Friday, January 18, 2013

Sneak Preview!

Last night, I was invited to attend a sneak preview of the play, "I Fart In My Sleep," a world premiere written and directed by Jennifer Sorenson. I snagged this honor by 1. Being a blogger, (almost spelled that blooger), and 2. being friends with the wondrous Renee Scott, who ran this campaign to get in bloggers for publicity. It was also fantastic as fellow blogger and roomie, Trina Mock joined me, and we got to watch our idol (cough, cough), Jim Hanna perform. I miss theater and I love seeing my friends' work/play on stage.   When Renee asked if we could join the event, I was just tickled.

Here's the review:

This show is freaking fun and delightful. Jen bravely started blogging about her most embarrassing moments in life and then turned some of her most hilarious, and I'm assuming embarrassing stories into a show. One could think that turning your blog into a show might be a little self-indulgent, and then I would say get over it. Performing and sharing stories about your life goes hand in hand with a storyteller's life. If performers didn't do this, there would be no drama, no comedy, no stand-up, no Christopher Titus.

Trina and I before the show begins. 
The show opens up to 8 actors coming out on stage, claiming that they are Jennifer Sorenson and sharing something about "their" life. It ends with Jen standing center and telling us what we're in for. For the next 90 minutes, (no intermission, and you don't even notice the time fly), we are treated to 8 monologues brilliantly shared about Jen's life. The ensemble steps in to help tell the stories, become different people in her stories, her mom, her crush, her hungover old roommate, while in the back a projector shares pictures of her life and holds the title of the piece we're watching.

The set. 
The ensemble performed with an air of play and whimsy. There's a twisted joy watching a grown man share the humiliation that a middle school girl went through. I felt myself laughing and going, "aww" as the stories and the horrors were shared. I actually held myself back from reacting like they were a friend telling me a story as I was drawn in to each tale. You learn about Jen's first kiss, her life as a stand-in for Lea Thompson, and where the height of her humiliation took her in a yoga class.  I found myself  thinking about my embarrassing tales, my versions of certain stories, (like when you embarrass yourself in front of your crush), and I love that I was drawn in, and made comfortable in the mutual experiences. And some of her shit was just fucking hilarious. I commend Jen and her cast for telling these stories, because it's not often a thing you would share with a room full of strangers. HA! *chuckles to self in remembering last night's stories*

Myself, Renee, and Trina.  We had a good time. 
I caught Renee in the middle of a conference with Jen.
After the show, Renee introduced us to Jen, and instead of shaking her hand, I gave her a hug - cuz I think that's important. We laughed and had fun hanging with the cast and fellow bloggers. I even had my own awkward moment as the lobby suddenly went quite when I said I wanted to split a cupcake with Trina and not eat a whole one. You know, after we all knew that Renee made them from scratch and how weird is it to share a cupcake? I'm trying to be good, dammit! Luckily, as lots of awkward moments had been shared with the room, it made for a good laugh.

A lobby of bloggers & actors!



To sum up: GO SEE THE SHOW! Two thumbs over here. If you want to get in with a discount, here's your chance, there's a discount only if you use this code given to the bloggers from last night: BLGR. Go to www.theprodco.com or www.brownpapertickets.com/event/311544. That code gets you a $10 discount on any full priced ticket. This is the only way you're going to get discount.

Follow Jen on Twitter at @IFartInMySleep or @JennSoLa.



Jim & fellow cast members basking in the glow of a great show. 
I love this man, I really do.
The cover of our next album. 

In between poses for her blog-Trina laughing at Jim.
Cuz Jim's really good at modeling as well. 

2 comments:

  1. I love you, Patty Jean! I am so glad you loved the show, and I got to hang with you for a bit!! ((hugs)))

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  2. Ohmygod! What are we going to name our band?! (P.S. I am procrastinating on putting up my blog by reading yours).

    http://operationwearmycloset.blogspot.com/

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