Face to (ahem) Face: Puppetry of the Penis

Created by Simon Morley and David Friend in 1996, Puppetry of the Penis introduced the world to the ancient Australian art of genital origami (aka "dick tricks" or the use of the penis to create ridiculous, hilarious, and sometimes squirm-inducing creations like "The Hamburger" or "The Windsurfer" or "The Eiffel Tower.")

The show has been experienced by over 1 million people (including the likes of Hugh Grant, Naomi Campbell, Posh Spice, Christina Aguilera, Nicole Richie, Bono and Elton John) in over 14 countries (including the U.S., Great Britain, Australia, Holland, Germany, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Belgium, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal). It has been translated into three languages, had a "how to" book published, been featured on HBO's Real Sex since 2002, and had DVD releases throughout the world.

We caught up with two "puppeteers" from the current NYC show, Rich Binning and Gavin Stewart, to find out how they got involved with the show, what kind of equipment it takes to be successful genital origami practitioners, and what their families think of their unorthodox jobs:

The performance schedule for Puppetry of the Penis in NYC at The Green Room Theatre, 45 Bleecker Street, is Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $49.50 (regular seats) and $79.50 (premium seats) and are now on sale via Telecharge.com/(212) 239-6200 or at the Box Office at 45 Bleecker Street (Hours: Monday: Noon - 5pm - 8pm / Tuesday - Friday: 12:30pm - curtain / Saturday - Sunday: 11:30am - curtain).

For more info, check out the official Puppetry of the Penis website and follow the guys on Twitter.

-- NOAH MICHELSON

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