LA Based Solo Artist Takes SHATTERED To Edinburgh Fringe

In January 2017, Denver native Diana Varco premiered her solo show Shattered at the Whitefire Theatre SoloFest in Los Angeles to a standing ovation. 'I was nervous to do the show because sexual assault (rape) wasn't a topic most people openly talked about' Varco said. Today, in 2019, it's a conversation hard to avoid.

Shattered starts off with Diana asking herself 'why don't I date much or like sex?' What ensues is a whimsical and shocking journey through Diana's mind and past experiences that shaped her views of sex, sexuality and relationships. Playing over 35 characters, Diana delivers a powerhouse performance - filled with wit, poignancy, and vulnerability. Her show is being guided by acclaimed solo show artist and director Jessica Lynn Johnson, who Varco said was integral in the decision to share her story.

"Being in the improv and comedy world, I found sexual assault to be consistently joked about" Varco said. "I wanted to write a show the uses comedy to talk about rape survivors in a more empowering way - to shed light on the darkest parts of my journey and the amazing strength that emerged in the process."

After performing Shattered at Hollywood Fringe Festival, LA Women's Festival and United Solo Off-Broadway in New York City, Varco is poised to take Shattered to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. Performing the show this August at the Edinburgh Fringe is especially important to Varco because, it is the 10th Anniversary of the assault that she talks about in the show. 'Anniversaries are hard for survivors. That's something people might not know.' says Varco, ' and performing Shattered everyday at Edinburgh Fringe is an opportunity for me to re-write that anniversary and to take back that month.'

To raise funds to go, Diana has launched a Kickstarter Fundraiser. Visit www.supportshattered.com for more info.

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