Kidnapped By Craigslist

Amazing run of sold-out shows? CHECK!

2009-06-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Cast of Kidnapped By Craigslist

"The time has come my kiddies. That's enough for one day. Now tell me, how do you feel? A little more relaxed? A little more subdued? Prettier? Thinner? Stronger?" -The Barker

Kidnapped By Craigslist ended its month-long run at The PIT in New York City on Saturday, May 30. And what a wonderful run it was!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to see the show, and everyone who participated in the "See Your Craigslist Encounter Come to Life" Contest.

I would also like to say a special thank you to the company of Kidnapped By Craigslist: Director Kimmy Gatewood, Stage Manager/Technician Michelle "Frankie" Thomas, and the truly talented and creative cast: Ryan Andes, Lee Eddy, Michelle O'Connor and Dax Valdes. It has been an honor to produce and be in this production, and all of you contributed so much of yourselves to make this show a huge success! THANK YOU!

Nitra Gutierrez (the co-writer and creator of the show) and I will begin working on a touring company of Kidnapped By Craigslist very soon. Check back for updates about where and when the show will be going next!

In the meantime, check out all our great photos, videos, reviews and press from this production (and all productions) at www.kidnappedbycraigslist.com

A closing-weekend update from cast member Ryan Andes

2009-05-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

The idea came to me during the week we opened.

We were in the throes of tech, still working out transitions, beginnings, endings, character choices, beats, moments, pace; the show was morphing into, well, a really real show. That last week was pretty intense for us all. There were moments of absolute exhilaration, others of abject terror, others that were downright weird. Together, we seven carried each other through the hills and valleys of that final week, much the way warriors do through an epic battle. And in so doing, formed a kinship, a brotherhood, a bond that is forged only in the fires of creative passion and hardship. We had become a family, nestled against the bosom of our mother, Craigslist.

I realized that week that what we had was something really special, worthy of commemoration. Thus, I decided to use what skill I had to craft with my bare hands a series of mementoes for my brethren, gifts that could stand the test of time and carry on the spirit of our creation. In the same tradition of warriors past, I created a crest that honored our source of inspiration -CraigsList, or CL- and decided to carve it out of leather, and fashion it in a way that could be worn on the wrist. I toiled in my apartment, measuring and cutting, slicing and riveting, forming a series of six CL cuffs that were distinct to each member of our ensemble.

Dax - The boisterous and articulate dancer. And the only other male. His needed to be rough, yet refined. Not too flashy, masculine, yet elegant and stylish. I decided on a black base, rust-brown lettering, and bronze rivets. Shazaam.

Katie - Vibrant and austere, the writer, creator and actor. I wanted hers to have some flash and pizazz, and represented her Texan charm. Also, she works at the PIT. Hence, I went with a black base, beautiful bright red lettering, and nickel rivets, to add some authority.

Lee - The nuanced character actor. Lee was tough. I wanted hers to have edginess and style, but not be too simple. It needed grit. I found this awesome buffalo textured brown as a base and went with blue lettering, then threw in some nickel rivets to tone it down while simultaneously spicing things up.

Michelle O - The classical musician and teacher. Our beautiful Barker. Classy, elegant, and refined. She sings a song about her butthole. A gorgeous smooth brown leather base and blue letters were exactly the right tone. Oh, and nickel rivets, cause classy ladies love nickels.

Michelle "Frankie" T - The well-toned and business-like stage manager. Total badass, no one messes with Frankie. Hers needed some salt n peppa. I had this sweet snakeskin brown that I knew she could easily pull off, threw that down on a black base, and gave it a little extra bling with some bronze rivets. Fierce.

Kimmy - The amazing director and Princess of Snacks herself. Couldn't screw around with this one. This one had to be bangin. It didn't take long for me to pin down a freakin awesome fuchsia that would look so sweet framed on a fab flower textured base tied down with rivets of nickel. This one was so on point.

Opening night came finally after our grueling week of work. It seemed surreal. I called the six to me, and with blessings gave each one their respective CL cuff. Kimmy's matched her outfit. Kimmy told Lee to wear hers. For the show. Which she did and has done for every show. The others donned their cuffs, each one realizing that another link in our bond had just been strengthened, for we rocked the crap out of the show that night and every night since.

Thus, the Craigslist cuffs were born, and the show itself became known as a legend of its time.

-Ryan Andes, Ensemble Member

An update from cast member Dax Valdes

2009-05-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Wow. So here we are, more than halfway through our run of KBC!

This has been a whirlwind experience this time through. I did the workshop three years ago, and now I'm back onstage for this run. It's been really great, although I believe I'm the only member of the team who doesn't have improv experience. That was slightly terrifying, because I had it in my head that I would need to be catching up with that skill set.

At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to do the run because I've been on the other side of the table, doing a lot of choreographing as of late. I thought about it and couldn't pass up the chance to re-visit something I had worked on and to see how it evolved. Plus, I had been wanting to get back onstage for a bit.

That said, saying "yes, and..." was a lot easier this round. I remember seeing the original run, and remembering, "Oh, yeah! I said that," and "Damn, I wish I was doing this!"

Doing the movement for this piece was basically expanding on what was already created, and tweaking it to fit our needs. The one moment where I had resisted not saying yes, before I even tried it, was the Transgendered and Disowned posting. I hadn't envisioned it as movement, but Kimmy said it would be a different moment altogether, and the first time I did it, everyone was pretty quiet. Then I saw Kimmy's face, and I knew it would work. So far, it's pretty quiet when that section comes up, but the second night we performed, there were a few giggles and laughs, but I think that comes from a place of being uncomfortable and not knowing what to do with it - which is perfectly alright. I look forward to that part, cause it's kinda like holding your breath through a tunnel and then when the exhale comes, you thought it would never get there.

It's been an awesome ride, thus far.

See you at the carnival!

-Dax Valdes, Ensemble Member

An update from cast member Lee Eddy

2009-05-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

Look.

I'm very method. *

I can't help it. It's my art. It's my craft. It's the way I was raised to do theater. Some actors don't do this sort of method. They just memorize their lines, put on the costume and just get on stage and hope it all works out.

Me. I go all out. **

I know the sign, the nickname, the number of time s/he urinates in a day, food allergies, dreams and fears, embarrassing stories from middle school, awful secrets hidden deep within, soul animal, which parent loved him/her more.... and then some.

So, if I'm given a character with the name "Pot Head Lady"-- I'm going to go there. First, I gotta figure out why is this character called "Pot Head Lady." Is it an ethnic name? AH- no, it says here in the dialogue that she wears a pot on her head. Well, damn. Looks like I need to get a pot for my head.

The producer is gracious enough to bring some props for us to rehearse with for our first rehearsal. The pot she brings is nice. Big. Heavy. Large. In fact, it's so large the majority of my time on stage as Pot Head Lady is spent pushing the large pot off the bridge of my nose or trying to delicately balance it on the small skull ridge I was blessed with on the top of my head. This will not do! This large pot is distracting from the essence of the character! I can't let a large pot upstage this human being I am creating in front of an audience's eye. This will not do.

That's why last weekend you could find me in the cooking ware aisle of my local Gem Store.

I wanted to find a pot that spoke to me and would make Pot Head Lady come to life. I wanted to find a pot that was dented or had denting capability. I wanted to find a pot that wasn't too heavy, but not so light that it wouldn't be able to deflect beams from outer space. I also only had $5 on me. So there was that.

As I had all of these goals in my pot searching, I had to try on each pot. I tried on colanders. I tried on glass pots. I tried on heavy-duty pots. Then I saw it... a shiny, already dented, 3.5 quart Aluminum pot for $3.99. As I was reaching for it, I was stopped by a lady I'd recognized as an employee of the Gem Store. Well, stopped isn't the right word. Rather, she'd just entered the very aisle I was in and suddenly I felt like maybe I could get in trouble, so I froze. After all, these were wares she was going to sell, preferably hair and scalp free.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to get busted by the Gem Store employee lady, but I also didn't want to lose the opportunity of buying this perfect, already-dented, very cheap pot that would be perfect for Pot Head Lady. So I looked at cheese graters for a bit.

When I reached the register, I handed the pot to the clerk. She took it and then said something to me in Spanish. I handed her my $5, now sweaty from being crumpled up in my hand. She waved it away and said something to me again in Spanish. I just sort of shook my head in an effort to show that I didn't understand what she was telling me. She then pointed to the dent in the pot, and said something that was the equivalent of "DEEEEEEENT." I nodded and said it was perfect. She shrugged, took my sweaty $5 and then gave me a receipt.

When I exited the store, I dove into the plastic bag that housed my newly-purchased pot. Being out of the store, I did not feel the same scrutiny and immediately tried it on.

It. Fit. Perfectly.

The already-made dent insured its snugness.

Pot Head Lady had been found.

*not true

**also not true

-Lee Eddy, Ensemble Member

Feature Article and "Voice Choice" in The Village Voice!

2009-05-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Kidnapped By Craigslist just received this lovely feature in The Village Voice, and they named us a "Voice Choice". Thanks VV!

Check it out!

http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-05-13/voice-choices/roommate-wanted

Time Out NY "Critic's Pick"!

2009-05-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

TimeOut NY has this to say about Kidnapped By Craigslist:

"The return of this revue is selling out, likely because the performances - comedians act out various bizarre Craigslist posts - are so strong"

"What could be more relevant than this revue"

An Opening Night note from Director Kimmy Gatewood

2009-05-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

Big Big Man. Teeny Tiny Maracas

The cast working on "The Funhouse"

Michelle has the most beautiful voice, and the most foul song

Our Stage Manager Michelle "Frankie" Thomas. She's the quiet bird in the corner.

Hey everybody. I'm Kimmy, the Director of Kidnapped by Craigslist. I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to direct the show again. It's so rare that a director gets the opportunity to come back to a show and fix or add anything that they wished they had the time to do last time.

This time around, I wanted to embrace the carnivalesque theme more fully. Each 'tent' has a distinct mood and look - and the actors movements and music reflect that. I also wanted master the story of this piece. Because this show is a docu-play, it doesn't follow a typical story structure plot, however, it does paint a picture of society and how this particular forum, Craigslist, has allowed them to express themselves in funny, tragic, and heartbreaking ways.

These posts are well written, witty, and incredibly honest. I hope you walk away from the show looking at your neighbors, friend, lovers, and co-workers differently. Katie has put together a dynamic script and a dynamo cast.

Speaking of the little buggers. Here are some pics I took during rehearsals with my crappy phone camera. Looking forward to seeing you at the show!

-Kimmy Gatewood, Director

It's the week of the show, y'all!

2009-05-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

This week has finally arrived! We open this Friday night, May 8 at 8pm. But before that, we have a FREE press performance/invited dress rehearsal on Thursday, May 7 at 4pm. Yes, you heard that right: FREE, FREE, FREE! Everyone is invited!

Rehearsals are going remarkably well. It is an honor to work with such a talented, smart and creative cast. Kimmy Gatewood's direction is on display at its finest. I feel like her creativity is rubbing off on me every second I am around her. Heck yeah!

All of us are a little nervous about audience turnout with The Craigslist Killer still being big in the media. It is my sincere hope that people will realize that he is exactly WHY they should come see our show. We are celebrating the goodness that comes from Craigslist (jobs, dates, apartments, lasting friendships, etc.) and hopefully we can help restore people's faith in the website.

That being said, here is an official disclaimer about the show in case "hilarious" and "brilliantly offensive" are not your thing:

WARNING: This show contains bumping, grinding, singing, dancing, barfing, barking, humping, farting, supervillians, simulated sex, light sabre battles, liposuction, pirates, inappropriate tattoos, COUGARS, death scenes, a wedding, a stool sample, sumo wrestling...not to mention over 20 different references to asses and butts.

The Cast Speaks: Michelle O'Connor, The Barker

2009-04-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Michelle plays so many instruments in this show...sometimes two at a time!

We are off! The new cast is incredibly talented and comedically diverse. It is a lot of work putting this freak show together - but so much fun!!!

The script itself is hitting me in a very different way during this run. I am blown away by how strange people are (not the cast - well, they are strange - but I am referring to "Craigslisters") - it amazes me that every story inside this play comes from a real entry on Craigslist.

I am enjoying sinking my teeth into the darker side of the site - even though it is mostly all comedy - and let's face it - Craigslist is the greatest tool for finding an apartment in NYC (however, not necessarily a sane roommate) - all is not funny. The idea that we have become a society of pretenders and "isolates" is sad. The loneliness and the disturbing desires. It is all there.

But not to worry commitment phobes - this play doesn't stay in any one place for long!

-Michelle O'Connor, The Barker

AND THE WINNER IS....

2009-04-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Kidnapped By Craigslist is pleased to announce the winner of the "See YOUR Craigslist Encounter Come to Life" Contest.

Congratulations to Sarah from NY, NY who submitted "A very, very large haystack". Your story is the winner!

Sarah wins two free tickets to a performance of Kidnapped By Craigslist at The PIT in May, AND her Craigslist story will appear in the show itself!

All of the submissions we received were fantastic and inspiring for our show. We only posted the 8 finalists, but all the submissions were unique and hilarious. Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest, and don't forget to purchase your tickets to the show! Seats are going fast!

Kidnapped By Craigslist runs May 8-30, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm at The PIT (154 W. 29th Street).

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/61132

www.kidnappedbycraigslist.com

Contest Submission 8: Craigslist informed me my relationship was over

2009-04-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Kelsey in Brooklyn, NY

It's pretty much just like the title suggests: I went onto Craigslist one day and saw the following post:

NEED TIPS FOR BREAKING UP WITH MY GIRLFRIEND

I have to break up with my girlfriend. Tonight. I can't do it anymore. Things have been bad for awhile now but this is the worst. Last weekend we went to her cousin's wedding out of town and she got drunk and told her entire family that I got fired from my job. I overheard her telling her brother that she hopes I don't think she's going to support me, and that if I didn't find another job soon she was going to kick me to the curb. She also said that I gave her "hideously ugly" earrings for her birthday that she only wears when I am around. What a bitch.

Do I just come right out with all of this or do I tell her its just not working out? Path of least resistance!

I wish I could say that his post was a lie, but that's pretty much the way it went down. Yikes!

Terminally single,

Kelsey

Contest Submission 7: I Won $5,000!

2009-04-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Lucy in Staten Island, NY

I have been interested in cake decorating for a long time. Mostly it was just for fun but then I noticed my competitive side coming out anytime I would start decorating. I wanted to start entering amateur cake decorating contests but I knew I wasn't good enough yet.

I went onto Craigslist and posted that I was looking for some cake decorating tips and strategies. One of the responses I received was a sweet old lady on Long Island who used to run a cake shop for over 30 years but gave it up after her husband died. She agreed to meet with me once a week (for free!!!!) to show me a few things and teach me what she knows.

After 3 months of meeting with her I decided to enter my first amateur cake decorating contest. I turned a plain old sheetcake into a huge garden full of roses, lilies and gardenias. My cake won first place, and the prize was $5,0000!

If it weren't for Craigslist, I never would have met the old lady who turned out to be my mentor and I wouldn't have won the $5,0000 that helped pay for more cake decorating supplies. Thanks Craigslist!!!!

Contest Submission 6: Handsome Juror at Mock Trial

2009-04-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Jay in New York, NY

My roommate is in law school and needed me to be a juror for a mock trial. I agreed, and much to my surprise, there was a very attractive guy sitting in front of me in the "jury box". This guy was SEXY! During the deliberation I saw a good bit of his personality: he was smart, funny, laughed at my jokes, and just seemed like a really decent guy. So, on a lark, I decided to post something on Craigslist under Missed Connections.

Anyhow, I posted this little thing (see below) and kind of expected that it wouldn't ever get to him. Then, next thing I know, I got an email from THE GUY!!! So, after 24 hours of consternation and misgivings and behaving like a 12-year-old girl, I finally called him.

We had our first date this past Tuesday. It was actually really nice. He wants to see me again when he gets back from traveling, so I guess it was a success. We shall see...

My original post to Missed Connections on Craigslist:

Handsome juror at mock court this morning/afternoon -m4m-34 (Union Square)

I've never done this, but you've compelled me to summon the courage. You were one of the other jury members for a mock court this morning/afternoon at Cardozo Law School. The charge was arson. You had a shaved head, a tiny gold hoop in your right ear, a sexy beard, a red/white plaid shirt, beautiful eyes, and a magnetic personality. Clearly smart and funny, you had me cracking up during the deliberation, which you kind of led. Even though we disagreed about the verdict (I was sitting directly to your right), I bet we could have some very interesting and entertaining conversation. You said you were single, so maybe I could take you to dinner?

His email response to me:

How hilarious! This just got to me from the friend who invited me to the mock trial. Ironically though, the Jewish mother to my left was all, "What do you think about the guy behind us. Cute, right?"

I'm game for a date.

Contest Submission 5: I Will Not Give Up!

2009-03-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Bill from the Bronx, NY

For years I searched for love, only to fail dismally. Alone at 49, I vowed not to give up. Online one day I discovered the women of the Craigslist.

My first online relationship was with Lizzie, a nice Italian girl from Manhattan. She was a writer and her emails had a lyrical beauty to them. On our second date she drank too much and had a mini breakdown, ripping the shirt completely off my body. Leaving Manhattan on a Friday night shirtless is interesting. You'd be surprised how suspicious the police are when a naked man pulls up next to them at the light.

The next girl, Carol, was a lawyer. Our emails and phone calls were great. She picked the time and place of our first date only to cancel a few hours before...too much going on. She then became unavailable until one Sunday when she emailed to ask that, if I didn't mind the short notice, would I meet her downtown in an hour for coffee. Clever and smart, at first she seemed perfect. Eventually though, she began making mildly offensive offhand comments covering the racial and national gamut. Nothing she said was outright bigotry. Still, as an Italian with a half Korean son and an African American, bisexual, best friend living with her lesbian lover, it made me go...hmmm. Uncomfortable, I absentmindedly played with the sugar packets on the table. She slapped my hand and removed the bowl from within my reach...too annoying.

Mary's photo looked suspiciously like a man in a dress. I'm glad that didn't go past picture exchange or this would be an entirely different story.

Nicole, an African American money manager from Brooklyn, was the worst yet with emails. Bad on the phone as well, she seemed disconnected, almost sad. She said I could select the restaurant. I picked popular places in and around New York City. She lived in Park Slope and suggested I chose a place closer to her home. Which, I did. She had somewhere else in mind...we compromised and went to the place of her choice. Dinner was great; she was beautiful, charming, funny and intelligent. A pleasure to be with, I really liked her. She called me the next day and asked that, if I didn't mind the short notice, could we go out again that evening. I said hell yes. I bought a dozen roses on the way. As I exited the BQE, she called and canceled. On the way back to the Bronx, I hit a ditch masquerading as a puddle, cracking my water pump. Fixing my car cost $400. My mechanic loved the roses...he still calls. She phoned the next afternoon asking that, if I didn't mind the short notice, would I like to see her that night. Again it was wonderful. I sent an email the next day and she didn't respond. I called the day after, again no response. I called once more; she returned my call the following afternoon. "Hi Bill, can't talk, going into the bank, call you tonight." I haven't heard from her since.

Craigslist has been an enigma. I know what I am looking for, my last girlfriend, not the last one I had; the last one I will ever have. I could keep busy, cry in my beer, and pretend not to miss love. Many live that way. But, I will not give up. Life is not meant to be lived alone. I just hope that none of these girls are violent.

Contest Submission 4: Very, Very Large Haystack

2009-03-30T08:12:00.001-07:00

Sarah and Carl met on Craigslist. This is them on their honeymoon!

Submitted by Sarah in NY, NY

My theory has always been that you can meet cool people or weirdos anywhere, and that's part of why I've always embraced online dating. I had done the traditional stuff - match.com, jdate, with some success, and I'd done Craigslist before. While I hadn't met anyone really special on CL, I was willing to try again.

I got a lot of responses to my ad. I don't know how many were outright sketchy or inappropriate (it is CL after all!) I remember Carl sent a photo and I thought he was cute. I thought I'd give him a chance.

We emailed a few times back and forth and then after one or two good phone conversations we had our first date. We met at the IFC theater in the West Village right outside the West 4th Subway stop. I recognized him right away and immediately thought he was cuter than his picture. We went for sushi and had an easy conversation, but I wasn't sure he was into me until he said he thought I was more attractive than my pictures - I took that as a good sign. We went for a drink after that and I remember thinking I really wanted to kiss him, but I held myself back. At the end of the date, I know we kissed and he said we should get together again - and I was like "How about Saturday?"

Our third date was 23 hours long, and by the end of it we'd discussed being exclusive. We went out for brunch and I had to sneak off to the bathroom to cancel my coffee date for later that day. I found out later that Carl had a "booty call" that he called off after our first date. I thought that was pretty cool.

We were together 11 months when we got engaged. He proposed outside of a church in Park Slope as we were on our way to a party. It was pretty awesome - I wasn't expecting it, and he just pulled out this ring box. I was shocked. I was so excited I think my exact words were "Holy Shit. Yes!" Then we went to the party and were able to celebrate with friends. Even though I wasn't expecting his proposal, I had known for a couple of months that this was the person I wanted to spend my life with.

We were only engaged six months before getting married September 13, 2008. I know it was fast but I think when you get to a certain age you just know when it's right, and we both had been "out there" a long time. When we got married I was a few months shy of 35 and Carl was 37. Every day we are together I love him more, if that's possible. I'm really enjoying being married. I'm happy to just live our lives and be together.

Sarah's Original Ad on Craigslist:

Very, very large haystack...swf for swm - 33

Date 3-17-2007

I'm 33 and here's me: attractive, smart, gainfully employed, educated, intellectually curious, fairly low-maintenance, on-time, a bit of a luddite, creative, an introverted extrovert, an optimist, a careful speller, a lover of parenthesis, a scrabble-player, a big reader, a good writer, a decent doodler, a loving sister, a good daughter, a funny kid, a pet-owner, an animal lover, a healthy eater, a sushi adorer, a rare drinker, a world traveler, an adventurous spirit, a liberal, an independent thinker, a cultural fix-needer, a good friend. quirky, but quite sane. 5'2", long brown hair, brown eyes, h/w proportionate. i'm looking for you, and you've been hard to find: 29-44, attractive (to me). 5'7" and taller, preferably. Kind (i.e. you don't kick puppies). a smartie. a generous spirit. a dry-humored fellow. a good friend. a reader. a passionate person. a bit of a romantic. a seeker of chemistry. sane. not a bush regime fan. non-religious. non-married and no kidlets. single. sexy. creative. educated. employed. looking for something serious for mutual world rocking. cynical about CL, and hopefully all the same. pic for pic.

Carl's response to Sarah's Ad on Craigslist:

Hi, I liked your post so I thought I'd write. I've been in the city for a couple years now, live in the west village. Love the city. I could go on and on about things I like to do but instead I'll just say I'm very open-minded and up for anything, can be very spontaneous. I tend to have the best chemistry with women who are down to earth, low maintenance. I am the same way. A little more about me, I'm 5'11", 175, in very good shape as I do work out, but I'm not a gym rat type. Also, if I like you and get to know you I can be very funny if that's your thing. I've attached a pic, would like to get to know you better. Carl

And the rest is history!!!!

Contest Submission 3: That beautiful couch had beautiful bed bugs!

2009-03-27T10:25:00.001-07:00

Submitted by Dennis in Hoboken, NJ

I found the most kick-ass sectional couch on Craigslist. It was the exact size my girlfriend and I needed for our living room. It was only a year old and in great condition. It was also pretty darn cheap.

I called the number and the guy seemed cool and normal. My girlfriend and I picked up the couch that weekend and brought it home, and everything was great.

About a week later we started noticing bites on our arms, legs and bodies. We figured out by process of elimination that it must be bed bugs. We searched our bed and mattress for the usual signs we read about on the internet. Nothing. We had never heard of any cases of bed bugs in our building and our neighbors didn't seem to have them (yet!), so it was a mystery.

We finally called the exterminator and he asked if we had gotten any hand-me-down furniture or curtains or anything like that recently. It was the couch! What do you know, we pulled up the couch cushions and found an insane amount of bed bug poop and blood droplets! We were infested! GROSS!

They were a nightmare to get rid of, not to mention costly (our landlord would not pay because our exterminator told him we got them from a couch off of Craigslist. That fucker.) I still cannot think about that experience without cringing a little.

I love Craigslist don't get me wrong, but be careful what you buy!!!!

Contest Submission 2: Sketchy Potential Roommates

2009-03-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Kate from NY, NY

I was in the middle of packing up my tiny campus housing apartment when my friend called to let me know that

1. Our Brooklyn apartment we were moving into in two days fell through, and

2. She was OVER New York City and was moving back to Tennessee.

I pulled up Craigslist and spent a whole day refreshing the page, calling, running to the apartment and nearly tripping others along the way in case they were headed to the same apartment as me (as least 3 apartments got swooped out from under me.)

First, I met a seemingly harmless old woman with a room for rent who started every sentence with "I'm not a racist, BUT...".

Then, there was the dude who was willing to wave my rent if I would walk around naked. "It's not sexual, I promise." He said. Sure dude.

The second to last apartment of the day seemed to be the keeper. It was a young, married couple both working on their graduate degrees. The apartment was clean. The room for rent was separate and optimal for privacy. I pulled out my checkbook and immediately started filling out the first month's rent/security deposit.

"There's one thing", the wife said to me. "You may only use the common areas during the hours of 9am-5pm...that includes the kitchen and bathroom."

"What if nature calls in the middle of the night?" I asked. Seemed like a valid question.

"The student union is down the street". She said.

I put my checkbook in my bag and left to go refresh the Craiglist page once more.

Luckily, I did find a great place that day from Craigslist, with great roommates who are not only cool with me using the bathroom, they'll let my nature call even while they're in the shower!

Contest Submission 1: Missed Connections Can Work Out!

2009-03-25T08:45:00.001-07:00

Submitted by Me (KatieG)

I thought I would get the ball rolling on this contest by submitting my own personal Craigslist Encounter: Meeting my boyfriend on Craiglist after he posted a Missed Connection for me.

The following Missed Connection was posted on NYC's Craigslist on March 12, 2008:

FOR KATIE

Hi Katie,

I'm not sure how to do this without sounding like a stalker, but I came across your Myspace page (I know, I know) and I just wanted to say hi. It looks like we have a lot in common...we've both written about Craigslist, we've both lived in Austin, and we're both really funny (and I'm modest!). =-)

Anyway, I'm on tour with a show right now but I'm coming back to the city in a couple of days.

Dinner sometime?

It turns out we did have a lot in common, and we began dating!

I posted this Missed Connection on NYC's Craigslist for him this past Valentine's Day: February 14, 2009, to pay homage to our meeting on Craigslist!

FOR BRANDON

You posted for me here, almost a year ago now.

I am happy you found me, and even more happy to be your Valentine.

Dinner sometime?

See YOUR Craigslist Encounter Come To Life!

2009-03-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Kidnapped By Craigslist Contest: Submit Your Best/Worst Craigslist Encounter!

We need your help finishing the play! We are looking for your best and worst Craigslist encounters: crazy roommates you met on Craigslist, lasting (or non-lasting) relationships or hookups, wacky items you have bought or sold, a Missed Connection gone horribly wrong (or pleasantly right!), or simply an odd or interesting Craigslist scenario!

Email your stories in text, photo or video form to katie@kidnappedbycraigslist.com

by Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 5pm. The submissions will be posted here on the blog as we receive them.

The winning story will be chosen by the company of Kidnapped By Craigslist on April 15, and the winner will receive two tickets to a performance, plus, their story will be included/referenced in the show itself!

Kidnapped By Craigslist heads back home to New York!

2009-03-13T10:19:00.001-07:00

I am excited to announce that Kidnapped By Craigslist will be back in New York in May, after 2 years of productions all over the country!

New Cast Members! Updated Script! More Music!

May 8-30, 2009

Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm

The Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT)

154 W. 29th Street, 2nd floor (between 6th and 7th Aves)

Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and will be on sale soon!

Directed by Kimmy Gatewood

Produced by Katie Goan

Original Music by Michelle O'Connor

Cast: Ryan Andes, Lee Eddy, Katie Goan, Michelle O'Connor and Dax Valdes