The Next World Premiere From THE WELDERS Opens DC Pride Weekend

The Welders -- Washington's only playwrights' collective devoted exclusively to developing and producing new work -- are launching their next production, Switch by Brett Abelman. It runs June 6 - 23 at the Fringe Logan Arts Center.

Switch is a play of body-swapping, belly laughs, and uncanny sex, an exploration of gender and sexuality set in one explosive night at Pride weekend in DC. Straight couple Leila and Doug find in the afterglow of sex that they have switched bodies. Their genderqueer friend Lark (played by non-binary performer Ty Velines) finds out and has hir own explosive ideas about what it can all mean, leading to a wild night of strange and revelatory encounters. It takes the audience into world beyond the binary in a comedy about how we are seen and how we see ourselves.

"The show is for people who like seeing sex and sexuality explored in a way that is honest, funny, and humane, as opposed to the usual prudish or puerile approach in theatre and film," Abelman says, "and fans of genre fiction who are familiar with the Freaky Friday body switch trope, but have never seen its deeper psychological effects explored in a story to all their humorous and uncanny ends."

Megan Behm, who also directed The Welders' production of Alexandra Petri's to tell my story: a hamlet fanfic, will direct. The cast features Ty Velines, Mary Myers, Anderson Wells, Matt Baughman, and Chloe Mikala.

Additionally, as the national conversation about staged intimacy continues, The Welders are thrilled to work with an Intimacy Consultant (Emily Sucher) on this production. Similar in some ways to a fight choreographer, Sucher will work the the director and actors to ensure that they are safe and comfortable as they explore sexuality and sexually charged content onstage. Sucher is a member of Intimacy Directors International and certified in single sword/rapier & dagger by the Society of American Fight Directors. Acting Creative Producer, Annalisa Dias says, "We're excited to be among the first companies in DC dedicating resources to an Intimacy Consultant. It's a newly emerging (and long overdue) field, and we're thrilled to advance the conversation in our work with Emily."

"While the subject matter is relevant to our national conversation, I am not trying offer a single viewpoint or to speak for everybody," says Abelman, "but instead aim to provide a kaleidoscope through which everyone can find a new and surprising way of seeing the world."

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