Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre Grand Finale
Duck’s Breath Mystery Theatre Grand Finale features the troupe’s last performance at the Freight & Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley, California, interwoven with interviews and clips from over 40 years of archival footage. The group was formed in 1975 in Iowa City by Bill Allard, Dan Coffey, Merle Kessler, Leon Martell, and Jim Turner. With the help of longtime manager Steve Baker, the troupe has entertained crowds in venues all across the country, ranging from small coffee houses to the spacious Tyrone Guthrie Theatre. They also became known for sketches on public radio and some of their characters achieved renown, including pundit Ian Shoales (Kessler) and Dr. Science (Coffey). Jim Turner’s character Randee of the Redwoods became a cult figure, with a turn as MTV’s candidate for President. The troupe no longer performs but continues to work on radio, television, film, and stage projects. Martell teaches writing at UCLA, Allard and Kessler have produced half hour radio shows featuring Duck’s Breath for PRX.org. Coffey creates memes for QUACK, a monthly Duck Spots e-mail publication. The team is now developing BAXTER: a satirical modernization of The Streets of San Francisco. Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre Grand Finale is distributed by Duck Spots, a company working to change the way films are produced, distributed, and marketed. Duck’s Breath Mystery Theatre Grand Finale was produced and directed by Bill Allard and Richard Allard.
Starring Bill Allard, Dan Coffey, Merle Kessler
Director Bill Allard, Richard Allard