/// If Boys Wore the Skirts ///
John Borek's 60th birthday centered on a revival of this children's play that had made a big impression on him as a grade school student. A high school troupe did a straight staging of the original, a light-hearted gender role reinforcer by one Ann Coulter Martens. John gave our troupe carte blanche to follow up and reinterpret at will.
Our version anchored on a high-concept exploration of gender otherness, a world in which an individual's gender particularness was a clear and poetic genital object (in skirt format).
Please relive this show with us through Annette Dragon's excellent photography. Directed by Mary Lew.
Introducing Maurice, a popcorn-enjoying audience member who just saw If Boys Wore the Skirts. |
Watching plays can make you sooo sleepy ... |
Announcer (Ian Downey) wakes Maurice into a dream and introduces the cast. |
Natural Kid (Bobby Maville) is everyone's friend. |
Clouds (Chris Reeg) is enigmatic and surprisingly strong. |
Balloon Kid (Jeffrey Askins) is quiet and reserved (perhaps a bit sensitive). |
Party Hats and Waterslides (Kameron Tea) is gregarious and almost too much fun. |
Good morning friend. |
The school day hasn't quite begun. Here are these two having fun. |
Sometimes personalities collide over silly stuff. |
Today Balloons has brought in a concerning Object. |
Everyone is curious about this Object. |
A sudden surprise! |
Cut! The Director (Ted Forsyth) has some input. |
Extra double cut! Here comes the Writer, Ann Coulter Martens (Jenny Mariano) herself! |
It is clear we have been doing it wrong. |
The target of
Ann Coulter Martens complaint? |
Poor Balloons! They were already having a weird day... |
Ann Coulter Martens has a solution! And that solution is ... Pants! |
Ann Coulter Martens leads the group in bullying Balloons to wear the pants. |
Balloons in pants. |
Ann Coulter Martens has triumphed! |
But not for long... |
Welcome ... Yamanba the Mountain Hag! (Masumi) |
Who is the mysterious new character? |
Only Nature Kid can interpret their strange warblings. |
They relay a message of peace, that can only be found in one garment ... People Bag! |
Everyone happily agrees to wear People Bag |
Yamanba leads the solved cast offstage. |
What a lovely cast !!! |
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