Hamilton Fringe has been offering 20 minute plays in three small galleries very closely located along James Street North. Tickets are only $8 and are available at the venue 30 minutes before the show.
Each venue is home to three short performances, so if you plan it right you can see several a night.
Last night I had the privilege of being in the audience for No Dick Pics Please. Written and starring Robin Zee, No Dick Pics Please is one woman’s journey through childhood rape, human trafficking, and life at the infamous Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada. It’s Robin’s story and it’s a zinger.
Fortunately, Robin’s life has had wondrous moments as well. Moments that bond Robin with women sitting in the audience.
Finding out she was pregnant changed Robin’s life forever. Like most soon-to-be mothers she cleaned up her act — although she may have had to do a little more sprucing up to do than others. She began voraciously reading parenting expert Barbara Colarosso and reveled at the chance to become a mother at 42 years of age.
And, it is clear to every single person in the audience that Robin loved her daughter, loved being a mother, and more importantly for Robin, was great at it. What Robin hadn’t anticipated or planned for was becoming a single parent and navigating this part of her journey without a partner. Yet, she managed just fine.
As every mother knows, the joy of children is short lived because if you’ve done your job right they grow up to become independent people who launch into their own journey separate yet parallel to yours. Robin recently found herself an empty nester when her daughter went off to university.
Not ready to throw in the towel and live life as the proverbial cat lady, Robin boldly entered the unpredictable world of online dating. This is a brave move on Robin’s part because as a survivor of sexual abuse there’s a heightened prospect of triggers that could return her to a very bad place.
Fortunately, Robin is up to the challenge and what has, up until now, been a humorous one woman show suddenly has the audience rolling in the ailses.
An animated, enthusiastic storyteller, Robin masterfully navigates her present and past lives infusing intelligent humour into every moment. It’s truly amazing all the living and laughter this woman can pack into 20 short minutes.
No Dick Pics Please is at B Contemporary Gallery (226 James Street North, Hamilton)
The 14th Hamilton Fringe Festival is on until Sunday, July 30, 2017.
Image: Hamilton Fringe Festival
Like this article? Please chip in to keep stories like these coming.
Support rabble today!
We’re so glad you stopped by! Thanks for consuming rabble content this year.
rabble.ca is 100% reader and donor funded, so as an avid reader of our content, we hope you will consider gifting rabble with a donation during our summer fundraiser today.
Whether it be a one-time donation or a small monthly contribution, your support is critical to keep rabble writers producing the work you’ve come to rely on as a part of a healthy media diet.
Become a rabble rouser — donate to rabble.ca today.
Nick Seebruch, editor
