Ballet-Horror-Comedy Duck Lake Promises Lots of Fowl Play

Remember the time you and your friends sat down to watch the critically acclaimed movie Black Swan and you couldn't help but notice the shocking lack of blood-thirsty ducks? Yeah, we do too. But never fear, because the world's first ballet-horror-comedy, Duck Lake, is here.

The play centers on eccentric theater visionary Barry Canteloupe, who has won Best Up and Coming Director 10 years in a row, but is confident that his newest idea Swan Lake: The Musical will be his breakthrough piece. First he needs to workshop the play with his theater company on a creative retreat at Duck Lake. In the beginning, it seems like the overzealous director, prima donna lead actor, and constant interruptions from a gang of jet skiers are going to be the theater company's downfall. Little do they know, there is a darkness all around them, floating on the lake ever so innocently, eating bread crumbs, and quacking away with an inner rage reminiscent of the killer rabbit in Monty Python's The Holy Grail.

The play, a brainchild of PianoFight's resident sketch comedy group, Mission CTRL, features 3D shadow puppets, choreography by Brian Gibbs of TAGsf, and of course -- lots of killer ducks. We can only hope this kind of fowl play becomes a trend in the ballet world.

Watch the teaser trailer for the show:

Duck Lake premieres at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 6 (and continues through July 28) at The Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida (at Mariposa), S.F. Admission is $15-$35. For tickets, call (917) 363-9646 or go to www.pianofight.com/shows.