Body Stories (a working title)
An Original Sundown Collaborative Theatre Creation
Conceived and guided by Brandy Townsend
Every body has a story.
Body Stories is the second in Sundown’s Stories (a working title) series, in which the company collects stories graciously submitted by the community and then a cast comes together to devise something completely original. As was done in Love Stories at the beginning of 2020, the cast has taken these submissions, along with many of their own lived experiences, and weaved them into a devised piece about the highs and lows of life in a variety of diverse bodies. These stories are about what it’s like to live in our bodies, about the great times, the heartbreaking times, the uncomfortable times. These stories are about (and for) all of us.
This devised piece will ask questions like: What is life like inside your body? How does your body affect the way you move through the world? How does the world around you respond to your body? It will explore and showcase the ways the size, gender, race, health, age, condition, etc. of our bodies can impact our lives. Together with the cast, audiences will explore the many ways our bodies cause us to rage, lament, and rejoice.
This thoughtful and impactful work will leave audiences inspired, introspective, and hopefully feeling very loved and accepted exactly as they are.
CONTENT ADVISORY:
This production will cover stories that include medical negligence, trauma, abuse, body dysphoria, fatphobia, discrimination, ableism/racism/ageism/sexism/misogyny, sexual harassment, unlawful imprisonment, panic attacks, and strong language around those topics.
Brandy Townsend is making their semi directing debut with this production. Due to the collaborative and creative nature of this process Brandy sees themself more as the creation guide than a traditional director. They are thrilled to have brought this diverse group of
performers together to create a beautiful showcase of life in different bodies. They are a member of Sundown and have been onstage and backstage in a number of the theatre’s productions.
"Expressing my broken and brown body experience from the theatrical stage is going to be golden. Being a part of Body Stories - a part of righteous truth telling - is truly an honor." - Valois J. Vera, cast member
“I've been lucky enough to spend the last month watching this amazing group of individuals put in some very caring work into writing this show, and I'm excited to be blown away by their work as performers. Now, having written pretty much everything at this point, we have to face that funny joke we play on ourselves as writer-actors: we have to actually DO all the stuff we said we would- we have to dance and cackle and scream and cry and hold each other close. It's like we saw into each other's minds and now we have to get back into our bodies and do the damn thing. It's funny, we were all strangers just a second ago, but I'm not the least bit afraid to get this thing on the stage, because I know I'm safe and supported in the capable hands of this group.” -Betti Tristan, cast member
JULY 28th-30th & AUGUST 4th-6th @ 8pm
(The August 4th performance will include ASL interpreters)
Live at Aura Coffee
Address:
1306 W HICKORY ST. DENTON, TX
Tickets are $15 for the general public, $12 for seniors and students, $10 for Patreon supporters.
House will open 15 minutes before performances.
CAST:
Bethany Soder
Betti Tristan
Candice Thornton
Carrissa Davis
Jacob Drum
Jeanette Laredo
Lauren Juckniewitz
Luis Aleman Alvarez
Michelle Henderson
Ray Patterson
Valois Vera
William Storm
CREW:
Creation Guide: Brandy Townsend
Stage Manager/Creative Team: Carrissa Davis Tech Support/Creative Team: Criss Forshay Lighting Designer: Ryan Davila
Sound Design: Kara Bruntz
Producing Member: Lindsey Hall
Poster Design/Producing Support: Julia Bodiford
