SHOW TITLE: OCCUPY This! Tales of an Accidental Activist
PRODUCER: Tommy ‘Rev. Nuge’ Nugent
HAILING FROM: Michigan
SHOW DESCRIPTION: Fringe vet Tommy Nugent (“Burning Man & Rev Nuge” ’09) went to Occupy Wall St. & Occupy Detroit just to carry funny signs, but a funny thing happened on the way to the Revolution – he started to believe in it.
WHAT CAUGHT MY INTEREST: This dude actually filled out one of the very first Pre-Fringe Profiles back in 2009. Let’s see if he’s still got the knack.
Just who do you think you are, anyway?
I’m just your average pentecostal preacher turned strip club bartender turned professional gambler turned law school dropout turned street magician turned motivational speaker turned touring Fringe solo performer and accidental Occupy activist.
Oh, and I am the leader of a small but enthusiastic cult.
So what’s the big idea?
A 40 year old suburban dad (and part time Fringe artist) visits Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Detroit just to shoot footage for his youtube channel and photobomb the news with funny signs. And then he accidentally joins the movement.
How did you come up with a screwy idea like that?
I came up with an idea like that by living a screwy life like that. I really thought I was just gonna wave around my “Rev. Nuge: 99% Love, 1% Asshole (percentages may vary)” sign and go home, but I ended up jumping into the Occupy movement with both feet – shooting video and writing articles for the media team, protesting, fighting bank foreclosures, and camping in a downtown park with Occupiers alongside the homeless people who were already living there.
Why should I care?
I’ve written and performe dsix solo shows. This is the first one that has sort of…laid itself out before me. Like “oh yeah – there’s the narrative and this is how I’m gonna tell it.” It’s become my most successful (and maybe my favorite) show, and it was a complete surprise.
Justify your show’s existence in haiku form.
Funny thing happened –
laughing at the Revolution,
then working for it.
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