We are pleased to announce that "The Great Sloppy Joe Extermination" won the 2010 festival! The short comedy, directed by Michael Glazer and written by Bill Daniel, beat out the other seven plays based on audience voting-by-sticker. Congratulations to everyone involved!
“Hobo Junction has become most famous in Chicago for their original, full-length comedies, from rock musicals about waiters to plays about good-natured cannibals, but their Hobo Robo festival is definitely worth checking out as a winning model for a short-play festival: eight Chicago-area directors choose from ten-minute comedic plays submitted from all over the country and stage them for an audience who judges which should win the cash prize. This year's Hobo Robo features fully staged productions rather than last year's staged readings.” - Monica Westin FLAVORPILL.COM♠
THE HOBO ROBO NEW COMEDY FESTIVAL 2: THE FESTIVAL”
"Irrational Voices"
Director: Lev Kalmens
Playwright: David Wilhelm
"The Great Sloppy Joe Extermination" (*WINNER!*)
Director: Michael Glazer
Playwright: Bill Daniel
"A Little Fight Music"
Director: Richard Paro
Playwright: Daniel Caffrey
"The Real Housewives of the Hanesville Pines Trailer Park"
Director: Kyra Lewandowski
Playwright: Chelsea Marcantel
"Landing The Coaster"
Director: Michael Steele
Playwrights: Daniel Caffrey & McKenzie Gerber
"Fortnight of the Living Dead"
Director: Dan Krall
Playwright: Dusty Wilson
"Grapes"
Director: Brandon Pape
Playwright: Charlie Homerding
“How To Destroy a Theater”
Directed and Written by John Wilson
“Hobo Junction has become most famous in Chicago for their original, full-length comedies, from rock musicals about waiters to plays about good-natured cannibals, but their Hobo Robo festival is definitely worth checking out as a winning model for a short-play festival: eight Chicago-area directors choose from ten-minute comedic plays submitted from all over the country and stage them for an audience who judges which should win the cash prize. This year's Hobo Robo features fully staged productions rather than last year's staged readings.” - Monica Westin FLAVORPILL.COM♠
THE HOBO ROBO NEW COMEDY FESTIVAL 2: THE FESTIVAL”
"Irrational Voices"
Director: Lev Kalmens
Playwright: David Wilhelm
"The Great Sloppy Joe Extermination" (*WINNER!*)
Director: Michael Glazer
Playwright: Bill Daniel
"A Little Fight Music"
Director: Richard Paro
Playwright: Daniel Caffrey
"The Real Housewives of the Hanesville Pines Trailer Park"
Director: Kyra Lewandowski
Playwright: Chelsea Marcantel
"Landing The Coaster"
Director: Michael Steele
Playwrights: Daniel Caffrey & McKenzie Gerber
"Fortnight of the Living Dead"
Director: Dan Krall
Playwright: Dusty Wilson
"Grapes"
Director: Brandon Pape
Playwright: Charlie Homerding
“How To Destroy a Theater”
Directed and Written by John Wilson
The Regulars
A brand-new epic rock musical comedy about service and soup, war and whites, battle and bread. It is night at the Laconia Steakhouse and eight servers are faced with the largest crowd they've ever seen. In the face of danger, they must bind together as a threat from within tries to tear them apart. Featuring fresh-out-the-oven rock music by Dan Krall and Josh Zagoren. This comedy is dedicated to the men and women of the food service industry. It is the story of love. It is the story of heroes. It is the story of horrible sexual innuendos and the servers who make them. GET THE SOUNDTRACK HERE!!
"Like a flaming crepe Suzette, this miniature rock musical explodes with fire
and freshness".
- Centerstage Chicago
“No matter your age, you will find yourself laughing at this
talented cast as they take you on their journey of a night from
hell.”
- Chicago Critic
“Boasting an impressive set of pipes and wry comedic
timing, Carla Kessler delights as the authoritarian shift
manager”.
- Chicago Reader
“Spunky!” “Zany!” “3 out of 4”
- Steadstyle Chicago
A brand-new epic rock musical comedy about service and soup, war and whites, battle and bread. It is night at the Laconia Steakhouse and eight servers are faced with the largest crowd they've ever seen. In the face of danger, they must bind together as a threat from within tries to tear them apart. Featuring fresh-out-the-oven rock music by Dan Krall and Josh Zagoren. This comedy is dedicated to the men and women of the food service industry. It is the story of love. It is the story of heroes. It is the story of horrible sexual innuendos and the servers who make them. GET THE SOUNDTRACK HERE!!
"Like a flaming crepe Suzette, this miniature rock musical explodes with fire
and freshness".
- Centerstage Chicago
“No matter your age, you will find yourself laughing at this
talented cast as they take you on their journey of a night from
hell.”
- Chicago Critic
“Boasting an impressive set of pipes and wry comedic
timing, Carla Kessler delights as the authoritarian shift
manager”.
- Chicago Reader
“Spunky!” “Zany!” “3 out of 4”
- Steadstyle Chicago
Horrible
HORRIBLE is a new comedy by Josh Zagoren, the mastermind behind Hobo Junction and author of the hit show BAD GUYS IN SUITS. HORRIBLE, Hobo Junction's Seventh production is a comedy about love, death and cannibalism. Malcolm Garrish is a doctor with a great deal of patience. Holly Goodly is a good-natured cannibal trying to save her family and failing flower shop. This is the story of how they met and fell in love in the wake of murders, ghosts and the soon to be world famous “Holly Ham”.
HORRIBLE is a new comedy by Josh Zagoren, the mastermind behind Hobo Junction and author of the hit show BAD GUYS IN SUITS. HORRIBLE, Hobo Junction's Seventh production is a comedy about love, death and cannibalism. Malcolm Garrish is a doctor with a great deal of patience. Holly Goodly is a good-natured cannibal trying to save her family and failing flower shop. This is the story of how they met and fell in love in the wake of murders, ghosts and the soon to be world famous “Holly Ham”.
Bad Guys in Suits
Four mobsters of Depression era 1930s have a particularly bad day at the office in Hobo Junction’s “Bad Guys In Suits.” This musical comedy is replete with original song and dance numbers, witty banter and larger-than-life characters that epitomized screwball entertainment of that time. “Bad Guys In Suits” centers on four mobsters who try earn a respectable living—in spite of hard times and their seedy job descriptions—on what becomes the longest night of their lives. As if placating the boss weren’t hard enough, they also have to deal with nagging wives, unwanted advances from transvestite speakeasy entertainers and occupational hazards such as unintended self-inflicted gunshot wounds. It’s enough to make a man wonder if he should consider another line of work. A great combination of slapstick humor and sophisticated dialogue that employs much of the gangster vernacular from that era, “Bad Guys In Suits” pays homage to James Cagney in “The Public Enemy” and Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot.” “Bad Guys In Suits” will also feature original music by gypsy jazz band, The Panda Feathers.
Hobo Junction produced Bad Guys in Suits three times as part of ongoing script and music development. BGIS ran at Gorilla Tango Theater, Boho Theater and finally at the Apollo Theater Studio.
Four mobsters of Depression era 1930s have a particularly bad day at the office in Hobo Junction’s “Bad Guys In Suits.” This musical comedy is replete with original song and dance numbers, witty banter and larger-than-life characters that epitomized screwball entertainment of that time. “Bad Guys In Suits” centers on four mobsters who try earn a respectable living—in spite of hard times and their seedy job descriptions—on what becomes the longest night of their lives. As if placating the boss weren’t hard enough, they also have to deal with nagging wives, unwanted advances from transvestite speakeasy entertainers and occupational hazards such as unintended self-inflicted gunshot wounds. It’s enough to make a man wonder if he should consider another line of work. A great combination of slapstick humor and sophisticated dialogue that employs much of the gangster vernacular from that era, “Bad Guys In Suits” pays homage to James Cagney in “The Public Enemy” and Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot.” “Bad Guys In Suits” will also feature original music by gypsy jazz band, The Panda Feathers.
Hobo Junction produced Bad Guys in Suits three times as part of ongoing script and music development. BGIS ran at Gorilla Tango Theater, Boho Theater and finally at the Apollo Theater Studio.
The Temp
Just your average office puppet comedy with ninjas. The employees of Capital Bank are held hostage by a power hungry answering machine and computer. It is up to their Temp to save the day. Did we mention ninjas?
The Temp was produced at Gorrilla Tango as part of ongoing script development, and then was re-launched at the Cornservatory the following year.
Just your average office puppet comedy with ninjas. The employees of Capital Bank are held hostage by a power hungry answering machine and computer. It is up to their Temp to save the day. Did we mention ninjas?
The Temp was produced at Gorrilla Tango as part of ongoing script development, and then was re-launched at the Cornservatory the following year.
Hobo Robo Reading Series
In 2009, Hobo Junction held the first annual Hobo Robo Reading Series, a one-act nationwide play contest that furthered Hobo Junction's mission to find and produce the greatest original comedy out there. Five finalists were selected to have their play performed in a stage reading finale, where the crowd decided which playwright walked home with the title of HoboRobo Champion '09, and a nice little cash prize to boot.
In 2009, Hobo Junction held the first annual Hobo Robo Reading Series, a one-act nationwide play contest that furthered Hobo Junction's mission to find and produce the greatest original comedy out there. Five finalists were selected to have their play performed in a stage reading finale, where the crowd decided which playwright walked home with the title of HoboRobo Champion '09, and a nice little cash prize to boot.
Talk Kill Blackout
Call it a "savagely romantic comedy", call it "one of those crazy show within a shows", call it a "whatever", it is the story of a misanthropic stage crew, two violent actors and a play all about love. It is tech night and a crew is working hard trying to get a brand new play up and running. The lights will be focused, the set will be marked and the stage will be swept. Tonight they will rehearse what could be the most beautiful moment of their production, if only their actors would kiss. It's got laughs, it's got love, it's got ladders so bring a date, a bottle of wine and curl up next to Hobo Junction's painfully romantic comedy TALK KISS BLACKOUT.
Call it a "savagely romantic comedy", call it "one of those crazy show within a shows", call it a "whatever", it is the story of a misanthropic stage crew, two violent actors and a play all about love. It is tech night and a crew is working hard trying to get a brand new play up and running. The lights will be focused, the set will be marked and the stage will be swept. Tonight they will rehearse what could be the most beautiful moment of their production, if only their actors would kiss. It's got laughs, it's got love, it's got ladders so bring a date, a bottle of wine and curl up next to Hobo Junction's painfully romantic comedy TALK KISS BLACKOUT.
The Regulars (Round One)
A brand new, earth-quakingly tasty tale of love, war and soup. The story begins in the heat of battle as eight steakhouse waiters must fight with their lives against the largest crowd a restaurant has ever seen. Using all they know, they hold their defenses, stay true to each other and learn to love until a threat from within begins to tear them apart.
A brand new, earth-quakingly tasty tale of love, war and soup. The story begins in the heat of battle as eight steakhouse waiters must fight with their lives against the largest crowd a restaurant has ever seen. Using all they know, they hold their defenses, stay true to each other and learn to love until a threat from within begins to tear them apart.
Broke
Hobo Junction found, unearthed and re-hashed BROKE, the lost work of stand-up comedian, Sam Fels. BROKE examines love and money. What more could you want from a show? It was released in August to a very drunk audience. We take no responsibility for what happened after.
Hobo Junction found, unearthed and re-hashed BROKE, the lost work of stand-up comedian, Sam Fels. BROKE examines love and money. What more could you want from a show? It was released in August to a very drunk audience. We take no responsibility for what happened after.
Road to Hobo Junction
Josh Zagoren and Mike Foster were terrible waiters so they were forced to come up with silly routines for tips. They began performing shows based on the routines they came up with, producing under the name THE ROCK GIANT. Those routines became ROAD TO HOBO JUNCTION: a two-man-one-robot sketch show performed at Chicago's PLAYGROUND THEATRE. They were then invited, rather nicely, to perform at the Apollo in Chicago. They did basically the same show... just at the Apollo. Then THE ROCK GIANT disbanded, burning to the ground. But from there, Josh founded a new company which rose out of the ashes like the mighty Phoenix Bird. That company is HOBO JUNCTION and you are here.
Josh Zagoren and Mike Foster were terrible waiters so they were forced to come up with silly routines for tips. They began performing shows based on the routines they came up with, producing under the name THE ROCK GIANT. Those routines became ROAD TO HOBO JUNCTION: a two-man-one-robot sketch show performed at Chicago's PLAYGROUND THEATRE. They were then invited, rather nicely, to perform at the Apollo in Chicago. They did basically the same show... just at the Apollo. Then THE ROCK GIANT disbanded, burning to the ground. But from there, Josh founded a new company which rose out of the ashes like the mighty Phoenix Bird. That company is HOBO JUNCTION and you are here.
