As told by Terry Creps, Dave’s younger, smarter, and infinitely more mature brother.
An original comedy is scheduled to open August 2, 2012, at the Pace-Menante Theatre, from where it will begin its planned journey to BROADWAY.
My brother, David Creps, the writer, director, and producer of SWANKY SHAMPANE, is more than hopeful, more than optimistic, and, probably less than realistically aware of his chances for success. However, he proceeds with the stubbornness of a mule . . . and acts as though there is no possibility of failure.
We shall see for ourselves what he has been up to soon enough. In the meantime, he spends his days and nights getting his cast ready and figuring out how to continue the battle without the aid of funding.
“When I began this project, I immediately burned through my cash on hand, my cash in the bank, my 401K . . . and then I put the house that I’ve spent the past 37 years building . . . on the line. So, when I tell you that failure is not an option, you can easily understand why.”
The SWANKY SHAMPANE project began on Thanksgiving, 2010, following a very loud disagreement with the Hollywood movie producer who had just informed Dave that once he purchased Dave’s latest script . . . he intended, contrary to the terms of their pending contract . . . to make whatever changes he wanted to the script . . . because, “once I pay for it, it’s mine . . . and you have nothing more to say about what I do with it.”
Dave took offense to this remark and responded by informing the producer that before he’d allow that to happen . . . he would adapt the script into a stage-play and produce it himself!
As his lovely wife Linda recalls, he slammed the phone down and told her to get ready for the wildest ride of their lives. Then she says that he smiled and added, “I mean really, how hard can it be to produce your own script?!”
Apparently, the answer to that question began to reveal itself with her initial questions: “How are you going to present all those scenes on a stage? How are you going to get a limousine on a stage? Who is going to design the sets? Who is going to build the sets? Where are you going to perform this play? And, most of all, what are you going to use for money?”
So, a year and a half later, here is how things have gone: Dave designed and built an apparatus that will hold (32) 4’ x 7’ background panels, he then designed and built the sets, next he bought an old golf cart for $600 and guided its transformation into a “stage limousine”, and then, after using up what was the last of the bankroll to pay an artist to paint the 32 panels, he set about to find an empty building that he could transform into a theatre.
The only complication in the plan was that he acquire the use of the building without the usual exchange of . . . money for rent.
(And though I found it quite easy to understand, Dave always seemed surprised to discover that so few building owners were anxious to accept his offer to occupy their empty buildings . . . for free . . . in return for him splitting his play’s box-office revenues with them.)
Nevertheless, three months later, after selling advertising space on the roof-top of his “stage limousine” to the Mt. Rose Ski Resort and to Diamond Motors, he was then able to make a deal to lease an empty building . . . with the only landlord in town who was willing to take a chance with him.
That was in March, and since then he has converted this building space into a box-office, a beautiful lobby, an extremely interesting art gallery, two oddly decorated bathrooms, an office, the LAZY BUTT CAFÉ . . . (a 2-seater where I can provide free coffee and pastry to any of my friends who show up between 2:22 pm and 3:33 pm) . . . and . . . a FABULOUS theatre.
So, I encourage anyone who can use a good laugh to come and see the comedy . . . SWANKY SHAMPANE . . . before the cops, the bill collectors, and/or the guys from the nut-house arrive.
The Pace-Menante Theatre
3702 S. Virginia Street
In the Sierra Marketplace (adjacent to the Atlantis Hotel/Casino)
Reno, NV 89502
(775) 229-7077
SWANKY SHAMPANE
Showtimes: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 7 pm – 9 pm
Sunday Matinee, 2 pm – 4 pm
Tickets go on sale mid-July
www.SwankyShampane.com
