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2009–10 season > Fireworks—Dan Hoyle

The Real Americans

written and performed by dan hoyle
directed by charlie varon
originally created at the marsh
in san francisco
fireworks festival | thrust stage
june 24–27, 2010

 

Tings Dey Happen

written and performed by dan hoyle
directed by charlie varon
originally created at the marsh
in san francisco
fireworks festival | thrust stage
june 30–july 1, 2010

Running time (for each): 90 minutes, no intermission

 

In his acclaimed solo shows, Dan Hoyle uses a journalist’s eye to create an actor’s paradise. In the tradition of Anna Deveare-Smith and Danny Hoch, Hoyle immerses himself in a subject and then crafts a riveting show from the people he meets and the places he visits. In his award-winning Tings Dey Happen, Hoyle examines the complexities of Nigerian oil politics in a tale fueled by fascinating, real-life characters, including ambassadors, warlords and prostitutes. The show has been performed off Broadway, at colleges across the country and on a Nigerian tour sponsored by the US State Department. In his latest work, The Real Americans, Hoyle leaves the liberal bubble of San Francisco on a 100-day odyssey that explores America’s culture wars. With humor and sympathy, he introduces audiences to the small-town residents he encounters as he searches for a bridge between the Obama Nation and Palin Country.

Dan Hoyle has been widely praised for his gifts of mime and mimicry. As a Fulbright scholar, he studied oil politics in the Niger Delta, and he is the winner of a Will Glickman Award for the best new play to debut in the Bay Area. His essays have been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, Salon and Mother Jones. He also performs with his father, actor and comedian Geoff Hoyle.

performance times and prices

The Real Americans

  • June 24 / 8pm
  • June 25 / 8pm
  • June 26 / 8pm
  • June 27 / 2pm—Additional performance added!

Tings Dey Happen

  • June 30 / 7pm
  • July 1 / 8pm

Tickets regularly $25 / $20 for subscribers / $12.50 for under 30

the buzz

For The Real Americans

“Impressive, hilarious, moving and provocative…Americans should be seen in and outside every liberal bubble in this country.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Hoyle is brilliant, the show is a revelation, and you shouldn’t even consider missing it.”—SF Weekly

“A deft, sharply funny, and entirely engaging night of theater.”—San Francisco Bay Guardian

For Tings Dey Happen

“An engrossing one-man show…funny and poignant.”—New York Times

“A smart, engrossing, funny, challenging and moving look at the too-neglected story of Nigeria’s bloody oil politics.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Hoyle filters his experience through his vivid imagination, creating full-blooded characters that are as theatrical as they are real…It’s a bracingly brave piece.”—SF Weekly

For Dan Hoyle

“Mr. Hoyle is a first-rate reporter and actor.”—New York Times

“Hoyle has a gift for mime and vocal mimicry that recalls solo artists John Leguizamo, Sarah Jones, or Lily Tomlin.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Hoyle is a remarkable actor capable of transforming his voice and body in an instant.”—Oakland Tribune