Rogue Artists Ensemble is a

theater company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communicat ...

based in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

that specializes in “Hyper-theatrical” performance. According to the mission statement on the company’s official website:

Rogue Artists Ensemble is a collective of multi-disciplinary artists who create Hyper-theater, an innovative hybrid of theater traditions, puppetry, mask work, dance, music, and modern technology. Through a collaborative development process, with an emphasis on design and storytelling, the Rogues create original, thought provoking performances. We cultivate unique audience experiences that appeal to multiple generations of theatergoers in order to expand the boundaries of contemporary American theater.

Hallmarks of Rogue Artists shows include mask work, puppetry, and digital projection. Many Rogue Artists shows are adapted from existing works, but the final scripts are always written in-house via a collaborative process. Although most Rogue Artists shows tend to employ adult themes, the group also runs a children’s program with workshops and performances for those too young to attend regular Rogue performances.

History

Rogue Artists Ensemble was founded in 2001 by students at the

University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Irvine, California, United States. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, U ...

. Their first three shows, "Hyperbole", "The Poe Play" (based on the stories of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

), and "Pip" (based on the novel ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...

'' by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

) were performed on campus. In 2003, the group became a not-for-profit

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

company and began performing independently of the members’

alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...

. Subsequent shows were performed in small venues around

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and

Orange County, California Orange County (officially the County of Orange; often initialized O.C.) is a county (United States), county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population ...

. In 2006, and again in 2008, the Rogues received a grant from the

Jim Henson Foundation The Jim Henson Foundation is a foundation that was founded by puppeteer and Muppet creator Jim Henson to promote and develop puppetry in the United States. Since 1992, Jim Henson's daughter Cheryl Henson has served as the president for the Found ...

to produce an adaptation of

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...

and

Dave McKean David McKean (born 29 December 1963) is an England, English artist. His work incorporates drawing, painting, photography, collage, found objects, digital art, and sculpture. McKean has illustrated works by authors such as S. F. Said, S.F. Said, ...

’s ''

The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch ''The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch'' or simply ''Mr. Punch'' is a graphic novel written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated and designed by Dave McKean. It was published in 1994. Synopsis The book, which takes place mostly in Portsmo ...

''. In 2009 the Rogues created an original adaptation of three shorts stories by

Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the Grotesque#In literature, grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works "The Nose (Gogol short story), ...

–"

The Overcoat "The Overcoat" (, translit. Shinyél’; sometimes translated as "The Cloak" or "The Mantle") is a short story by Nikolai Gogol, published in 1842. The story has had a great influence on Russian literature. Eugène-Melchior de Vogüé, ...

", " The Nose", and " Diary of a Madman"–entitled ''Gogol Project''. The play was written by Kitty Felde with original music and songs by

Ego Plum Ego Plum (born February 27, 1975) is an American film composer, musician, and performer. He is best known for his work on ''The Cuphead Show!,'' ''The Patrick Star Show,'' '' Kamp Koral,'' ''SpongeBob SquarePants,'' ''Jellystone!,'' ''Making Fie ...

Collaborations

The Rogue Artists Ensemble have collaborated with a number of other artists, including writer

, illustrator

, writer

Angus Oblong Angus Oblong (born David Adam Walker; August 28, 1976) is an American writer and illustrator best known for his work '' Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children'' (1999) and the 2001 animated television series ''The Oblongs''. ...

, and musicians such as

The Ditty Bops The Ditty Bops were an American band from Los Angeles, California that began with Warner Brothers, and later self-produced recordings. Noted for their tight vocal harmonies by Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett, they incorporated a variety of musi ...

Jack Irons Jack Steven Irons (born July 18, 1962) is an American drummer. He is the founding drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers until he departed in 1988 and is a former member of Pearl Jam and Eleven. Alongside his work with Red Hot Chili Pep ...

, Two Sheds, and composer Ben Phelps.Ben Phelps: Johnny Crumb
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Reviews

LA Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the large ...

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References

{{authority control Theatre companies in California 2001 establishments in the United States