Read Our Lips

2009-04-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

Somehow we missed this the first year we did it. I hope Nashville Scene will come back to do more reviews next year...

From their MySpace:

"READ OUR LIPS This production is more or less a Vagina Monologues spin-off. The multi- and transgendered cast explores “thoughts, feelings and experiences of vaginas” with a broader focus on motherhood, menstruation, growing older and other V-Day-type concerns. Many of the performers are stage newcomers or proudly spiritual amateurs, and all of the material is original and written by the company. Magda Oakewoman directs. Proceeds from the show are earmarked for Mending Hearts, a West Nashville transitional living facility and safe haven for women at risk. For more information, write ReadOurLipsNashville @gmail.com. Feb. 15 & 17 at Café OutLoud; Feb. 16 at First Unitarian Universalist Church —MARTIN BRADY"

The Fat Lady has sung

2009-02-16T10:57:00.001-08:00

Well, that's it for 2009.

We had about 55-60 people show up for our 3 performances. Most of them were friends & family supporting us. That's okay. Maybe next year though, various aspects of life will change and we'll bring in more audience members.
Next year, we're thinking of doing the show the weekend after Valentine's, as to bring out the couples who are interested, but spent their Saturdays in more traditional ways. Plus, our own S.O.'s won't be left out.
Also, the economy may get a boost in February 2010, so people will be more inclined to leave their warm living rooms and donate to a good cause in exchange for entertaining and educational theatre.
Lastly, we're thinking that if we choose another relatively new venue, then we should promote in alliance with a more established setting- like linking OutCentral with the OutLoud! bookstore.
It's all about the lessons, isn't it? And we raised $400 for the very grateful Mending Hearts and that's the whole point.

Look out for our next project, dedicated to the experience of being a man- "Stand and Deliver". Auditions will be in late March. Start thinking about your pieces now and we'll see you then.

Midnight Radio?

2009-02-12T10:24:00.001-08:00

Hey, we were featured on "Nerd Prom" with DJ Irony this last Sunday. It was awesome. Check out the archive here: WRVU archives . Just click on Nerd Prom (Sunday, 8-10 a.m.) & it will stream. If you want to skip the music, Magda starts talking about 1 hour and 18 minutes into it.

Check us out live this coming Saturday on "Queer Talk", a.k.a. "Out of the Closet", 3-4 p.m. Chelsea & Brooke will be pouring out their hearts to the GLBT community.

WRVU 91.1 FM (All archived shows expire after 1 week.)

P.S. We have a Facebook event set up off of Christi Underdown's page. Also, we do have a MySpace account. Friend us & attend our event. See you this weekend!

2009 Cast Bios

2009-01-29T06:59:00.000-08:00

[Clockwise: Will Prater, Brooke Williams, Chelsea Loves, Magda Oakewoman]

Chelsea Loves,
2008-2009
Co-Director/Co-Producer,
is in her second year with Read Our Lips. An eclectic spiritual activist, she celebrates the rhythms of the Moon & seeks to co-create a more balanced world. Enthralled by decadent pleasure, she loves women, featherbeds, & the free and honest expression of people.

Magda Oakewoman,
2008-2009
Co-Director/Co-Producer,
has been a practicing Dionysian for almost as long as she can remember- participating in church, school and community productions in a multitude of functions. She has had a personal relationship with her vagina longer than that. Admittedly, both acts of worship had had their ups & downs.

Brooke Williams, a native Nashvillian, has been involved in all aspects of theatre & performing arts from playing music instruments, acting, improv, stage combat, costuming, writing, publicity, &c... She has missed theatre so much that she has agreed to get on stage and talk about her vagina.

William Prater has been in over 40 productions, all around Nashville and the surrounding areas. He has produced and performed in The Laramie Project, helping raise over 5,000 dollars benefiting The Matthew Shepard Foundation. He is also part of Can't Stop The Serenity, a global fundraiser for Equality Now. He is always happy to use the Arts to help entertain and educate the masses and wishes to thank Magda and crew for yet another opportunity in that effort! Oh, and L.U.D.

New and Improved!

2009-01-29T06:49:00.000-08:00

Here we go again! With the 1/2 the cast and twice and gumption! Cast pics and bios coming soon...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chelsea Loves, producer
Cell: 615-943-4636
Email: ReadOurLipsNashville@gmail.com

CELEBRATE VAGINAS FOR VALENTINES Local Production "Read Our Lips" Raises Money for Mending Hearts

Valentine's Day is quickly becoming a time to think, talk, and share about vaginas. Nashville will again have its own amateur production "Read Our Lips" to celebrate the topic.

The two hour show explores Nashville residents' thoughts, feelings, and experiences of vaginas, addressing topics like pleasure, violence, anatomy, gender roles, personal empowerment, and more. All pieces are original and written by the cast, which includes women and men. The show this year is a new cast and a whole new show from last year.

Read Our Lips is a fundraiser for Mending Hearts, a local transitional living facility and safe haven for women. Mending Hearts is located in West Nashville, and is home to almost 40 women at risk of becoming homeless due to addiction. More information and their wish list is available at www.mendingheartsinc.org.

Trina Frierson, Executive Director of Mending Hearts, says, "Every day a woman stays at Mending Hearts is another day that she learns a lesson about respecting herself, her body and those around her."

"Read Our Lips" performances will be Friday, Feburary 13th at 7:00 at OutCentral; Saturday, February 14th at 7:00 at the First Unitarian Universalist Church; and a final night performance on Sunday, February 15th at 7:00 pm at the Lipstick Lounge. Tickets are a special donation of $10 to Mending Hearts, cash and check accepted. Reservations: 615-945-2856 or ReadOurLipsNashville@gmail.com.

Read Our Lips Press Release

2008-01-18T17:52:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chelsea Loves

Cell: 615-943-4636

Email: ReadOurLipsNashville@gmail.com

CELEBRATE VAGINAS FOR VALENTINES
Local Production “Read Our Lips” Raises Money for Mending Hearts

Valentine's Day is quickly becoming a time to think, talk, and share about vaginas. This year, Nashville has its own amateur production “Read Our Lips” to celebrate the topic.

The two hour show will explore Nashville's thoughts, feelings, and experiences of vaginas, addressing topics like creation and motherhood, gender roles, pleasure, pain, menstruation, becoming a woman, growing older, and many more. All pieces are original and written by the cast, which includes women, men and transgendered persons.

The show is a fundraiser for Mending Hearts, a local transitional living facility and safe haven for women. Mending Hearts is located in West Nashville, and is home to almost 40 women at risk of becoming homeless due to addiction. More information and their wish list is available here.

Trina Frierson, Executive Director of Mending Hearts, says, "Every day a woman stays at Mending Hearts is another day that she learns a lesson about respecting herself, her body and those around her."

”Read Our Lips” performances will be Friday, Feburary 15th at 7:00 at Café OutlLoud, Saturday, February 16th at 7:00 at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, and a final matinee performance on Sunday, February 17th at 2:00 pm at Café OutLoud. Tickets are a special donation of $10 to Mending Hearts, cash and check accepted. Reservations: 615-945-2856 or ReadOurLipsNashville@gmail.com.

If you would like more information about this show, or to schedule an interview with the director, please call Magda Oakewoman at 945-2856, email ReadOurLipsNashville@gmail.com.

Cast Bios

2008-01-18T04:33:00.001-08:00

Magda Oakewoman, Director has been involved in theatre, performing in dance recitals, violin concerts, church benefits, high school Forensics competitions, and stage productions (academic and community), since she was a child. This is her first time officially directing, although she has spent the last six years as coordinator for The Circle of the Silver Scroll, a bardish company who valued sacred drama. As an egalitarian feminist, she has been showing off her schmende proudly for years in writing and storytelling.

Chelsea Loves, Producer is a mystic, energetic healer, and spiritual activist with a degree in Ontology. A Nashville native and experienced world wanderer, she lives in community in East Nashville, teaches yoga, and is part of a nonprofit that feeds the hungry. She is a big fan of God'dess, intricate folds, women, and Baroque philosophy. This is her first time producing and asks that her partners please be gentle. In her last foray onto the stage in 9th grade drama class, she was eaten by mashed potatoes. She is in love with vaginas, including her own Tiger Lily, and brings that love with her into this production.

Lisa Anderson is a Tennessee native and a newcomer to the Nashville stage. By day, she is a deceptively mild-mannered customer service agent for a local health care company; by night, she is a creative writer and passionate pop culture deconstructionist. Read Our Lips represents an opportunity for her to combine her two great loves—art and feminine spirituality—to help other women. You can enjoy reading Lisa's musings at http://storywh0re.blogspot.com/ or click here.

Linda Kay Bedell recently moved to Nashville from Birmingham, AL. She completed her undergraduate work in Theatre at Saginaw Valley State University and attended Graduate School at Western Illinois University where she majored in Directing. Ms. Bedell has been involved in Theatre both educationally and professionally. She was a founding member of the touring Improv group “Me, Her, & Some Other Guys”. She also directed and acted in murder mysteries with Richlinyard. Linda is excited to be a part of this production. It combines two of her favorite things…….live theatre and genitals.

Kell Coulter is a shy, diffident wallflower and a budding devotee of Kali. An accomplished musician, singer, dancer, and actor, Kell is a brazen attention whore who brings to this production a burning love of Death Metal and long history of theatre, opera, film, television, and musical performance (both solo and in groups). Kell enjoys her vagina and treats her very well. Though Kell suffers from Gender Dysphoria, she loves being female and has chosen to remain so, and is blessed to be part of a Community who supports her as she trudges the road to happy destiny.

Thomas Kopp has played music and acted in back yards, Pagan gatherings, college quads, and a roller rink. He has recorded songs in an abandoned chicken shed, and was once a practice patient for medical students. Having survived all that, he still has decided to pursue his life-long ambition of acting, performing music, and generally being the occasional center of attention. He is working on the movie Ariadne's Thread as an actor and co-producer, is writing a novel, has thought about doing standup, and needs to vacuum his apartment. He is very happy and honored to be involved in Read Our Lips.

Emily Mount is from Nashville, Tennessee. This is her first theatrical experience since being involved in high school theater at Hume-Fogg Academy, where she was student director of "Look Homeward, Angel" and "Voices from Washington High." By day, she coralls the chaos of ten toddlers, and on the nights and weekends she baristas at Café Outloud. This is her second season singing with Nashville in Harmony. She thanks Sue W. for helping her take her sexuality and spirituality out of the boxes they were in.

William Prater began acting in the fifth grade, when he stole the show with a tip of the hat. To date, he was been with 52 productions and performed at The Belcourt Theater, TPAC, and TSU as well as other venues throughout Tennessee. His work includes a yearly tour of The Laramie Project, performing in Three Sisters at TPAC, and directing Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. This year his production company, Prater Productions, expanded the agenda to include a weekly open mic, a bi-weekly "Black Box" presentation of new scripts, and four full theater productions in 2008.

Aubrey Weaver is thrilled to a part of Read My Lips. And is excited to be on stage in Nashville. She has appeared on stage in Birimingham, AL. Her most recent works include The Pillowman, The Children's Hour, and James and the Giant Peach.

Dana Weaver is an amazing Spirit Entertainer. She has traveled the US and Canada doing workshops on Feeling Good, Loving ourselves just as we are, and Being Fabulous. She is very passionate about living a life of balance and empowering who we are. She is very proud to be apart of this show because it talks about issues that affect so many. The more we can talk up front about our feminine souls, the more we can heal it, and the more Humanity balances the view of women and their sexuality. Dana loves her vagina, being female, and loves who she is as a person and all the roles that she has chosen to embody. Her vagina has been in a 28 year relationship with the same penis.

Jaime Williams is a pre op M2F transgender, pisces born in the year of the dragon, in an open marriage with a beautiful heterosexual woman. She is originally from West Chicago, Illinois. She has a bachelors in business administration, an associates in accounting, she was a truck driver and now she works as a security guard. She would one day like to have a career where she can use her education and creativity.

Show Times

2008-01-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

There will be more formal announcements in the future, but since some of you have asked, here's the final decision...

Happy V-Day!

Feb. 15th 7 p.m. @ The Cafe at OutLoud!
Feb. 16th 7 p.m. @ 1st U.U. on Woodmont
Feb. 17th 2 p.m. @ OutLoud [note the time change]

Tickets will be offered at the special donation price of $10. All proceedings will go to the charity Mending Hearts.

Ask if you have questions,
Magda

My Pu55y is Magic

2008-01-11T16:30:00.001-08:00

Special thanks to Tiffany at OutLoud! Bookstore for bringing this video to my attention. Caution: This contains nudity, other explicitness, etc.

Enjoy!

Here is the clip if the embedding doesn't work.

Snatchel Makin' Lady

Discussion Time

2008-01-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you can post to blogspot with an OpenID? This includes LiveJournal and WordPress to name a few. I want to know what you hope to accomplish or see happen through being involved (whether performing, crew, or simply watching the production)? Have you had any kodak moments so far? What are they?

Snatchel Makin' Lady

Update

2008-01-09T15:13:00.001-08:00

We have had our first two rehearsals and things are coming together nicely. We have a good list of monologues (reminder, rough drafts are due Sunday).

I am excited about the diverse group of performers that we have involved-- male, female, gay, straight, transgendered, etc (email me if you have another label you want me to include). This has been a learning process for me, and I am happy to be involved.

-Snatchel Makin' Lady

Application

2008-01-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

See December 20 entry for production information.

Name of participant:

Phone number:

Email:

Working title of piece:

Estimated time of piece (under 5 minutes is preferred):

Media of piece (e.g., prose, poetry, song, &c.):

Synopsis of idea:

Here are some questions about your vagina. Answer as many as you feel comfortable, and use the process as a jumping off place for your own inspiration. Please send your answers in with your Proposal.

Tell us about your vagina...

What are your name(s)/ term(s) for your vagina?
What does your vagina desire more than anything right now?
What does your vagina feel like?
What does your vagina look like?
What does your vagina taste like?
What does your vagina smell like?
What would your vagina like to hear?
What does your vagina do for a living?
What is your vagina thinking about right now?
What would your vagina fight/love for?
What is your vagina's 1st memory?
What is your vagina's favorite story?

Read Our Lips Nashville

2007-12-20T18:58:00.000-08:00

Read Our Lips Nashville is a performance of original pieces about our vaginas. Inspired by Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues, we are committed to expressing our own ideas, thoughts, feelings, experiences, and celebrations of our vaginas. We will have an all woman cast, but welcome male allies in support roles. We will make space for everyone who wants to be included and is an active participant in the rehearsal and development process.

Our performance will be Saturday, February 16th at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Nashville. All ticket sales will benefit Mending Hearts, a wonderful organization getting women off the streets, out of prostitution, and off of drugs. This is a homegrown production with a minimal budget, so all pieces need to be original works and all costuming, props, and special equipment like musical gear need to be provided by each performer. We will be creative and flexible, and ask that each performer take a similar attitude. Ultimately, each performer is responsible for her own piece. The rehearsals will be space to develop, modify, and practice our pieces and to stitch them into a show.

TIME COMMITMENT: We will have three rehearsal times each week, and ask that all performers attend two of the three. Our first meeting will be Sunday, January 6th, 2008 from 6:00-9:00. We will continue to have full cast rehearsals each Sunday night after that through our performance. Also, on Monday and Tuesday nights we will have small group rehearsals. We ask that each performer attend EITHER Monday OR Tuesday, depending on availability. Monday night rehearsals will be facilitated by Chelsea from 6:00-8:00 pm, and Tuesday nights will be with Magda from 7:00-9:00 pm. We ask that each performer attend a minimum of 5 full cast rehearsals, with the last two being mandatory, and at least 5 small group rehearsals.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: Think about your vagina. Use some of the questions below as a jumping off place, if you like. Conceive of a piece about your vagina that you would like to perform, and fill out the proposal sheet below. Your piece can be a poem, a monologue, a song, a performance piece, etc. It can be something you have already written, or something new. We just ask that it be your original work. We are accepting proposals from December 21st-January 4th. Email your proposal to ReadOurLipsNashville@gmail.com or mail it to Magda Oakewoman, 550 McCrory Creek Rd Apt. B7, Nashville, TN 37214. Come to our first meeting on January 6th, and be able to make the time commitment for rehearsals and the performance.

We will also need stage hands, ticket takers, etc. Please email ReadOurLipsNashville@gmail.com if you would like to participate in a non-performance capacity.

CONTACT US: Questions? Concerns? Want more information? Stay tuned to our blog at http://readourlipsnashville.blogspot.com/. Or email readourlipsnashville@gmail.com. Or call Chelsea at 615-943-4636. We look forward to hearing from you and developing this show together!

Welcome to the Official Read Our Lips Nashville Blog!

2007-12-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

We are working on a production of vagina centric media to be performed in Nashville February 2008. We are currently welcoming proposals for pieces. Please e-mail us for more information!