What I liked
What would be powerful and moving in a theatre experience like this would be a show that focuses on inner beauty and tears away judgements and body image…which is what was advertised, also what the directors note spoke to. I have zero problem being naked, and I too run a company that focuses on being body positive, this is however not the show I saw.
What I didn't like
The “show” I saw, yes had many technical issues and clearly wasn’t ready to open (as the apology message we received after seeing it said, btw don’t apologize for that) but I know just as well as anyone that’s what a preview is for. We know you didn’t have enough time, we know the theatre running over on your start time wasn’t your fault, (p.s. The theatre representative coming into the theatre and yelling at a bunch of naked patrons that they had ten min to get out because THEY ran over was appalling) the problems I had lie with the “story” itself. We did not NEED to be naked. There was one moment when they made two women stand naked and tell a story about their lives, one of them cried…I want to be clear those two women are brave and beautiful and they probably did this show because they were too lead to believe they were spreading a message of inner love, unfortunately that one five minute glimmer of hope was surrounded by sketches that may or may not have been “good” it doesn’t matter because the “producer” coming out onto the stage and trying to talk everyone into being a nudist and talking about how men usually are more often nudists but “once women try it they’ll love it” had my program thrown out of my hand and onto the floor. I’ve never been angrier or felt more tricked into being naked.
My overall impression
To Those two women who shared their stories with us, I love you, I commend you. To the show, please advertise as what you are, a slightly offensive advertisement to be a nudist. Then I’ll know what I’m walking into. And next time your preview runs over or you lost an actor or feel less than stellar about your performance please do not apologize to people via the fringe site, it made me want to write a review more.
