Concerts in the Courtyard

The Experiential & Performative Instructional Center (E.P.I.C.) invites you to campus for an evening of music to celebrate the end of summer quarter. Join friends, family, and colleagues in the beautiful NSC central courtyard for a one-two punch of ukulele and banjo with a roundhouse kick of singing and storytelling from musicians K. Brian Neel and Aaron J. Shay. Picnic tables, room for your folding chairs, and restrooms will be open, though campus food services are currently closed. Parking in the north lot is complimentary for this event, or come to campus via Light Rail!

Event Information Here

LiveStream Link Here!

J.C. UkuleleStar 2022

Brian performs the entire score of "Superstar" on ukulele every Good Friday from his living room called The Beehive. It will become the longest running show in history, once a year until the Rapture endith Earthly festivities. After two years confined to broadcast through YouTube solely, this year returneth the live aspect, with safety precautions. Tune in or show up.

Click here to download the HYMNAL BOOK

LiveStream Link Here!

1984

Remount of the hit show from 2020. Based on the iconic novel by George Orwell, 1984 is the story of Winston Smith, an insignificant party member in the giant machine state of Oceania. Physically and mentally under the omnipresent eye of Big Brother, Winston has been caught struggling for scraps of love and freedom in a world awash with distrust and violence. With the brutal "assistance" of four Party Members who reenact scenes from his diary, Winston is forced to confess his thoughtcrimes before an unseen inquisitor. Directed by David Gassner.

THE LURING WELL

Two kids in 1930s midwest America discover a bottomless well in the woods outside their small town and proceed to throw evil things down it: a feral cat, a rabid dog, a schoolyard bully, a lascivious teacher, a true love... Let The Well sort them out. A ukulele song cycle about giving into urges that seem heroic, but are in fact horrifying.

LIVE OR LIVESTREAMED! Tickets available through 18th & Union

FOLLOW ALONG, download the Libretto

Yours truly performs the entire score of "Superstar" on ukulele every Good Friday from The Beehive. It will become the longest running show (read: vanity project) in history, once a year until the Rapture endeth Earthly festivities. (Feels like we’re almost there, but not quite.) This year of our lord twenty twenty one, JCUS will be broadcast through YouTube (again) to the comfort and entertainment of your own home. The tech has come a long way since the raw event last year. Tune in! Sanna hosanna hey ukulelestar.

Click here to download the HYMNAL BOOK

EPISODE SIX. Commander Kirklarelli Nevzat has journeyed alone across the universe in his trusty spaceship, the Basil One, to a far and distant planet called W3RND041D (pronounced Werndoald). The ship is in orbit. Separation of the Excursion Module, and landing 'inside' the planet will be broadcast live during Saturday’s transmission at 10:58 am Pacific Earth Time (P.E.T.). The climactic last episode in season one!

TRANSMISSIONS From W3RND041D

EPISODE FIVE. Something went wrong repairing the PaperFold Drive. Commander Nevzat has been out of contact for a week, or a hundred and fifty years, depending on your space/time math. ANSA scientists theorize he might have slipped into another UR (Universe-Reality). Perhaps several URs! We’re pretty sure the transmission will engage with ship's Google Calendar auto-reminder.

TRANSMISSIONS From W3RND041D

EPISODE FOUR. Commander Nevzat went for an EVA yesterday to repair damage from the Snailomoly when the Basil One PaperFold Drive engaged, leaving our hero floating in space. Hopefully he’ll be able to get a signal to us on time.

TRANSMISSIONS From W3RND041D

EPISODE THREE. Last week, Commander Nevzat survived the freezing comet tail, and proceeded off course to explore a gaseous anomaly. ANSA (the Administration of National Space Administrations) reports the craft was sucked into the colorful muck. We're excited for the transmission to see what effect (or affect) it may have on the Commander.

TRANSMISSIONS From W3RND041D

EPISODE TWO. Commander Kirklarelli Nevzat was ordered (by the livestream audience) to fly into the tail of a comet. ANSA lost contact with the Basil 1 craft shortly after. Fortunately, Nevzat was able to restore communications for the transmission this week. Many systems are down, including atmospheric controls. The grav plating is restored, as well as the B.M. (Broccoli Mangerei, named for how it looks, not what it does). Better yet, there's a new visitor on board to keep Commander company! Oh, and he got the comet crash on tape, so we flashback to that.

TRANSMISSIONS From W3RND041D

EPISODE ONE. Commander Kirklarelli Nevzat has been traveling toward the planet W3RND041D for what seems like years. Isolated, alone. Keeping his trusty ship, The Basil 1, in tip top shape is the key to his sanity. That, and the occassional tantrum. Currrently, the gravity plating isn't working, so it's zero gravity fun, until he runs into an asteroid field AND a comet.

TRANSMISSIONS From W3RND041D

EPISODE ZERO - TEASER TRAILER. Join Commander Kirklarelli Nevzat as he journeys alone across the universe in his trusty spaceship, the Basil One, to a far and distant planet called W3RND041D (pronounced Werndoald). Scientists believe W3RND041D (pronounced Werndoald) is inhabited by real honest-to-goodness life forms. The question is, what kind?! Every week, Commander Nevzat will answer your questions live in a section called Questions from Kids (Q.F.K). And if that’s not enough interaction: at the end of each mission, you will choose a directive for the next week! (Not that A.N.S.A (the Administration of National Space Administrations) doesn’t think Commander Nevzat’s years of training and experience isn’t good enough, but the fact is, ratings aren’t so hot, and we’re really hoping this will be a good hook.) So set your Calendars for 10:58 am Pacific Earth Time (P.E.T.) every Saturday morning for this cartoon... a Saturday Morning Cartoon, if you will. Silliness and absurdity will abound, and who knows, maybe even some real honest-to-goodness science!

The Luring Well

Two kids in 1930s midwest America discover a bottomless well in the woods outside their small town and proceed to throw evil things down it: a feral cat, a schoolyard bully, a lascivious teacher, a true love... Let the Well sort them out. THE LURING WELL is a ukulele horror song cycle about heroic urges, induced by the lure of a mysterious fabrication, and justifying the destruction of those despised. The original workshop was live in 2018. This version has new songs and a different ending. Tickets $0-$30. Email tickets(at)kbrianneel.com for information.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO Thursday, Oct. 29 show

CLICK HERE TO GO TO Friday, Oct. 30 show

American Wulver

Fenton Talbot claims to be half-man, half-wolf, the descendent of an Old-World lupine faerie. A wolfman's story or a madman's confession? This solo play is a neurotic, seriocomic fantasia. One night only, streaming live from 18th & Union in Seattle.

The Songs of VAUD RATS

This original ukulele operetta about a washed-up Vaudevillian and his affair with a midget sidekick in a strong man routine premiered to great acclaim and toured the country. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the last performance in Seattle, for two nights only K Brian Neel will sing every song in order, filling the gaps with backstage tales, Vaudeville history, and song liner notes. Tune in and sing along!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO ACT 1 ON SEPTEMBER 18

CLICK HERE TO GO TO ACT 2 ON SEPTEMBER 19

H. A. N. (solo)

Every Friday in August around supper time, King Brian will livestream a short YouTube nugget of entertainment -- song, monologue, podcast, whatever -- to ring out the work week, if there is such a thing any more. Each livestream, each nugget of entertainment, will be DELETED. Gone. Bye bye. Kanyetz. A reflection of impermanence in this strangely permanent time. So... you gotta be there to be there. Something to cool you down, or make it not so bad to be HOT!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO STREAM #1 ON AUGUST 7th!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO STREAM #2 ON AUGUST 14th!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO STREAM #3 ON AUGUST 21st!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO STREAM #4 ON AUGUST 28th!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO BONUS STREAM ON SEPTEMBER 4th!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE LAST STREAM ON SEPTEMBER 11th!

Jesus Christ UkuleleStar 2020

Brian performs the entire score of "Superstar" on ukulele every Good Friday from his living room called The Beehive. It will become the longest running show in history, once a year until the Rapture (or some massive Corona virus) endith Earthly festivities. This year of our lord twenty twenty JCUS will be broadcast through YouTube for entertainment in the comfort of your own home; something called a quote Live Stream endquote. Tune in. Be touched.

1984

Based on the iconic novel by George Orwell, 1984 is the story of Winston Smith, an insignificant party member in the giant machine state of Oceania. Physically and mentally under the omnipresent eye of Big Brother, Winston has been caught struggling for scraps of love and freedom in a world awash with distrust and violence. With the brutal "assistance" of four Party Members who reenact scenes from his diary, Winston is forced to confess his Thoughtcrimes before an unseen inquisitor. Directed by David Gassner.

Caravan Chronicles

theater simple's original show CARAVAN CHRONICLES was selected by the US Embassy in Turkmenistan to present in the capital city of Ashgabat, featured as part of the festival of “Theatrical Art of the Epoch of Happiness”, organized by the Turkmenistan Ministry of Culture. We performed alongside members of national theaters from Turkmenistan, Kazhakstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, Turkey, and Russia, as well as conducting an acting workshop with the National Theater School and sharing a theater-making workshop at the US Embassy. Through our week as guests -- of the first to visit from the United States ever -- we participated in diplomatic and artistic exchanges with so many dynamic international artitsts, a true exchange between Turkmenistan and American culture. We toured priceless archeological treasures in the National Museum, were stunned by the beauty and craftsmanship of rugs at the National Carpet Museum, and were feted at the opening of a remarkable presentation of theatrical and fine arts at the National Art Gallery. Not to mention the city-wide parade with delegations from every country present. (See above picture!) Traveling along with theater simple founders Llysa Holland and Andrew Litzky were veteran simpletons K. Brian Neel (52 Pick Up, The Snow Queen, Trailer Tales), Shermona Mitchell (Camino Real) and London-based lighting whiz Jason Meininger (The Master & Margarita, Caucasian Chalk Circle, 52 Pick Up). This was an adventurous art-posse up for several creative challenges: Re-configuring and re-writing the 'Great Outdoors' show at the request of the Embassy to become a 'Great Indoors' show in the gorgeous 800-seat National Theater! And translating 338 subtitle cards from English to Russian! The tour was as rewarding as it was exhausting. The best kind of exhaustion -- two looong international transits, 60+ interviews on national TV, radio, newspaper as well as a youth-blog.

Hi Honey, I'm Home (part of Love Travels Fast)

My dear friend and amazing theater artist, Jennifer Jasper, is directing an evening of short plays about the nature of relationships and love. My 14/48 play Hi Honey, I'm Home is one of the offerings -- It's just your typical 1950s-era polyamorous household at the end of a long work day, but the cocktails and kisses are interrupted when one of the wives drops the monogamy bomb. (A Google search just informed me this title was also for a sit-com on ole-timey TV. Had no idea.) (Above photo is from the original production at 14/48, The World's Quickest Theater Festival in Feb. 2015.)

Peter and the Wolf

Without upsetting the maestro, three musicians and a conductor's assistant must outwit a fearsome wolf (it's a Brian!) that threatens orchestra and audience alike. The concert hall becomes the dramatic setting and musicians are the characters of the story as Prokofiev's exhilarating musical tale springs to life, putting kids on the edge of their seats.

K-Brian's Ukulele Hits

An evening of ukulele hits! Including gems from K. Brian's classic operetta VAUD RATS! Chill with songs from the horror song cycle, THE LURING WELL! Rock on with selections from JESUS CHRIST UKULELESTAR, out of season! But that's not all... You'll also hear underground blowout hits from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 20s! With special guest singer: Meghan Arnette! "I never thought a guy and a ukulele could keep my attention for ninety minutes. I was riveted. Neel rocked!" - National Public Radio. (Note: show is sixty minutes.)

Odia

A Festival of original short plays exploring how current developments in science and technology affect what it means to be human, orchestrated by Infinity Box Theatre Project. AI: Machines that Understand (In collaboration with the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence). Brian wrote the play Odia, based on the research of Matthew E Peters, creator of the ai language processor called BERT. Odia is about two artificial intelligence constructs attempting to define love, and perhaps even find they themselves exist in such an abstract state. It's "an intellectual clown piece." Directed by the phenominal Meghan Arnette.