Lisa Anne Ross (Canada, New Brunswick)
Engorged (2012)
Theatre/Performance/Cabaret
ARTIST STATEMENT:
“Engorged is a one-woman cabaret that uses the endlessly mined comic gold of motherhood as the fodder for a hilarious and occasionally poignant one hour theatrical romp.
I began work on it shortly after the birth of my first child, imagining that all that sleeplessness should at least result in something. It hearkens back to my early work in Toronto as a regular on the cabaret circuit both hosting and performing. The show is hosted by, of course, a giant (and very tastefully costumed) vulva and includes five different pieces about motherhood that range from comedic monologues, to abstract movement to performance art.
It was originally conceived in Toronto with support from acclaimed feminist performance artist Jess Dobkin. Lesandra Dodson joined the creative team in 2012 as the director and helped to shape the piece before it debuted at the Museum of Motherhood in New York City in May of 2012. Since that debut the piece has been invited to be the Keynote Performance at the 2015 Women in Psychology Conference in Ottawa and received a short run at the Black Box Theatre in Fredericton, New Brunswick. For the Fredericton debut in June 2015 Chris Saad joined the team as Technical Director and artist Penelope Stevens helped to conceive the shadow puppetry piece.
I would say the show is 5% serious and 95% silly. Although it is all about motherhood, it is not just for women or mothers and can be universally enjoyed because realy, it’s just about me and my shit.”
Lisa Anne Ross is a theatre artist, educator and community arts practitioner who, in addition to performing with numerous Canadian Theatre Companies such as Neptune Theatre, Buddies in Bad Times and Theatre New Brunswick, has created, performed and toured her own body of work which integrates the physical theatre arts of clown, mask and puppetry and has been curated by theatre festivals and cabarets across the country.