This weekend, the biggest Australian sensation since the Crocodile Hunter is coming to Madison. From April 2 to 4, the Barrymore Theatre will be packed with people eager to see the internationally acclaimed show \The Puppetry of the Penis: The Ancient Australian Art of Genital Origami,"" the wildly successful off-Broadway hit that has recently come to the United States.
""The Puppetry of the Penis,"" brainchild of Melbourne native Simon Morley, made its first appearance in 1996 as a highbrow art calendar featuring 12 ""penis installations"" (commonly referred to as ""Dick Tricks"") When Morley decided to take his act to the next level,??his first performance partner and co-creator was David ""Friendy"" Friend, who had already established a solid reputation as a skilled Dick Tricker from performing at bachelorette and private parties. Friendy discovered his talent in the bathtub and honed it after discovering beer in college. He brought his own unique set of Dick Tricks to the partnership, and ""Puppetry"" was born.
Morley and Friend debuted at the 1998 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where their performance was named the ""Outright Best Act.""??When they extended their tour to the 2000, London's West End producer David Johnson was in the audience.??After witnessing a woman literally wetting her pants with laughter (among other tell-tale signs of success), Johnson immediately signed a contract with Morley and Friend.??Since then, ""Puppetry of the Penis"" has become a smash hit in venues in Canada and Europe.
""Puppetry of the Penis"" debuted in New York City in September 2001 and has since expanded to various other cities including Minneapolis, Milwaukee and now, Madison.
Puppeteers Dan Speed and Jef Benjamin (currently the only American Dick Tricker) will be performing in Madison this weekend.?? Speed revealed a great deal of insight into Dick Tricking and his experiences with it thus far. He described ""Puppetry of the Penis"" as ""a comedy show where Jef and I set up and contort our genitals into origami and talk about it with the audience.""??
Speed auditioned in New York City six months ago and has been with ""Puppetry of the Penis"" ever since.??He described the experience as ""the most frightening audition of my life"" in which he dropped his drawers and was called upon to perform four Dick Tricks.
Penis puppeteers don't usually rely on props or special effects, but on the quality of their talent and audience adaptability.?? Interaction with the audience is essential to the appeal of the show, and the Dick Trickers adjust to every audience for which they perform. The intended audience for the show is ""anybody with a sense of humor."" Women certainly love and ""get a kick out of it,"" and men with an open mind and willingness to laugh enjoy it as well. He added that most critics end up ""laughing their asses off"" once they actually see the show.??
The act has received ample attention from the news media, and penis puppeteers have made appearances on HBO's ""Real Sex,"" the ""Tonight Show with Jay Leno"" and Comedy Central. It has gained many celebrity fans, including Hugh Grant, Elton John and a few of the Spice Girls. Speed, because he has been in the penile origami business for a relatively short time, has not yet done any high profile ""telly"" interviews. However, he did mention meeting ""Spider-Man"" and ""Boondock Saints"" star Willem Dafoe, and joked that the actor shared his penchant for nudity (""he runs around Christmas parties with only a red ribbon on his dick""). Speed plans on continuing his penis puppeteering for as long as he enjoys it or until he gets a better offer; he admits ""there is a limited life to Dick Tricking"" but it is a rewarding occupation.
""The Puppetry of the Penis"" will continue to thrive and expand as long as there are open-minded people who give it a chance and find it hilarious, instead of giving it the shaft. New penis installations are being crafted every day, and the repertoire of Dick Tricks has become enlarged since its beginnings (the ""old faithful"" Dick Tricks created by Morley and Friendy include the Loch Ness Monster, the Windsurfer, the Eiffel Tower and the granddaddy of them all, the Hamburger).?? When I asked Speed if he had contributed any penis installations of his own, he said naturally you would ""when you play with your johnson as much as I do.""
For all of you aspiring penis puppeteers, auditions will be held on Friday at the Barrymore Theatre. ""The Puppetry of the Penis"" is currently creating an American troupe and will be holding auditions for ""like-minded gentlemen"" nationwide. For the rest of you, the show will be at the Barrymore Theatre this weekend and soon in Milwaukee and Minneapolis. If you are looking for a gleefully silly yet artistic show that will make you laugh heartily (and you are not offended by a little male nudity), you should consider seeking out ""The Puppetry of the Penis.\
