solo shows and memoirs
According to a recent LA Times article there is “an explosion” of one-man and one-woman shows around town: 25 solo shows in 2003; last year, at least 54.
“We like to hear personal intimate insights that we can connect to,” says Jean-Louis Rodrigue, who teaches theater at UCLA. Rodrigue worked with Heather Raffo on her highly praised “Nine Parts of Desire,” a show about the women of Iraq that was recently presented by the Geffen Playhouse.
Sandra Tsing Loh [photo] developed her solo show “Mother on Fire” about her exhaustive efforts to find the right kindergarten for her daughter. “I’m just a bad performer of other people’s material,” she says. “My approach to performance is not from a realistic perspective. It won’t translate into being the wacky neighbor. I’m much better on my own.”
Tracy Esposito’s solo piece, “Chicken Parmigiana” revolves around her family — and how it was transformed when her mother developed cancer. With no props or costumes, Esposito portrays several people, including friends and family members, but focuses mainly on her growth from a boy-crazed young woman to a mature caretaker.
“It was a real change for me because I had done stand-up for so long,” she says. “I was used to laughs, and so much of this is about not getting laughs. It took a bit to get used to. But it’s my story, and I just felt it was so different. I never really knew my mother until she got cancer.”
[from article “No cast of thousands” By Greg Braxton, Jan 12, 2006.]
James Frey’s book A Million Little Pieces - fueled by Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement - indicates the continuing popularity and impact of written memoirs.
Anne Lamott notes in Bird by Bird that writing in general can be “dealing with the one thing you’ve been avoiding all along - your wounds. This is very painful. It stops a lot of people early on who didn’t get into this for the pain. They got into it for the money and the fame. So they either quit, or they resort to a type of writing that is sort of like candy making.”
But those who go ahead and create writing and solo shows that explore authentic depths enrich both the creator and the audience.
Related interview: Sandra Tsing Loh
Related page: nurturing mental health: writing
Related books:
Writing the Memoir : From Truth to Art
Inner Journeying Through Art-journaling: Learning to See And Record Your Life As a Work of Art
Writing and Being: Embracing Your Life Through Creative Journaling
