Name of Respondent: Melanie Moseley
Position in Company: Writer/Performer/Producer
Name of Show: Sexology: The Musical!
“I truly believe that the more we own our truths publicly, the better off we all will be. So owning my truth and modeling that vulnerability is actually strength seems like a good way to go.”
1. Why should people tune in to your show?
Polyamory is certainly in the zeitgeist currently. There are so many TV shows and movies of late that attempt to normalize alternative relationship structures. In my experience, it’s still misunderstood. If you want to hear someone’s honest and personal experience navigating the road to polyamory, this is the show for you! If you’re monogamous and just want to hear about other people’s relationships structures, this is for you too! I look at monogamy to polyamory as a spectrum and this show talks about the whole spectrum!
2. What about festivals intrigues you? Any why the Atlanta Fringe?
“I wanted to do the Atlanta Fringe because I’m a Southern girl – born in Atlanta, but replanted to the PNW. I have tons of family there and I was hoping to be there in person in 2020….but the COVID. 🙁
I’m really glad that an online option is available now and I’m hoping to be able to be there in person at some point.
I LOVE Fringe Festivals because it allows people to see a huge range of outsider theatre art. It allows theatre artists to try something new. You can take risks, be vulnerable, do something that no one expected. All of those things are interesting to me.”
3. What inspired you to create this?
After working in marketing and communications for 15+ years while I raised my kid, I finally decided to get back to performing again. (In my 20’s I toured nationally with several improv groups and ran a theatre company in Denver for 4 years in my 30’s). In any case, my kid was old enough and so I decided to get back to performing and traveling. My journey from monogamy to polyamory just seemed like a pretty good subject, so I started there.
4. This year ain’t normal and there’s no sense pretending it is. How has Covid affected what you’re doing for this festival?
Holy cow! Well, all of my 2020 tour was cancelled. I did perform the show a couple of times via Zoom – that was interesting/disastrous/OK. Just last weekend I brought in several of my film buddies and we just ran through the show and got it on film – something that I was actually a little dubious about because the interaction in live theatre is so important to me – and especially with a show like this… But, we’re having to figure out how to make this work. I’m really pleased with what we have in the can, so yay for that.
I did add some stuff related to dealing with COVID. Minor changes, but definitely seemed necessary.
5. What have you learned from working on your show so far?
The world is a beautiful place and there are so many amazing humans out there!
6. There’s a mysterious, anonymous little square watching your show and sticking around for the talkback. In your WILDEST dreams, who is that mysterious stranger grooving on your work? (Please note, this question is inspired by us recently learning that Neil Patrick Harris has been doing this.)
Kevin Allison!
[Above: Kevin Allison continues supporting Melanie’s journey outside of RISK! because, dang, that dude is just the best dude.]
7. Fringes are the place to really push the boundaries so we gotta ask: are your parents getting the link are or you gonna be like, “Uhhhh, I dunno, the website doesn’t seem to be working, Mom…”
I have sent them a link in the past. My mom watched it and needed to debrief later. My dad would not watch it at all. I’d still send him the link…
8. We’ve asked this question every year for the past nine years or so but it hits different this year: Will your show change the world?
I really hope so! I truly believe that the more we own our truths publicly, the better off we all will be. So owning my truth and modeling that vulnerability is actually strength seems like a good way to go. We’ll see…
9. Zoom meetings: dress up head to toe or Donald Duck it?
Ha! I frequently tie a onesie around my waist and then put a reasonable shirt on so I appear professional.
10. We’re making an excellent Spotify playlist. Describe your show in two or three songs we can add to keep the jams flowing.
Hmmmm – I kinda wanna send you my songs, but that seems wrong somehow.
So, I’ll send you some other folx songs:
Rachel Lark’s The Unicorn song
Storm Large’s Miles Wide
And, OK, I’m gonna give you one of mine… – Monogamish
[Editor’s note: we are taking it as a very good, very Fringe-y sign that two of the three songs Melanie came up with are too “mature” for posting to a general audience, goood gooooooood. Tickets for her show are on sale now here!]
Recent Comments