F*ing & Dying: Sex/Love/Reproduction

Welcome to the final episode of our Let Me Ascertain You series on sex and death. According to Freud, the death drive is the drive towards self-destruction and the return to the "inorganic." Eros on the other hand is the drive to create and be productive. This episode explores these often competing drives. 

César Alvarez

First up we have the original song “We Could Always Try Counting Sheep!” written and performed by Andrea Grody based on an interview about “sexomina.” Then Cindy Cheung performs an interview we did with Doan about sex and love addiction. And to close this episode out we have César Alvarez performing a lullaby he wrote for his daughter called “The Year of Dying.” 

We want to thank all of the interviewees, and the actors and composers who worked very hard to bring these stories to life. Many thanks to the Civilians' team of interviewers: Quinlan Corbett, Ian Daniel, Amina Henry, Michelle Jalowski, Leicester Landon, Gina Ratton, and Benjamin Viertel. Michael Liebenluft was our project director, and the live show was directed by Mia Rovegno. 


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F*ing & Dying: The Brink

Let Me Ascertain You is back with the third episode in our series about all things sex and death related. In this episode we are leaning towards the sex side of the sex and death equation, looking at those elements of life that in one context might seem unpleasant or downright awful, but in another context can be well, kind of sexy. 

First, Dan Domingues performs an interview we did with Peter, a man who recounts how bondage became a path to self-discovery, and then Rebecca Hart performs Emily, a woman who dated a sometimes hitman who taught her her how to strangle people without leaving any marks. To close out this episode we have special guest Adam Cochran accompanying himself on guitar with a song by writing team Erato Kremmyda and Maggie-Kate Coleman. Erato and Maggie-Kate are both members in our R&D Group for writers, directors and composers. “I Don’t Want To Know Your Name” is based on interviews about “terror and catastrophe sex,” a phenomenon where cataclysmic events drive you into the bed of a stranger.




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LMAY F*cking & Dying: Who We're Talking To

For our final Let Me Ascertain You of the season, F*cking & Dying, we decided to delve into two of our favorite obsessions to see what happens when death and sex fixations collide. 

For the past few months, we've been exploring our competing sex and death drives, morbid curiosities, and dirty secrets on the path to nirvana. In true Civilians' fashion, we've interviewed a huge cross-section of individuals on the subject(s), including the owner of a six-feet-under club (yep, it's exactly what it sounds like), a sex therapist, a sex addict, a terror sex enthusiast, a "rent-a-boy," and many more.  

We wanted to share some brief experts from the interviews we've conducted for our cabaret at Joe's Pub on Saturday May 17th @ 7pm. Here’s a little preview of what we have in store:

We warn them that if they have something real special, like a designer suit, and they bring it down into the coffin, and you’re like number ten down there, it will get dirty. There’s no stopping that. Yah? And we kind of advise people to use condoms, uh, and we say like yeah, we don’t stop you from doing it without a condom, but just like clean up your stuff down there, like be aware that people want to go in the coffin afterwards and if there’s a mess down there, you’re cleaning the stuff up, it’s not the gravediggers job to clean up your...jizz down there.
––Six-Feet-Under Club

Screen Still from the movie SHAME

And, part of that is this whole ritual of repression, like repressing the repulsion. Um, trying to instigate and curate desire and ultimately, for me it's meant being um... vulnerable to strangers. In a way that is like, deeply disturbing. Sometimes it feels even unhealthy. Sometimes it's kind of magical, actually. To go into these high-rises in New York and to always, the door opens and the stranger is behind the door. And then to walk over every time to the window and look at the view. Usually it's a setting sun. And, and then to take a deep breath. And then be like, "Okay, I no longer- I'm no longer me." It's not always terrible, but most of the time it is.

––Rent-A-Boy

LMAY: F*cking and Dying - Meet The Composers!

In anticipation of Let Me Ascertain You: F*cking and Dying, we wanted to give you a sneak-peak of our impressive lineup of composers. Check them out below, and then grab your tickets to the show before we sell out. Saturday, May 17th @ Joe's Pub. Tickets available HERE! 

César Alvarez writes about theater, music and science here. He’s a Drama Desk-nominated composer, lyricist, performer and writer. Founding member of The Lisps. Co-founder and resident composer of LA-based dance company Contra-Tiempo.

Lady Rizo is a Grammy Award winning comedienne and chanteuse who was named the ‘Cabaret Superstar’ by New York Magazine. She has sung and recorded with Moby and Yo-Yo Ma among many others. She is Mistress of Ceremonies for current hotspot The Darby, and performs regularly at the legendary nightclub Nell’s and at Joe’s Pub since 2009. A recipient of the New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship. Be sure to check out her website here. 

Maggie-Kate Coleman wrote the book and lyrics for POP! and From a Childhood, written with Erato Kremmyda. She's been all over the place: The York Theatre Company’s NEO Cabaret (with composer Daniel Maté), Joe’s Pub, Barrington Stage, Laurie Beechman Theatre...just to name a few!

Erato A. Kremmyda is a New York based composer, originally from Athens (Greece).  Theatre (selected): Agamemnon (Irondale, NYC), The Dot (Bios, Athens), We Are Theatre(Cherry Lane Theatre, NYC), Wagon Wheel (Loewe Foundation Development Award, Planet Connections, NYC), Field Trip: A Climate Cabaret (Superhero Clubhouse/ Marfa Dialogues NYC)...and many more! Take a trip over to Erato's website.

Called “electrifying” by The Huffington Post, the Brooklyn-based Grace McLean is a multi-hyphenate actress-composer-singer-writer-teacher on the rise. Following a year as a lead in Off-Broadway's critically acclaimed electro-pop opera Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Grace has returned her focus to her acclaimed original music, both as a solo artist and with her band Grace McLean & Them Apples.

Andrea Grody was Music Director for The Civilians’ The Great Immensity at the Public Theater. Other recent projects include Fortress of Solitude at Dallas Theater Center, Venice at the Public, Love Labour's Lost at Shakespeare in the Park, White Christmas at Northern Stage, and a workshop of Carmen set in Cuba and reimagined by Moisés Kaufman and Arturo O’Farrill. Upcoming: Robin Hood at Williamstown Theater Festival. You can hear Andrea's most recent output on our podcast Sex Variants!  
  

César and The Lisps: "The Future Looks Very Fine"

Check out César and The Lisps performing "The Future Looks Very Fine" from our recent Let Me Ascertain You: Sex Variants 1941 at Joe's Pub! Go HERE to listen to the entire podcast, and please subscribe on iTunes and rate us.

Brandon Davidson Performs "I Have Had The Earth"

Check out this powerful performance of "I Have Had The Earth," performed by Brandon Davidson. The song was composed by Tim Acito (who also accompanies on piano). It was part of our recent Let Me Ascertain You: Sex Variants 1941 at Joe's Pub. Go HERE to listen to the entire podcast, and please subscribe on iTunes and rate us!

Sex Variants, Part I

We’re kicking off a new series here at Let Me Ascertain You. These podcasts are taken from our live shows performed at Joe's Pub here in New York City and our most recent show was called Sex Variants 1941. As you may know, our shows are typically inspired by interviews we do ourselves but for this one, we are borrowing our inspiration from a medical study entitled Sex Variants: A Study of Homosexual Patterns. The book is a collection of case studies conducted by Dr. George W. Henry of Cornell University. Dr. Henry interviewed over 200 people about the sex lives, their childhoods, their family history - pretty much no stone was left unturned. There are also some really amazing drawings of the subjects’ genitalia, though only those of the female subjects. It’s unclear as to why that is exactly. We are bringing it all back to life in this podcast series.

Dr. Henry provided his written analysis of each case study, starting off with his general impressions. So throughout this series you’ll hear actor Trey Lyford quoting from Dr. Henry’s impressions. Starting off here with his thoughts on Molly N., followed by a performance of her personal history by the actor Nina Hellman. After Nina, you’ll hear Molly N.’s words turned into song by Grace McLean in her song “(not) Normal.” Then, Brandon Miller performs an excerpt from the case study of Louis E. And we’ll wrap up with a song written by Tim Acito inspired by Noel W. The song which is titled “I Have Had the Earth” is sung by Brandon Davidson accompanied by Tim.

If you haven’t yet, please subscribe to “Let Me Ascertain You” on iTunes to hear upcoming episodes in this “Sex Variants” series.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU PODCAST SERIES ON ITUNES, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

LMAY: Sex Variants 1941 - Song Preview!

Only three more days till Let Me Ascertain You: Sex Variants 1941 at Joe's Pub this Monday night! All of the evening's originals songs are inspired by, and derived from, 80 graphic first-person accounts from one of the earliest “scientific” surveys of sexual deviancy. Tickets available HERE! 

Artwork by Gwen Shockey

We wanted to give our friends across the blogosphere a special sneak peek at the evening's entertainment, with this short excerpt from the original composition, "Moses," by Max Vernon, a songwriter lauded as "equal parts bohemia and broadway" by the New Yorker.

Max Vernon

On the genesis of the song: 

Max: This was a tricky song to write because there was a lot to unpack–I wanted to figure out how to honor the sensationalistic and darkly comic tone of the medical journal itself while also being very clear about Moses' depression and dysmorphia and not turning that into a joke. It's pretty obvious to me that Moses, while into some mild kink, was not in fact a "deviant," but rather a transwoman who in 1941 had no language to articulate that. To me, there's nothing funny about that. Writing a song that was equally absurd and painful was the only way for me to make sense of the material.

Check out the lyrics, and take a listen below. And stay up to date on Max's projects by visiting his Website and Facebook!

Excerpt from "Moses" by Max Vernon

Sometimes I dream that I'm a female cat

and another cat is taking advantage of me

sometimes I like to wear my mother's gown

and twirl around while masturbating frantically

until the day my balls shrivel up and die so I can realize

my castration fantasy – and this body will fade

away like a memory.

Hello my name is Moses

I got a cruel and strange neurosis

I get a thrill from panty hoses

doctor what's your diagnosis?

LMAY: Sex Variants 1941 - Meet The Composers!

In anticipation of Let Me Ascertain You: Sex Variants 1941, we wanted to give you a sneak-peak of our impressive lineup of composers. Check them out below, and then grab your tickets to the show before we sell out. Monday, February 3rd @ Joe's Pub. Tickets available HERE! 

Tim Acito has received three Drama Desk nominations (book, music, and lyrics), multiple ASCAP composer grants, the GLAAD Media Award, and a Sundance residency for his work in musical theatre, which has been performed Off-Broadway, regionally, and abroad. 

César Alvarez writes about theater, music and science here. He’s a Drama Desk-nominated composer, lyricist, performer and writer. Founding member of The Lisps. Co-founder and resident composer of LA-based dance company Contra-Tiempo. 

Maggie-Kate Coleman wrote the book and lyrics for POP! and From a Childhood, written with Erato Kremmyda. She's been all over the place: The York Theatre Company’s NEO Cabaret (with composer Daniel Maté), Joe’s Pub, Barrington Stage, Laurie Beechman Theatre...just to name a few!

Michael Friedman has written music and lyrics for The Civilians' Canard Canard Goose, Gone Missing, Nobody's Lunch, This Beautiful City, In the Footprint, Paris Commune, and The Great Immensity (premiering at The Public Theater in April). He also wrote the music and lyrics to Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Broadway). Check him out performing an original he wrote for The Civilians' nationwide Occupy #S17 here! 

Andrea Grody's recent projects include Venice at the Public Theater, Love Labour's Lost at Shakespeare in the Park, White Christmas at Northern Stage, and a workshop of Carmen set in Cuba and reimagined by Moisés Kaufman and Arturo O’Farrill. Upcoming: Fortress of Solitude at Dallas Theater Center and The Civilians’ The Great Immensity at The Public. You can actually check out Andrea's most recent output on our latest podcast Holy Matrimony!  

Erato A. Kremmyda is a New York based composer, originally from Athens (Greece).  Theatre (selected): Agamemnon (Irondale, NYC), The Dot (Bios, Athens), We Are Theatre(Cherry Lane Theatre, NYC), Wagon Wheel (Loewe Foundation Development Award, Planet Connections, NYC), Field Trip: A Climate Cabaret (Superhero Clubhouse/ Marfa Dialogues NYC)...and many more! Take a trip over to Erato's website.

Grace McLean began writing ditties as a remedy for her pickled love life and has developed a sparse, plunky style that underlines her often irreverent, always truthful lyrics.  In addition to playing with her band Grace McLean and Them Apples and composing music for a performance piece about 12th century German mystic Hildegard von Bingen, Grace currently performs in the pop opera Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. Check out some of her tunes here!

Jill Sobule has made four more critically acclaimed albums, Happy Town, Pink Pearl, Underdog Victorious, and 2009′s California Years, which Jill released on her own record label, "Pinko Records," after collecting over $85,000 from fans who funded the project. She has played the role of political troubadour for NPR stations across the country and for Air America Radio. Check out her nifty corner of the web here.

Max Vernon's work has been performed at venues such as Dixon Place, LaMaMa, Ars Nova, Joe's Pub, and Music Hall of Williamsburg. His musical, WIRED, was a finalist for the 2011 Eugene O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference, and given a 29-hour reading at Ars Nova Theatre.  Learn more about his work on his website.

Come join us at Joe's Pub on Feb. 3rd to hear what these fantastic composers come up with!

Let Me Ascertain You: Sex Variants 1941

Do you consider yourself a “Sex Variant?” Don’t know what that is?

Well, dig out the skeletons from your closet and join us for the next Let Me Ascertain You. Joe’s Pub is having us back on Monday Feb 3 at 9:30 pm for a stimulating look into America’s secret sexual past. Get your tickets HERE!

Ever heard of Havelock Ellis? Magnus Hirschfeld? … no? How about Alfred Kinsey? They are the forefathers of a global sexual liberation movement started in the late 19th century toward the acceptance of people who identify as something outside the norm: Sex Variants.

Another less known (perhaps less liberated) pioneer in the field of sex research is Dr. George W. Henry of Cornell University. In 1935, he teamed up with the Committee for the Study of Sex Variants to publish the subject of next month's LMAY cabaret. "Sex Variants: A Study of Homosexual Patterns" hosts 80 interviews with volunteers who ran the risk of losing their jobs, blackmail, or arrest. We hear everything from the early childhood exploration of the body to orgies. Sometimes funny, often shocking, these stories illuminate the myriad of ways that humans have always explored and expressed the most animal of our instincts.

Here’s a little bit of what we’re talking about...

Nathan T’s personal sex history:

“Since puberty I've had a vague sex interest in dogs. For more than ten years I used to get them to lick my penis. I still feel vaguely sexy about dogs I like… If I saw anybody having sex with a dog I would think it rather nice.”

Rowena K on her endurance: 
“Sex averages four or five hours. We just stop and wait and keep feeling good all the time. It takes her that long. In five or ten minutes I have an orgasm but I continue feeling good. I can have ten to fifteen orgasms and still feel good.”

Henry divided the subjects of his study into three groups: Homosexual, Bisexual or Narcissistic. He was determined to make progress on the treatment and prevention of “sexual maladjustment,” so he evaluated the family history, psychology and physiology of the subjects hoping to find a pattern, maybe even a cause. And there are graphic physical examinations too and diagrams to prove it.

Yes: in the book, you can see a gay vagina compared to a ‘normal’ vagina; there’s a cross-section showing how a dildo works; you can witness studies of dozens of labial folds and areola.

From SEX VARIANTS

Myrtle K: “My clitoris enlarges when I get steamed up...My clitoris natural is two inches long. Enlarged it’s three inches and the thickness of a little finger. I think it’s grown half an inch in the past year. I’ll have to get a jock strap if it gets much more.” 

Salvatore N: “I often ask myself whether I am really a homosexual or merely a person who performs homosexual acts through association. I never want to have an affair with another homosexual. Taking the penis in my mouth does not satisfy me. Homosexual practices disgust me. Men who speak with an effeminate voice, who refer to each other as “she” or who make feminine gestures, are repugnant to me." 

Join us on Monday, February 3rd at 9:30pm at Joe's Pub as we transform these graphic first-person accounts into a provocative, pansexual cabaret of monologues and songs about first times, dreamy fantasies and excessive fetishes. 

The evening will feature original songs written from material in the book from these exciting 8 composers:

Tim Acito, César Alvarez, Maggie-Kate Coleman and Erato A. Kremmyda,  Michael Friedman, Andrea Grody, Grace McClean, Jill Sobule, and Max Vernon.

Pictures and quotes from: Henry, George W. Sex Variants: A Study of Homosexual Patterns. New York: Paul B. Hoeber, Inc, Medical Book Department of Harper & Brothers, 1941. Print.