Meet me and some fantastic readers at the Fox Cabaret on Saturday, October 8 at 8 PM to celebrate our ridiculous youth.
Let me be the excuse you need to avoid your family for an evening. Or better yet, bring your folks and show them that you weren’t really all that bad, at least not compared to some of us.
What you’ve never been to a show and you don’t know what happens? OMG, it’s delightful! Brave people get up on stage and read parts of their old teenage diaries and notebooks verbatim for your entertainment. You’ll laugh with them, at them, and at yourself.
Tickets are on sale on Eventbrite $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
“But is it real comedy? It most certainly is. People love to laugh and there are many routes to arrive at that destination. Is it traditional? It most certainly is not. It’s not what the average person envisions when they think of comedy. But regular shows would kill for these kinds of laughs.” Georgia Straight
“It’s high time the rhyme-crazy juveniles of the world are celebrated as the poetic prodigies we truly were.” Nylon Magazine
“I like it when the definition of “theatre” gets stretched. That’s what Sara Bynoe’s doing.” … “I gut laughed the whole evening. So did the rest of the audience. It was a full house. It always is. – TJ Dawe in the Charlebois Post
Fans of Say Wha?! might enjoy this sexed up event that’s happening at the Vancouver Fringe. I was asked to be a judge but I’ll be out of town at my BFF’s wedding. Here’s all the kinky details:
Vancouver, brace yourself: SMUT SLAM IS COMING. The international underground sensation–part slam, part storytelling, part sex ed, part what got said after your parents turn the lights out at a sleepover–is landing at Vancouver Fringe on Saturday, Sept 10.
Smut Slam: the finest filth at the Vancouver Fringe, told by the people who lived it: YOU.
If you have sex, then you probably have a story to tell at the first Vancouver Smut Slam, coming to the Vancouver Fringe on Saturday, Sept 10. This encouraging event for sharing also offers PRIZES from Womyn’s Ware and njoy, celebrity judges, and more!
With sold-out shows in Edinburgh, New Orleans, Boston, and Atlanta, Smut Slam clearly has the chops to bring you a fine evening of filth… and ROPE YOU IN TO HELP. The dirty storytelling open mic makes its Vancouver premiere on Saturday, Sept 10, as part of the Vancouver Fringe. You have to see it to believe it.
SMUT SLAMMERS sign up on the night to tell a 5-minute dirty story, based on their real lives, and a lucky eight to ten names will be drawn at random.
RULES: – no notes (this is storytelling) – no costumes or props (this is not theatre) – only five minutes (with a one-minute grace period) AND – the story must be real and have happened to you. Stories often are funny and/or epic win, but we want to encourage people to consider sharing their sad, disturbing, poignant, serious, simple and/or “fail” experiences, too.
TAKE NOTE: Smut Slam is queer-friendly, kink-friendly AND vanilla-friendly, fat-friendly, poly-friendly… we are very friendly. We welcome people with all types and amounts of sexual experiences to our space. We don’t welcome stories involving racism, transphobia, homophobia, sexism, or any other discrimination, fetishization, or objectification. Also, CONSENT IS KEY.
NOT A SMUT SLAMMER? Don’t worry. The audience is in for a good time at SMUT SLAM! Sit back and enjoy. All we ask is: – No interrupting. – No heckling. – No necking in the front row. Doors open at 10pm, and the smut starts slamming at 10:30. Admission is only $14 online or at the door, 18 and over please!
SMUT SLAM is CREATED by Cameryn Moore, an award-winning playwright/performer, sex activist and educator, and, oh yeah: a phone sex operator. She tours the world seven months out of the year, but is always glad to come back to Vancouver (she is bringing her fifth solo play “nerdfucker” to the Fringe this year). When not performing, taking calls, or actually having sex herself, Cameryn writes Sidewalk Smut: custom type-written pornography as street performance and literary art. Find Cameryn being NSFW on Facebook, or at www.camerynmoore.com
You know the story: Somewhere in the back of your closet gathering dust and turning yellow with age is comedic gold. Those old journals, poems, and essays you wrote as a teenager when you thought you could do no wrong, would probably make you cringe at your former feelings if you were to read them today. Now, imagine sharing them in front of an audience. That’s exactly what happens at Teen Angst.
Teen Angst Night is a comedic reading series that began in 2000. Readers can share anything (poetry, songs, letters, journals, diaries, essays, stories, plays, lists, etc) so long as it follows these rules:
1- The work must be your own.
2- You must have written it between the ages of 10-19.
3- You cannot be proud of the work you share. It’s best if you’re super embarrassed.
Tina Taghaddosi
Kyla del Rosario
Julia Pileggi
TJ Dawe
Robyn Roukema
Jessica Denning
Maddy Kelly
$10 at the door. Free for readers. Sliding scale available if you’re low on funds, just remember to buy a drink or a snack at the bar for letting us do the show there.
The Georgia Straight included tonight’s show in their awesome list of things you should do.
Wine, stand up paddle boarding, and tears of joy/ realization. What do these three things have in common? My recent trip to Vernon.
I’ve been telling so many people about it that I figured it might be useful to a few of you if I put all my tips and tricks into one long travel post. So here goes…
My mother moved to Vernon, BC a handful of years ago and the past three years I’ve gone on a road trip with a friend to soak up the summer. It’s becoming one of my most anticipated yearly traditions. Below are a few of my favourite things to do.
DRINK
If you don’t like wine, then I feel sorry for you. Lake country, between Vernon and Kelowna, has some fantastic wineries and drinking, aka “tasting,” is a great way to spend an afternoon.
Here’s where we went this year.
Intrigue – The tasting room has tonnes of tacky “I love wine better than my cat” type knick-knacks that make it look like a bachelorette party threw up in there but their wine is VERY drinkable. I took their Pinot Gris to a party recently and it was a huge hit. If you like bubbles, they have a pink sparkling wine with the awful name I Do. I don’t like bubbles, but my friend has purchased it all three times we’ve visited.
Blind Tiger – This was the first time we had heard of Blind Tiger and I found their wines to be a bit pricier than others. To their credit they were the only winery that I bought a red wine from. (It makes me sleep funny). They are an organic winery if you’re into that and they also have a food truck where you can order wood fire pizza at a decent price.
Ex Nihilo – I find this winery to be a tad on the pricey side for the region, also I’m cheap and don’t want to spend more than $22/ bottle. They have beautiful art on the walls and a nice outdoor patio where you can grab lunch. I brought back their Riesling.
Arrowleaf – If you want to have lunch with an amazing view go to Arrowleaf. Get a cheese plate and a bottle and enjoy the afternoon pretending you’re fancy trophy wives. Their wine is also very affordable and goes down quick. I’m a fan of their Rosé.
50th Parallel – Our last stop on our wine tour is also my favorite overall winery. Their building is beautiful – big, cement, strong, and modern with this ridiculously huge lampshade over the main entrance. All their wines are fantastic but I love their Rosé the most – I bought two bottles this time. They are planning to open a large dining room in the future and I’m sure it will give Arrowleaf a run for its money.
BX Press – I don’t know if you’ve heard but craft cider is the latest booze to nerd out on. That’s why Vernon is lucky to have the BX Press. Their Alexandria Lavender Raspberry is ERMERGERD, SO GOOD! Also delicious are The Prospector and Ginny ciders. These are not the ciders you drank when you were 19 years old, these are proper, delicious, non-saccharine adult ciders.
ENJOY CULTURE
Every small town thinks that people will visit for the murals, even Vernon, and they’re wrong. I’ve been here dozens of times and I’ve never wanted to see the murals, but if you’re into that kind of thing knock your socks off.
The best thing to do culture-wise is to take a trip 40 minutes on the highway to Armstrong and catch a show at the Caravan Farm Theatre. This summer they’re presenting Our Town (runs until Aug. 21 – go now!). I had only heard about this play and that it had a reputation of being “schmaltzy” but OMGF it’s amazing. If you’re emotionally open and prone to crying in public, like me, bring a box of tissues and get ready for a life affirming Act 3. It was a PERFECT evening of theatre. Perfect. I’ve teared up several times just telling people about this play.
“Let’s really look at one another!…It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another. I didn’t realize. So all that was going on and we never noticed… Wait! One more look. Good-bye , Good-bye world. Good-bye, Grover’s Corners….Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking….and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths….and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth,you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it–every,every minute? – Emily – Thornton Wilder, Our Town
GET OUTSIDE
Let’s be honest, the real reason anyone goes to the Okanagan in the summer is for 30 degree weather and time in a bathingsuit by a lake. The prettiest one of the region with its stunning deep cyan hue is Kalamaka Lake. There are a several nice beaches around it for you to get your vitamin D. We went to the biggest dirt/sand patch, Kal beach, so that I could do a thing I’ve been making fun of for ages: stand-up paddle boarding. It’s actually pretty fun, especially if you’re a jerk like I am and you do yoga poses on it to show off your sick balance and flexibility. Here’s where we rented our boards. If you’re a baller you can probably rent a boat for the day from somewhere nearby too. Lucky you!
A trip to the Okanagan isn’t complete without bringing fresh fruit and veg back to the city, so you’re going to want to checkout the Vernon Farmer’s Market (Mondays and Thursday’s 8 AM-1 PM) or any of the numerous fruit stands along the highway. We always stop at Davidson’s Orchards right before we leave to bring back frozen pressed apple juice and frozen peach pies. If you have kids, or are young at heart, I highly recommend their petting zoo and play area. Just don’t try to live up to their body standards (see below). If you’re going to a Renaissance faire and need some mead you can pop next door to Planet Bee. They also have some decent lavender honey.
If you’re looking for places to eat out, sorry, I don’t have any recommendations. My mom is a great cook and she has a fridge full of booze. Yes, one normal sized fridge that is full of booze. It’s amazing.
Word on the street is Ratio and Triumph are the best places to get coffee. My inside scoop is that Ratio has the best pastries and Triumph has the best coffee, but why not try them both? You’re on vacation!
On your way back to Vancouver don’t forget to stop at a corn room in Chilliwak and pick up some peaches and cream.
Summer is coming to a close now, go out and enjoy as much of it as you can. Grab a friend, some sweet booty shaking tunes (ones that tell you to put your hands in the air are the best), and hit the road. Maybe you’ll make it an annual tradition.
In the Fall I got to be a part of the production team for The Life Game on CBC Radio and it’s finally on air. I’m excited for you to hear it.
The Life Game is an audacious radio experiment that combines interviews with improvisation to create an electrifying radio storytelling event performed in front of a live audience. The concept was originally developed by Keith Johnstone, the creator of theatre sports and founder of the Loose Moose Theatre Company in Calgary.
I’m honoured to be a part of this wonderful event for this fantastic initiative.
From the petition:
Most young adults in BC can count on financial support, relationships and family connections to help them get a good start in life. However, that’s not the case for everyone.
Cut off from support at 19, youth aging out of foster care too often end up homeless, don’t finish high school, and have no one to turn to in their 20’s.
I’m getting back into sharing things I have written. Remember that was a thing I used to do? I should do it again. For fun. Why not?
I posted this on Facebook a week ago and it got a big response, partially from the tribe of mothers on there.
This is the first in a series of true short stories I hope to share with you. Enjoy.
Obviously, this is a stock photo. I’m not paying going to pay for it. I bet this fake mom made $500 for her day of posing with babies. Good on ya, woman!
Today at a casting office a guy asked me to watch his baby while he went in to his audition.
The child was maybe a year old, walking, carrying a blankie, and wanted nothing to do with me. He started to fuss 30 seconds after he was left in my care and tried to get into the room where his father had gone. I tried to distract him with his books- I used to be a storyteller at the public library in Calgary and I was very good. This child didn’t think so. The baby started to cry. I scooped him up to try to calm him and not disturb the audition. He screamed in my ear. I carried him away. He screamed louder.
I tried to explain to the baby that I wasn’t abducting him and that his real parent would come back soon and we wouldn’t have to deal with each other ever again. I told the baby that his father was in an audition to make money so that he could pay for the baby’s college tuition, but the baby didn’t understand me.
All the young hip women auditioning for a fun road trip car commercial in the other room stared at me. ‘Who the hell is this lady and what is wrong with this baby?’ they must have thought. Also, ‘ugh, stop it.’
After about 3 minutes of baby screaming, the dad was done his audition, the child was reunited with his father. He stopped crying instantly.
See, stupid baby, I told you so.
Then I was called in to do my audition. I didn’t ask anyone to watch my purse while I was in the room.
Moral of the story: I might audition for mom roles, but I’m not the mothering type.
Update: I didn’t get a callback for that audition. Thanks, screaming baby.
I think my shows are great, but don’t take my word for it.
I’ve got proof in writing by two of the most awesome media outlets in town that this shows is worthy of your time: The Georgia Straight and Scout Magazine. (see below)
Teen Angst Night | Friday, June 17 | 8-10 PM show | Dance Party to follow
Partial proceeds of the night will go to this awesome local charity CLICK – Contributing to the Lives of Inner City Kids.
AND there’s a Y2K dance party happening at the Fox after the show. Yes, you get free entrance a dance party devoted the one hit wonders, guilty pleasures, and tried/true classics of the early to mid-2000s after Teen Angst Night.
So call up your besties and enjoy a night of laughter and nostalgia.
Somewhere in the back of your closet gathering dust and turning yellow with age is comedic gold. Those old journals, poems, and essays you wrote as a teenager when you thought you could do no wrong, would probably make you cringe if you were to read them today. Now, imagine sharing them in front of an audience. That’s exactly what happens at Teen Angst Night. You held on to those diaries for a reason, right? This is that reason!
The last time I did a show at The Fox, it was packed with standing room only. Most people bought their tickets at the door. I get it, Vancouver, you’re a last minute kind of city. I’m just trying to save you money. Get your $10 tickets now. Or pay more at the door and risk your chances of getting in.
This event is not all ages, 19+ only
Partial proceeds of this event will go towards a local youth charity CLICK – Contributing to the Lives of Innter City Kids.
* Please arrive early for the best seats. Standing room is a possibility if you’re there late.
Doors: 7 PM
Show: 8-10 PM
Y2K dance party to follow. Yes, you get free entrance a dance party devoted the one hit wonders, guilty pleasures, and tried/true classics of the early to mid-2000s after Teen Angst Night.
****
READERS
Liz Bell
Kate Belton
Kyla del Rossario
Stephanie Fan
Ed Hill
Jackie Hoffart
Tia Glen-Cooke
Monica Hepburn
Nicole Roberge
Robyn Roukema
Marlene Swidzinski
Alannah Turner
Liam Wallinger
RULES OF TEEN ANGST NIGHT
You can share anything (poetry, songs, letters, journals, diaries, essays, stories, plays, lists, etc) so long as it follows these rules:
1- The work must be your own.
2- You must have written it between the ages of 10-19.
3- You cannot be proud of the work you are sharing. It’s best if you’re extremely embarrassed of it.
REVIEWS
“But is it real comedy? It most certainly is. People love to laugh and there are many routes to arrive at that destination. Is it traditional? It most certainly is not. It’s not what the average person envisions when they think of comedy. But regular shows would kill for these kinds of laughs.” – Georgia Straight
“I like it when the definition of “theatre” gets stretched. That’s what Sara Bynoe’s doing.” … “I gut laughed the whole evening. So did the rest of the audience. It was a full house. It always is. – TJ Dawe in the Charlebois Post
“A highlight [of the Teen Angst Night] was the felt board presentation by Sara. The former library worker read an old high school poem based on the Night Before Christmas that told about the gang in her neighborhood, The Flava. Even if you couldn’t see the felt board cutouts of trucks with “the Flava” symbol on them, it was bloody hilarious”- ION magazine
