$5 cover charge or pay-what-you-can at the door. Audience members can pay their covers and artists can pre-register for a performance slot online at watheatre.com/epcooker or via phone at 330-612-3090.

ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO:

The Electric Pressure Cooker… presents Bigger than a Breadbox is one of the 27 winners for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Knight Arts Challenge Akron. Bigger Than A Breadbox needs to raise $75,000 in matching funds – $27,500 over the next 8 months!

For more information (including the up-to-date funds raised) visit watheatre.com/btab or email watheatre@gmail.com.

ABOUT THE EVENT:

The AWARD-WINNING Electric Pressure Cooker Cabaret returns for another month of “ANYTHING GOES” fun!

Through humble beginnings in the basement of a flower shop, the #EPCooker is an artist driven event that sees over 100 audience members, 20+ performances and 6 non-stop hours of art.

Registration for performers begins at 7:30 p.m. Performances begin between 8:00 – 8:30 p.m. Anyone may sign up for a 12-minute slot. Performers may pre-register at watheatre.com/epcooker.

An emcee, house drum kit, keyboard and sound system (with operators) are provided. This month’s emcee is an #EPCooker favorite: Arcana Smyth and the Church of Starry Wisdom!

ALL varieties of acts are encouraged to perform. Previous acts have included: monologues, acoustic musicians, play readings, comedians, experimental art, dancers, scenes from plays, improv, devised work, full rock bands and performance artists. But the sky is the limit; no art is too taboo for the #EPCooker!

ALL levels – from beginner to the most experienced – are encouraged to perform. Those under 18 are permitted to attend (and perform!) with adult supervision.

The #EPCooker is not just an Open Mic. It is an open and welcoming community of artists. It is also a great networking event, a great place to improve stage presence and a great place to develop as an artist. Storyteller Kyle Jozsa, comedian Sarah Jones, Just Go With It Improv, the Copper Pennies and many other acts premiered at the #EPCooker.

Aqueduct Brewing has a fine selection of craft beer and cider available for sale. Outside beverages are not permitted. Outside food is allowed.

ABOUT THE EMCEE(S):

Keyboardist/vocalist Arcana Smyth was born into the Church of Starry Wisdom, daughter of Alchemist “Al” Smyth & Susan Lovecraft “Lovey” Smyth, their sole surviving child, the rest of their brood sacrificed to the Crawling Chaos for knowledge of the universe. Arcana’s fellow band members were all abducted by the same cult at very early ages and have no prior memories. Their parents were all sacrificed by Church ministers to the Haunter of the Dark for Starry Wisdom. All names are unknown in order to hide the murders. When choir leader Topaz transitioned into womanhood, a priest praised this as a sacrifice unto Nyarlathotep, but Topaz disagrees. She didn’t give anything up. Her private parts are tucked safe inside quite nicely now, thank you. Drummer Dez Troyer is a man of few words and many beats. His hobbies include arson & bringing the apocalypse. And finally (but certainly not last) there’s Maxx Welles on synths/samples/guitar. He just wanted to write songs and make noise. But when every guitarist at Church was sacrificed to the God of 1,000 forms in manners so gruesome as to be tragic, if not for that holy trade for Starry Wisdom, Maxx was forced to play guitar. The melody to “Nemesis” came to him in a vision and that’s when the band was incubated to create gospel music for the Outer Gods & Great Old Ones. Watch out! The Church is currently stalking talented contributors to the #EPCooker (& beyond) & using subtle brainwashing techniques to kidnap them into their worship team.

Arcana Smyth was created by Kurt Brown & Amy Spencer, and she is performed by Amy Spencer. Topaz is played by John Dayo-Aliya. Dez Troyer is played by Vince Tyree. Maxx Welles is played by Kurt Brown.

Who will you play?

ABOUT BIGGER THAN A BREADBOX:

Building on the success of Wandering Aesthetics’ reoccurring Electric Pressure Cooker Cabaret, Bigger Than a Breadbox (BTAB) draws inspiration from Akron’s historic ties to vaudeville. Using this vaudevillian blueprint, BTAB will be a dynamic quarterly event that celebrates artistic excellence and unites audiences through affordable access to a revolving lineup of high quality performers. BTAB will tour Akron; each “bill” will be comprised of acts selected from the #EPCooker and the neighborhoods where BTAB events are held. Acts will reflect a diverse array of talent and receive a performance stipend.