YES? NO? MAYBE SO? Back For Encore Performance

Catherine Barnes intended to write a show about being a musician in San Diego until an awkward and uncomfortable appointment with a neurologist who said some strange and harassing things during the exam led her to a new theme: consent. That was going to be a challenge for Catherine based on her history...and that's why she did it!

The result is Yes? No? Maybe So?, which premiered as part of this year's virtual SoloFest and earned both the "Female Empowerment Award" and an encore virtual performance from the Whitefire Theater on Sunday, June 13 at 6 p.m.

The summary for Yes? No? Maybe So?: After an unsettling doctor's appointment, Catherine's inner social justice warrior, Professor Sarah P. Outrage, takes Catherine on a hilarious musical tour of her own fraught relationship with boundaries. Will Catherine find the courage to speak up about what happened to her even though she sucks at consent? A review from the March premiere called it an "unmissable, unrelenting and truly hilarious musical extravaganza."

"I didn't want to write a show about consent because I know I've made a lot of mistakes in that area," Barnes said. "My director (Jessica Lynn Johnson) suggested that this might be the exact reason I should write about the topic."

Barnes is a true multi-hyphenate, working as a drummer in a band, comedian, songwriter, teacher, novelist and solo theatre artist in San Diego. She debuted her first solo show International Man of Mystery, at the San Diego International Fringe Festival in 2018, and, while on tour, it went on to win awards at both Tucson Fringe and Hi-Desert Fringe.

Barnes is thrilled to present this show to even more patrons as part of this unique virtual opportunity. After this encore performance, Barnes is hoping to bring the show to Hollywood Fringe.

Yes? No? Maybe So? is not your typical solo show. Beyond the unique characters--a social justice warrior, a smoking hot high school crush, Barnes' inner bitch, etc.--the seasoned musician incorporates green screen technology to showcase herself singing live to recordings of her playing percussion to essentially create a "solo band."

"Also, even though I'm exploring a very important and serious topic, the show is very funny," Barnes said. "I want audiences to laugh out loud and learn from my mistakes. I also hope they have compassion for their own mistakes and feel a renewed commitment to their own and others' consent."

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