Forbidden Kiss

Caught the "Forbidden Kiss" erotica series at Stage Left Studios last night, especially because a few of the pieces in it are comedy. One especially notable piece was Brian Longwell's stand-up comedy-type piece, "How Not To Be An Online Dating Loser." Longwell had Cosby-like cadences in his voice -- whether those are affected or just how he naturally talks, it's hard to know. But nonetheless, Longwell had his own persona, presenting hand-drawn slides of flowcharts of how losers and winners navigate the online dating scene.

Another highlight on the bill of eight separate pieces was Katie Northlich's sex therapist character, a manic and brassy bundle of energy, who seemed to revel in being lewd and shocking. Northlich was once profiled on Jester in 2005 for her character showcase show (see http://www.jesterjournal.com/Northlich.htm).

But my favorite piece of the night was The Bitter Poet -- still have to find out his name -- whose electric guitar accompanied heartbreak songs were definitely laugh out loud funny. His closing song of three featured a long John Cale-like half-spoken, half-sung monologue about Marg, an Eastern European lover who meets him for a week in Amsterdam, and how they tour the Rijksmuseum together. Great stuff.