compilations. His work and his character has been included in books written by published authors: Lou Jane Temple, Aaron Barnhart, Laura Lamun, and Kathryn Gray. Mark is featured in the documentary films, “The Ordinance Project” by Austin Williams, and OutWrite by Lisa Marie Evans. Mark has worked on public mural projects, and special film projects with The Storytellers Inc.
Mark serves as host & producer of Wednesday MidDay Medley, 10 to Noon, Wednesdays on 90.1 FM KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio. Kansas City Star Music Writer, Tim Finn wrote that “Wednesday MidDay Medley was one of the three best places to hear local music on KC’s airwaves.” Mark was as host & producer of The Tenth Voice from 2001 to 2009. Created for the LGBTQIA communities, Mark also coordinated the Youth Radio Edition each month, inviting youth from area high schools & middle schools to produce & host. Mark has interviewed thousands of guests including: Lily Tomlin, Laurie Anderson, Tommy Ramone, Morgan Cooper, Holly Near, Sam Harris, Sweet Honey in The Rock, Thomas Frank, Amy Goodman, Iris DeMent, Greg Brown, Judy Shepard, Cris Williamson, Tim Miller, Kate Clinton, and Jim Hightower.

For 25 years Mark Manning served as Co-founder & Director of the KCK Teaching Gardens, an initiative of The University of Kansas School of Medicine, Office of Inclusion & Diversity, K-12. Mark worked with 1500 students each year between K through 8th grades, with organic, “raised bed” gardens built on the school grounds of three middle schools and four elementary schools in Kansas City, Kansas. Mark conducted over 400 workshops annually in classrooms at these schools. The project donated nearly $10,000 of food back into the neighborhoods around the gardens every year. The program was recognized by The National Gardening Association, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Community Gardens, The Green Bliss Festival, KU Endowment, The Urban Farm & Garden Tour, and The PBS television program America’s Harvest.

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