Kenneth Ryan, Prop Master of the San Francisco Ballet has undergone and SFist interview below. As a San Francisco native he’s got all kinds of good tips about the city. As someone who has been involved with the ballet for over two decades, he’s got some very cool insights into the background of the production.

Most difficult prop you've ever had to come up with?
The one that the designer doesn’t really know what they want. Once they’ve made that decision, my crew and I can make anything.

Coolest prop in the Nutcracker?
The settee where Clara sleeps. It’s an electric wheelchair that’s been stripped down to the drive wheels and batteries. It is operated by remote control.

Favorite ballet?
Nutcracker. It has been a part of my Christmas for the last 24 years. It is the introduction to ballet for so many people. It’s seeing what I do through the eyes of a child filled with wonder and amazement. Many of the younger dancers get opportunities to dance roles that allow them to stretch their abilities. It’s a fun time of year.

How did you become a prop master?
My boss retired and I applied and was given the job.
Peter Divine, my high school director, taught me the love of theatre and it never left. No special training. It’s mostly organization skills and common sense along with a crew that can make anything you need.

Something that most people don't notice/ appreciate your art that they really should.
The magic starts at 8 o’clock in the morning and goes until 11 o’clock at night. You need to pour your heart into it to create the magic.

If you’d like a Crispin Glover experience of your own, Glover will be at the Castro Theater tonight through Sunday. He will be presenting his “Big Slideshow” (which we’ve heard great things about), signing books, and screening his newest film, “It is Fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE” Gothamist did a fantastic job interviewing Glover about the film; you can read that interview out here. You can’t rent or buy the films, so if you want to see them—hit the theater this weekend.

The show starts at 8 pm. Tickets are $20 and are available at www.ticketweb.com or at the Castro Theatre box office day of show.

How did you get the name Hellion?
My father’s middle name is Herbert. As a struggling actor in New York he’d say “Bruce H. Glover, Bruce Hellion Glover” to make himself feel better. When he met my mother he said his name was Bruce Hellion Glover. And then when they got married she saw that wasn’t his name on the marriage license and she thought “who have I married?” And then they gave it to me as my real name when I was born.

What is the dumbest thing in the world?
I am tempted to say nationalism, for the way in which it rallies people around a symbol they believe to be inextricably linked to their own identity but which belies a much darker reality and causes those who take it up to lose their independent mind and soul and give it over to the idea of a thing that, in and of itself, can only exist by oppressing the very people it purports to represent, creating monsters of us all, but I think you'll be expecting that. I'll go with Pop Tarts.

What is the dumbest thing about the Bay Area?
That it insists on calling itself the Bay Area, as if there are no other regions of the world centered around bays!

What was the most surprising thing you learned in working on this book?
Unlike what the people of Germany might say, it is remarkably hard to make light of unspeakable human suffering. Our greatest challenge was finding something to say about countries no one has ever heard of and which we are not even sure exist. I also really want to go to Iceland some day—it looks to be paradise on Earth.

What is the most fake seeming (yet real) news story you've come across?
"Bush Wins." That one got me twice.

Please create an Onion headline about SFist:
Online Alternative Magazine Has Perfect Obscure Band For You To Feign Enjoying This Weekend

What's your take on the comedy scene in the Bay Area?
I don't live in the Bay Area, but I when i see Bay Area people slip on banana peels, I laugh my head off.

Any advice to aspiring comedians?
Don't say, "Sorry," after your punch lines.

What makes a joke funny?
Incongruency. (I read that when I was in college and first interested in comedy. It's still the biggest word I know.)

Is there anything that is not funny?
Congruency.

Please tell us a San Francisco joke
A grasshopper, walks into a bar in San Francisco, wearing a San Francisco t-shirt. The bartender, a native of San Francisco, says to the grasshopper, "Hey, we have a drink named after you." The grasshopper, a huge fan of both the San Fransisco 49ers and the San Fransisco Giants, asks, "You have a drink named Steve?"

As you walk around and see stores decorated for Christmas before Halloween, it’s hard not to think that consumerism has gone out of control in this country. Unlike other problems, there’s a relatively simple solution to this. Bill Talen, aka the Reverend Billy simply says: “Stop Shopping”. Part performance artist and part social activist, the Reverend Billy and his gospel choir tour the US performing exorcisms on Walmart’s corporate campus and liberating shoppers at the Mall of America. “What Would Jesus Buy?” captures last year’s stop shopping tour. In addition to being entertaining, it makes you think about consumption and production—both good topics this time of year. The Reverend Billy answered a few questions for us-- think of them as both a movie preview and some basic indoctrination in the gospel of stop shopping.

"What Would Jesus Buy?" Is currently playing at the Lumiere Theatre in San Francisco, Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley, and opens this Friday at the Camera 12 in San Jose.

What are some easy ways for people to shop less?
There are four preliminary steps that are possible when facing an actual product on a shelf. 1) Pausing in your grab at the product and then feeling the initial tremors of the-sex-of-no-products. 2) Stepping back from the product and feeling the wanton eyes of the product following you as you try to boldly file for divorce 3) Turning your back on the product and entering the multi-channel universe of what-the-product-sees and what you yourself may see, for instance, a thousand other products clawing for your attention and behind them a parking lot traffic jam and 4) The confusing loss of patriotic affirmation, the sound of being scolded by George Bush, when you declare your personal freedom from shopping and embark on a successful escape past the cash register, through the car-scape and out into a new world beyond, which could feel disorientingly authentic – too much TRACTION OF THE REAL - for a while. You might be on a personal journey with pockets of tough boredom, post-addictive longings, the return of memories and dreams you thought were gone forever. And then, of course, here come the new people and all the surprises that come when words gets out that you have freed yourself from Consumerism. Oh, Life After Shopping becomes, finally, “easy.” It’s a joy.

How is the Bay Area's relative level of consumerism?
The Bay Area drowns itself in cars and trucks just like cities that seem less sophisticated. iThises and iThats are stuck in the heads of SFites like everywhere else, with computers and TV’s and other media platforms sucking the life out of neighborhoods, in the manner of dead cities and suburban lakes of Monocultural Hellfire. San Francisco must resist gentrification and must do it on purpose. Gavin Newsom must declare the any person who dares to resemble a 28 year old stockbroker and likes unheard-of European beers must declare his or her identity at the border. Such a person must sign an agreement to avoid posing on balconies with white sails tilting below, on punishment of a thousand hours of community service in a bar in Gallup, New Mexico. Such a person must report to parole official and get on his knees before the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. San Francisco must be Dioneysian, rather than Apollonian. Zoning regulations must reject chain stores and protect public spaces of confusion and funk.

Here at SFist we like to think of ourselves as givers. We give. You take. Again and again. So here you go, we're doing our part. We've got a pair of tickets for you to check out Mike Birbiglia at Cobb's on the eve of Halloween (yes, Tuesday, the 30th).

Mike is one very funny guy-- and nice enough to do a SFist interview. Which makes us feel pretty good since he's a regular on Letterman and Conan. So yes, we're in a good place right now, being a giver, and talking to the Stars. If only we could figure out what to be for Halloween...

Feeling Lucky? Enter by noon on Monday.

What's your take on the comedy scene in the Bay Area?
San Francisco has enough great comedians. It was a tough city to break into they don’t really need imports. Let’s just say there may be more creative people in the Bay Area than in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Is that a place?

Any advice to aspiring comedians?
Don’t be afraid to spend $80 on gas to make $50 to perform. And keep telling yourself that it’s going better than it is.

What makes a joke funny?
I think a grain of truth posed in a way the audience has never considered. Also, bananas and farts and the word “snausages” are very funny.

Is there anything that is not funny?
Well, in many instances comedy and humor are really devices for coping. In my life I’ve laughed at funerals, and with sick relatives in the hospital. We laugh to keep from crying. I believe that’s from Langston Hughes. Or Abrahams Lincoln. But you can credit “Mike Birbiglia.”

We're looking for contributors in the following areas: Politics (and the local political machinations, people, and slap fights), arts & entertainment (what's happening in clubs or on the Internets), and general city news.

Want to give it a shot? Email us with the position you're interested in the subject line, tell us a little more about yourself, show us a fistful of samples. (And,hey, if you have a proposal for something else that you think SFist needs more coverage of, please feel free to pitch it to us, too!)

Hillary Mendelsohn is a gift-giving expert for Office Depot (hmmm.. how exactly do we get THAT job?) and the founder and president of thepurplebook: The Definitive Guide to Exceptional Online Shopping. So basically she gets paid cash monies to shop and tell about shopping. WE know, not nice to let you know on a Monday that such an awesome job even exists. But hey, Hilary is on your side. Read on for her tips for a guide to a happy Boss’s day for everyone.

Do you have to celebrate Boss's Day?
Boss’ Day provides a great way for you to show your appreciation. While a gift probably will not help in getting that promotion you’re up for, it is a personal reflection of you – so make it a good one. You do not need to spend a lot to make an impact.

How should one go about hinting that maybe “Worker's Day” (or “Underling’s Day”) should also be celebrated?
We all work hard and want to be appreciated. I recommend setting the example and the tone. If you appreciate someone else, then let them know. Giving a gift for National Boss’ Day is a thoughtful gesture to express your thanks and recognize your boss for all of the support and leadership. The right gift could also help you to stand out. So, giving a gift would only help you in the future.

What's the history of Boss's day?
National Boss' Day was created on October 16, 1958 as a way for employees to officially acknowledge and honor the hard work of their bosses and superiors nationwide.

Show is at 8 at the Independent. Tickets are $15
After Party starts at 10:30 at the Poleng Lounge 1752 Fulton Street

Best show you've ever played and what made it great?
We have played a lot of good shows and I never remember them. The best ones are when I go of stage whit a blank in my head..

Where are the best fans?
At the moment Germany, but I have high hopes for San Francisco!.

Lamest crowd request?
-I wear ear pluggs..

Favorite song off the new album?
I love them all,

What should people be expecting at the SF show.
A big shock! We always tend to surprise people with our heavy sound being only two in two band.