Historical Information
Infernal Bridegroom Productions (IBP) was an avant-garde theatre company founded in 1993. Founding artists included Jason Nodler, Tamarie Cooper, Jim Parsons, Anthony Barilla, Greg Dean, Troy Schulze, and many others. The company produced 68 productions during the course of its operations including many original works that sometimes involved outside collaborators like Suzan-Lori Parks or Brian Jucha. They made rock and roll shows, from Troy Schulze's Actual Air to The Kinks Present a Soap Opera to Speeding Motorcycle based on the music of Daniel Johnston. IBP's later incarnation, The Catastrophic Theatre, created Bluefinger in collaboration with Black Francis of legendary alt-rock band The Pixies. The Tamalalia series of original full-scale musicals created by Tamarie Cooper became a summer tradition in Houston.
For half its lifetime, Infernal Bridegroom Productions was an itinerant company and presented in unusual and alternative spaces, including Commerce Street Artists Warehouse, the Orange Show, and even a moving school bus. However, their final years were spent in The Axiom, a punk rock music club. In 2007, Infernal Bridegroom Productions ceased operations.
In 2007, many of the originating artists from Infernal Bridegroom Productions founded a new company, The Catastrophic Theatre, which continues to contribute to the avant-garde scene in Houston and worldwide. Catastrophic Theatre is an ensemble-based theatre company whose mission is to create "a meaningful exchange between artists and audiences through the creation and performance of new works of all sorts." Catastrophic continues to produce Tamarie Cooper's wildly popular original musicals each summer and notable productions include numerous world premieres, such as Small Ball and The Pine by Mickle Maher and American Falls and Fleaven by Miki Johnson.
Sources: Connelly, Richard. "Infernal Bridegroom Productions shuts down amid financial questions." Houston Press, 2 August 2007, https://www.houstonpress.com/news/infernal-bridegroom-productions-shuts-down-amid-financial-questions-galveston-development-6540285. Accessed 15 August 2018.
Evans, Everett. "Infernal Bridegroom Productions closes its doors." Houston Chronicle, 25 July 2007, https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/Infernal-Bridegroom-Productions-closes-its-doors-1586452.php. Accessed 15 August 2018.
Murphy, Kate. "Infernal Bridegroom Has a Hit With Speeding Motorcyle." The New York Times, 14 June 2006, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/14/arts/music/14spee.html. Accessed 15 August 2018.
