Don’t tell mama: DC theatre community exposed at upcoming Summer Hummer

This Monday at Signature Theatre, more than 65 DC theatre artists will bare all in Summer Hummer 2013: The Second Coming, a burlesque variety show to benefit theatreWashington’s “Taking Care of Our Own.”

DC Theatre Scene spoke with Eric Schaeffer and Matt Gardiner, the founders and co-directors of Summer Hummer. “It’s a night for D.C. theatre artists to let our hair down,” Shaeffer says, “We’ll make fun of ourselves, and have a blast for a good cause.”

Summer Hummer began with a variety show that Schaeffer and Gardiner produced at Signature in 2010 to benefit an actress in need.  The benefit was an overwhelming success, and they approached theatreWashington (the producing organization of the Helen Hayes Awards) about making it an annual benefit for their Taking Care of Our Own fund.

“Taking Care of Our Own” provides gift assistance to local theatre artists who find themselves in a financial emergency.  Taking Care of Our Own’s “Bucket Brigade” can be seen at various performances in the DC theatre scene through out the year.  “Theatre professionals — artists and company members — work for the love of the art, not the paycheck, “ says theatreWashington.  “We created Taking Care of Our Own, an initiative to assist area theatre artists and professionals in times of unforeseen financial hardship.”

Last summer, the first annual Summer Hummer raised more than $16,000 for Taking Care of Our Own with an outrageous, standing-room-only cabaret.  Summer Hummer 2013: The Second Coming will feature 65 local performers in a bawdy extravaganza. The cast has been rehearsing late at night and on off-days, whenever they don’t have to be performing or rehearsing one of their regular shows.  “It’s an immense collaborative effort from the whole DC theatre community,” co-director Matt Gardiner says.

The directors agree that a highlight of this year’s benefit will be “Rated X,” an original opening number by John Dempsey and Dana Lowe, the lyricist/composer team whose musical Brother Russia was produced at Signature Theatre in 2012.  The number features more than 40 actors, “and they’re all undressed in some capacity.”

“We’ll have guys running around in jockstraps, women in pasties, a drag queen,” co-director Eric Schaeffer says. “There’s something for everyone, really.”

So just how naked will the cast get? “It depends on how much money you throw at them!” Schaeffer says.  Summer Hummer encourages audience members to bring cash to egg the performers on with spontaneous donations from them.

“Just don’t bring your grandma,” says Shaeffer. “Unless you have a very hip grandma.”

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Summer Hummer 2013: The Second Coming . Announced cast list: Jay Adriel – Matthew Anderson – Eunice Bae – Shayna Blass – Evan Casey – Austin Colby – Carolyn Cole – Matt Conner – Jen Cordiner – Felicia Curry – Cheryl Daro – William Diggle – Christopher Dinolfo – Michael Dove – Lauren Dupree – Sherri L. Edelen – Sam Edgerly – Daphnee Epps – Jefferson Farber – Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey – Philip Fletcher – Catherine Flye – James Gardiner – Matthew Gardiner – Will Gartshore – Ed Gero – Tim Getman -Kimberly Gilbert – Rick Hammerly – Helen Hedman – Katie Grace Heidbreder – Naomi Jacobson – Nick Lehan – John Lescault – Emily Levey – Sean Maurice Lynch – Briana Marcantoni – Shane McCauley – Donna Migliaccio -Angela Miller – Chris Mueller – Stephen Russell Murray – Katie Mariko Murray – Gannon O’Brien – Tracy Lynn Olivera – Nora Palka – Nova Y. Payton – Maria Rizzo – Paul Scanlan – Eric Schaeffer – Jason Schlafstein -Kimberly Schraf – Chris Sizemore – Bobby Smith – Stephen Gregory Smith – Tracey Stephens – Paul Tetreault – Jessica Miller Thorne – Nickolas Vaughan – Bligh Voth -Vicki Vox -Craig Wallace – Lauren Williams – Harry Winter – Stephen Wormley – Tam Young – Lara Zinn.