5 Reasons Why I Made The Bed Show
Me in an excerpt of THE BED SHOW at JACK in NYC in 2019.
I was interested in making cheap, easy to produce, site specific art that wouldn’t cost me that much to make.
I was first inspired by DIY queen / force of nature Siobhan ‘O Loughlin and her piece BROKEN BONE BATHTUB, which is currently the subject of an incredible documentary (!!!) that I assisted on for a few months in 2017 that altered my trajectory of theatre and art making for the better. Siobhan showed me that you could actually make theatre in people’s houses with fluorescent lighting in a bathroom with a bunch of collapsable step stools. Site specific minimalism rocks. Siobhan is the shit, support her Patreon. She also does bitchin’ online theatre, something that’s pretty hard to do.
This is my friend Siobhan.
3. I was really influenced by the work of The Neo Futurists. Their whole thing, to sum it up, is theatre in the now. There’s no pretending. Everyone is playing everyone. It’s really meta, like documentary theatre to the extreme. It’s pretty experimental, yet it makes a lot of sense to me. Stephen Colbert famously was a Neo for a time. I loved their show TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND (now known as THE INFINITE WRENCH, but also the original play/concept is still licensable). They tend to be more writers who act than anything, which is exactly my vibe.
A still of TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND in Chicago, year unknown. I’m sure it is known, but I just took it from Google.
4. I felt ready to revisit performing, but only on my terms. I talk in my last blog about being an actor as a kid, but what I didn’t really talk about was why I stopped. It mostly broils down to the fact that I didn’t have confidence in my body, and in my early 20’s my anxiety and depression began to manifest and I just realized it wasn’t something I was interested in pursuing as a career. I also deeply hate auditioning. But I saw how effortless Siobhan was—along with countless other solo performers I admire such as Penny Arcade, Bridget Everett, and Erin Markey where I felt like maybe if I just played a slightly elevated version of myself, it’ll work. So I cast me as a role I knew how to play best: me.
Nuria and I in the 2020 Philly Theatre Week production of TBS.
5. At risk of sounding narcissistic, I feel that I have a point of view to share. I’m a fat queer non-binary bald person and I don’t see many people like me telling their own stories. I recognize that I’m white and there’s no shortage of white, male-presenting people doing solo show and comedy, however, I think the way I approach sex and dating is actually pretty feminine and not typically “masculine”. I’m a big feelings person. I’m a triple water sign. I’m sensitive, observational, and I’ve also been through the wringer. Life has really kicked my ass in terms of sex and dating. And what is trauma but good material that you can also make really funny? Am I right? Is this thing on?
This is life kicking my ass all over the damn place.
And with that my dears, please come see the Off-Broadway premiere of THE BED SHOW.
We go up June 15th & 16th at 9PM at Soho Playhouse. Sleepwear is encouraged. Show runs 70 minutes. You can purchase tickets here.
Get your tickets!!!
