Fringe First: SpeakeasyDC and The Sin Show

July 10, 12:12 PMDC Theater ExaminerClare Johnson

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Cast of the Sin Show
L to R: Joseph Price, Vivianne Njoku, Meredith Maslich, Seaton Smith,
Mike Boyd, Saurabh Tak, John Kevin Boggs  photo by Amy Saidman

Amy Saidman is the co-director of The Sin Show, along with Amy Couchoud and is the Artistic Executive director of SpeakeasyDC. She directed last year's sold out Cap Fringe run of Revenge of the Cat-Headed Baby and was part of the cast of two sold-out runs of Chocolate Jesus.

Is this your first Fringe Experience?
No. SpeakeasyDC has produced two other shows for Fringe. Chocolate Jesus - which featured four personal stories about faith and identity - was performed in 07 and 08. And Revenge of the Cat-Headed Baby and Other True Tales of Life & Death was performed in 08. We have sold out every show, every year. We have productions year-round, all of which are based on turning personal narrative into performance, so each cast member tells their own true story related to the theme of the show.

What drew you to this piece?
The concept of sin is very provocative. It's wrought with shame and mischief, indulgence and restraint. We felt the theme would allow for a great range of emotion and would challenge both the performer and listener in new ways. That there are 7 deadly sins makes for a great cohesive package, tying multiple stories together in a compelling way. We also simply love the words: greed, gluttony, sloth, etc. They are so vivid and evocative.

Tell us a little about the concept for the show.
Each person will tell a true story from their own lives that explores one of the deadly sins. Specifically:

Greed - Meredith Maslich on how she justified not paying her assistant for ten weeks.
Sloth - Vivianne Njoku on being "between gigs" in LA.
Wrath - Mike Boyd on cruel children, clueless adults and the comforting sounds of Diana Ross.
Envy - Seaton Smith on his smear campaign to undermine a social competitor.
Pride - Joe Price on the time he let success go to his head.
Gluttony - John Kevin Boggs on how he dumped the Marlboro Man for Aunt Jemimah and became Mr. Clean.
Lust - Saurabh Tak on fantasies of adultery.

Why Should Fringe Patrons see your show?
Because they will be thoroughly entertained and moved. These stories are funny, thought-provoking, and engaging. As has been noted in reviews of our other shows, these stories are masterfully shaped.

What's next for you and/or for the company?
As I mentioned above, we have shows year-round including a monthly open mic and many special events. We also teach classes and corporate trainings and publish a free podcast at speakeasystorycast.com. Our main website is www.speakeasydc.org

Performances of The Sin Show are as follows (all performances take place at The Mountain-Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church 900 Massachusetts Ave NW):

July 11th 10 pm
July17th 10 pm
July 22nd 10 pm
July 24th 8 pm
July 26th 2 pm

Fringe venues are small, so purchase tickets early to avoid disappointment.