A Congress of Flying Monkeys

A Congress of Flying Monkeys: Interactive Wizard of Oz to Raise Money for SLC Bail FundA Congress of Flying Monkeys is a new interactive play from Lords of Misrule Theatre Company. A version of the classic Wizard of Oz, but the audience controls how the actors have to perform the show! Taking place after Dorothy and Friends have killed the Wicked Witch of the West, Oz tells the party he requires congressional approval before he can grant them their requests. The Congress of Flying Monkeys, (played by the audience) will listen to each character’s testimony and legislate how their story must be told.The show is free to attend! Audience members donate money to alter the show. Donations are split between the cast/crew and the SLC Bail Fund to assist them in their current mission of getting people released from ICE detention. The show will premier at the 2026 Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival!Links and InfoFringe Festival Website: https://www.gslfringe.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misruletheatreco/Website: https://misruletheatre.com/Where/WhenThe show will be performed at Dreamscapes in The Gateway Mall:16 North Rio Grande St., Salt Lake CityJuly 23rd at 9pmJuly 24th at 9pmAugust 1st at 9pmAugust 2nd at 9pmAugust 3rd at 6pmStory SummaryThe Wizard of Oz is an American classic and Lords of Misrule is bringing it to you in the most chaotic way possible. Dorothy Gale is a young woman from Kansas during the great depression. After her house is swept up in a tornado, she finds herself in the magical land of Oz. Unfortunately, the politics of Oz will sweep you away faster than any Tornado. To find a way home, Dorothy must appeal to the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz. On her journey she meets a destitute Scarecrow who works long and hard in Ozsanto’s cornfield, A heartless axe wielding Tin Man, and a conflict avoidant Lion. When the group reaches The Wizard of Oz, he informs them that they must slay the Wicked Witch of the West before he will consider it. After doing the deed, Oz calls the Congress of Oz to session to determine if he can use his powers to grant their wishes for a brain, a heart, courage, and a home. As the check and balance on Oz’s miraculous cosmic power, it is up to them to determine whether or not Dorothy and friends’ story deems them worthy of such boons. The bad news is that the congress is entirely made up of winged monkeys. Will Dorothy and Friends be able to navigate the congressional chaos? Or will they be crushed under the political machine of Oz?Supporting The SLC Bail FundThe Salt Lake Community Bail Fund posts bail for individuals in need in Salt Lake County. We work against the unjust money bail system that criminalizes poverty and disproportionately harms communities of color by helping to free our neighbors, educate the public, and work toward dismantling these harmful systems. We are committed to ending pre-trial detention in Utah, using the Community Bail Fund as a mechanism to expose the harm caused by money bail.Currently, ICE is unjustly detaining our neighbors with no due process or access to lawyers. These detainees are essentially kidnapped, sometimes taken several states from their friends and family who have no idea where their loved ones have been taken. SLC Bail Fund volunteers have been providing court support and advocacy for those unjustly detained and incarcerated.Information Website: https://www.slcbailfund.org/About Lords of Misrule Theatre CompanyLords of Misrule Theatre Co formed unofficially in 2019 with the closure of The Road Home shelter in downtown Salt Lake City. A group of friends from the Salt Lake Community College theatre program got together and devised a unique show based on mutual-aid and community support. The show was called The Lord of Misrule and it pioneered the donation based theater model they continue to use today. Instead of buying a ticket, the audience donates money to a charitable cause or community aid group to change how the actors have to perform the show. Lords of Misrule shows have raised money for The Road Home, Our Unsheltered Relatives, The U of U Prison Education Project, AAMP Utah, and Save The Kids Group.Lords of Misrule are part of AAMP Utah, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting alternative arts and music with a focus on access.AAMP UtahAAMP stands for Alternative Arts and Music Program. Their mission is to improve arts access by providing free or no-cost resources and classes to Utah’s independent performance artists. They have a special focus on alternative art and communities who are underrepresented.AAMP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aamputah/AAMP Website: https://www.aamputah.org/