Barbies, Bodies, & Bondage
Full length. Cast of 2-8
Barbies, Bodies, and Bondage is a Four Act, evening length theatrical experience that explores the intersections of disability, beauty, and mythology. The audience follows the journey of the central character through time and space as she morphs into various feminine archetypes. Each act takes place in a different room in the dollhouse. Each room in the dollhouse is the domain of a different feminine archetype that our central figure embodies.
Housewife : Living room
Witch : Kitchen
Priestess : Bedroom
Showgirl : The Study
When do the pretty things become harmful? How does "beauty" benefit and hinder the disabled woman? How does the role of caretaking affect a romantic relationship? These are the questions central to what Barbies, Bodies, & Bondage explores.
Act 1: The Crisis of a Housewife
Performed at HERE Arts Center as part of the Apex Festival (2024)
The Barbie: A Housewife
The Body: Disabled
The Bondage: His hands and a Knife
What happens when your doctor is also your husband? The Crisis of a Housewife, is the first act of four to be developed for the larger project that is Barbies, Bodies, and Bondage. This act takes place in the living room of the dollhouse where the Housewife and her Doctor/Husband reside. The Housewife has invited guests (the audience) over while her Husband is away, hoping to share a confession with them. Just as she has worked up the courage to share this confession, her Husband arrives and the action of this act truly begins. The couple struggles to keep the issues of their private life at bay while they navigate the entertainment of their guests and the Husband's growing concern over the condition of his wife's current health.
Created and Written by Zandra Paxton
Directed by Giancarlo Abrahan
Featuring: Zandra Paxton as "Housewife" and Han Jonghoon as "Husband"
Creative Team and Crew: Grace Jeon (Costume Designer), Emmett Grosland (Scenic Designer), Roberto Esquenazi Alkabes (Lighting Designer), Sean Ramos (Sound Designer), Nora Immarino (Projections Designer), Jessica Dell Beni (Production Stage Manager), Lindsey Zinbarg (Stage Manager), Sydnee Davis (Stage Manager), Anna Splitz (Makeup Application and Festival Wardrobe Supervisor)
Photography by Nathaniel Johnston.
