Breed or Bust

PlayGround Presents
BREED OR BUST by Joyful Raven
Directed by Jael Weisman
Sept 9-24, Fri & Sat at 7pm PDT
Live at Potrero Stage & Simulcast
Tickets: $21-51

TICKETS PLAYBILL READ THE PRESS RELEASE

To breed or not to breed: that is the question award winning solo show artist Joyful Raven wrestles with in her new solo show. Blending standup and storytelling, Raven recounts her difficult reproductive “choices” and contends with her primal baby making instincts. Should she surrender to the role of weird aunty OR start a GoFundMe to freeze her geriatric eggs? With her breeding window rapidly shrinking, she reflects on her abortions, the father of her abortions and the complexity of modern womanhood. Come for the laughs and stay for the sex education…in case you forgot how babies were made.

Through dark humor and unabashedly honest storytelling, Raven offers a unique and nuanced perspective on a woman’s right to choose, an issue that is painfully relevant due to the recent Supreme Court’s decision on Roe vs. Wade. The show is  fresh off an award winning run at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in Los Angeles where it received a Producers Encore Award and was nominated for Best Comedy out of a sea of 200 + shows.  It also received a Gold Medal from tv.revolution and was called a “Brillant, Brilliant show…” by Noho Arts in Los Angeles.  

Joyful Raven (playwright), she/her, is a seasoned performer, born into an iconic theater family. Her last solo comedy ‘Sexual Tomboy’ was dubbed  “…one of the funniest shows now on display on Bay Area stages” by the SF Chronicle in 2017. ‘Tomboy’ won “Best of the Fringe” at the 2016 San Francisco Fringe Festival and received an “Encore Performance” at the 2017 United Solo Festival in NYC. She holds an MFA in theater from UC Davis and teaches Solo Performance at Berkeley Rep School of Theater.

Jael Weisman (director), he/him, is a founding member of the Dell’Arte Players Co. and during his tenure there he directed most of their early works, received multiple ‘Drama-logue Awards’ and toured extensively throughout South America and Europe to international acclaim. He later directed many productions at the San Diego Repertory Co. including the American premiere of Peter Barnes Red Noses which received numerous awards including the ‘Best Production Award’ from San Diego Critics Circle. He has had the honor to co-direct and collaborate with such notables as Carlo Mazzone-Clementi and Joe Chaikin and directed the original production of The Dragon Lady’s Revenge, which traveled to NY and was awarded an Obie.

Press Quotes

“It’s a very brave show. It’s a very meaningful and timely show. It’s also a very hilarious show. A knitted representation of the clitoris does indeed, make an appearance…You only have one weekend left to see it. So go. Go you must.” – Ginger Murray, Broke-Ass Stuart

“I can’t remember the last time I loved every minute of a production, but I did for this one. I’m telling my friends to go. We all need to laugh. Energetic and confiding, Raven engages us from the get-go.  We learn her background growing up in a commune of hippies. We learn of her early carefree artist’s way of life. We meet the boyfriend.  Then those two damned little blue lines show up on the pregnancy test, and her carefree life turns intense.” – Kim Waldron, Theatrius

“She tells it openly, without self-pity or sentimentality. And she tells it funny.” – Jean Schiffman, SF Examiner

“Raven is a brilliant and gifted storyteller and performer.  Using her genius whit and incredible stage presence, she talks us through the experiences of her abortions, the good and the very bad, what led to them, how she feels about them now, and we come away understanding all of it.” – Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros, Noho Arts, Los Angeles

“Raven’s …forthright and direct approach to story-telling, with its heightened sense of honesty and effortless infusion of humor creates a sense of intimacy with an audience…which makes for a very frank and very funny evening.”  – Ernest Kearney, The TV Olution, Los Angeles

“… heartbreaking and deeply heartfelt, taking a serious subject and offering an often humorous look at what women go through when it comes to breeding decisions. It’s a difficult subject, and Joyful made it an easy one to watch.” – Shari Barrett, Broadway World, Los Angeles

NOTE: Advance reservations are required. Donations are gratefully accepted. Proof of vaccination (including booster) and masks are required for in-person performance at Potrero Stage. Links for online viewing will be sent within one day of the performance and can also be accessed through your PlayGround account at https://tickets.playground-sf.org (log in, click “home” for the main menu, then “tickets for upcoming performances”, select the proper show, and choose “watch”). If you have any questions, please contact the Box Office at boxoffice@playground-sf.org.