What a gorgeous group of performers.  THAT girl is SEXY.  Ok, good, you have that out of your system?  Are you ready to pay attention?  CUNT REVEAL!!! 

This all happens in the first 3 rather serious minutes of Young Jean Lee’s UNTITLED FEMINIST SHOW.  The cast of 6 f*cking fantastic performers enters nude, exhaling in unison, but with a twinkle in their eyes (I especially noticed this small promise of joy to come in Becca Blackwell’s expression) that reassures any d-bags in the audience who are wary of the whole “feminist” part of this thing that no straight white males were harmed in the making of the work.

The major triumph of UNTITLED FEMINIST SHOW is that it is a celebration of humanity.  Through camp, dance, wordless song, posturing, and mime these performers tell a story about who they are, and who WE are, as humans.  They are funny, endearing, fierce, sexy, vulnerable, and true.  This show makes me want to be friends with all of them.

Some highlights:

Ballet style camp with an insane injection of personality, performed so ludicrously that it crossed over some invisible line to believability.

Lady Rizo executing the dirtiest/funniest mime bit I’ve ever seen.  I was simultaneously TERRIFIED that she might and EPICALLY LONGING for her to make eye contact with me, even though it was clear that nothing would be required of whomever she chose.

My favorite use of nudity ever.  About ten minutes into the show I thought how any other costume choice would be random and absurd, the nudity is inevitable.

A slow motion throw down fight between Desiree Burch and Hilary Clark with incredible physical reactions from the other four cast members.  My eyes were filled with horrifically glorious entertainment everywhere I looked.  I would have liked to see that part six times in a row so I could watch each performer’s entire journey.

Beginnings of things that I KNEW, that immediately took a turn into something I didn’t know.

Dance that looked like dance – known vocabulary performed by unadorned unknown bodies – is this commentary?  Is this celebration?  Leaping across the OtB stage nude suddenly seemed like the most pleasurable thing I could possibly do.

The absolute best onstage orgy I’ve ever seen.  And I’m a modern dancing burlesque drag king - I’ve seen quite a few.

Ok, every moment was basically a highlight.  I didn’t even talk about Katy Pyle and Malinda Ray Allen’s lesbo-rific duet, or Allen’s strange and unforgettable la-la song, or Becca Blackwell’s remarkable solo with its delightful undertone of one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others and masterful comedic execution.  Young Jean Lee has crafted something magical and stunning and hilarious and important.  This show is brilliant. 

PS – Dear Young Jean Lee, if Becca Blackwell ever gets a cold or has a prior engagement and needs an understudy, I would fully jump through hoops of lava encrusted fire to play that role.  Thank you Becca for creating it.  xo, Ricki Mason aka Lou Henry Hoover