Maniac! High-Impact Gay Gloriosity Comes to 18th & Union Arts

Did you see Woody Shticks in Schlong Song last year?   What about Nite Skool by the Libertinis?  Well, if you saw either one of those shows, you know how amazing Woody and his theater comrades are, and how memorable and entertaining their theatre production are. The Libertinis have come together again to create an energetic theatrical adventure with Woody Shticks on Friday and Saturday nights at 9:30 p.m. Feb 16 – 24 at 18th & Union Arts.

Imagine with me, if you will: It’s 1989 and Butch Woods is a Maniac with one dream: sweat through every home in America with his very own VHS empire. He’s got the passion to make it happen…as long as he can hold it together long enough to audition his back-up. Will tight buns and a loose grip take him all the way? Or will fitness fame – like sanity – prove too much of a stretch?

Directed by interarts gang, and Seattle darlings, The Libertinis, Maniac is a solo show on the brink. Stage managed by the formidable Maren Comendant and created by Woody Shticks.

I was able to take a moment out of my busy schedule and ask Woody a few questions about the new show. If the following entices you to come see it, I recommend you get your tickets early as his shows tend to sell out!

JP: I know what to expect from your brilliant, memorable entertaining shows, but what would you tell someone who is reading this and has never seen a Woody Shticks or Libertinis show?  What’s awaiting them?

WOODY: The Libertinis are committed to dealing a low blow to high art – and Maniac is no exception. This project particularly is exciting for us because it’s a blend of my personal style of live-action memoir mixed with The Libertinis signature of impossible characters in uncommon worlds. Maniac will definitely bring you lust, lies, and leotards – mixed with gut-wrenching laughter, non-stop choreography, and searing truths.

JP: As an artist, what was the most challenging aspect of putting Maniac together?

WOODY: Maniac is the most extreme blend of physical endurance and emotional combustion that I’ve ever put on stage – and that’s saying something. Perhaps not a challenge – but rather a test – is how much of a Maniac lives inside of me and the people who raised me. The show has grown its own legs and it’s a thrill to hang on to them for dear life.

JP: What have you enjoyed the most about rehearsing for Maniac?

WOODY: The joys of rehearsing in my own home, in my own underwear, with my two art-ners in crime can’t be overstated.

JP: You’re in amazing shape.  How do you do it?

WOODY: Easy! Bike all over Seattle carrying six figures of student debt.

JP: What do you want folks to leave with after having seen Maniac?

WOODY: I solemnly swear that there is something for everyone in Maniac – because we all know what it feels like to push so hard for what is “healthy” that we forget to be well in the process. I’ll have done my job if folx show up, laugh hard, dig deep, and run free – with a fire in their belly and a crack in their heart.

Maniac runs Fridays and Saturdays at 9:30p, Feb 16-24, at 18th & Union in the Central District. Choose your own ticket for $15, $20, or $25. Learn more about everything at 18th & Union and updates of Woody’s world domination by visiting www.18thandunion.org or www.WoodyShticks.com!