International BTC

NJ,U.S.A.

Jeff Belanger & Amanda Sage Comerford

“First the Toaster has a Photo ID, then the Blender has an ID, next thing you know the Stove’s stealing your car and the Lamp’s huffing glue! When a man refuses to respect his talking Toaster, the entire community launches into a debate of ownership, civil rights and Robot Uprisings.”

45 min

The Red Room

Wed 2/24,8:00,Sat 2/27,6:30,Thu 3/04,11:00,Fri 3/05,9:30,Sun 3/07,12:30

$7.00

John Warren (Toaster)

John Warren plays the role of Toaster in “Mechanically Separated Meat.”  He has acted in a few other plays with his friends.  He is a college graduate.  He lives in New Jersey.

Tim Torres (The Man)
Tim Torres has been publishing science fiction since 1952 with “Looking for Something?” in Startling Stories.  His emergence as a writer of major stature occured in 1965 with the publication of Dune.  The first of a saga that the Chicago Tribune would call “one of the monuments of modern science fiction.”

Jordan Knol (Marvin)
Jordan D. Knol is (emotion) to be a part of (name of play).  He was previously seen on (name of college)’s production of (name of play), (name of play), and was a contestant on (name of reality show). He would like to thank (Diety), (woman’s name), and (man’s name) for giving him the (trait) to go through with this.

Laura Harrison (Rosie)
When Laura Harrison grows up she wants to ride a unicycle in the circus or become a woodworker or according to her 5-year-old self grow into Sister Bear. In the mean time, she acts in strange plays.

Kristopher Swift (Hal)

Kristopher Swift would like to grow up and be a dinosaur, Frank Langella, or Richard Nixon.  Become a fan of Kristopher Swift on Facebook to see how it’s going.

Amanda Sage Comerford (Eva, Playwright, BTC)

Amanda Sage Comerford’s car broke down on the side of the road at the New Jersey Turnpike and needs assistance.  Her cell phone battery died earlier so she cannot contact anyone for help and nobody seems to be stopping.  She does not leave her car for fear of injury.  Please help her.

Jeff Belanger (Playwright, BTC)
Jeffrey Belanger wants you to know that The Kwakiutl of British Columbia bury girls’ placentas to give them skills in digging clams, and expose boys’ placentas to ravens to encourage future prophetic visions.  Oh, you knew that already? Nevermind then.  Carry on about your day.

Sean Kenealy (Stage Manager, BTC)
Sean Kenealy has a Hazmat suit.  Have you seen it? He keeps it in his closet during the day to keep it pristine and in functioning order, although he prefers not to use it ever.  When he eventually decides to use it, you will know.  For further inquiries, contact (734) 930-3030.

Company Bio

The International BTC is a New York City based theatre group, formed in the summer of 2007 by three writers:  Jeff Belanger, Amanda Sage Comerford, and Sean Kenealy.  Since then they have been writing, directing, performing and producing independent theatre on the Off and Off-Off Broadway stages.

With this return to the FRIGID New York Festival, they are following up last year’s successful Audience Choice Award winning production of 95/turnpike/95: Chickens in Jersey, with the new original comedy Mechanically Separated Meat. They have also won awards in the Riant Theatre’s Strawberry One-Act Festival, with What Cheer, Iowa, by Jeff Belanger, winning Best Director (Sean Kenealy), Best Actor and a nomination for Best Play.

Dr. E.A. Holstein (Director)

Dr. E.A Holstein was born in Spew Forest, Ill.  Having a passion for teeth at a young age, she pursued an abhorrent career in Dentistry.  At the age of 12, she was the youngest graduate of The Frank Herbert Memorial School of Dentistry.  She then opened a practice focusing on Organic Orthodontics, operating only on patients she believed to be bilingual (a point of pride).  Moonlighting as a Brain Surgeon at nights, she soon became an Illinois cult favorite.  She has operated at Advocate Christ Medical Center, Bolingbrook Hospital, and Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.  This is her first theatrical production.

Dr. Petty Shanks (Director)

Dr. Petty Shanks was born into renown family of brain surgeons was destined for great things, despite the crippling birth defect of having only a thumb and one large finger on his right hand.  While attending the prestigious Barrel University, he patented the surgical instrument, the Brain Clamp, now a mainstay on the surgery circuit.  He became primarily known for his “Xtreme Surguries” like performing a Craniotomy while a top a Ford Taurus in park, a Hypophysectomy on a boat, and an Amygdalohippocampectomy while underwater.  This is his first time as a Director and he thanks the talented cast for their patience.

Dr. Gates M. Helms (Director)

Dr. Gates M. Helms was born in Boneswarp, TN.  A graduate of Joshua Sausage Military Academy, he had a natural inclination towards Zoological Gynecology.  He pursued his interest, attending Twinforks College.  He switched to a focus in neurosurgery his last semester and graduated with a degree in Zoological Gynecological Neurosurgery, the first in his field.  He’s been referred to as the Graham Kerr of Neurosurgeons for his lighthearted humor, tomfoolery, and copious use of clarified butter, cream and fat.

He has directed seven episodes of the children’s show Ape Massage Parlor.

Behind the BTC

The International Brain Transplant Committee has its origins with the creation of “City of Camden Cranial Interest Group” (CCCIG) which formed on November 21st, 1877 in the wilds of Camden, NJ by world renowned brain surgeons: Dr. E.A Holstein, Dr. Petty Shanks, and Dr. Gates M. Helms. They were the foremost practitioners of cutting through people’s skulls and touching all up in their brains. They would perform these feats in alleyways and tar paper shacks in the woods. They would meet regularly to discuss the finer points of their craft, like how much they would touch up brains before attempting to resuscitate their volunteers OR how much they disliked really wet brains (Dr. Helms and Holstein always made sure to point out that Dr. Shanks would usually bring this subject up insisting wet brains to be tawdry. “It shined like a worn out lady of the night” as he would put it, breathing heavily into a blood stained handkerchief soaked with ether).

CCCIG remained virtually unknown until October 4th, 1885 when Dr. Holstein was approached with the request to see her “Brain Surgery” in action and was willing to exchange either cash or liquor for entry. Holstein told Helm and Shanks at their next meeting and the three decided to open their procedures (now called Performances) to the public. Thus, the earliest forms of theatre were born. People came in herds, more than willing to pay the at the time ridiculous entry fee of twenty dollars.

As they grew in popularity, the three grew bored simply with sawing peoples heads open and feeling their brains or scratching dirty limericks in the upside of their skulls. They then made the decision that would forever shake the blossoming art scene to its core: they wanted to take OUT the brain and PUT it somewhere else. So they changed their name to the now familiar International Brain Transplant Committee. They began training legions of performers to assist, study, and refine brain transplanting techniques.

Unfortunately, Dr. Helms, Shanks, and Holstein were all murdered by a bear one night. They stopped transplanting brains because they were all dead after that.

And that’s why we have this theatre company. We’re very sorry.