The Weekend - again

Mutterings continued.

As Thursday was a holiday, yesterday felt like a Monday. But it weren't so here's the weekend. No more short weeks until the beginning of March - Labour Day. How will I survive??

Back from the weekly shopping. No exciting purchases, no shiny things, though I did spend over $50 in Lush.

Taken from the Scarlet Street forum: under the subject heading "The Master Would Be Pleased -

Last Rites Productions Presents “MANOS” The Hands of Fate

Portland, OR – Last Rites Productions premiers with its first production, a stage adaptation of the 1966 horror classic “Manos” The Hands of Fate.

Founding members Brian Koch and Ryan Cloutier have birthed a new theatrical production company: Last Rites Productions in Portland, Oregon.

Brian Adrian Koch is familiar with horror. Indeed, his long and illustrious pedigree of the macabre began at age four when he accidentally viewed The Exorcist and was further reinforced at age nine when he accidentally viewed Flashdance. His fascination with the twisted paths of evil culminated in 2002 when he received his Certificate of Completion from the prestigious Sam Raimi’s “So You Want to be Scary?” correspondence course.

Ryan M. Cloutier knows scary. He has been involved in live (and dead) theatre for seventeen years. As well as acting, he has written, produced, and directed several films and theatrical productions in Maine, Hawaii, and Oregon including The Creature of Terror, Judy Dunn Died, Alien Adventure, Sno White and the Seven Ravers, and Oklahoma. Ryan is also Public Relations Manager of the Rose City Gay Freedom Band.

Their first production as Last Rites Production is a graphic retelling of the 1966 Horror Film “Manos” The Hands of Fate.

Synopsis:
A young family gets lost on their first vacation and ends up at the Lodge of Sins, kept by sadistic satyr Torgo, and the Master, a high priest of the god Manos. The family is quickly entangled into a terrifying web of lust, betrayal and murder. Can they escape the Lodge of Sins before the young wife and daughter get taken as sex slaves by the Master? Or will they be sacrificed to Manos? It’s a surprise ending you don’t want to miss!

“Manos” The Hands of Fate, was originally written and produced by Harold P. Warren in 1966. Following its release, it was pulled from drive-ins across the Midwest. Audiences were appalled at the images of polygamy, mutilation and graphic violence. The film was shelved and forgotten about for decades. Over thirty years later, it was rediscovered by Best Brains, Inc, a Minnesota based production company and reintroduced to the horror scene. Since then it has gained a substantial cult following. Forty years after the original was produced, it’s been adapted for stage and is being produced in all its horrifying glory by Ryan Cloutier and directed by Brian A. Koch, with the assistance of Cloutier. The cast includes local heavy hitters including Jayson Kochan as the Master, Jade Harris as the young wife Margaret and Chris Schollmeyer as the urbane husband Michael. The cast also features Koch as the satyr caretaker Torgo; Erin Merl as the innocent daughter Debbie; Gwen Lahti, Sabra Choi, Shawn Cates, and Corey Ravens as the kept wives of the Master; and Orie Weeks III and Johnny Hamilton as the male lover and the cop, respectively. Providing music for the production are members of the local band Blitzen Trapper.

In addition to “Manos”, Last Rites is presenting a selection of two comedic, yet bizarre Catholic church confessionals written by Koch, and performed by Koch and Cloutier."