Phantom Sheep Productions
Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find answers to many common useful and less useful questions regarding our troupe.
If you have any question you'd like answered.... Contact Us!


What in tarnation is a Phantom Sheep!?
He "lurks in the hearts of men, he is hiding in the shadows of the Soundstage Castle" He haunts, he taunts. The Phantom Sheep is actually a puppet.  It is a character that was developed while working as puppeteers at Riverside (now Six Flags New England) and later became a character in the first script sold by Eric and Kevin. He is cute, adorable, and has an amazing acting range!  He appeared in PuppetWorks for over 11 years, reoccuring segements on RRN, several LaughCrafters cameos, and even performed in front of a full house at Northampton's famed Academy of Music Opera House.


Why the company name Phantom Sheep?
On the road one day, Eric thought how cool the name of their favorite puppet character would be for a band. Since none of us really play music and we know "Improv players are the rock stars of the theater geek world", we decided to try it out.  We officially first slapped the name on our first episode of The New RRN although the sheep didn't appear until episode 2 (and every episode after that! We never expected it to become that popular). And for the record, it does make a good band name too...at least in Guitar Hero.

We kept it as the name of the company for a few reasons:

  • It was a major character from one of our first professional jobs and has become sort of a good luck icon for us.
  • It was something that represented our creativity and ability to break the conventional mold of entertainment.  It's also a name hard to forget....and so are our shows!

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    What is LaughCrafters?
    LaughCrafters is the name given originally to our improv show, which typically was "comedy created right before your eyes, for about an hour" (obvious parody of LensCrafters in a way).  It was then extended to our improvisation workshops.  Over the years, our "improv" show grew to include more and more scripted sketches, but the name stayed as a brand of our original created comedy short scenes.  We enjoy LaughCrafters because it is our showcase of the comedy craft.   You can see it live on stage, clips online, and compiled on DVD, along with fun workshops being taught to your group.
     


    Is your company suitable for kids?
    For many shows, yes. For some shows, it depends. We do put disclaimers on our shows and videos that we feel skew more towards a teen/adult audience since a large part of our interest and experience is in political and social parody.  However, a large portion of our early commercial success came from our popular family shows working in schools and the theme park industry. Plus most of our family shows are equally enjoyed by the adults along with the kids! With popular fun music, witty jokes, silly parodies, sketches, and dialogue, we never underestimate the intelligence of kids and their love for good entertainment.
    Please note that we are very serious about keeping school performances and workshops of LaughCrafters improv at an appropriate level for the age group being entertained. We also pride ourselves for never playing "blue" nor rely on cheap dirty humor and excessive gratuitous naughty language.  A show like LaughCrafters is naturally suitable as it relies so heavily on each performance's target audience.  Our political and more biting material is typically found in colleges, coffeehouses, the dvd specials, and other appropriate venues and media.
    We have the talent to entertain audiences of all ages and variety. We always customize and tone our shows to ensure the intended audience will likely enjoy.
     


    What do you Do?
    Phantom Sheep Productions and the Phantom Sheep Players are creators of original quality entertainment for schools & corporate events.
    We do any or all of the following:

    We have worked in theater, theme parks, live and recorded television, radio, and specialty venues.
    Our talent is also available to freelance if needed (see below).
     


    Dude....Puppets!?


    Did you get a free PSP from Sony?
    No. All we got was a wordy form letter that said it was beyond them to help us out after stealing our initials. We asked on behalf of poor "Paint Shop Pro" fans too! We already stopped calling our troupe "gameboys" and we're not changing it again!
     


    What is the pricing of shows/Classes?



    What kind of workshops do you offer?
    We are proud to offer several workshops and classes to enhance your organizations skills, customer service, and sometimes just to motivate and entertain.  The workshops we offer the most often are based in Comedy Improvisation.  These are excellent for theater students and other high school and college age people.  We have also used exercises and games from our improv repertoire to teach workshops in Team Building, Communication, and being able to interact with co-workers and customers.
    Other classes and workshops we offer have a focus in:

    All of our workshops and classes are taught with humor and encouragement with lots of coaching and interactive participation of the students.  We can customize a workshop to serve the goals and needs of your organization! Contact us today to see what we can do for your group!
    We also have experience as guest speakers and presenting lectures on the entertainment and comedy industry at high schools and colleges.


    How did PSP form and how does it work?
    PSP was founded in 1996 as a production team of WSC's "The New Rubber Room News" and Riverside's "PuppetWorks" with co-founding members Eric Boucher and Kevin Zabawa. Our members are alumni of Westfield State College Communications, HCC Theater, USC, Sci-Fi Network, McKinsey & Assoc., STCC, Salem State, Riverside & Six Flags Entertainment, Red Door Theater, Silvertree Productions, and Sleeveless Theater Power improv & masters classes, including work off-broadway and in LA film festivals.
    Today, as a guild we offer a wide variety of entertainment and supply shows, writing, audio production, teach workshops, and perform for theme parks, schools/colleges, libraries, clubs, churches, and other professional organizations.  We also fully produce our own live and recorded shows in various theaters, dvd's, cablecast, and online media.
    The troupe may be contracted directly through co-founding member Eric Boucher who coordinates everything to ensure you end up with a complete production. We work closely with your group to make sure no detail is left out from publicity to venue layout so that you end up with a quality show and successful event.


    Who are the Phantom Sheep Players?
    The Phantom Sheep Players are the comedy improv writer/performers that are seen in such shows as "LaughCrafters". They are the regulars that form the core repertoire troupe and the basic inner creative team of all our shows including actual production. Currently the players include Eric Boucher, Tommy Lynch, Greg Seymour, Jenny Taylor, Jeff Tingley, and Kevin "Zippy" Zabawa.


    Can the talent base of your troupe freelance individually?
    Yes! Although our troupe works together to provide great quality entertainment, they are each also individually available for hire and to serve in any role or position you need in your own productions.  For example: Greg Seymour is also owner of "Skits & Giggles Productions" and is a talented video artist for your special projects.  Another words....we love working together, but we're okay if someone wants to buy our love and exploit our talents.  The benefit to you is an experienced professional who understands an overview of entertainment production and the importance of ensemble work.


    How can I see a PSP show!?
    Chances are, you may have already!  You may've seen a theme park show, heard a voice recording, or watched a campus event in the New England area and not have even know it was produced by the Phantom Sheep team!   The range of our talents is often pulled and used for such a wide variety of clients.

    Once in a while, we'll rent out a theater for a live show or have a public screening of our latest video project.  If you book for local venues and are interested in hosting PSP, please contact us today.  Also, in the tradition of our annual Holiday show, we have created great DVD's that are also at a very reasonable price! Order your copy today!

    Please keep coming out to support us so we can keep producing more public shows and dvd projects.  In the meantime....convince your club, company, or school to have us for an exclusive show or workshop!


    Do you have any videos posted online?
    We have posted some of our sketches online and plan on continuing to add more.  Currently, you can see videos of us on FunnyorDie.com, YouTube.com, and at our Facebook Friends and Fan Group.  You can also visit our Media Room hub for links to these sites and more.  If you like what you see, be sure to order a copy of our LaughCrafters Show DVD's, each loaded with dozens of sketches.


    Who are some of your past clients, groups, venues?
    Be sure to check out our "Applause" page with some great feedback. Some of our satisfied and impressed groups we have repeatedly worked for and with include creating over 22 original shows and entertainment packages for Six Flags Inc.;  Sooner/Silvertree Productions; Westfield State College; Holyoke Community College; Springfield Technical Community College; University of Massachusetts (including the Mullins Center); Junior Miss Program; several high schools; "Up With People" intl.tour; Engineer Society of Western MA, Western New England College; Capo's Cafe (regular shows for over 5 years);  Agawam Library, Nora's Restaurant, and Academic Study Associates, Inc.. We have also fully produced our own shows at various public venues (ie: rented the theater ourselves and sold tickets) and of course the dvd's available for sale online and at a few local stores.  Our list is growing and individually our affiliated members bring their own experiences. For some further info, check out some of our Resumes!


    Where is your troupe based?
    We are based in the Springfield area of Western MA in the Pioneer Valley; a haven for fine Arts and talent. We mostly work thru-out New England and the New York area with several regular performances in the Springfield/Enfield/Amherst area.


    What is the meaning of life?
    One of our favorite works of Monty Python. bing!


    What Fanbase does PSP have?
    It may've started from the crazy Davis dorm cult many years ago, but our fans have grown as our work has.
    We also try to make our website a place for our fans to keep up to date with us with photos, fun stories, and other adventures.  As you surf around, you'll find tons more bonus FAQ's and Q&A's. Enjoy!



    What kind of cool PSP promo stuff can I get!?
    We have all kinds of image exploitation stuff available including new buttons for your lapel, hat, or bag with show logos and your favorite characters, our LaughCrafters DVD's, T-shirts with almost any of our show logo's on it, and if you're nice Zippy will turn an AOL disk into a beverage coaster.  We are not in the retail business, so the small cost covers the expenses to produce, copy, and send any shirts or discs.  For more info, visit our Swag Shop page!


    How do I audition and/or get to be part of PSP?

  • This is one of the most common requests we get. Sadly the question is much like "How do I get to be part of 'Kids in the Hall'?", or "Can I join Bon Jovi?" (the latter is remarkably much easier than you'd think!).
  • We are luck to work with so many talented people who make the work we do look so good from their performances and craftmanship; however the actual troupe itself purposely remains small as a core group of colleagues and friends who have worked together for many years.  We do not have "open call auditions" nor are we accepting applications or resumes for troupe members at this time.
  • We will always try to post or link to job opportunities in the performing arts that relate to what we do and for shows we are producing. Keep an eye out each February and August for open call auditions at SFNE where many shows we created are performed.
  • If comedy, especially improv is something you are interested in being a part of...then take a look at our "LaughCrafters: Workshop edition".  Our classes have trained several people who went on to work professionally in the theater, comedy, and entertainment industry.
  • PLEASE do not solicit resumes or otherwise beg for work (acting, comedy, voice-overs, production) through our website unless specifically directed.  Any business opportunity will be advertised with the proper audition schedule and application process as they arise. If you want to check out other helpful sites, go to our fun and related links page.

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    ...or do you really mean-" Hey, I'm into comedy too! Give me free advice or my big break!"
    Believe it or not, our inboxes often get flooded with these requests.  If we had the fool-proof secret to success, we'd all be rich and famous.  Most of us studied and practiced professionally for years and value the integrity of the process and the art.  Our advice besides what's listed above is...research, be educated, have patience and passion...and if possible emerse yourself in the environment at open-mics, as an intern, whatever. Above all, do it because you love it and not to get rich and famous.
     


    What do all these letters/abbreviations mean!?
    Sometimes visitors are confused by our use of initials for our commonly used names/phrases. Here is a brief list of the most common ones you will find us using or find on the internet in general:
    PSP =Phantom Sheep Productions/Phantom Sheep Players
    (also "Paint Shop Pro" and "PlayStation Portable" which we have nothing to do with)
    RRN =Rubber Room News
    DLL="Dead Legends Live"
    VO="voice-overs"
    VOS= "Verdict of Sorcery"(Trial of Abigail Dickenson)
    SGT= "Showdown in Ghost Town"
    FAQ=Frequently Asked Questions (ewe r here)
    PWS ="PuppetWorks Spooktacular"
    PWP="Puppetworks PhantoSeize"
    SFNE = Six Flags New England
    ewe =not initials, its another name for sheep! We need all the puns we can use!
    BTW = By The Way...
    PS =post script
    BTWPSPS =By the way, the Phantom Sheep has to add a Post script
    If you have any questions of any set of letters you find here,
    let us know and we will explain it to you and add it to the list.


    How can we contact you!?
    If there is one thing you should not miss on this website....it's info on how to contact us!  Depending on the service, question, or performer you are requesting, we have several e-mails and methods of contact. Please visit our Comments, Questions, Love letters?section for the list.


    How can I get PSP shows /Workshops/ personnel at my theater, library, school, venue, park, club, network, etc.?
    The first step is to CONTACT US by visiting our Contact page (listed all over this website)!
    We can then send you any information you need including proposals, bids, pricing guides, basic brochures, or contact you directly via e-mail or phone. If you are in charge of arranging and/or coordinating shows and/or talent... we want to meet and talk with you!

    Any Questions, Comments, Love Letters?
    CONTACT US TODAY!

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