Today we’d like to introduce you to Debbie McMahon
Hi Debbie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was always interested in making, performing, and thinking deeply about theatre and performance. I studied philosophy and theatre in college and continued at NYU for an M.A. in Performance Studies. I always believed that theatre could be fun, accessible, and still have gravitas. Working in local theme park entertainment in and after college greatly influenced how I viewed theatre – as inherently experiential. I had also started creating mystery role playing events in college with Elise Allen as Dial Us For Murder, in a form we invented where we custom create characters and plots for the participants who play all the parts.
After studying traditional physical theatre forms at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre (clown, Commedia dell’Arte, mime, melodrama), I returned one summer for Grand Guignol, an early 20th Century Parisian theatre that was famous for its horror plays and special effects. In a culminating bare-bones class recital, the visceral response of the audience was so powerful that I thought, this sh*t would sell! I returned to LA and promptly started the Grand Guignolers with my own reinvention of the form. I incorporated its “hot and cold showers,” format alternating short contrasting pieces of drama, farce, and horror, cast the troupe as a 1920s touring Parisian troupe with faux bios and headshots with a French fairy who served absinthe in an immersive atmosphere. Playing on the name Grand Guignol (literally ‘large puppet’ from the French children’s puppet, Guignol), I heavily integrated puppetry into the shows – even we were large puppets come to life and looked to old toy theatre to create my ‘petits guignolers,’ French finger puppets who suffer existential angst, engage in bizarre sexual acts, and culminate in bloody beheadings. My shows are heavily devised work such as exploring traditional folk tales in A Grand Guignol Children’s Show (NOT For Children), looking at social and class hierarchy in Absinthe, Opium and Magic: 1920s Shanghai as well as Bastille Day edu-tainment parties.
We partnered with ArtWorks Theatre in Hollywood for a handful of productions and remounted at The Actors’ Gang and the Pasadena Playhouse upon invitation. The shows were very successful with audiences quickly selling out our runs, and those opened the doors to other opportunities teaching, directing, and performing, including a stint clowning with Cirque du Soleil!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’d love to hear ‘smooth road’ success stories! My challenges have been typical of other theatre artists trying to make their own work – space, time, and funding. Making shows was not easy. I worked full time by day to fund the shows with evening rehearsals followed by production work into the wee hours. We scraped by with essentially volunteer ensembles all pitching in to do chores. Taking artistic risks was and still is challenging especially with the devised parts of the shows.
Currently, I’m trying to break a long hiatus, as I’ve been a full-time mom to a now six-year-old. Since Covid, costs are especially high, the mom job isn’t financially lucrative and leaves little ‘free time.’ I’m itching to get back to creating shows and breathe life into the long list of ideas that have been haunting me and ready to do. I’ve also been asking what does the Zeitgeist look like? I see a need for connection, joy, levity, humor. Not too long, not too late, treats, drinks, and easy parking. I’m open to suggestions and opportunities – please reach out!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What I hear most about our productions is that they are different, bold, and fun. We inject a healthy dose of irreverence and playful naughtiness with an underlying critique of the status quo that is for and with the audience – not at them. An evening offers a variety of pieces using old time storytelling theatrical techniques: music-melodrama, dance, magic, vaudeville, drama, puppetry, mask, mime, clown, and horror. Guests love the immersive nature of the era and come dressed vintage. Our unique faux French ‘brand’ can be characterized by the Pierrot uniform, absinthe, blood, and puppets.
I’m proud that we attract all ages, types, and atypical theatre audiences. I believe theatre should be overall NOT BORING. We can’t compete with (nor should we try) screen entertainment, so let’s create what only theatre can. I’m proud of the ferocity, playful spirit, and mess we make onstage. I don’t want half-assed. Let’s get both cheeks in the game!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
As a native Angeleno, I can attest that Los Angeles is a friendly city that offers far more than its stereotypes. There’s so much cultural diversity and a general acceptance of quirkiness. The Hollywood Bowl is a favorite, the LA Arboretum, Cicada Club downtown (1920s supper club), and the San Gabriel mountains. Unfortunately, traffic makes driving and physical distance really limiting, so much that I’ve considered creating a theatrical tour within LA. I know I’m in the minority, but I’m generally not a fan of the weather. For me, it’s too bright, too hot, and too dry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.grandguignolers.com
- Instagram: debmcmahoncreates
- Facebook: grandguignolers
Image Credits
Mark Bennington
Clarence Alford
