The Death of Schopenhauer

We're producing our first avant-garde opera!

November 14, 15 & 16 at Dog Story Theater Cangue League will present "The Death of Schopenhauer" by Gary Perrine

Departing from our usual segmented, thematically diverse style Cangue League presents a full opera for its Grand Rapids audience.

Poster Art by Nate Neal

The story takes odd leaps from one theatrical style to the next while telling the tragic tale of a writer that has his soul trampled upon by other powers in the universe. Mr. Perrine has asked Cangue League to use entirely recycled, reused, re-purposed materials for the props, set and even the large white back curtain required for this piece.

Cangue League's past five shows have been multi-media events and The Death of Schopenhauer is no exception. Bobbie Gilbert, Sean Kenny, Don Mangione and Gary Perrine will provide videos.  Mr. Kenny, CL's projectionist, is always looking for a unique material to use for a screen, Mr. Mangione will provide one of his wonderful abstract deconstructions of found footage, Ms. Gilbert is presenting a special unconventional animation using found and donated toys and Mr. Perrine will illustrate the entire de-evolution of writing and the evolution of music in a few minutes.

Rebecca Rodriguez

The phenomenal guitarist, Rebecca Rodriguez will be the center of sounds provided for The Death of Schopenhauer.  Ms. Rodriguez, known for her conventional work with The Icicles and as a soloist, will be surrounded by experimental acoustic objects such as old car parts and bark from sycamore trees and various reused matter to evoke the many emotions that an opera requires.

Nate Neal, author of the graphic novel, The Sanctuary and the intriguing  The Big Trip, returns to create another amazing poster. Click on the poster for a better look!

Click on one of the images below to check out some videos from our past shows:  

Victim/Criminal

           

Whispered Consuela

We Did it

The Answer

                            

                                                                            

Monday & Tuesday!

Want Want Lovely Play

Dog Story Theater

Lake Effect Fringe Festival

Tickets at www.dogstorytheater.com

Cangue League will be kicking up winter with their usual spices of unusual pieces.  CLO (Cangue League Orchestra) will do a set smack dab in the middle of the show. Watch for Rebecca Rodriguez and Gary Perrine to take the stage for their world famous "Ball and Chain" act!

Mexican soap operas, wild rides in the dessert with celebrities, people that aren't flowers, musicians that are and an old fashion film made by You!

It's all part of the odd fun from your friends at Cangue League on Monday February 11th and Tuesday February 12th at Dog Story Theater at 8:00pm!

Want Want Lovely Play is Cangue League's entry in the first annual Lake Effect Fringe Festival.

Want Want Lovely Play

Lake Effect Fringe Fest

Cangue League invades local theater sampler!

Lake Effect Fringe Fest is a festival of local theater groups performing in a two week period to heighten awareness for the various groups.

February 11th & 12th Cangue League will put up another full 90 minutes of contemplative, challenging, provocative and entertaining avant-garde theater pieces.  Besides using a different set of lenses to spy on familiar ideas and attempting to verbalize new perspectives we consider our job incomplete if we don't incorporate the audience, if only to hold a noisy candle.






In "Flowers", our very first show, we invited our guests as they entered the lobby of Dog Story Theater to help colour a section of clear 16mm film. Some chose to memorialize their moniker while others used a more abstract pen coloring random (seemingly) lines and splotches of many hues.  At the very end of our performances I enlightened the crowd as to the title of the piece that they participated in - "Communion".  After projecting our cameraless film I cut it into 3 or 4 frame snippets depositing each clip into an envelope marked "Communion" and distributed it amongst the audience.  We could all meet on a future date and splice it back together, to rejoin  for another screening.  We will do "Communion II" for Fringe Fest but with an additional twist. Come commune with us!






For our second show, "Revolutions", we decided to incorporate the audience in one of the renown Cangue League Orchestra's seminal compositions. The Orchestra employs marbles in bowls to create a mesmerizing whirl of sound as a basis for some of the musicians more exotic vibrations.  The twist was that each audience member was handed a can with a marble with a candle inside.  As the music swelled our grand media tech, Josh Dunigan slowly lowered the theater lights until we witnessed only a glow from each seat in the room.  It was beautiful.

Victim/Criminal

Whispered Consuela in the Dark

Be sure to visit our facebook page and like the shit out of it!

Technicolor Yawn avant-garde dinner theater

This Saturday expand your horizons with the enigmatic Cangue League! As usual we'll serve you the unusual as our troupe sings, dances, acts and asks questions, but the added ploy is that we'll feed you various courses of edibles while feeding you various ideas of existential fare.

If you interest is piqued, go to that PayPal button in the upper right corner that allows you to choose Single $15 or Couple $25 (Deal!) and we will send you an email asking your choice of Meat or Vegetarian.

This is our most ambitious attempt at turning GR's head around. Hugo Caudin's - "Atomic Bongos", Katherine Marty's -  "Alone With Doris", Chris Eddy's - "Carcosa In Sesame", Don Mangione's video - "Presence", Gary Perrine's - "Just A Gig"

Starring: Mary Brandt, Molly Zigler, Kyle Colter, Katherine Marty, Chris Eddy, Hugo Claudin, Gary Perrine, Bobbie Gilbert and others...

Waiter, there's a cangue in my soup!

It's time for something strange...

Technicolor Yawn

avant-garde dinner theatre - Saturday, November 3rd

 

 Cangue League will present it's latest offering, "Technicolor Yawn," an event that will pair avant-garde theater with a multi-course meal. Six authors will collaborate with local chefs to create edible counterparts to their pieces. Participating artists will include founder, Gary Perrine, Kyle Colter of local indie rock darlings Pistolbrides, Katherine Marty of Super Happy Funtime Burlesque, art superstar Hugo Claudin, Mary Brandt great local thespian and many leading lights of the Grand Rapids art scene. Musical accompaniment will be provided by the Cangue Leauge Orchestra, who will present a short concert after the dinner. 

Cangue League is an organization of like-minded collaborators, representing many different artistic disciplines who come together periodically to present avant-garde cabaret events. The cooperatively run theater troupe seeks to challenge and inspire audiences through performances of original plays and music.

Technicloor Yawn will be performed at Hugo Claudin's popular jazz venue, Mexicans Sans Frontieres, 120 S. Division. Prices for the performance and dinner will be $15 each, $25 per couple, $5 for post show music performance only. Tickets can be purchased with credit card at the upper right through PayPal or Cash at the door.

Cangue League Orchestra at Pyramid Scheme April 20th!

CLO members: Mike Saunders, Hugo Claudin, Rebecca Rodriguez, Mickey Mackenzie, Kyle Colter and Gary Perrine.

Cangue League Orchestra will join Spydre Murphy, Jake Stilson, Bearcat, Faux Fur & The Extra Texture and Petals Rang the Bell in a fundraiser to support the decriminalization of Marijuana laws in Grand Rapids, MI.  This will be Cangue League Orchestra's first appearance at the Scheme and has all the makings of a great show. For half a sawbuck ($5) you could do a lot worse.  The music and chatter starts at 9:00pm and the doors open sometime before that.

In 2010, 750,591 Marijuana possession arrests were made in the US. In Michigan in 2002, 17,708. In Kent County, 1507.  Even if there were no arrests it is still absurd that marijuana carries such a steep punishment.

Cangue League Orchestra is in the process of recording vibrations unusual. Maybe you will buy it at Vertigo.  Remember: April 21st is National Record Day!