Captured Aural Phantasy Theater
Captured aural phantasy theater (CAPT) is what would happen if Garrison Keiler, John Waters and Stan Lee all hooked up after a night of hard partying. They combine the art, drama and comedy of a vintage radio program with the live entertainment of a variety show.
giving old comics a modern voice
Shows are built around performances of vintage pop culture gems, usually comic book stories, along with live sound fx, music and projected art. In between the featured stories are short acts, sultry singing, prizes, special guests and live music. No joke is too low or innuendo left un-emphasized.
The CAPT Origin Story
In late 1980’s Chicago, a fresh transplant from Omaha, Nebraska, Ben Ziola, emerged into the popular and delightfully weird “New Vaudeville” performance art movement with the Park Avenue Produce Company. It was here that the “Captured Aural Phantasy” theater concept was developed over the next decade, drawing on classic American comic books from the Golden (1940’s and 50’s) and Silver (1950’s and early 60’s) ages of the milieu. Their unique blend of traditional theatrical conventions and way-out comedy appealed to the crowds at venues big and small in the City of Big Shoulders.
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Ben Dickow, a member of the Chicago chapter of CAPT, moved to Los Angeles, and continued to further develop the comic book-inspired stage concept, and redubbed his company Captured Aural Phantasy Theater (CAPT), performing in the metropolis’ most interesting venues, ranging from the late The Nerdist Theater at Meltdown Comics to the award-winning Bootleg Theater, the unique Valeslavasay Panorama Theater, as well as many bars, comic book conventions and many other non traditional spaces in between.
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In 2016, CAPT was joined by new musical director, Ray Hedgpeth, founder of the nerd rock band, The Amoeba People. That year, Ray joined Ben at San Diego Comic Con, where Ben was on a panel with EC Comics’ Number 1 Fan, Larry Stark, and was so inspired by Larry Stark’s story that he wrote a song about him. Ben had always dreamed of turning the EC Comics story into a stage performance, but it was this moment that gave Ben the idea to turn 'Tales From the Comic Book Crackdown', into a full-blown musical.
