Coming to Santa Monica…Velveeta ! ! !
Sunday, Sept 7th 10:15 am at The Church in Ocean Park!
Velveeta Dibbs (AKA: Ann Randolph) —Waffle Wagon waitress and self-appointed apostle of the gospel of the Waffle (“Every Square Deserves Sweetness”)—is rolling her syrup-sticky sermon into town. Thousands have watched her on Facebook, where she serves up homespun wisdom, outrageous humor, and the occasional unsolicited life advice with a side of hashbrowns.
Velveeta is the latest creation of award-winning playwright and performer Ann Randolph, whose career has ricocheted from Off-Broadway (SQUEEZE BOX, produced by Mel Brooks & Anne Bancroft) to sold-out runs (LOVELAND, winner of “Best Solo Show” in San Francisco and Los Angeles), to coast-to-coast tours with her live, no-two-nights-the-same experience Inappropriate in All the Right Ways.
Ann has preached for real—filling in from time to time at the Church of the Pacific in Kauai, where she delivered sermons that blended sacred scripture with her signature outrageous humor. She’s been featured on NPR, PBS, and the BBC, and teaches her popular Write Your Life workshops nationwide, helping others bring their own unforgettable stories to the page and the stage.
Come hungry. Leave inspired. And remember—every square deserves sweetness.
About Ann:
Ann is an award-winning, trailblazing solo performer, celebrated for her ability to delve into the depths of human experiences with a captivating blend of heartbreak and outrageous humor. The Washington Post aptly declared her as "Inappropriate in All the Right Ways," acknowledging her embodiment of both the sacred and the profane, the reverent and the irreverent.
In addition to her solo performances, Ann is passionately committed to helping people speak their truth on the page, stage, and in life. She believes everyone has a story to tell and it’s through our stories that we see our humanity in one another.
Ann's latest show, What's Your Story? magnifies the immense power of storytelling. With fearless determination, she lays bare her personal life journey, inspiring the audience to follow suit. Every performance concludes with a heartfelt invitation for individuals to step onto the stage and share their own stories, emboldened by Ann's audacious and unapologetic expedition. The Huffington Post captured its essence perfectly, deeming it "Riotously demented and brilliantly humane. Not to be missed. "
Ann started her artistic career in the infamous comedy group, The Groundlings. She performed regularly with fellow comedians Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, and Cheri Oteri, writing and performing in weekly shows.
During this period, Ann realized that she had a deep passion for creating full plays instead of just short sketches. She immersed herself in exploring various aspects of human experiences, taking on multiple roles and going beyond traditional comedy. In her first solo projects, Down Home, Miss America and Homeland, Ann pushed the boundaries and discovered her own unique voice.
In her fourth solo production, Squeeze Box she explored the challenges she faced while working the graveyard shift at a Santa Monica homeless shelter. This painfully funny performance struck a chord, earning her widespread critical acclaim and prestigious accolades, including the esteemed Ovation Award and the LA Weekly Award for "Best Solo Performer” and “Best Solo Show."
Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft, recognizing the significance of Ann's work, played instrumental roles in her artistic journey. They provided invaluable guidance and support, helping Ann further develop her skills. Their involvement extended beyond mentorship as they took on the role of producers for Squeeze Box, bringing it NYC for an Off-Broadway run and optioning the rights for the movie.
After NYC, Squeeze Box embarked on a tour across the United States, Canada and Europe and headlined the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Her next solo show, Loveland centered around themes of sex and death, achieved a two-year sold-out run in San Francisco at the Marsh. It earned the SF Weekly Award for “Best Solo Show” and was recognized by the SF Bay Critics for “Best Original Script.” Following its success in San Francisco, Loveland played in Los Angeles and received the LA Weekly Award for "Best Solo Show."
The show's east coast premiere took place at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC, where the show’s themes resonated deeply with the audience, leading her to create a post-show interactive writing workshop on grief and loss.
As a spoken word artist, she has won the Moth StorySLAM and has been a featured storyteller in Los Angeles' long-standing spoken word series, including Tasty Words, SPARK, and Gorgeous Stories. Her perceptive personal essays and interviews have been featured on platforms such as NPR, PBS, and the BBC.
A member of the WGA, she has written scripts for Gullane Pictures, Lifetime TV, Brooksfilms, PAX, Klasky Csupo in addition to writing the series pilot for If the Show Fits, Wear It with renowned rapper, Master P.
Apart from her career in writing and performing, she teaches her widely popular writing retreats at locations such as the Esalen Institute, Omega, Kripalu, and Hollyhock. Additionally, since 2017, she has been organizing and teaching annual retreats in Kauai through her Kauai Retreats.
She has had the privilege of coaching Alanis Morissette and collaborating with her as a co-instructor at Esalen and 1440.
During the pandemic, Ann founded an online, non-religious storytelling church where people from around the world show up weekly to write and share stories together. In addition, she created a daily online writing workshop titled, YOUR STORY MATTERS:UNMUTE YOURSELF. This worksop supports writers of all skill levels, providing them with the tools to establish a daily writing practice and refine their abilities within a supportive community of compassionate and creative individuals.
Event Venue
235 Hill St, Santa Monica, CA, United States, California 90405
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