No Traveler and Hi, How Can I Help You East to Edinburgh July 14th 15th and 16th 9pm at 59 E 59 St. Theater, located at 59 East 59th Street New York, NY 10022-1104
Penny Pollak and Scout Durwood, Two Leading Ladies of the NYC underground performance scene whose appearances range from Comedy Central, the Late Show with Howard Stern, CBS Radio, MTV and Features in New York Magazine, Backstage, The Village Voice, NY Press, nytheater.com and Broadwayworld.com, present their solo shows as part of the East to Edinburgh festival for three nights only July 14, 15 and 16.
For the price of one you get two critically acclaimed shows representing the struggles and hilarity that we all experience, innovatively stylized yet universally relatable.The silly side of the sex industry and A comedy about suicideNo TravelerPenny Pollak surrenders to a flashing razor blade, heaven, hell, musical dance numbers, a bucket and a body count of nine. "No Traveler" combines vaudevillian moments, original music and the universal experience of the heartbreaking act of suicide with the one thing that helps us keep going... laughter. Did I mention there's a body count of nine.
Comedienne Scout Durwood presents, "Hi, How Can I Help You?" a one woman musical following the lives of six women employed at a New York City house of domination the night of the 2008 presidential election as they navigate the volatile economy of the sex industry during a recession. All of the show's music is performed live onstage using instruments ranging from a ukulele, jingle bells, a recorder, a vocal looper, and beer filled glasses, The show is inspired by a sense of children at play, embracing the silly rather than the sexy side of life as a dominatrix. Darcy, the phone girl, tries to keep everything in order as Genevieve, the dungeon's most popular mistress -loved by clients and hated by her co-workers-argues with Jane, a veteran mistress who just can't seem to leave the Paddle no matter how hard she tries. Dazed and confused Charlotte rollerdances and hula hoops her way through the evening singing the praises of her polyamorous boyfriend, Dan, and Lisa, the madame behind the madness, interviews a new mistress and explains how she got involved in this crazy world in the first place.
Hailed as "a breath of fresh air on the comic scene...her presence and her sense of wit is to say the least... Extraordinary!!!..." by Frankie Russo, of CBS Radio's SCOUT DURWOOD is an NYC based actor, comedienne and burlesque performer as well as a founding member of Mighty Little Productions. (www.mighty-little.com). A Kansas City native, she came to New York City via Amherst College where she received cum laude honors for her first solo show, "Adym and Stevie," earning her degree in Political and Social Activism Through Theatre. Scout is currently developing a new one woman musical, "Hi, How Can I Help You?" thanks to a grant from Brooklyn Arts Exchange, set to debut this August in Edinborough, Scottland. GO! Magazine calls her "a dynamically talented woman" and Martin Denton of NYTheatre.com says, "her performance is funny and emotionally honest and she has stage presence to spare."Her work has been featured on The Howard Stern Show, CBS Radio, Curve, GO! And Diva Magazine, The Miss America Pageant, and just about every venue in New York City with a stage and a mic. Theatre credits include the east coast premier of "Exposed" with Annie Sprinkle, "Ardor Doody" with The Subjective Theatre Company, and "V-Love" with Mighty Little Productions. (www.scoutdurwood.com)
Penny PollakPENNY POLLAK's work described as "dark and a little creepy" by reviewers "brings a physicality to her roles that make her captivating to watch; she has amazing energy and vulnerability at the same time which coats each one of her characters with a layer of authenticity that reverberated throughout her performance" (Thehappiestmedium.com) Penny is "an actress who can flip from funny to tragic in one scene, often in one line" "Penny earns major points for her creativity in her dark and fascinating No Traveler" (stagebuzz.com) that she both wrote and performed in receiving glowing reviews in this years NYC Frigid Festival at Under St. Marks Theater. She recently starred in ‘Broken Dog Legs' a one-woman play by Emily Conbere where "Pollak's shadowy voice is creepy enough to feign tales of sorrow, often spooky with her brooding eyes and dark locks"(showbusinessweekly.com) mixed with her odd sense of humor had the audiences in tears of laughter. Her other credits include Amusing Lies and Lullabies at the Kraine Theater. Mozart and Don Juan at the Kings Head Theatre London UK, The Yabbok and Mysticism Through Dance London, UK For almost three years now she has hosted and producEd Penny's Open Mic, (featured in Backstage.com, The NY Press and Time Out Magazine) a weekly show located at Under St. Mark's Theater. A founding member of (a)muse collective now Odd heart Productions and residents of Horse Trade Theater Company she has produced and performed in just about every performance venue, bar and street corner since she moved here almost three years ago. She graduated with a degree in Theater and a minor in Sociology. After graduation she studied at the London theater intensive program at Rose Bruford College, UK. She has won awards for her writing as well as been featured in a number of readings in NYC. www.pennypollak.com www.pennysopenmic.com
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