Brava Theatre Presents THE OLDEST PROFESSION, 3/12

To create discourse about sex and age, Brava Theater presents The Oldest Profession, written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paula Vogel (How I Learned to Drive, Baltimore Waltz).  Directed by Brava Company Member Evren Odcikin and musical arrangements by Angela Dwyer, this production recognizes the awareness of women playwrights and the men that support them. Vogel's commentary on aging and sex will come to life during Women's History Month and in correlation with Support Women Arts Now (SWAN) DAY on March 26th. The Oldest Profession runs March 12th through April 9th (press opening, Monday, March 14th) at Brava Theater in San Francisco's historic Mission District (2781 24th Street at York). For tickets ($10-25) and information, the public can call the Brava Theater Box Office at 415-647-2822 or visit www.brava.org.

The Oldest Profession begins on January 19, 1981, the day before Ronald Reagan is elected to the US presidency.  Five ladies in their 70s "lunch" in Central Park. It might look like a fun day out in the sun as five 'cute little old ladies' lounge,  but as we enter the world of these five "girls", we discover that they are not lounging, but they are "working".  We are introduced to these charming 'working girls' and become enthralled in their desire to keep the business going - even if it means dying on the job.  Filled with Ms. Vogel's distinct style - with observations on the 'pain of life' sprinkled with searing humor, The Oldest Profession is a funny and touching remark on the oldest profession in the world.
 
Artistic Director Raelle Myrick-Hodges comments, "Women's History Month was originally started in our region in Sonoma County. It is so exciting to do a play that is an honor to produce for women's month and I love the writing of Paula Vogel. It was a perfect coupling. Adding Evren as a director may have seemed a strange choice, however, Evren has been a member of Brava since my first season and brought this play to me for Women's Month. It's why I like the producing at Brava - we pick artists, not identities."
 
Director Odcikin, who has directed Machinal and Bare Knuckle for Brava in the past two seasons, adds: "Paula Vogel, as an artist, as a teacher, and as a person, is a huge inspiration and I can't wait to delve into her creative world once again. The Oldest Profession is such a Brava play: quirky, empowering, touching, funny, and just a little dirty. The 'girls' and I are going to have a blast and I hope the audience will be along for the ride. It should be a wild one."
 
This scarcely producEd Vogel script captures Ms. Vogel's most essential gift as a playwright: an ability to find transfixing warmth, vitality, and humor in subjects often employed to titillate or repel. The Oldest Profession gives actresses consistently ignored in our society because they are 65+ an opportunity play characters who are sexual as well as seniors , while using the notion of aging prostitutes to talk of the financial position of a woman in a male's society.  The play features the acting talents of some of the Bay Area's great local acting artists, Linda Ayres-Frederick (Edna), Lee Brady (Vera), Tamar Cohn (Lillian), Cecele Levinson (Mae), and Patricia Silver (Ursula). Angela Dwyer will perform live with the cast as well as direct the music arrangements for this production. The creative team for The Oldest Profession includes Jackie Martinez (sets -100 Years of Futurism at Brava 2009), and Michelle Mulholland (costumes- Friends, Beebo Brinker Chronicles and IPH).
 
SWAN Day/Support Women Artists Now Day is a new international holiday that celebrates women artists.  It is an annual event taking place on the last Saturday of March (Women's History Month) and the surrounding weeks, created by WomenArts (womenarts.org), lead by Brava supporter Martha Richards. By focusing attention on the work of women artists, SWAN Day helps people imagine what the world might be like if women's art and perspectives were fully integrated into all of our lives.
 
Brava Theater is a professional arts organization committed to producing, presenting and cultivating live art celebrating the intersection of feminism and multiculturalism that ignites social change and empowers community. The company gives voice to women, people of color and the LGBTQ community through artistic expression. Brava speaks to the values that all people share, rather than to the identity markers that can divide us. Brava Theater has reached over 350,000 people since its inception 24 years ago, through its theatrical, musical and educational events. Brava Theater has been nationally recognized as a leader in new work and innovative theater.

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