Which do you prefer--tits, boobies, bosoms, girls, breasts, jugs, rack, ta-tas?

I love the reviews coming out about this show.  Each serves as an affirmation and guarantee that if you buy a ticket and attend a performance of Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting you will indeed see bare breasted women sword fighting.

 

With a title as promising as that, you’re right, we better follow through!

 

As a female I have never quit understood the hype over boobies. Lumps of excess flesh that hang semi-symmetrically on a woman’s body.  These lumps first and foremost serve to feed and nurture little ones as they come out of the womb.  Is it because of this very important practical purpose that they are so desirous and in many other’s eyes sexy?

 

I’m not trying to harp back to an Oedipus complex theory here.  The novelty of breasts is just so interesting to me. 

 

What is even more exciting to see though, as we are in our second week of shows and selling out, is that it isn’t just the title and promise of breasts that are creating our audiences.  People have come and seen, and our reviews are promising something more…a fun, thought-provoking, damn good time.

 

So if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, do it quick, they’re going fast!!!

If you kick butt, they will come!

From Wendy -

Confession: I love *pretend* violence.

It all started when I was a little, little girl - My mom worked in a Doctors lab after Midnight running tests - she would bring me with her, put me to bed in the waiting room (in one of those squishy lazy boys), and I would sneak up and watch TV at 2 am. My favorite - WWF! I will never forget the fight between Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan...so amazing! That began a long love affair: Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Princess Bride, Batman, anything Pirates, Zena, Rocky, Comando, Buffy, Transporter, Casino Royale, Alien, Predator, Alien vs. Predator...

After college I spent some time learning Rapier&Dagger, Broadsword, Unarmed...it was...perfect. So what a fantastic opportunity to get to work on "Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting." What an amazing job our director did choreographing these varied fights.

The first time I saw the fight between the Warrior Princess and the Damsel in Distress and the Rubber Woman I remember at points screaming "yea!" as if I was at an arena watching a match (Confession#2: I saw Dewayne "The Rock" Johnson LIVE when he was in his prime).

The fight between the Amazons - visceral, dangerous, animalistic...putting those big, heavy swords in the hands of Amazonians, they belong together...oh yeah - nice breasts!

Stage combat is a choreographed dance of implied violence , YES! The beautiful Bare Breasted Women own their dance floor. The lines Lorraine created and the Bare Breasteds breathe to life are poetic. The fight is natural and beautiful...oh yeah - nice breasts!

AND I get to say "pussy" in front of lots of peole every night!!! Virgin/Mother/Whore, MC, and Madame take me back to the days of going over to my friends house in Middle School to watch old Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy stand up. Sex Education. Raunchy, Verbal Violence - their tongues are sharper than swords.

It's a fun night of Women and Butt Kicking! Come see "Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting" - Only 4 shows left!

Opening and Scripter-er-ing...

From Nicole:

We're open! Congratulations to all! Before you even think about reading what I'm about to write, read this review: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/fringe/2009/07/17/hip-shot-bare-breasted-women-sword-fighting/

I love this review. I am so proud of us.

If you've already come to the show, or if you know me or the process at all, you know that I am the Assistant Director/"Scripter-er." Scripter-er. That is a word that Wyckham made up.

I teach playwriting for a living, so obviously I spend some time thinking about the role of the playwright. When Lorraine and Wyckham approached me about Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting, I didn't want that title. Because playwright, to me, said "owner," "origin," and "master" of the text. Which is not who I am in this process. So I'm a scripter-er instead.

Being something of a notorious control freak, you might think I'd have trouble with all this collaboration stuff. But I'm learning all the time what the art is: sifting through the collected words of these women (thanks Amanda and Alexis for doing the typing!!) and shaping them into pages.

I'm fascinated by the way this works. Charity says something hilarious, off the top of her head, and then I make her say it every time we do that scene. Except maybe one time she'll "mess up" her lines, and whatever she says will be even more hilarious, and I'll throw out the old lines. Or Sara yells a joke from the audience, and that becomes the text. Or I make a joke about French that makes Kelly laugh, and I get to write it into the show. And on and on and on.

I know I had a lot of power as the person who controlled what was physically printed on paper. I'm humbled by that. I kept trying to submit to everyone else's creativity. I was shy about writing something I hadn't said out loud in rehearsal, but at the same time I felt supported by a cast and crew that I knew would keep me honest.

What a cool way to be a playwright. It all starts by admitting that I don't know everything. Once I admit that, I get to have help. Girl, I love help.

See the show now, please!

Thoughts on final rehearsal before tech

Hi friends! Becky here.

So let me say up front that I was orginally "scheduled" to blog the first week of rehearsal but since I decided on that first day that I would secretly live in backwards world for a while I decided that first meant last. And besides I have actually written tons of entries...unfortunately none of you have the login and password to the blog inside my head.

Before I continue on about BBWSF I have to just say that I am thrilled that is my 3rd Dog and Pony DC show! With a 4th (Separated at Birth in the Spring) and 5th (a version of Medea that Lorraine and I have been musing about since Cymbeline) in the works.... These 3 conspiritorial ladies have become dear friends and I feel pretty lucky and blessed to be able to do such fun, challenging and inspiring work with them.

Anyways I digress. I feel giddy. Maybe it's the glass of wine that I am sipping right now but I started feeling this about 2 hours ago. It was like a wave of fun and pride that was sweeping over me. (Starting as a funny feeling in my pants...you know what I am talking about...right? Then you really need to see the show, damnit!)

In all seriousness though.... I had been absent from rehearsals the past two days because I was in school - actually this part I am going to take a minute and shout:

"I WAS TAKING SOME OF THE FINAL CLASSES OF MY CAREER AS A MASSAGE THERAPY STUDENT - I AM GRADUATING, FINALLY!!!!" I shout for two reasons - I have major senioritis and after 2 years of school I feel I deserve an all caps shout.....AND once I take that final test I need clients! So email me at punkiepeters@gmail.com.

And back to BBWSF. So, I was away for two days. And I will be honest and say that the last time I was there Lorraine, director, gave us a rousing and honest speech about...well, the fact that we needed to step up our game and stop being such girls! (She still doesn't get that well...we can't do much about that last part...well, not without some moola and a good doctor :) ).

Anyways....the speech was I think exactly what we all needed. Because I have to say that tonight was AMAZING. I sat there after my act (by the way I am amused by the fact that for a 10 min act I think it will take me over an hour to get ready!) ....so i sat there and watched the acts and the energy, talent and pure female ooomph and pizazz and I was grinning from ear to ear. These women are tough, creative, innovative, intelligent and sexy. And that's just the director and stage management team!

Really I am in pure awe. I raise my half full wine glass (waiter!) to each of my cast mates (onstage and off) and say Thank You and you are AMAZING! I look forward to the next couple weeks. And beyond.

This is what I have learned over the course of this show - women are amazing. I have always been guarded around women b/c well in some cases we can be real sh*ts to each other but I what I have been reminded in this room os that we also need each other - a lot! I need them. (And I hope that doesn't put us over the "gay" line --- it's a rehearsal thing please don't be offended.)

With that and that the fact that I need a refill....I say COME SEE the show! Stay and cheers with us afterwards.


*** Oh and in case any men (esp our two male designers who are equally amazing - Colin and Neil) feel like they are left how...don't worry - I already like you. I have always found men interesting and wonderful...but you gotta explore once in a while, right? Tee hee hee

Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting, aka, Naked Breakfast Club.

From Maggie:

I am an admirer of Dog & Pony DC. I like that they make strong statements, and ask big questions. In my act (which I share with the lovely and talented Becky Peters), the audience will see feats of grotesque resilience, as my character beats the hell out of Becky's character ( The Amazing Rubber Woman)from which she bounces back with nary a wince or scratch. The act in a sense, is I Love Lucy, George & Gracie, The Honeymooners, and others similar, all distilled down to the uncomfortable truth of their humor: I dominate you man + you take it gratfully woman = sitcom humor gold.

I understand not everyone shares that particular perspective on those well loved and culturally iconic television / radio shows, but for the sake of BBWSF this is how we're rolling.

I think it's a fair question: Since when did it become funny to call women: hysterical, deceitful, vain, jealous, shallow, ditzy, cold, frigid, bi-polar, sex pots, who desire nothing more than to be taken care of by a man, pop out babies, clean a house, and anticipate the needs of everyone (except themselves) on earth?

Probably right about the time it became funny to call men: dumb, mono-sylabic-grunting, beer swilling, illiterate, unfeeling, wife pummelling, penny pinching, child ignoring, workaholic, apes who just want their wives to feed them, screw them and then leave them alone.

I mean, c'mon... I think it's time to have a "come to Jesus moment":

How many women have spent money when they told their significant others they wouldn't? How many women haven't been exactly forthcoming about the cost of their fabulously, amazing new haircut, in order to lessen the shock, and really it's for his own good because he doesn't understand the pressure society puts on women... it's just not the same for him...? How many women judge the clothes and appearances of the women around them, or use their feminity as...ahem... "social currency"?

Oooh! oooooh ME! I do, I do! Am I proud of it? Not especially. Can I aknowledge the ridiculousness, and humor of it? Yes... ok 85% of the time. (Because in addition to being a sneaky, vain, judgemental, tease-- I am also hysterical)

The reason these shows have a place in our cultural conscience is because they represent exaggerated elements of truth. Are there cruel and base examples of them, absolutely. I think the examination of that line is what we're going for. How far is too far? And should we re-examine what we find entertaining in our culture? And do we all need to get a little sense of humor about ourselves? Yes, I think we do.

I have really enjoyed working on this show. The women are all tremendous and authentically lovely and strong, I am proud to count myself among them. I have learned much, not the least of which is how to kick ass ( literally) in highheels, so next time I'm PMS-ing... watch out.

In closing I would just like to say:

Society, "we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But, what we found out is that each one of us is:"

a rubber woman, a warrior princess, a damsel in distress, an amazon, a virgin, a mother, a whore, and bare breasted sword fighters...

hmmmm, I'm not sure I really furtherd anyone's cause here...

Peace-
The Minister's Wife.

I Put On My Sexy Pants One Leg At a Time, Just Like Everyone Else

From Kate

I knew I was getting into dangerous territory when I put on my heels and red lipstick and went to audition for Bare Breasted Women Sword Fighting. I knew I was running the risk of fooling Lorraine and Wyckham (our illustrious director and producer) into thinking I might own a pair of figurative sexy pants. The ruse worked, and I was cast.

One would think that the most difficult part of playing an over-the-top, WWE-style character would be learning the sweet wrestling moves. Turns out, those are a piece of cake when compared to the over-the-top sexiness of the Warrior Princess. I'll be honest with you: Thanks to my awesome, shame-based religious upbringing, I can't seduce my way out of a paper bag. Or even pretend to. Probably not a great spot to be in as an actor, and definitely not a good spot to be in as a grown-ass woman. In my second rehearsal, Lorraine (our illustrious director) asked me to think of a time that I feel sexy. I could come up with nothing. I don't know about y'all, but my Sunday school started teaching me about the sin of vanity when I was 6, and that stopped the internal monologue from ever going down the road of "I feel pretty/sexy/like I'm having a good hair day." Even though I have since renounced my virtuous ways, it is a continuous effort to undo 25 years of Mega-church (which included going to the religious school from 3rd-12th grade, plus going to church on my own about three times a week.)

After five weeks, it's gotten easier, but my lovely friends at Dog & Pony DC are up against thousands of years of religious rhetoric in their effort to get me to feel okay about people looking at me, and perhaps liking what they see. We've got a six-hour-long rehearsal today; hopefully that will help. I do not currently own a pair of sexy pants, but Dog & Pony is letting me borrow theirs until I can get to Target.

Pictures of Clevage