No Strings (Attached)
Written and performed by Sunny Drake, directed by Gein Wong. Until March 26 at Buddies in Bad circumstances, 12 Alexander St. Buddiesinbadtimes and
Before you enter Buddies in Bad Times’ Cabaret area, an usher lovingly hands that you flower. But just it and arms that you button that says, “1 Min Romance Sober. as you’re through the doorway, another usher confiscates”
This is basically the setup to Sunny Drake’s show that is one-man dating and closeness in queer and trans communities. The piece happens within the fictional framework of a “Romance-aholics” conference, with Drake playing Jimmy, a filmmaker and activist torn between their modern politics and their dependence on traditional love tales. He addresses the audience as other Romance-aholics, telling us tales of their relationships that are past getting together with video variations of himself.
The style at first comes down as a little cutesy, but that is quickly cut through because of the intelligence regarding the writing and of Gein Wong’s way, and also by the adult that is no-holds-barred associated with content. Within seconds, Drake as Jimmy is miming very gymnastic intimate roles while launching himself to your market as an “Effeminate-Queer-Pansy-NonMonogamous-SparklyPrincess-SomewhatSluttyKinky-Transsexual-Man.”
Through the show Jimmy narrates their find it difficult to navigate the Wild West of today’s dating scene. A few of the challenges he faces are specific to their identity as trans: he defines just just what he calls “the Craigslist meltdown,” when someone he meets online can’t handle the disconnect between their male sex presentation and their genitalia, that are nevertheless ostensibly feminine (though Jimmy, because . But there is however additionally one thing for anyone who’s tried to navigate culture that is hookup remaining enthusiastic about “the variety of dating in which you, like, talk and stuff.”
Drake is a tremendously attractive performer: he demonstrably has exceptional physical theater training and an extraordinary ability to be emotionally current while delivering layered storytelling, by which he constantly moves between figures and circumstances. It is facilitated by affordable set design by Joe Pagnan: a seat, several white draperies, and a dummy upon which the impressive videos (by Wong, Laura Warren, Alex Williams and Hisayo Horie) are projected.
Jimmy, it emerges, is nevertheless pretty hung through to his ex Brian, but this causes him no end of angst because their politics make sure he understands that their wish to have a relationship that is monogamous incorrect on a variety of amounts: it is a cave-in to heterosexual values and element of a capitalist culture of possession.
As the jokes as well as the clever multimedia devices (live excerpts from a thought truth television show involving a gathering volunteer; a funny-scary movie sequence called the “Monogamy Police”) fly thick and quick, Drake menchats lands topical points concerning the challenges of residing ethically in a global by which one person’s liberation can very quickly subscribe to another’s oppression.
The show’s twist that is final Jimmy arriving at terms utilizing the supply of their lifelong insecurity and narcissism, the truth that produces sense of the employment of paint-stained bed linens as key props throughout. A puppet makes a belated and entrance that is memorable exposing just one more of Drake’s theatrical abilities. Although this series results in as profoundly thought and honest to Jimmy’s (and presumably, Drake’s) experience, it actually leaves the show a distance from its initial premise and verges in the indulgently healing.
This show, made by Pink Pluto and Ashes that is eventual to numerous nations before landing at Buddies, where Australian-born Drake is currently manager of this growing creators’ device. Along side Gertrude and Alice within the Buddies’ mainspace it includes another perspective that is valuable the experiences of queer communities — with a number of laughs and insights as you go along.