From left: Lisa Hori-Garcia, Lizzie Calogero, Bob Ernst, and Adrian Mejia.

Just in time for the fall elections, the Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe skewers a system that puts the needs of the voters last with a new musical comedy, "Red State," which opened July 4 in San Francisco's Dolores Park and continues through Sept. 28 at venues throughout the Bay Area.

Written by head writer Michael Gene Sullivan, with music and lyrics by Pat Moran, the show features Mime Troupe veterans Velina Brown and Lisa Hori-Garcia, joined by Bay Area favorites Noah James Butler, Lizzie Calogero, Bob Ernst, and Adrian Mejia.

It's Election Day in small town America. But in Bluebird, Kansas, apple pie has been replaced with government cheese, general stores have made way for pawn shops, and hard work on the job has become the hard work of survival. Littered with a crumbling New Deal infrastructure and its monuments to a feisty union past forgotten, Bluebird is ready to slip into oblivion.

But what if a small town in a "red state" found itself at the forefront of a political fight? That's what happens when, due to an Electoral College tie, the entire presidential election comes down to the one district that, due to a voting machine glitch, didn't report any results.

As America awaits a re-vote, the citizens of Bluebird wrestle with even bigger questions — Who's going to fix the sidewalk? The roof of the post office? And how are they going to re-open the library? And it occurs to some of the citizens of Bluebird, with the eyes of the nation fixed on them and the world waiting for a result, that perhaps they might get some long overdue government money if they don't re-vote right away.

Hori-Garcia joined the Mime Troupe in summer 2004 for the production "Showdown at Crawford Gulch" and was selected for collective membership later that year. She received her bachelor's degree from Smith College and upon graduation started her first professional theater job with New WORLD Theater in Amherst, Mass.

Since moving to San Francisco, Hori-Garcia has performed with Asian American Theater Company, Magic Theater, Woman's Will, Impact Theater and Word for Word, to name a few. She is also a teacher/director with the Mime Troupe's Youth Theater Project.

The costumes for "Red State" were designed by Keiko Shimosato, who has been a cast member of many Mime Troupe productions.

All shows are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For most outdoor performances, the music starts at 1:30 p.m. and the show at 2 p.m. For most evening performances, the music starts at 6:30 p.m. and the show at 7 p.m. For more information, call (415) 285-1717 or visit www.sfmt.org.

San Francisco

Sunday, Aug. 10, Peacock Meadow

Saturday, Aug. 16, Glen Park

Sunday, Aug. 17, Washington Square Park

Saturday to Monday, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, Dolores Park

East Bay

Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20, Cedar Rose Park, Berkeley

Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2-3, Willard Park, Berkeley

Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23-24, Live Oak Park, Berkeley

Tuesday, Sept. 9, Laney College, Oakland (evening)

Thursday, Sept. 11, Lake Merritt, Oakland (evening)

Wednesday, Sept. 24, Chabot College, Hayward (evening)

North Bay

Wednesday, July 23, Todd Grove Park, Ukiah (evening)

Thursday, July 24, Arena Renaissance Theater, Point Arena. Music at 7:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets: www.arenatheater.org

Sunday, July 27, Cotton Auditorium, Fort Bragg (evening). Tickets: www.kzyx.org

Saturday, Aug. 9, Mesa Park, Bolinas. Music at 2 p.m., show at 2:30 p.m. Tickets: (415 868-2128

Thursday, Sept. 25, Sebastiani Theater, Sonoma. Music at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: (707) 996-9756

Friday, Sept. 26, Analy High School, Sebastopol. Music at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: (707) 824-2360

Sunday, Sept. 28, Walnut Park, Petaluma. Music at 2:30 p.m., show at 3 p.m.

Peninsula

Tuesday, Aug. 5, Mitchell Park, Palo Alto (evening)

Additional Performances

Saturday, July 26, Mateel Center, Redway. Music at 7:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets: (707)923-3368

Wednesday, Aug. 27, Bindery Space in Denver. Music at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.; music at 8:30 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets: (415) 285-1717

Saturday, Sept. 6, South Side Park, Sacramento. Music at 4:30 p.m., show at 5 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 7, Community Park, Davis. Music at 4:30 p.m., show at 5 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13-14, San Lorenzo Park, Santa Cruz. Music at 2:30 p.m., show at 3 p.m.

Thursday, September 18, Center for the Arts, Grass Valley. Music at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: (530) 274-8384, ext. 14

Friday, Sept. 19, Center for the Arts, Grass Valley. Music at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: (530) 274-8384, ext. 14

Sunday, Sept. 21, Bidwell Park, Chico. Music at 5 p.m., show at 5:30 p.m. Tickets: (530 895-0706, www.kzfr.org