Archives for January 2014

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (6 January, 2014) – Renowned rock art illustrator Chuck Sperry has designed an original poster for the World Premiere of Liberty Bradford Mitchell’s THE PORNOGRAPHER’S DAUGHTER.  In this edgy slice of San Francisco history, Mitchell tells the story of growing up on the fringes of an X-rated world as the daughter of notorious pornography pioneer Artie Mitchell.  Sperry, famed for his rock art illustrations and posters for dozens of artists including Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Gogol Bordello, Bob Dylan, The Black Keys, Widespread Panic, and Nick Cave, has created a one-of-a-kind graphic based on a photo of Mitchell taken by photographer Gary Bossier when she was 16 years old, during a shoot coordinated by her father’s then-girlfriend (and O’Farrell Theatre performer) Missy Manners.  THE PORNOGRAPHER’S DAUGHTER plays January 17 – February 16, 2014, at Z Below, 470 Florida St in San Francisco.  Press opening is 8pm Wednesday, January 22.  For tickets ($32), the public may visit www.PDtheplay.com.

“I’m thrilled to be involved in this project,” said Sperry.  “Liberty’s story is fascinating to those who know the story of the Mitchell brothers as well as those who don’t, and I’m excited to be part of this fantastic collaboration.”  One of the few remaining contemporary poster artists who silkscreens all of his prints by hand, Sperry will make a very limited release of the hand screened edition of this poster on his website, www.chucksperry.net on Sunday, January 19, 2014 at a random time, to coincide with the world premier weekend of THE PORNOGRAPHER’S DAUGHTER.

Chuck Sperry lives in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, where he’s been creating his particular style of rock poster designs for over 15 years.  His work has been exhibited at leading San Francisco art institutions including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, as well as internationally from Athens to Argentina, Bristol to Belgrade – most recently featured in the three week Italian tour of The Flowers of Popular Victories exhibition.  With prints archived by the Achenbach Graphics Arts Council, San Francisco Public Library, United States Library of Congress, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and artistry featured in projects for Virgin Megastore, Guitar Center, Random House, Harvard University Press, Nylon, Wired, and more, Sperry has established a unique style of rock poster art that has earned him worldwide recognition and praise.  He has been featured in documentaries for film and television in the United States, Europe, and Australia, including the 2009 documentary film “American Artifact.”

Notorious for entertaining a stream of celebrities, politicians, and artists at their XXX movie theatre and strip club, The Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre, Artie and Jim Mitchell capitalized on the “free love” movement of the 1970s. Their “Behind the Green Door,” one of the first feature-length porn films ever made, earned a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival and sparked a new wave of adult entertainment.  The party ended in February 1991 when Jim shot and killed Artie.  In THE PORNOGRAPHER’S DAUGHTER, Artie’s eldest child Liberty Bradford Mitchell recounts this unique slice of San Francisco history with a first-hand perspective, from her counter-culture beginnings, growing up and coming of age in the wings of the porn industry, through surviving the surreal aftermath of her father’s murder at the hands of her uncle Jim.  Joining Mitchell on stage will be San Francisco rock band The Fluffers, providing a driving soundtrack of music from the ‘60s to the ‘80s and beyond.

“The Pornographer’s Daughter”

Written and Performed by Liberty Bradford Mitchell

Directed by Michael T. Weiss

January 17 – February 16, 2014

Press Night: 8pm Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Previews: January 17-19 (no preview 10:30pm Fri, Jan 17)

Shows: Thursdays: 8:00pm • Fridays and Saturdays: 8:00pm, 10:30pm • Sundays: 5:00pm

 Z Below, 470 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 94110

 TICKETS: $32 (general admission)

For information or to order tickets visit www.PDtheplay.com.