Choose Your Own Forking Adventure

BY DIANA SALIER

Posted:02/27/2009 04:52:32 PM PST

'Forking!' (or 'Fork Off Down Your Own Forking Adventure Which You've Forked') premiered at the Theatre Asylum (map)in Hollywood on Feb. 20, after a successful, month-long run at San Francisco's Off-Market Theatre. If you long for the days when it was still cool to help decide the fate of myriad 'American Idol' hopefuls, or you're just plain looking for some hot new theatre-going action (no, not that kind), this decidedly unorthodox performance just might be the answer.

San Francisco native Daniel Heath penned 'Forking!' (tickets)after coming out the winner of a 3-month long competition against 22 other playwrights, during which he vied for a chance to have a full-length play produced. His short play, 'Twice As Bright,' was the grand prize winner, and thus 'Forking!' was born.

The play's unusual M.O. allows you to be part of all the action without actually having to be on stage, rendering its characters essential puppets on a string. After the initial setup, the audience's votes dictate the next course of action; each possible turn of events (or "fork," get it?) is in fact scripted, but the middle chapters and the finale vary each time.

The plot follows a group of six 20-to-30-somethings living in Los Angeles, centering around main characters Chastity and Joshua. Following a good old evening of drunken antics, the two friends decide that getting married is the answer to her unfortunate lack of health coverage and his pending American citizenship -- thus the age old question of will-they-or-won't-they, and the general fate of all the characters, is left in your hands (not to mention those of the funny-looking fellow two seats over and his girlfriend with the high-pitched laugh).

'Forking!' is San Francisco-based production company PianoFight Production's first Los Angeles venture, which they are co-producing with SF/LA-based C.A.F.E. Arts (Combined Art Form Entertainment). In 2007, C.A.F.E. Arts expanded its reach to include the Theatre Asylum in Hollywood, and together with the Off-Market Theatre the group has used the venues as a tool for merging the arts scenes in both cities. For its own part, PianoFight has had a hand in not only theatre productions, but also in creating episodic short films and loaning out their own recording studio to musicians at the Off-Market.

The Los Angeles cast of 'Forking!' includes both local and Bay Area performers. Composer Arlen Ginsberg will be on hand at each performance to conduct the original music score.