The Ask Dr. Hal Show

Bring your burning (preferably sciencey) question, the one that keeps you up at night, and get that itch scratch by the absurdly vast intellect of Dr. Hal Robins.

Ask Dr. Hal – Consult the Oracle
Fridays in December 2010.
Pre-show at 8 pm. Show at 9 pm.
– $10; no one turned away for lack of funds
– Chez Poulet: 3359 Cesar Chavez @ South Van Ness.

This show is purely improvisational and dependent on the curiosity of audience members. See the point is for you to write down your question and put it in an envelope.

The host of the evening, the one and only Chicken John (who once ran for Mayor of San Francisco), rummages through the entries, tossing the insipid queries about your snoring roommate and attempting to stump Dr. Hal with the real stuff.

Money talks
Now, here’s the part where you get wise: a little flattery goes a long way, right? Add a buck to that envelope and you’ll get an answer but a few more green bills gets great results. Dish out a five dollar bill and Dr. Hal will wax poetic for your benefit (making it a near certainty you’ll get laid.) So, really, the show’s on you.

We might mention that, staggeringly good questions get you an invitation to the stage for a shot of Fernet-Bianca (a great honor in these circles). For inspiration, check on their website the column on the right side for recent questions.

Theatricals are a big part of the show too. Dr. Hal always dons his finest three-piece suit and a fez with a third eye on it for that extra mystical oomph. He answers questions with great authority always, frightening accuracy mostly and, from time to time, some very convincing fibbing. There are sights (strange and funny pictures projected above the stage) and sounds (melodies or warped acoustic throw-ins) thanks to the multi-media mastery of man known as KrOB and his stageside computer.

Can’t make it to the live show? There’s a free simulcast set up through the online station Radio Valencia.