Cabaret Red Light

When Holly Otterbein of Philadelphia City Paper asked co-director Peter Gaffney about the politics of the show, he responded, "The common ways in which we entertain ourselves — TV, movies, the Internet — involve sitting in a room by yourself.

"[2] Regular members of the Cabaret Red Light cast include co-directors Anna Frangiosa and Peter Gaffney, Annie A-Bomb, Chris Aschman, Jim Boyle, Mike Corso, Kimberlie Cruse, Jay Davidson, Christine Fisler, Melissa Forgione (a.k.a.

Previous members, technical engineers and guest performers include Josh Anderson, Ryan Berg, Jess Conda, Andy Cowles, Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz, Nick Gilette, Biz Goldhammer, Toni Guinyard, Mike Harkness, Heather Henderson, Brian Hopely, Nicki Jaine, Julie-Françoise Kruidenier, Lindsay Ouellette, Gina Pickton, Kaveh Saidi, Timaree Schmit, Michael Schupp, Benjamin Shwartz (as The Ringer), Jeff Smith (a.k.a.

Calvin the Jester), James Stapleford, Monsieur Thujone, Owen Timoney, Nick Troy, Koofreh Umoren, Marina Vishnyakova, Randi Warhol, and Kim Zelnicker (a.k.a.

Their influences include Anita Berber, NSK (the Neue Slowenische Kunst political art collective), Georges Brassens, Kurt Weill, Bulat Okudzawa, Bertolt Brecht, Aristophanes and Wilhelm Reich, as well as more contemporary artists and performance groups such as Julie Atlas Muz, Les Yeux Noirs, Frank Zappa, Bread and Puppet Theater, Tom Waits, the Yes Men and The Yard Dogs Road Show.

These elaborately staged productions have included such things as an army of showgirls armed with feathers and weapon props, and a 20-foot octopus puppet.

In October 2011, Cabaret Red Light produced an original musical play inspired by Mae West titled, "Looking Pretty and Saying Cute Things".