“When The Words Fail Us: Art and Trans Identities”

To extend the conversation that started last weekend during previews of Perishable’s production of John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and The Angry Inch, Perishable, in partnership with Rhode Island Council For the Humanities, The Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Action Fund and The New England Foundation for the Arts, is presenting two ‘Humanities Bridge’ panels.

The first of these two panels, “When The Words Fail Us: Art and Trans Identities” happens today, Wednesday April 21 at 5:30 pm in Perishable’s black box space on Empire Street. Below is text that gives some context for the conversation:

When identities are fluid, it makes sense that vocabularies used to describe them would be too. People in the trans community, as well as allies, don’t have great ways to track the changing conversation, but artists are often able to respond quickly to the changes, adapting their creative processes and performances to suit incredibly dynamic contexts. How are conversations about Trans issues shaped by the language we have to access them? How does art give us new language to access the conversation? This discussion will provide a forum for artists to offer first-person perspectives on shifting linguistic norms and the multiple meanings of their work.

Click here to go to the perishable home page where you can check out panelist bios as well as purchase tickets for the show.

Wednesday, 5:30pm, Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street, 331.2695

Tickets are now on sale for the Perishable Theatre production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Performances will run from April 16 through May 9. Written by John Cameron Mitchell with composer Stephen Trask, Hedwig is . . .

. . . a boisterous, exuberant story of failed and redeemed love. This is a story of a boy in East Berlin, who fell hopelessly in love with an American G.I. and underwent a sex-change operation in order to marry him and flee to the west. A plan that went horribly awry.

This cast includes local actor Alexander Platt as Hedwig with Liz Gotauco as ‘her’ sidekick Yitzhak. Hedwig’s band The Angry Inch appears on the stage the entire performance, led by David Tessier and featuring local musicians Brandon Capaldo, David Rabinow and Paul “Zeus” Souza.

Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street, 621.6123, $20 - $10, Group rates available, Art Tix

Sign up now for something different. Perishable issues this invitation.

Does winter get you down? Combat those short drab days by creating some drama of your own! Classes start January 19-27 for Perishable Theatre Arts School’s Winter Quarterly. Perishable offers acting and playwriting training for adults. Our instructors are leading area professionals who foster a fun learning environment. All classes meet weekly at Perishable Theatre 95 Empire Street, Providence. For more information call 401.331.2695 ext. 102. For full class descriptions and course tuition click here.

Winter course offerings range from $185 to $210. Also, January 15th is the deadline for submissions to the 15th International Women’s Playwriting Festival.

Who knows — could change your life.

Attention nerds, geeks, and sci-fi freaks; this one’s for you! Tickets always go fast for this annual production, a fundraising event to benefit Perishable Theatre Arts School. This year’s theme — A Space Odyssey — promises “holiday cheer from across the Milky Way and beyond!” How about an homage to Barbarella performed by Miss BettySioux Tailor? Or Blitzen Von Schtupp’s interpretation of Dr. Who? This is gonna be good. In the past, the ‘Belles and Balls’ revues have been a crazy amalgam of naughty and goofy, and while you can’t see everything, it’s pretty risqué. The holiday theme just makes it weirder (Miss Honey Pot does an alien Blue Christmas this year) with stripping Santas and such. It is staged just like a classic burlesque show, the strip tease acts interspersed with some real dopey comedy bits, and last year there was a little something for the ladies.

Tickets for the ‘Santa Claus Gala Celebration’ on Friday, December 11th (two shows; 7pm and 9:30pm) are still available but space is limited. Your $50 ticket also gets you into The Starlight Lounge for the Risqué Raffle, a cool T-shirt and swag bag and the cash bar.

‘General Elf Shows’ will run at 7pm and 9:30pm on December 12th and 13th — tickets $20.

Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street, 401.331.2695 X103. Complete schedule go here.

Stuck for things to talk about on Thanksgiving? This will kick things off. Perishable Theatre has just announced it is holding auditions for its spring production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. (I hope they won’t take this the wrong way, but I’d pay pretty good money to watch the auditions.) They are seeking a Hedwig and a Yitzhak. To prepare:

1) A brief piece of text (one minute or less) which you can perform as either a male or female character. THE TEXT SHOULD NOT BE FROM “HEDWIG.”

2) Sixteen bars of a rock song which you can also perform as either a man or a woman. AGAIN, DO NOT BRING A SONG FROM THE SHOW. If you would like accompaniment, bring an instrumental cd (no vocals). Preferably, be prepared to sing a cappella with a microphone (provided.)

3) You may also be asked to read monologues from the script. Some approximation of an East-German accent is helpful but not mandatory.

Um, the emphasis is theirs and I guess theater people understand why this is so important. The auditions are by appointment. They prefer you email megansz@gmail.com, or you can call 401.331.2695 ext.302. If you have a headshot/resume, include that in your email. If not, please include some info about yourself and why you’re interested in the show. Many more details about the production after the jump.

Auditions Monday, December 7th, 7pm to 10pm, 95 Empire Street, 3rd floor

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At Perishable Theatre,

Hosts David Higgins and Nicole LeDuc welcome you to Blood from a Turnip, November style. Enjoy the late night puppet salon that has lasted longer than some marriages.

$5, 10pm, Friday, Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street

Perishable Theatre is throwing a yard sale today.

The theatre will be selling a variety of props, costumes and materials from its past seasons as well as furniture, vintage electronics, and a selection of Perishable products, including printed anthologies of its past International Womens’ Playwriting Festival, posters from its recent seasons, and some Jingle Belles paraphernalia.

10:30am to 4pm, Saturday, Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street

Providence, RI: Perishable Theatre, Rhode Island’s Research and Development Theatre announces its latest fundraiser, a Perishable YA(R+D) Sale on Saturday June 20 from 10:30am to 4pm at its downtown location, 95 Empire Street, downtown Providence. The theatre will be selling a variety of props, costumes and materials from its past seasons as well as furniture, vintage electronics, and a selection of Perishable products, including printed anthologies of its past International Womens’ Playwriting Festival, posters from its recent seasons, and some Jingle Belles paraphernalia. All proceeds will support artistic programming at Perishable Theatre.

What: A Perishable YA(R+D) Sale

When: Saturday June 20 10:30am-4pm

Where: Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street, Ground-floor theatre

RAIN OR SHINE

Perishable Theatre 95 Empire Street, Providence RI 401-331-2695

for more information visit www.perishable.org

Perishable Theatre

95 Empire Street, Providence RI 02903

Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 3 pm.

Resident Artist at Perishable Theatre Amy Lynn Budd uses theatre, burlesque dance, puppetry, digital media, and references the genre of 1960’s sci-fi movies to navigate her experience of sudden serious illness.

$20/$15 students, seniors, military/$10 for Perishable members.  Discount rates available for groups of 6 or more.
ArtTix at www.arttixri.com or at the number below:

ArtTix Sales Office:      (401) 621-6123
Group Sales:                 (401) 331-2695 x 103

This has it all. Starting Friday at Perishable a new production written by Amy Lynn Budd and directed by Connie Crawford, The Thing That Ate My Brain… Almost, tagged as a “neo-burlesque sci-fi feature”. Talk about a crowd-pleaser. The play runs from April 24th to May 10th.

Starts Friday, 8pm, runs about 90 minutes, $10 to $20, Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street, 621.6123

“Deca*Go*Go: The Exquisite Corpse Plays” opens at Perishable Theatre tomorrow.  It’s 10 plays in 90 minutes, which is great both for people with ADD and spouses who hate long plays.  The explanation of Deca*Go*Go is pretty odd:

This ninety-minute dreamscape features talking mice, gorgons, soothsayers, gods and goddesses, bowler hats, space aliens, illicit substances, Hindu funerals, and the Lone Ranger.

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Congratulations to Perishable Theatre and everyone involved in last Friday’s ‘Jingle Belles and a Few Balls 4′.  This annual vaudevillian burlesque revue zipped along with charming stripteasers slowly peeling down to their little Christmas-y pasties (in one instance, marshmallows) and a couple of goofy comedy acts. The evening was hosted by the easily-shocked but never cornball brother-sister act of Daphne and Marty. The dancers were all flirtatious and sexy (they must be fun girlfriends). Marvelous Marvin was a juggling clown perv who was both hard to watch and weirdly compelling. I’d like to make note of the crazy belly-dancing routine of the Doborsheik Dames — I know just how hard it is to make that look easy — that was amazing choreography. And a certain Miss Coco Buttah (a.k.a. Joe Wilson Junior, the actor) brought down the house with ‘Santa Claus is a Black Man’ (a song that I can not get out of my head!!!).

I never posted about this show because it had sold out by the time I even thought about it. It is a fundraising event for the Perishable Theatre Arts School and it sells out every year.  I am hoping that Perishable can figure out how to extend the run by next December.

(I know I keep posting about titties and stuff, but just for the record, I’m still not gay.)