Wreckage: The Contest Show will run Sunday December 14, 2008 at the Milky Way in JP. One Show. $200 prize. One night. Everyone has some kind of wacky talent. Everyone needs some cash at the end of the year. Get your act together and come join us, you could be crowned Boston's Biggest Wreck if you're lucky.

Please register via email if you want to compete by November 30, 2008. We are looking for, encourage, and welcome all genres of performance (music, drag, spoken word, hoolahoop, dance, acrobatics, comedy, burlesque...) from all genders of people, whether straight or queer.

Contest rules:

competitors must register to perform by November 30, 2008...no walk-ons allowed.
competitors (and all members of their group/troupe/support/etc) must pay the door fee upon entering the club. if the venue is 21+ competitors must be 21+. no exceptions, sorry.
competitors must be prepared to present 2 numbers each 4 minutes or under. (you'll be given enough time to change between them)
everyone can make/take tips (so bring your friends out!)
Professional performers are not allowed to compete. We define 'professional' performers as someone who makes some/most of their income from performing, or someone who produces their own shows, or someone who makes more that $50 a gig for performing. This is up to the discression of the producer of the contest so please check in with us if you have questions.

A motley crew of judges will judge you on 5 criteria:
1. creativity/originality
2. costuming
3. presentation
4. craft/skill
5. audience response (so bring your friends out)
scores will be added together and the highest one wins.
if you are presenting a talent or genre that doesn't fit into these criteria, the judges will figure out an equitable way to judge you.

We encourage you to reach outside of the norm. To celebrate the bizare. To fly your freak flag. We take trashiness very seriously. Wink Wink.

Here are details about past Wreckage contests.

Some people have said this stuff about our stuff:

"Boston's dearth of gay stand-up is no laughing matter"
Boston Globe September 23, 2005
"Gay men and women have traditionally not been part of [stand-up in Boston]," says Loren King, arts editor of Bay Windows. "Although I think a scene could easily develop, it seems we're being served just fine by groups such as the Theater Offensive, and some of the more out-there drag king and queen shows put on by [promoter] Aliza Shapiro."

Bay Windows April 28, 2005
"...Wreckage, likely the most surreal event Boston has to offer, remains a must see, where creativity and eccentricity rule the night."

Awarded Stuff @Night's "Nightlife Player's' list April 2004
"Aliza Shapiro of Truth Serum Productions holds the kind of events that spank stodgy old Boston firmly in the posterior with their edgy, often gender-bending creativity. Shapiro, along with her drag alter-ego Heywood Wakefield, makes it happen."

The history:

Wreckage was started by Truth Serum's Aliza Shapiro in February 2005 after TraniWreck proved to be sucessful and after Renee Farster aka Frankie Cocktail gave up the night she'd taken over from Bryan Szela aka Pheobe Klein who had a night called Trannyshack based on Trannyshack in SF and a contest show that was decided by audience applause.

When I took over the nights we started anew. My goals were to create space for amateur performers to take the stage to compete (or not), for TraniWreck and other seasoned performers to do something new, and for for guests from out of town to wow us.

The names TraniWreck and Wreckage were my creation and will travel with me wherever I chose to produce them.

Press folks can find high quality, downloadable photos here.