A Note From the Director

well hello there...

Many of you have asked, "What is the wulfeater?" When I set out to write this story with my co-creators, Danisha Jenkins and Julia Roskopf, our primary aim was to create the show we desperately wanted to see. Much of this desire stemmed from the opportunity to be transported as an audience member into an immersive world where we had very little clue what was in store. For this reason, I will elect to keep much of the plot points and the wulfeater's twists and turns to myself -- you'll just have to come to find out! I do, however, want to pull the curtain back a bit and give you a glimpse into the storytelling, themes, and messages of this brand new musical theater show.

Connecting over bottomless glasses of suckle, bubble baths, and spirited bouts of sportsball, men come to the wulfeater to be cared for in ways their wives cannot...or will not. The club is set in the fictional world of Cleveland and exists in neither the past, present, or future. As an audience member, you will be seated among the men of Cleveland who seek out the wulfeater's services as a respite from imperialist wars, grinding labor, and desolate isolation. Through the wulfeater and the State of Cleveland, our show examines life at the intersections of power, patriarchy, gender, and capitalism.

This show aptly premieres on the heels of the No Kings protests in mid-June. But what makes our story unique is its critical approach to power and a reconciliation of the ways that every character in the wulfeater plays a role in upholding Clevelands exploitative practices. This show challenges the dominant narrative of the top down power model, and instead asks the audience to consider how we all regularly uphold systems of power for personal gain or comfort. Feminist philosopher Sara Ahmed describes comfort in the Global North as almost always a privilege that comes at the expense of someone else's discomfort. Through the wulfeater, we explore the extent to which people and societies willingly feed a machine in order to keep the lights on, no matter who it hurts. We excitedly turn the storytelling mechanism of lightness and darkness on its head by asking if we should perhaps fear what is illuminated in the spotlight rather than the concocted boogeymen of the darkness.

As an audience member, you are a fly on the wall for a night at the wulfeater. Despite the show's heavy content and material (this show is 18+ and contains nudity and gun violence), it is also deeply silly and high energy throughout the night. The audience will be treated to a punk rock soundtrack inspired by Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, Iggy Pop, and Nick Cave. The show has been thoughtfully choreographed by Christian DePaul and draws upon elements of Fosse, burlesque, heels, and contemporary styles. I promise you will have fun. 

We have two ticket options available. Purchase a Very Important Person table (seats four) for the opportunity to be seated on the stage alongside other wulfeater boys. General Admission tickets are stadium seating and start behind the row of Very Important Person tables.

Welcome to the wulfeater, motherf*ckers... Are you ready to have some fun?

Brian Jenkins

Director and Writer

the wulfeater