Michael to Direct Brand New Play: The Pornographer’s Daughter

Liberty Bradford Mitchell Digitally Enhanced photo by Gary Bossier

Michael has finally surfaced. This time he’ll be directing a theatrical production rather than appearing on stage.

The world premiere of The Pornographer’s Daughter will run from January 17th – February 16th, 2014 at Z Below, a 73-seat venue located downstairs from the main Z Space stage in San Francisco, CA.

Artie and Jim Mitchell comprised one of San Francisco’s most infamous duos, the Mitchell Brothers, pioneers in the pornography industry. Liberty Bradford Mitchell, daughter of Artie, tells the story of growing up on the fringes of an X-rated world in the World Premiere of THE PORNOGRAPHER’S DAUGHTER, directed by Michael T. Weiss, with musical direction by Kevin Harding, and produced by San Francisco-based producer and designer Jeff Rowlings.

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 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. Joining Bradford 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.

Sources: Broadwayworld(SF).com October 14, 2013, Broadwayworld(SF).com October 29, 2014, Goldstar.com, MariaShriver.com, ThePornographersDaughter.com, Kickstarter.com