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'The Forbidden Show'

Nell Weatherwax does her own special brand of on-the-edge storytelling in the first act of The Forbidden Show. Act two? "Assholes and Aureoles."

Actress, director and producer Diane Kondrat sat down with WFIU's George Walker to talk about the show. "A and A is a theater piece mostly about women's issues," Kondrat says. "It's based on improvisations that I and my fellow actor Karen Irwin developed."

Crazy, Yes

Kondrat and Irwin decided that they needed to expand the piece, so they approached playwright Eric Pfeffinger, whom Kondrat describes as "a great, funny playwright."

"We showed him some improvisations and he had some things in his drawer that he'd never found anybody crazy enough to do until he met us. We're proud to say that A and A won awards at the Fringe Festival in Indianapolis and at the Midtown Fringe in New York City as well."

But, With Some Serious Depth

The themes of the show have to do with issues that affect women, including domestic violence, relationships in the workplace, harassment and rape. Yet it's not all dark stuff. "Although there is a good deal of humor in the pieces, I've talked with someone who works with domestic violence who said that one of our pieces could be used for education about power and how it affects sexual relationships. "

If the second act of The Forbidden Show concerns women and sexuality and society, it is set up well. "In Act One, Nell Weatherwax will focus her stories on sexuality as well."

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