urban myths - suburban sluts
nytheatre.com review by Joan Kane
August 18, 2012
Urban Myths-Suburban Sluts, written by Kirsten Macy and Jena Kirkpatrick and directed by Ben Kusler, is a sexy, lowbrow, spoken-word trip told in 30 minutes. For the first five minutes recorded voices of a woman and young girl tell us the story of the Furr Family from suburbia getting ready for their vacation. Projected on the backdrop is a video of a sunnyside-up egg frying in a black iron skillet. For the next twenty-five minutes we are entertained with fast-paced, compelling images and words.
This is not a play. It is more of an onslaught of words and images. Yet we still are able to discern a sense of narrative. It is a visceral poetry slam with very dramatic imagery.
I found it colorful and compelling. The prevailing topic is the consequence of what happens when people experiment with unconventional sex acts and other body issues.
The video images did nothing for me. They actually left me cold. I am not sure if this was the intention of the artists. I wanted less video and voiceovers and more of the live amazing performers—Parisa Fakhri and Betsy Moore in slinky slips and Dion Jackson in a grey suit jacket. They use quick, stylized movements to punctuate the avant-garde, occasionally absurd and/or grotesque form of spoken word. I particularly enjoyed that the poetry used wonderful alliteration including; "a fuscia Ferrari" and "potato plants in pungent panties."
Bravo for the risk-taking and the non-conventional form that this short, sparky piece was able to deliver in a simple, entertaining performance.
