BIG CITY HICK

Genre: Comedy, Solo Performance
Written By Linda Hill, Directed by Blake Bradford

Big City Hick is the story of a country girl's love affair with New York City. Even as a little girl growing up on the outskirts of a small rural Kansas coal mining town Linda Hill already wanted to live in the Big Apple one day. Although the tiny four room house had no running water, there was the Zenith TV's flickering eye in the corner of the living room which told the little girl great tales of Broadway Show Girls and beautiful big houses and furniture. Her longing for that far away city was underscored by the great old country music that her parents' radio provided. The journey from there to the bright lights and Big City is a story of self discovery and self acceptance. It is a story of possibility and the realization that being true to your soul is the greatest dream of all.
It is a journey through the heartland in the truest sense of the word. It is a story of innocence lost and regained. It is an American story. A story for everyone who has had to fight to be who they truly are.

Open:   11/13/10
Close:   11/21/10

Schedule:
11/13 @10, 11/14 @5,

11/20 @10, 11/21 @5

Theater:   Wings Theatre
Address:   154 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
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Closest subway: 1, 9 to Christopher Street, west on Christopher Street several blocks to theatre

Cost:$15 reg, $10 with valid student ID
Buy Tickets Online or Call: Wings Theatre Box Office at 212-627-2961
Linda Hill Writer/Performer

Linda Hill first made a name for herself in the field of improvisational and stand up comedy in San Francisco where she was in such groups as Spaghetti Jam, Femprov and National Theater of the the Deranged. Soon she struck out on her own as one of 8 women comics who were working in stand up at the time and she performed and became friends with such talents as Diane Amos (the "Pine Sol Lady"), Whoopi Goldberg, Marga Gomez, Tom Ammiano, Kevin Meaney and Robin Williams to name but a few. Her television appearances include "Comey Tonight" on PBS for three years, one as host; The "TV IQ Test" for which she won a California Emmy, ""Two Guys with Amazing Shorts" on HBO; "Two Drink Minimum" on Comedy Central; and "Nashville Now" on TNN.
 

The New York Times called her "a skillful parodist of female body language and fashion and has found a rich reservoir of fun in the romance novels and women's magazines."


San Francisco Examiner "Taking on the personae of, in turn, her older brother, father and mother, Hill acted out a sly bit of family intrigue. In process, she carved meaty slices of family life and peeled verbal snapshots of her small-time hometown. It was a well-constructed miniature."

San Francisco Chronicle "She not only impersonates but becomes her characters. Hill ventures into territory that she inhabits with few other comedians."

PAPER Magazine "Don't miss this multi-talented character comedian. . ."

West Coast Arts "A coloring book of wonderful monologues and songs by one of the finest character comedienne's working today. These characters are superbly drawn by a woman with the eye of Norman Rockwell and the wit of Elaine May"


North Coast News "They brought a full acting company with dancers, singers, a burlesque queen-even a performance poet-and they were ALL Linda Hill. The lady is possessed of more energy and talent than we have seen on one stage in a very long time."
 


Linda became known for her striking and detailed character work, sometimes with just a scarf and a bare stage and sometimes completely costumed and in character from start to finish. First as Darcy DeMuir in the Girl Group parody she created with Nora Dunn who later went on to SNL fame; then Negateeva, her lesbian performance poet; Miss Angel Drake, Songstress and Survivor of the Blues and her current incarnation, as Lindy Loo, Hillbilly Hostess on the NYC&W country music scene.
Hill's talents as an emcee have served her well she hosted a late night series at the Public Theatre called No Shame and became known as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the New York Avant-Garde; then hosting Burlesque as Angel and now monthly country music shows. She was an artist in residence at Home for Contemporary Theatre and Art for three years.  As an actress she has created iconic and over the top women in her roles as Mary Todd Lincoln in Cucaracha's  Downtown Soap; Neely O'Hara in WorkHorse Theatre's Production of Valley of the Dolls; Lady MacBeth in both the stage and film version of MacBeth, King of Scoutland and Miss Angel Drake in the film Portrait of a Sinner. she also appeared in the Gay Holiday Cult fave film, 24 Nights and as Det. Kate Reilly in Alien Sex Phone Psycho.
When she was performing her stand up at Caeser's Casino in Tahoe, George Carlin spotted her act and brought her to LA to perform in his HBO series, "Apt. 2C." She played opposite Don Novello a.k.a. Father Guido Sarducci as Sister Mary Carmel in his Cinemax special, "The Vatican Inquirer." Later her idol, Miss Minnie Pearl, brought her to Nashville as her discovery and she performed on Ralph Emory's live show, "Nashville Now." Miss Minnie became not only her mentor but her friend.
Linda is also a writer and is working on a collection of short stories as well as a novella, Girl Child. Her band is Lindy Loo & the Jake Leg Strutters and she hosts her Country Cuzins show monthly. She is well known as a comedy coach and improv teacher. As one of the forerunners in the genre of solo shows, Hill has several under her belt including "A Woman Possessed","Scream Louder", "Ingognito Sex," "Too Many Clothes," "Star 69," and "There'll Always Be Hope in Kansas". She shaped and directed the first run of Camryn Manheim's solo show, "Wake Up, I'm Fat!", and coached comic Kate Rigg with her character work.

Blake Bradford Director

Blake Bradford (Director) is an Emmy Award winning writer/director whose theatrical work has appeared all over the US and internationally in Canada, Mexico, Greece, Scotland/England, Denmark, Italy and South Africa. His original plays I, Undertow, Dance at Bataan, The Last Cloud, Gay Slave Handbook and Word Within the Word are actively seen in the regional circuits and NYC.  His new play, The Unfortunate Honeymoon of Tony and Steve just completed a long run here at Wings Theatre and will soon be annoucing regional performances.  He has adapted Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard (1920's Charleston, SC), which has now played NYC twice, as well as Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba (with music composed by Lorca).  He will be directing The Last Laugh with two-time Emmy winner Joan Darling and Judy Kerr this winter in LA, and then in April he will direct Bill Svanoe's Callback in Santa Fe, NM.

Blake is currently on the staff of "Live from Lincoln Center" (PBS), where they won a 2008 Emmy for Madama Butterfly. He just completed the highly acclaimed live airing of South Pacific for LFLC.  Other TV credits include "The Big Gay Sketch Show" (LOGO/MTV), "Showtime at the Apollo" (NBC), "Drama Desk Awards" (PBS) and "Arthur Ashe Kids Day" (CBS).  He serves as Artistic Director of Zephyer Rep.