By: Andy De, Writer/Director, #sexts
I’m not feeling very well. I keep looking at all the buzz this show is generating (mentioned in the Post, DCist, Brightest young things blog, your menu at Sticky Rice, etc. etc.), and I am freaking out man. And I just keep asking myself: Is this show worthy of the hype? Is it worthy of human Swiss-army knife of a producer, Jenny Oberholtzer? Is it worthy of the time of lighting designer extraordinaire Colin Dieck? Is it worthy of being part of the DC fringe festival and associating itself with the work of amazing, groundbreaking artists? Is it worthy of its extremely catchy title? (Thanks Erik). Is it worthy of the effort and talents of its flat-out amazing nine-person dream cast? Is it worthy of the best venue manager in the world? (WHAT’S UP SARAH?)
So many people have devoted and will devote a ton of time and effort into making words I put on a page come to life. Writing plays is all at once both the most narcissistic and humbling of the arts. You put a whole lot of really talented people through a whole heck of a lot just to get your “vision” across. I mean, what the hell is a vision? What business do I have with one? I just lie awake at night thinking what a freaking jerk I am. Why am I putting Jenny, Colin, Erica, Eric, Mike, Rebecca, Maggie, Victoria, Emily, Erik, Michael, Stacey, and Sarah (HAVE I MENTIONED SARAH??) through this? They didn’t do ANYTHING to me! I need you to know that I’m not some oblivious person who doesn’t realize what he’s asking of everyone else, ok? I get it! Trust me, right now I am SICK about it. So…why? WHY, WHY, WHY?????
It’s because of you.
It’s because sometime over the next two weeks, you’re going to say, “Hey guys we’ve been doing NoMa and Shaw a lot lately, how about H street?” And then someone else is going to say, “I love H street, you guys want to catch a Fringe show or something? They aren’t very long, and that way we can justify how drunk we’re going to get later. Because you know, we did a cultural thing”. And then someone else is going to say “I am so down with culture you guys! Now, do you guys want to pregame with a 3-star, an Atlas, or a DC Brau?” (Correct answer: all 3). And then you’re going to decide to catch our show while you’re at Fringe (Once again, super- catchy title there, Erik). And then you’re going to come into our cozy little theater, and then you’ll get comfy in your seats, and then someone will ask you to turn off your phone but you’ll really just switch it to silent, and then the lights will go down, and then the actors will come onstage. And then I will curl up in the fetal position, just off-stage, dry-heaving into our props bin, and cursing myself for not following through with medical school. And then I will ask myself if all of this was worth it.
And then the play is going to start.
And then you’re going to laugh.
And then I’m going to hear you.
Hurry up. Get over to DC Fringe. Come catch us at #sexts. We can’t wait to see you.
It’s going to be worth it.
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