By Ernest Kearney — It cannot be said that Joyful Raven’s Breed or Bust is a beautifully written piece chronicling one woman’s struggles against the tyranny of a patriarchal society attempting to dictate its control over her body.
What it is, is a frank, uncluttered personal history of her choices, made over the span of a decade that concluded with her deciding to terminate a pregnancy on three occasions. This story would likely be annoying to those warriors on both sides of the reproduction battlefield.
The “pro-life” ranks would be shocked by the confident casualness she shows in determining her decisions. The “pro-choice” ranks would probably want to see more combativeness from her, in support of the cause.
But Raven doesn’t seem interested in recounting the social warfare over Roe v Wade, so much as honestly sharing her own story and the hills and valleys she’s travelled in life.
This she does with an openness that is somewhat startling and definitely intoxicating. And I’d be willing to bet, that watching her show, Raven’s engaging performance would win over the adherents of both sides.
This makes for a very frank and very funny evening that, at times, begins to feel like you’re sharing a glass of wine with a good friend in their living room, while listening as they share their personal struggles with you… and only you.
This seems to me Raven’s greatest strength: that her forthright and direct approach to story-telling, with its heightened sense of honesty and effortless infusion of humor creates a sense of intimacy with an audience.
In the end the audience doesn’t love her for sharing a structured narrative with precise setting, detail plot, specific conflict and final resolution. They love her for sharing herself.
A GOLD MEDAL
Breed or Bust
Playing During Hollywood Fringe Festival 2022
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VENUE
Zephyr Theatre (Zephyr Theatre)
7456 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA
SCHEDULE
FINAL PERFORMANCE
Saturday July 9 2022, 6:45 PM
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For Additional Information and Tickets Go To:
www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7505
Learn More at joyful-raven.com/breedorbust
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