WRAP UP AND CATCH UP

Ok, so I'm not what you'd call prolific. Perhaps I just don't like to blog unless I have something to say. But I admit, I have kind of dropped the ball on doing any kind of final, wrap up for the tour blog post. I think I was in deep chilax space, and didn't want to admit that I was feeling fried.

The tour was a dream come true. I feel like we had amazing luck, with reviews, sell-out shows, the communities of people we met, the billet we stayed with (THANK YOU TAMMI, FRED, AND GIN MAY!) I am truly grateful for the summer we had. The fact that Betty, the RV made it the entire way without a single breakdown....we had some serious angel protection. Universe lined up. And we had some challenges for sure (the blackout, the Laugh Shop postage-stamp stage, the angry mother of a 12 year old boy who heard us sing "My Vagina is 8-MILES WIDE" Thank you STORM LARGE) but nothing that didn't add to our treasure of awesome memories...









The opening parade in Edmonton




However, on returning home I felt a deep need to go within. The tour was enormously social, which is something I can only take in set amounts. To be on, for so long, was draining. To be responsible, aware, in charge, interesting....while super worthwhile, took a lot of energy. And I am a person who dearly loves my downtime. Alone time. And so when I got back to Portland I just did a 180. Didn't want to see anyone. Cut my hair short and dyed it dark. Went on tons of walks alone in the forest. There's been a serious upswing in the mediation/journal writing/personal exploration departments.


I've been thinking a lot about Dance Naked productions. Expanding the mission statement. I've saw dozens of shows this summer, over 70, and there are a few I really want to import. I am still committed to creating shows that explore sexuality, but as a producer, I am open to bringing in shows that don't necessarily focus on sexuality, but that excite me on another level. I want to produce theatre that celebrates human evolution. Theater that causes shift, encourages joy, advocates a sense of oneness and connectedness. I believe in the power of theatre to create hope (thank you Michael Rohd), to inspire action, to increase love. I've always struggled with the genre of theatre and entertainment that - to me- celebrates the dark underbelly of humanity. I have a hard time with watching how awful people can be to each other. Sam Shepard, Tracy Letts, David Mamet - I'm left depressed. I get that they are brilliant writers, but I want to feel uplifted when I walk out of the theatre - like I know more, understand better,be reminded of the wonder of the universe.

When I first named the company Dance Naked, it was because that image to me was one of complete vulnerability coupled with joy. That's the kind of theater I want to produce. I want authenticity, risk, openness, non-judgement, growth, humor, and courage. I want to hear the truth spoken. I want to feel challenged. And I very much want to be entertained.

There were a handful of shows I saw at the fringe in Canada that I feel like very much fit in with that description. I am so pleased to announce that I have convinced one of my favorite performers to bring his one-man show to Portland. The play is call DrunkenF**ker, and it is memorable.

Sean Bowie, who wrote and performs Drunken F**ker, " is from Calgary. When I saw the title in the fringe program, I thought "That's ballsy." But I wasn't particularly compelled to see the show. I thought - eh, rant about alcohol. Probably finds AA and gets sober. Boring. Next. And then I met Sean, and he seemed like such an affable guy, I decided to take a chance. After all, fringe shows are generally only an hour. I was electrified. The show is beautiful. And exactly what I thought it would be. But SO well done. Though the story line didn't surprise me, it was Sean's telling of the story that made it so compelling. The love affair with alcohol is so alluring, so funny, the stories, the people, the camaraderie - so seductive. And when the cracks start to appear, you want so badly to go back to how it was in the beginning, and as the stories get worse and worse, you want to stop listening, you want them not to be true. The show made me think, made me laugh, and made me want everyone I knew to see it. Because of the sense of hope, of growth that is possible in every one of us.

Someone very close to me was a heroin addict for many years. I attempted to get her in treatment repeatedly. I eventually couldn't take it and stopped trying. Every time I saw her, I thought it would be the last time. She was so close to not being. And then, finally, the desire to live caught hold. She pulled in. She went on methadone and completely changed her life. Now she's a mom, with a job and an amazing child. I am always slightly amazed and humbled when I see her, humbled that I had lost faith in her ability to change.

Three of four of my grandparents were alcoholics. I didn't know them. They died or disappeared, or were beyond knowing when I was born. I tend to not think about them, because they weren't a part of my life. Recently I had the opportunity to reflect on my ancestors, and I realized that alcohol played a critical role in keeping all those relationships from happening. Alcohol can be so destructive to families and relationships, and I think that's another reason I feel driven to produce this show in Portland.





My maternal grandfather, Van Heflin, was a stage and movie actor. A longtime alcoholic, he died the year before I was born.

I believe Drunken F**ker is a gift. A play about healing and hope, but one that doesn't shy away from darkness and heartbreak. Plus, it's really f**kin' funny.

I will post info about dates and getting tickets in a separate post.

I also want to ALERT THE MEDIA that we are going to revive Inviting Desire: Canada Tour 2009
for 2 NIGHTS ONLY December 11 and 12th. We are going to follow each other those with an open mic, so if you are reading this and want to participate, email me at eleanor@eleanorbrien.com. If you do a piece at the open mic, you get to see the show for free (wee!).






Why revive the show? Well, I do think there are a fair amount of people who wanted to see it but didn't get a chance. And I like the idea of a swan song. But more than anything else, I want to use that as a springboard to launch a January workshop (writing, non-performance based), and announce the spring version (Inviting Desire: Spring is Sprung or whathaveyou -TBD).

I'm so excited by the idea of creating this workshop. I think the part of creating Inviting Desire I most enjoyed, even more than performing, was the rehearsal process, particularly the weeks we spent improving and playing games and doing writing assignments. That's what I want to do with this workshop - give a group of women the experience we had as a cast, without the pressure of creating a show. Yes, we'll have an evening for invited guests, where the participants can share their pieces if they like, but nothing for the public.



For the public, we will have a brand spankin' new version of Inviting Desire premiere sometime in May. There will be some familiar faces, and some newcomers, and a whole fresh batch of fantasies. If you miss the show in May, we will also be performing as part of Eros Fest NW, which is tentatively scheduled for August of 2010.

And that, my dears, is what I have been thinking about. I will be in better touch the next few weeks, keeping you posted with the details of where, when, how much, and how can YOU get involved. Yay.

Reviews, cameos and poutine fries...

Having actors from other shows moonlight as the performance poet in our show adds a new little splash of excitement. We started with Rob G - who actually IS a performance poet, and did a little piece of his own in lieu of the piece I'd written (which was a complete surprise to the ladies- his poem ended "I thank god for making me a woman." Hilarious). Jonno did it the next night, and having had a talent crush on him for years, it was pretty freakin delightful to have him whisper in my ear "I've been thinking about you. I can't get you out of my head."

Anthony, a phenomenal actor we've recently befriended (who is incredible in Pinter's Briefs) did it on Tuesday, and he was charming, and then today we had Keira MacDonald from Cherry Cherry Lemon (a show i am coveting. Excellent writing and Seattlites Keira and Megan Hill tear up the stage. They are fierce!). i loved making the poet a woman.

Unfortunately I don't think the cameos always works that well - i think the bit is actually funnier when I play the poet- but we are enjoying playing with the show. We're down to our final three of the tour- and tomorrow night is a midnight show. We're making it the drinking show - and inviting everyone to drink every time we say Cock, Pussy or anyone orgasms. Should be jolly.

Reviews-wise, this town has been brutal. So odd. I thought Calgary would be the tough nut to crack, but Edmonton has proved totally stand-offish. Today a review came out that started with the line "I know when women are faking it, and these ladies faked it." It went on to posit that no real woman would ever say the kind of things we say, and indeed, that there are TOO many shows at the fringe about sexually frustrated women and that "Something should be done about it." YEAH, shut those bitches up! I mean, Jesus, we're faking it? hello...its called ACTING. It's called THEATRE.

but the bonus side of the negative reviews is finally feeling confident that despite the nastiness (from the Edmonton Journal "If female masturbation makes you uncomfortable, avoid this show like an STD") I believe in this show. I believe in it's merit, both as a piece of entertainment, and as an act of activism. Today we saw a show called Burlesque Unzipped, about the history of burlesque, and it was great to be reminded that Mae West got bad reviews, but the public loved her. The Can Can was banned in france, and the WORD burlesque was outlawed in New York City. Women have been fighting for sexual creative expression for a long time. So we continue in the line of courageous women claiming their right to share their sexual selves. So take your stars and shove em up your respective asses, Edmonton Media.

Well, I feel better.

Perhaps I'll get an ice cream. (Todays menu - coffee, crackers and peanut butter, fries (both regular and sweet potato), gyros, beer, chocolate and bee pollen (for health!)). Ridiculous. there is crap food EVERYWHERE. Maybe I'll go for an elephant ear. Wish you were here to share it with.

Edmonton day before the Festival set this city on Fire

We are just promoting the holy bejesus out of the show here in Edmonton. Did any of us mention that we are now in Edmonton? Well, here we are and ready to show our stuff. We so far have done a live bit at the mall, yes the mall, with the CBC Edmonton, Eleanor did a web media interview and I am blogging for the fringe. You can follow that blog here.
We have the parade tomorrow and we decorated Betty. I'm having trouble up loading her picture but I'll be sure to add her soon.

The challenging part was our tech rehearsal, I'm not going to spend time with anything that may sound negative but just know the space is small and low and we had to re-block. A little stress full, but damn it, we are professional and we can do it, we have done it and the opening show on Saturday will be amazing and sexy with new sexy blocking. YES.

Calagary treats us right!

OUR FIRST SELL OUT! WOOYAH!
Mary and I went on a fabulous hike with our tech Jareth. Gorgeous mountain lake, strenuous hike, amazing views....
Oh, the smell of the great outdoors - totally delicious.

Oh, talk about a picture postcard! Mary and Jareth kindly agreed to be my muses for this one.

Four and a HALF stars - we're gettin' closer!

The Calgary Herald came out today. I steeled myself. I did EFT (emotional freedom technique). I coached myself with positive self-talk and how one person's opinion isn't the gospel truth. So I was delighted to read the following

Four and a half stars

Created by Dance Naked Productions

Review by Stephen Hunt

One thing you can't say about a show exploring female sexual fantasies is been there, done that.

Give or take Samantha on Sex in the City, female sexual fantasy just doesn't get much play in mainstream pop culture. I'm not sure why. They're plenty entertaining, whether you're a man or a woman.

Inviting Desire is a group effort created by the women who comprise Dance Naked Productions (there are six listed in the program, although only four performed Monday night's show). The whole story hinges around the journey undertaken by Eleanor O'Brien, (the show's director), who wakes up one day with a flagging libido and decides to get help.

However, the more she tries to learn about the sexual fantasies of her friends, the less forthcoming they are. It isn't until she concocts a survey through a website that ensures anonymity do the fantasies begin to roll in.

The engaging, all-female cast take turns exploring a number of different scenarios, mostly through the highly underrated erotic technique of storytelling.

There's a woman out to dinner with her husband who meets a handsome stranger for a quick tryst in the bathroom.

There's another involving yoga, a late-night gym dream date, and the best one of them all, told by O'Brien, which involves a massage at a health spa.

Inviting Desire explores the nature of sexual fantasy in a way that's funny, provocative, occasionally graphic and always entertaining. O'Brien herself is more or less the ringleader here, and she does a wonderful job of drawing the audience into the world of her lusty ladies without making it feel gratuitous. (The other three all do terrific jobs as well, but I don't know who was who).

Inviting Desire is a smart, funny, sexy theatre piece.

shunt@theherald.canwest.com

Woohoo! Smart Funny Sexy!!!

Calgary moments

So far, Calgary has been treating us quite well. It has given us numerous hot summer days filled with yummy food, walks in the park, full house shows, a generous and gracious host, an art festival, a farmers' market, and of course last night's adventure in the gymnasium.
First I just want to mention my favorite things so far--
Eleanor's birthday was on Friday. We went to brunch at a place called Diner Deluxe, which had one of those menus that torture Geminis like myself. So many amazing things to choose from. I had veggie eggs benedict and took bites of gouda and Canadian bacon stuffed french toast, grilled grapefruit with Rosemary syrup and fried oatmeal with lemon curd (yummmm). Then we visited a park that is an island in the middle of the river. This island wetland serves as a water purifier for the dirty runoff of the city. It is replete with native plants and duck ponds and small river beaches. As we were sitting by the river, dipping our feet in, I heard the sound of music. Tonya identified it as the man playing the auto-harp at the top of a set of stairs, and we followed our ears to reach him. I sat in the shade nearby to listen, and then Tonya seduced me off my butt as she began to dance. We proceeded to dance to this man's music for a while, and then Eleanor found us and danced as well. When we all finished, I went to talk to him and he told me that was the first time anyone had danced to his music spontaneously like that. He commented on how crucial it is for artists to collaborate in that way--especially in public. He also told me that he and his brother used to play in Bluegrass bands together, and since his brother died 3 years ago, he has been continuing to play the auto-harp partially to make money, but largely to connect with his brother. Daniel was his name. That really made my day, although it kept just getting better. We saw two hilarious shows--The Power of Ignorance, and On Second Thought. ANd then we performed our show to an almost packed house and a very receptive audience. What a great day!
But yesterday may take the cake for memorable days. The day was filled with hot, sweaty, sunshiny fun at an arts festival on the same street that the Fringe festival is on. We watched street performers and danced to drum music, we drank lemonade and lounged at a burning-man-esque shade structure, all the while handing out flyers for our show and meeting new people. Tonya and I went to a show that was maybe the worst show I've seen so far on this trip--the kind that reminds you of all the things you shouldn't do--sigh before every line, look around aimlessly when you're supposedly looking for something, cast an extremely flamingly gay man as a straight man who needs to express attraction for a female character in the show...the list goes on. We,(except for Adrienna who has a propensity for predicting these things), had no idea that this scorcher of a day would turn into the huge storm that it did. One child was killed by flying debris and others were wounded in other parts of Calgary. The extent of our disaster was the tale that Adrienna tells in her blog entry below this one. I will share a couple of moments from the gymnasium that we ended up doing our show in. If you haven't read the story of what happened, you should check out Adrienna's entry now to get the back-story. Basically, we had to change venues and do our show in a fluorescent-lit gymnasium with our audience on top of us.
One of my favorite moments was when I was doing my bald-guy line and there happened to be a bald guy sitting in front of me. We had an extremely good view of everyone's faces which was particularly challenging because people would avert their eyes so much as we made eye contact. I found myself looking at the bald guy in the eyes as I said my line--how perfect. And he didn't look away. But in the middle of my line, as I am rubbing the lumps on "his" head, his girlfriend wacks him--she is clearly mad at him for looking back at me. Oops. I quickly shifted to someone else.
Another gem was when I was doing the teacher monologue. I looked at Paul, our friend who was the safest face to look at because he was totally with us, and noticed that he had a look of shock and horror on his face as the student "grabs the back of my hair" due to his tension rising as I blow him. Later he confessed that he had been a teacher and was empathizing at that moment. He was relieved at the line, "this is my fantasy, and no one can arrest me for my thoughts." It reminded him that he hadn't done anything wrong.
There were other moments, but I'll leave it there. I'll let the others get a chance to share.
I feel as though we are officially in the thick of this trip. And i'm having a great time.
--Mary

When the lights go out the show goes on, and we all get a surprise

There will never be another production like last nights show in Calgary,oh no. I'm sure I wont be the only one from the cast to write about this show because it was just, um, a classic.

We've been in Calgary for the past couple of days, lovely city but different, way different, from Winnipeg when it comes to the fringe. Our venue is in an old theatre that just recently (like up to a week ago) was a retail store. It has a stage, from its old glory days of once being a theatre, but it's dirty from the days of being a stock room. We are honored to rechristen this theatre. Our techi, is awesome and our tech rehearsal went well, followed by a high energy, packed, and responsive audience. We were delighted!

Last night, nearing the end of the performance of a fellow fringer, the lights went out, all of them. The actress stood on stage in the darkness for a moment as the volunteers announced that a wind storm had knocked down power lines, and that the entire block was out. We held up flashlights, and the show we were watching continued.

We exited the theatre, and were greeted by a windy storm, and cold air as dark clouds enveloped the once blue and hot sky. As we all rushed to Betty (our RV) we noticed that, yes indeed, the entire street was out including our venue, and we had a show to do. The show was at ten. It was around eight. We discussed, maybe we could do it with flashlights too? Will the lights be up and running by ten? Will the show go on? We went to fringe central (this little tent in the corner of a parking lot). We were told, if the lights were up we were in our venue if not well there was another venue, we could move our stuff there and have the show, after all we had pre sold tickets. It was nine, we didn't have much time to decide, by nine thirty the lights still down in our venue, the show must go on.

I will be honest I didn't really look forward to breaking our stuff down shoving it in Betty and driving three blocks to have to set it up again, plus being on a stage we were not familiar with, and with no lighting or sound cues, I was weary, but I had no idea...

We were in a small gym inside a church. When we walked in it was so hot it was balmy, and it stunk like, well, a gym. The stage? There was none, it was the floor marked with lines from the basketball court. The audience? Right on top of us. The lighting? Lights on, lights off, let me add to that- fluorescent lights on, then lights off-no lighting. Sound? our awesome techi got his laptop hooked up to a small speaker and got prepared. Eleanor's brother Ben stood at the light switch to turn the lights on and off- the show, a full house, went on!

Sure doing a show last minute in a new venue with no lighting or sound is raw, fringey, and we have the capabilities of doing it, but add to it that the audience is right on top of us in full blaring lights and eye contact. When one of us is on our hands and knees our fingers nearly touch the foot of some one's boot, and you are doing a play about sex, well...hah fringy? I think that was one of the hardest performances we have ever done, and as Tonya said when it was over: "No one can say shit to me now, nothing will top that."

Eleanor had mentioned that while at the venue in Winnipeg she had missed the intimacy of a small stage she wanted to be close to the audience. Be careful what you wish for right? There is something be said about lighting and distance especially when you are one your knees pretending to simulate sex and climaxing on a what feels like a sixth grade gym. And the audience? Oh poor poor audience so stiff. As you look right at them men and women of all ages, no where to hide, and you swallow voraciously its just a little weird feeling. Our staging was improv-ed as most of the time there was no where to move things, the rug on the gym floor was sliding all over the place, in the plant piece the boxes were sliding apart, and I could feel my body falling through the cracks. It was so hot and we were so sweaty that during ritual, when Mary and I dance, Mary grabbed my hands to pull me up but our skin was slick and she slid right off me, and I watched her tumble backwards. Our faces and lines made a combination sound of terror and laughter. She caught her footing we continued to do the scene, but I had just lost it at that point. From the lines of a fellow fringer's show, "How did I get here?" It was to funny, I could barely stay in the scene, memories of Jr high and high school productions racing through my head as I could see, I mean really see, the look of horror on the faces of audience members.

The thing to note is that, when it comes to sexy, fluorescent lights in a church gym, is not sexy. I know we pulled it off, but we were uncomfortable, the audience was uncomfortable. Imagine this: you are in the audience watching four women dripping with sweat talking about a daddy fantasy, all hot and dirty and you are getting into it right, it's your fantasy maybe, or not, but it turns you on and you feel a smile breaking those tingles in your body, and you can feel the heat from people on both sides of you, then suddenly you are aware that a woman that looks just like your mother is sitting beside you horrified, and scared, of this sexy story about calling a man daddy in bed. In fact there are all these people around you- and they can see you- and they know, they know you want to spank that woman on stage so bad, and what do you do? You shrink back inside yourself, I mean your mother is watching! So yes they were quiet. Still, aside from one man that looked like he wanted to leave so bad, like I think he was hating every minute, and this is not projecting, I mean we could see everyone, and everything, oh god could we. I think people still liked it. And I think we are the bravest performers ever.

As we laughed at the ridiculousness of it all, and relishing the finer details of the crazy most awkward performance ever, I thought oh god I never want to do a show involving sex on the floor of a hot sweaty light glaring church gym again. Thank god we had some good supporters in the audience; Eleanor's mom and brother, and our friend and fellow fringer, Paul (How did I get here). Paul sat front and center, and we all mentioned later that since we could see, I mean really see, the audience most lines were delivered to Paul. Yes, "I wrap my salavating mouth around his penis," delivered right to Paul. I still am laughing, god I wish everyone who knows this show and knows us could have seen this show because I don't think there will ever be another like it, and those audience members? Oh they will never forget us either.