About the Artist

John Michael is a queer health educator, playwright, and international trauma clown. His 11 solo shows have sold out and won critical acclaim in six countriesif you count Texas and Florida. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, John Michael is a Tejano tall-tale teller focusing on celebratory grief and creating Dia De Los Muertos plays that open a direct line to our ancestors.

John Michael has been seen on stages in Chicago, Dallas, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Orlando, Bergen, Gothenburg, Winnipeg, Edinburgh, Ottawa and Toronto. He is most known for the wildly entertaining Meatball Sance, where he cooks meatballs onstage to summon his mother from the grave, so that she can meet his boyfriend, played by the audience. His other plays include: John Michael and the Order of the Penix, Dementia Me, The A-Gays: Stillwater, Oklahoma, Would You Like Guys with That? And Its Not All About You John Michael.

When John Michael lost his third friend in a row to overdose during the pandemic, he created a new show called SPANK BANK TIME MACHINE that handed out over 2, 000 Narcan Kits during its run. The Neo-Futurists took to the message so well that they became a year-round Narcan distributor, and to commemorate National Recovery Month, the Lutheran Social Services of Illinois commissioned a workshop of a young adult version now called Narcan Time Machine.

Accessibility & Content Considerations

Contact the Fringe Festival Box Office for up to date accessibility information.

This event is appropriate for ages 18+

Adult Language

Strobe/Flashing Lights

Audience Interaction

A clown overdoses onstage, death, grief, close to naked

Covid-19 Safety policy

Masks are required during this event