Political Theatre

There seems to be no shortage of political theatre in New York for which I am grateful. During the last few months I have some really interesting and important work. Tonight I just saw "Miracle In Rwanda". I'm not the only one doing a solo show about Rwanda! I have seen "In Sudan", a play about Darfur, "Goodness" about genocide, "My Name is Rachel Corrie" and "Dai", two plays about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, "Stuff Happens" about the war in Iraq, "Speak Truth to Power" about human rights activists and so it goes on. I am grateful that there are many folks out there who are interested in seeing this kind of theatre. There could be many more. I think that some people relate to political theatre the same way they relate to documentaries. They really want to see the documentaries, but then it's a Sunday night and they decide to chose something lighter to just chill out and switch off. But people are often surprised when they do choose to see a documentary or political play as they can often be just as (if not more) gripping, entertaining (for want of a better word), and most likely more inspiring. If it's a good play or film, you are always so glad that you went. I have just finalised a 40-word description of my show and chosen an image. These are probably the most important marketing tools I have right now, and it was so hard to choose words and a picture that would entice people, but not make me feel like I'm compromising my integrity in how I sell the show. It took a while and a lot of input from a real mix of people. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Sharing the stage

This Thursday April 26th at 8pm I will be performing an extract of RASH alongside 6 other performers at the new Rapture cafe in the East Village. I am excited to finally share the stage with others. There will be poets, musicians and actors, and I think it's going to be a really great evening. I also recently learnt that I will be performing in a festival in July for New York-based performers on their way to this year's Edinburgh Fringe. I will be performing for 4 nights in a row in a format similar to the Fringe, where I'll get a chance to practice what it's like to have 15 minutes to set up my stage and do my thing. It's also in a great venue called 59E59 Theatre. They produce the annual Brits Off Broadway series. And I'm all set for this year's Edinburgh Fringe. I will be performing 26 shows from 1-27 August at the wonderful Pleasance Theatre. It will be great to perform in my home country. I have already begun briefing my parents! RASH is an honest portrayal of my life and of course my parents feature in that. They will surely like some bits and perhaps cringe at others. All in the name of art!

RASH outbreak

Well it's going to be a busy week of performances for RASH and I'm really looking forward to trying out the new script for the first time. On Tuesday 3rd April I'm performing along side another amazing 25 women as part of the Emerging Artists Theatre solo show festival "One Woman Standing". There will be a talk back after the performance and folks will be able to share their thoughts on the play. On Wednesday 4th April I will be flying to Durham, North Carolina to perform at Duke University. I will also be speaking to their Arts and Human Rights class during the day. And last but definitely not least, on Sunday 8th April, I will be performing two shows on the same day as part of Tartan Week NY at American Theater of Actors. It's really exciting to be part of a festival promoting all good things Scottish in New York. So do come check out a show. And if you saw one of these shows, I would love to know what you think. RASH is going to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August, and your thoughts and ideas will only make the play stronger.