When you read that the title of a play is as blatant as Stripper Lesbians you might be led to believe that what you are about to see is nothing more than a show which has women in various states of undress (personally or professionally), making out a lot.  However, read further to “Rising Sun Performance Company” and your perspective quickly changes.  Sure, the show is sexy, shows a lot of skin, and has no problem exploring the more intimate moments of the relationship, but Rising Sun’s inherent intelligence as an ensemble ensures that your skin is served up with a side of thoughtful, though-provoking drama which explores the title rather than exploits it.

So, who are these stripper lesbians of the title?

First there’s Evan (Amanda Berry). She strips, of course, but identifies herself first and foremost as a woman’s studies major. After all, she wouldn’t even be stripping if she wasn’t writing her senior thesis (cleverly titled “Stripper Lesbians”) as an insider’s exposé on what it’s like to be dating a sex worker.

Stripper Lesbians At Work (Amanda Berry and Samantha Cooper)

By her side -at home and at work- is Aisha (Samantha Cooper) who strips because that’s what she’s good at.   There’s no ironic twist to her chosen career, no air quotes when she uses the words, no parenthetical or ellipsis or slash after the title, no ”I’m just doing this for now” attitude. Aisha is a stripper’s stripper and she makes no excuses about it. She’s ambitious at that, weighing the option of posing for Playboy because posing means more traffic to the club – and more traffic means the ability to command a higher salary. Evan may be the one going after the fancy education which requires a thesis to obtain, but Aisha is the one getting a graduate degree from the school of hard knocks.

Always popping up between the pair is DJ (Joe Beaudin).  He’s not just an ex-boyfriend (and current roommate) of Evan’s but also serves as a type of Greek Chorus of the play.  It is DJ’s job to wag a finger, shine a spotlight, underline with a highlighter and repeat for emphasis.  Not that he doesn’t have his own subplot; in a show-stopping, scene stealing audition he takes the text from Our Bodies, Ourselves and turns it inside out, invoking the spirit and mannerisms of prostitutes to hilarious effect.  In a play which centers on women’s viewpoints and is punctuated with women’s sexuality it is a wonderful moment when Beaudin can have the stage to himself and showcase his own talents without distraction.

Things come to a head when DJ pushes things to a place where, ultimately, they probably would have ended up anway … he just got them there sooner.  More Devil that Devil’s Advocate he nonetheless ultmately feels he’s doing the right thing even if it is for the wrong reason.

A poinant epilogue ends the play, and we are shown that while these two young women were vastely different the feelings between them were real.

Playwright Kate Foster has done a strong job of taking the already difficult moments of a new relationship and placing them in a unique setting.  She beautifully highlights that first crack in the ice when passion abates for a moment and two people step back and begin to notice their difference of opinion, their diverging paths and their incongrouous goals.

There are no heroes here, just flawed human beings.  Each character has distinct complexities which Director Jeff Woodbridge coaxes out and deftly presents. All three characters exist in a tug-of-war where their discord amounts to another wrinkle in the fabric of their relationships.  Each character is learning how to continue on with integrity while maintaining a climate of support for someone they care about.

In the end this story isn’t about stripper lesbians, but rather about two young women who are trying to protect the identities they treasure most dearly while still living up to the person they would like to be in their partner’s eyes.   It is the conundrum of weighing what is more important – how you see yourself, or how you want others to see you?  And, regardless of how much of your body you expose throughout the day, at the end of it, can you truly say you’re comfortable in your own skin?

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The 2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL will run February 22-March 4 at The Kraine Theater & The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave and Ave A). Tickets to all shows may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444.

Related Posts:

• Stripper Lesbians: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Crapshoot! Liquor, Laughs and Luck O’ The Dice
• The Rope In Your Hands: Katrina, In Their Own Words (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Man Saved By Condiments: Some Time Alone To Ketchup (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Big Girls Don’t Cry: Laughing On The Outside (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Five Questions. Five Answers. And One Big Decision: Rock, Paper, Or Scissors?

Stripper Lesbians

Company: Rising Sun Performance Company

Evan, a woman’s studies major, is writing a killer senior thesis– by becoming a stripper at her favorite strip club. In between her current girlfriend, a stripper-lesbian, and her ex boyfriend, an unemployed Tisch graduate, Evan dances the line between love and betrayal. A comedy about what it really means to be ‘in love with a stripper’ and what it means to become one.

Show Times:

• Wed 2/22 @ 11pm
• Sat 2/25 @ 6:30pm
• Mon 2/27 @ 11pm
• Thu 3/1 @ 8pm
• Sat 3/3 @ 3:30pm

Answers by: The Whole Gang!

(Because we’re an ensemble company,

we’re gonna answer this ensemble style!

Everyone’s got a little something to say!)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
That’s some title. How did you come up with it – and what does it mean?
Kate Foster (The Playwright): The title was the joke that fit. When I was writing the play, I would tell interested parties I was writing about strippers and lesbians. People kept on giving me the classic double-take, so I had a feeling Stripper-Lesbians was onto something.

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite five people, anyone from past and present, to see your FRIGID show – who would you invite and why?
Joe Beaudin (Actor, Role of DJ): Bono – Because I love him and he is a rock star and very famous
My Grandma – Because she was sassy and would appreciate the “material”
My friends Dina & Amy – because they are lesbians.
My wife – because she is my wife and she usually comes to these things.
My soon-to-be-born child – because she/he needs to see what her/his father LOVES to do.
Its important to note that Kate & Samantha both want to invite Hugh Hefner just because.

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve ever made for your Art and was it worth it?
Jeff Woodbridge (Director): I sold or gave away everything I owned, except some clothing, and moved to New York with no job waiting, no apartment lined up, and very little money. Just went because I knew this is where I wanted to make theater and it has been the best move ever. I’m not sure I would really call the things I’ve done for my art ‘sacrifices’ because everything always works out for the best. It’s more like taking a leap of faith and trusting that everything will be fine.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and, if so, can you share it?
Amanda Berry (Actress/Role of Evan): Oh my gosh, so many. The one that was most surprising to me was that originally DJ and Evan were just roommates and best friends. However, at some point during the development – and I’ve totally forgotten how this came about – someone brought up that they felt that there was something more to that relationship, that they had previously dated. This just added so much to the piece as a whole, in that it expanded DJ’s character and motivations, it gives Aisha more to play off of, and it makes Evan’s story into that of someone who’s questioning her sexuality and who is dealing with her first homosexual relationship. That one change just added heaps to the text and it gives us as actors a much stronger emotional base to play on.

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?
Samantha Cooper (Actress, role of Aisha): I found that I had my own issues with strippers and stripping that I had to let go of. I started out judging Aisha and that is a trap for an actor. I think I learned a bit of what Aisha wants Evan to realize – that a person cannot be defined by her occupation. I hope it makes them think about gender roles, the complications that can arise in relationships – perhaps it will make them take a look at their own relationships. And maybe, like me, the play will challenge people’s ideas about stripping. Questions are always a good thing. And discussions about the questions are even better.

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament of DEAAAAATH

THM Bonus Question – We’re serious this year!
In the THM virtual Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament of DEAAAAATH which FRIGID Show do you take on? And what do you throw?

Rising Sun: We just want to be friends with all the other shows, hugs no thugs.

Adorable! You’re like teddy bear stripper lesbians – the best kind. Still, there’s no backing out of this one because you were a very, very popular opponent and we think those who challenged you deserve to have their day in the Rock Paper Scissors arena!  So … FIRST we are going to randomly choose your opponent for you. Promise, this is REALLY random. Here we go to The Randomizer. Flippity Flip … your random opponent is The Traveling Musicians.  And your random throw is … PAPER!

So Round One:  Stripper Lesbians (Paper) versus The Traveling Musicians (Rock) — WIN!
Round Two: you were challenged by Love In The Time Of Chlamydia who threw ROCK at everyone. That’s another WIN!
Round Three: you were challenged by Initium/Finis who also threw ROCK at everyone. Another WIN!
Round Four: you were challenged by Daughters of Lot who threw SCISSORS.  OOOOFF.  That’s a Deaaaaath ….
Round Five: you were challenged by Big Plastic Heroes who thew PAPER.  That’s a TIE.
Round Six: you were challenged by Scratch and Pitz who threw PAPER (in the form of $1 and $5 dollar bills).  That’s another TIE!

Congratulations, Stripper Lesbians!  Six rounds, Three Wins, Two Ties and only One Loss.  And, I would be willing to bet, some hugs in there too from all your Frigid Friends.

Thanks Stripper Lesbians for participating in The Happiest Medium’s FRIGID New York Festival 2012 Q&A. And for playing our game! You’re officially PAPER in any and all challenges. You may win again, you may not – who knows! This is how it works in the crazy world of the Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament of DEAAAAATH!

For the rest of you don’t forget to check out Stripper Lesbians!

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The 2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL will run February 22-March 4 at The Kraine Theater & The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave and Ave A). Tickets to all shows may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444.

Related Posts:

• Stripper Lesbians: When Baring It All Is Academic (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Crapshoot! Liquor, Laughs and Luck O’ The Dice
• I’m Only Explaining This Once: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Man Saved By Condiments!: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Big Girls Don’t Cry: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

What kinds of secret do you know?

Is it classified?  Is it torrid?  Do you feel it’s necessary to preserve your identity?  Do you have a secret identity?  Is it ruining your life?  Is it a second life? Is it real or just pretend? Do you need to expose it to be free?  Do you need to preserve it just to stay sane?

The blurb for this Planet Connections  show was very brief:

It’s a secret.

I want to keep the surprise as well so you can find the answers for yourself by coming to the play.  So the questions that are sparked within you will hopefully expose new truths to you, or make you laugh in surprise at the craziness of a situation, or cry at the irony, or smirk in bemusement at an unexpected twist, or revel in satisfying conclusions.  Or hopefully lead you on to examine yourself deeper and find new secrets about yourself.

But I will tell you one thing . . .

This show is 5 one-act plays that has a running time of 100 minutes and is a strong showcase of playwrights who have other longer pieces in this festival (Duncan Pflaster who wrote and directed Thyme of the Season,  Jonathan Wallace who wrote A Dream about Sunflowers and Glory Bowen who adapted and directed The Picture of Dorian Gray) as well as others don’t have multi-act plays in this festival, but are also cutting edge playwrights:  Nandita Shenoy and Alex Goldberg.

When looking through the program of shows in a festival like Planet Connections (such as Frigid, Fight Fest, or that other little one coming up – Fringe (here’s its schedule))  . . . How do you decide which plays to go to?  You can’t get to them all, so you have to pick and choose.  Therefore, the blurb becomes an artful attention grabber – one where you have to pick and choose your words carefully to reach the right balance.

The same can be said about a one act play.  You only have a small amount of time to get your story across and almost always you’re going to be grouped with a number of other one act plays.  It’s gutsy to have only a three word description of the play.  And it worked for me.

In the same spirit, below are “micro-reviews” of each of the one acts you’ll find in Clandestine.  But overall this is a great show with Chae-kyung Lee as House Manager, Nicole M. Smith as Stage manager, and very dramatic  lighting effects done by Eric Kasprisin and further design by Jessica M. Burgess (lighting), Dan Ozmininkowski (light) and Jacob Subotnick Sound.  NewGround Theatre Collective did a great job in getting everything in this show coordinated together and  I look forward to seeing their work in the future.  Hopefully they’ll consider putting this show together again as the components fused together really well.

UFO Weather by Jonathan Wallace
Directed by Rachel Klein

Shane (Teisha Bader) and Lainie (Mariel Matero) finish walking up the side of a small mountain so they can either see some UFO’s in the fog, or figure out what they really want to do with their lives.  The answers should surprise you.  Great sound and lighting design on this one.

Fabulous by Glory Bowen
Directed by Cindy N. Kawasaki

When two old friends meet for coffee, one keeps secrets of her liberal nature from her friend while the conservative one just keeps being inadvertantly offensive. The secrets they have from each other quickly escalate from simple small talk to accusations and much more as misunderstandings create many funny situations to keep the audience laughing throughout.  This fast paced play showcases Mariel Matero as Jean and Rosebud Baker as Clara.

Rules of Engagement by Nandita Shenoy
Directed by Luke Harlan and Assistant Director Brendan Naylor

Nora (Bona Tek) and Eugene (Eugene Oh) meet at a cafe over lunch break from the company they both work at.  Eugene tells her his secret – he loves her.  Nora says he can’t love her because they only made out that one time at a party, and she doesn’t date guys like him.  Like what?  And she tells him.  And tells him.  And tells him.  She seems to have every possible reason to not want to start a relationship with.  Eugene tries to pop each of these secret “rules” with charisma and intelligence, and Nora finds out some secrets about herself.

Lying Naked by Alex Goldberg
Directed by Michael Schwartz and Assistant Director Samantha Cooper

In this intense play Lily (Rosebud Baker) and Carter (Dominic Spillane) start off naked on a bed furiously ravishing each other.  “Naked” that is in all ways except in how they really feel about all the layers of secrecy they have in order to maintain their illicit relationship with each other.  We see in this play how being intimate and being together aren’t the same thing without honesty.  The choreography of the bedsheets is almost as good as the witty dialogue and surprising twists all packed into this one act play.

The Russet Rascal by Duncan Pflaster
Directed by Luke Harlan and Assistant Director Brendan Naylor

In this play the powers of derring-do and good reporting live in a fun and zany world with caped crusaders, super-villains and a female butler named Bertha (Leslie Nemet).  Can the Russet Rascal (Doot-doo-doo) played by Kate Michaud keep her secret identity as a rich industrial tycoon safe when a nosy reporter by the name of Alice “Ace” McAllister comes around looking for a scoop about the disappearance of an experimental prototype of the dangerous freeze-ray molybdenum gun  is stolen from her nearby factory?  Who is the likely culprit?  None other than the Spanglish Fly (Fly…Fly… Fly…) played by Matt Carr, who drops in to cause trouble in the middle of the play.  Alice and the Rascal learn each other’s secrets and Bertha finally gets what she really wants for Secretary’s Day.  This play does a great job at laughing at as well as appreciating the ridiculousness of those old super hero shows of the 50′s and 60′s (especially Bat Man and Robin).

Only one show left, Sunday June 20th at 2:30.  If you can make it you won’t be sorry.  If you can’t check out some of the other works by the playwrights of this show.

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Related Posts:

• Entrevista: The Starship Astrov and Asian Belle (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)
• The Thyme Of The Season: Even Better The Second Thyme Around (Planet Connections 2010)
• Planet Connections Q&A: The Picture Of Dorian Gray / The Thyme Of The Season
• The Taint Of Equality Or, I Want Your Sex (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• The Empress of Sex (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)