Catastrophic Theatre's annual gala is always a little bit twisted. For this year's edition Friday night at the S.P.J.S.T. Lodge 88, the innovative Houston theater troupe threw a "Hee Haw Hootenanny" that combined elements of Green Acres, The Dukes of Hazzard and Winter's Bone.
Guests took the theme to heart, arriving in overalls, square dance outfits, gingham dresses and Daisy Dukes with exposed midriffs. Among the standouts were Jeff Shell as a backwoods meth dealer, Noel Bowers and Karina Pal Montano-Bowers dripping in "Hillbilly Fabulous" attire (bling and grilled teeth) and Jim Kastleman and Kasi Kubiak in matching red gingham.
DJ Esteff kicked off the evening playing hits by Patsy Cline, Glen Campbell and Jeannie C. Reilly on vinyl as guests nibbled on deviled eggs, spicy chicken wings and pork belly appetizers; bobbed for apples and pigs feet; engaged in spirited watermelon seed spitting contests and were forced into shotgun weddings by two gun-totin' babes.
After a cafeteria meal that included such mouth-watering selections as fried chicken, barbecue sandwiches, macaroni and cheese and potato salad, guests gathered in the main hall as Catastrophic Theatre company members "baptized" Tamarie Cooper as a "Born Again Texan" in a big musical number from last summer's hit show The United States of Tamarie.
Then the cast got everyone to participate in the Chicken Dance and square dance numbers before guests grooved the night away to the music of the band Horseshoe.
Among those joining in the fun were Sally and Bill Russ, Caroline and Jared LeBlanc, Barbara Davis, Karen Steele, Nic Phillips, Donna Tennant and Henry Hunt, Mary Hooper and Dennis Starks, Lauren Levicki, Susanna Kise, Jennifer Elkins and Brittany and Travis Cassin.
