Sarah Jones at TED

The theme of this series of 2009 TED talks was invention, so they, wisely brought in a solo performer... the celebrated Ms. Sarah Jones.

In this hilariously lively performance, actress Sarah Jones channels an opinionated elderly Jewish woman, a fast-talking Dominican college student and more, giving TED2009 just a sample of her spectacular character range.

ABOUT SARAH JONES:

Tony Award-winning monologist, UNICEF ambassador, firebrand and FCC-fighting poet -- Sarah Jones assumes as many roles offstage as on. Her website has loads of info.

"Chameleon-like" barely describes the astonishing ease in which Sarah Jones slips in out out of the characters in her solo performances -- as many as fourteen personae in her off-Broadway hit Bridge & Tunnel. Critics marvel not only at her ability to perfectly mimic accents and mannerisms, but also to seemingly reshape her body down to pupils and dimples in the blink of an eye.

Jones' performances showcase a biting political awareness, and she has received commissions from Equality Now, the Kellogg Foundation and the National Immigration Forum to address issues of injustice and inequality. She is the official spokesperson on Violence Against Children for UNICEF, and performs globally to  focus awareness on child abuse.

"Jones, who is ... a sort of multicultural mynah bird, lays our mongrel nation before us with gorgeous, pitch-perfect impersonations of the rarely heard or dramatized." ~ New Yorker

Solo Spotlight On: YOGA BITCH by Suzanne Morrison

"Alternately side-splitting and stomach-curdling, writer/actress Suzanne Morrison's autobiographical monologue is savagely funny. . . . Through sheer force of talent and personality, she is able to shock and horrify patrons without sacrificing their implicit faith in the complete and total logic of each decision that she makes. Ambitious, ballsy, and hilarious, Yoga Bitch is surely the best one-woman show I've seen all year."

--Virginia Zech, Seattle Weekly

When Suzanne Morrison arrived in Bali for a two-month yoga retreat, she thought she was on the path to inner peace and killer abs. She imagined that she would return to the States a changed person, no longer cowering in the shadows of life but instead making like a scented candle and calling herself Tranquility. But the universe had other plans for her...

In her hilarious solo show, Suzanne Morrison explores her attempts to find her Higher Self in a strange world where blenders become possessed by spirits, Prada lust is at a fever-pitch, a milkshake can throw a guru into a rage, and everyone around her tries to make her drink her own pee. Directed by Jean-Michele Gregory, Yoga Bitch offers an irreverent glimpse at what can go wrong on the road to enlightenment. 

More info on Suzanne Morrison at her blog. More info on the show here.

Solo Spotlight On: ODYSSEY by Theatre Ad Infinitum

Odyssey - Winner of The Stage ‘best solo performer' award at the Edunburgh Fringe.

Lecoq-trained performer Geroge Mann and his director Nir Paldi of Theatre Ad Infinitum reinvent the timeless Greek myth. One actor. One hour. One man’s epic quest to reunite with his family and seek his bloody revenge. Passionate, highly physical and poignant storytelling brings this breathtaking adventure to life.

‘Best of the Fringe’ (Observer) and an official Fringe sell-out show 2009, this critically acclaimed tour de force continues to tour internationally. Odyssey is a journey that will ignite the imagination and awaken the senses… 'Theatre Ad Infinitum have moved to the front of the pack' (Guardian).

Odyssey is a co-devised and co-written piece directed by Nir Paldi and performed George Mann.

Website and info here.

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Dan Hoyle's THE REAL AMERICANS

Earlier this month I caught Dan Hoyle's show THE REAL AMERICANS at the Painted Bride Theatre in Philadelphia.

Besides the wonderful things I could say about both Dan's writing as well as his performance, I have to give him kudos for one moment of pure spontaneity. Somehow a dog wandered up onto the stage part way through his show the night I attended (was this a pet someone had brought in?). Just as the whole audience began to turn its attention away from the story to wonder "hey, is that a dog up there?" Dan acknowledged the canine with a quick ad-lib and touched based real quick with the audience - while still totally in character - and then continued with the show.

Also, here's a great peek behind the development process in this mini-documentary...



You can read more about Dan's show THE REAL AMERICANS on his website.

Celebrating the Solo Performer...

I envision a site for solo theatre performers to share insights, ideas, war stories, essays, memories, resources, etc. This site will be a celebration and exploration of the solo performer on stage.

Coming soon...