All entries by this author

John Waters Visits The Hypnodrome

Jan 12th, 2010 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Blog, Hypnodrome, Thrillpeddlers News

It was quite a thrill for Thrillpeddlers last Friday night when John Waters came the Hypnodrome to see “Pearls Over Shanghai.” The visit was planned well in advance and I could feel our excitement mounting from the moment we heard the news last November that he was all set to come on January 8th. [...]



Amazing Halloween Weekend at the Hypnodrome

Nov 3rd, 2009 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Blog, Thrillpeddlers News

True to form, Halloween weekend was a blast at The Hypnodrome. We sold out all three performances of Shocktoberfest!! 2009: The Torture Garden (including a special midnight show on Halloween night). The 8 pm performance of Peals Over Shanghai was standing room only with most of the audience in full costume. [...]



Thrillpeddlers on “Inside City Limits”

Oct 21st, 2009 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Blog

A news story about Thrillpeddlers’ tenth annual Shocktoberfest!! will being airing this week on “Inside City Limits” on Comcast’s channel 11 in San Francisco. The air dates are 10/21 – 24 (Wednesday at 9 pm, Thur at 8 pm, and Fri and Sat at 6:30 pm). The TV crew came to interview me [...]



“Morbid Curiosity” Book Release Party at the Hypnodrome

Oct 21st, 2009 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Blog

Last night The Hypnodrome was filled to capacity for the release of “Morbid Curiosity Cures the Blues,” a new anthology of strange true tales from the ever-popular ‘zine called “Morbid Curiosity.” Two Thrillpeddlers, Bill Selby and Jill Tracy, have their stories in the book and joined other contributors in reading their work. We [...]



My Week of Glamour and Anarchy

Apr 28th, 2008 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Hypnodrome, Thrillpeddlers, Thrillpeddlers News

Last week Thrillpeddlers enjoyed the height of serendipity with the fabulous Cockettes. That Thrillpeddlers embrace the spirit of San Francisco’s legendary psychedelic drag ensemble is no surprise. The group was part of a late-60s/early-70s bi-coastal queer hippie performing arts clique that included Charles Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical Company and John Waters’ Dreamland Studios. [...]



Jello Biafra Joins Mourners for Head Trips Farewell

Jun 21st, 2007 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Thrillpeddlers

On Saturday June 2nd we bid adieu to Hypnodrome Head Trips. Bittersweet as it was to say goodbye to the Head Trips company, fans and our favorite roles, I couldn’t have asked for a better closing night performance and party. We had a full house that included some very special folks. My [...]



Free Movie Night

May 27th, 2007 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Thrillpeddlers

The Hypnodrome’s free movie night last week was great fun! Thrillpeddlers’ playwright and visual effects director Jonathan Horton introduced one of his all-time horror film favorites – Curse of the Demon. This 1958 crowd pleaser has it all: witchcraft, hypnosis, séances, Devil cults and skeptical scientists. And since we were screening [...]



Reader’s Choice

May 27th, 2007 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Thrillpeddlers

It was certainly a thrill when Thrillpeddlers won the San Francisco Bay Guardian’s Best of the Bay Award for “Best Live Onstage Bloodbath” in 2004. Not ones to rest on our laurels, Thrillpeddlers recently campaigned for – and won – SF Weekly’s Best of San Francisco 2007 Reader’s Poll for “Best Theatre Company!” [...]



“Twist” of Fate

May 11th, 2007 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Theatre

On Saturday morning everything seemed normal. Jim and I went at to breakfast at Luna in The Castro. It was crowded. The waiter divided a “four top” made up of two small tables, so the two gents next to us were sitting very close indeed. I couldn’t help but eavesdrop a [...]



Wolff Summons “Cobra” Orbs

May 9th, 2007 | By Russell Blackwood | Category: Thrillpeddlers

It came as no surprise to Thrillpeddler Heidi Wolff that spirit orbs appeared both on stage and off during a behind the scenes interpretive dance she shared with Head Trips cast members during Friday night’s performance of John Zorn’s Cobra. Miss Wolff has fed her mediumistic talents and love of “the dance” since she [...]