John Garden

On the bustling streets of 1970s San Francisco, neon lights pierce through the fog-drenched skies, disco music explodes from crowded nightclubs, and a wide- eyed Midwestern girl finds a new home—and creates a new kind of family—with the characters at 28 Barbary Lane. Over three decades after Armistead Maupin mesmerized millions with his daily column in the city's newspapers, detailing the lives and (multiple) loves of Mary Ann, Mouse, Mona, Brian, and their beloved but mysterious landlady Mrs. Madrigal, his iconic San Francisco saga came to life as a momentous new musical at A.C.T.’s Geary Theater.

A Jester sets up his portable stage on a barren planet, and compels his puppets to enact an old story. A retelling of the Adam and Eve story from a different perspective. Originally made for the Stopmoshorts website, where keywords were set every 3 months so we could try to incorporate them into a short film sequence. The keywords were Apple, Tree, and Fall, so it was either this or Isaac Newton. And I couldn't think of where to go after the apple landed on his head... Instead of a 30 second gag to be be completed by the deadline. I took a few months longer to make this into an actual short film. Puppets, sets lighting, camera and animation by Nick Hilligoss. Music composed by John Garden and performed by Earthly Delights, and used with permission. Produced and directed by Nick Hilligoss 2007.