Space Lesbians! Portals! Psychic Sisters! Oh my! These are just some of the elements introduced in the dizzying, sprawling, rollercoaster of a show that is Two Sisters Find a Box of Lesbian Erotica in the Woods directed by Tara Elliot and now playing at HERE Arts Center. According to the “in progress” description on the New Georges website (the show is co-produced by New Georges and Rattlestick) the show examines, “queer erotics and the dichotomy of lesbian fetishization and invisibility to create a fun, titillating, and surreal theatrical experience.” As a lesbian who has on multiple occasions had girlfriends mistaken for sisters I appreciated the title’s clever nod to this “fetishization and invisibility” dichotomy. Otherwise I struggled to follow the stated themes through the fast paced vignettes that make up the piece, but I nonetheless found the overall effect “fun, titillating, and surreal” indeed. The definition of a romp, Two Sisters Find a Box of Lesbian Erotica in the Woods is sure to baffle, amuse, confound, engage, but above all delight.
I’ll admit, while I had a good time, Two Sisters Find a Box of Lesbian Erotica in the Woods was somewhat of a mystery to me. The show is made up of a series of vignettes drawing on erotica, pulp fiction, and historical queer performance art (Split Britches and Five Lesbian Brothers in particular). Emma Horwitz and Bailey Williams the writers and performers of the show seem to be part extremely deliberate and intentional queer studies scholars, and part clowns doing whatever silly idea comes to their minds. Are they satirizing self-indulgent, overly intellectualized performance art or are they making it? Are we meant to latch on to any of the particular ideas they are presenting or just laugh along? Whatever they are doing, it is working. The night I attended the audience was in shambles laughing and as of now the show has been extended until May 3rd. Some of their analyses and ideas get lost in the mayhem, but the show is best when you let it wash over you anyway.
One of the primary sources of delight comes from Normandy Sherwood’s scenic, prop and costume design which is chock-full of delectable surprises. I never would have thought that a set could be described as witty, but the towers and towers of file boxes boasting titles like “Harnesses (Strap-On)” and “Harnesses (Climbing)” are exactly that. Every time I found myself getting exhausted by the show’s somewhat unrelenting form, just when I’d begin reading the titles on the boxes instead of focusing on the action, some new prop would emerge in an utterly thrilling manner. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that after an hour of chaotic silliness, the end of the show comes with a moment of earnest poignancy. Another nice touch is the zines distributed after the show, yet another beautiful reference to lesbian culture and community. Josiah Davis’s lighting and Johnny Gasper’s sound effects punctuate jokes and add campy depth to the varying vignettes.
The other greatest source of delight is Horowitz and Williams themselves. The real life couple are clearly having an amazing time and despite the frenetic pace never lag in energy. They seamlessly transform from character to character, occasionally making each other giggle with their own antics. It’s their charm that makes the show a success, even if you miss all the specific cultural references and critiques, and it’s their charm that makes me excited for whatever they’re cooking up next.
This post was written by the author in their personal capacity.The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of The Theatre Times, their staff or collaborators.
This post was written by Morgan Skolnik.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.
