On the Periphery of Love: A Weekend of Solo Performance with Valentine's Day Implications February 13, 2010

What do these things have in common: free trade pistachios, Islamic inter-gender rooming protocol, parade floats from Orange County, and suicide? Well, obviously, Valentine's Day. At least it's obvious to the organizers of On the Periphery of Love: A Weekend of Solo Performance with Valentine's Day Implications. Look, you spend 364 days a year either in a happy relationship, or unhappy because you're not in a relationship, or disappointed because your group marriage doesn't look anything like the way it's depicted in a popular HBO series.

So, this Valentine's Day weekend, why not take the time to check out a new vision of romance? Or, better yet, four new visions of romance. Because on Saturday, February 13th and Sunday, February 14th, four members of W. Kamau Bell's Solo Performance Workshop (which is rapidly emerging as one of the top development labs for solo performers in the Bay Area) are throwing an alternative Valentine's Day shindig. Each night, a different show.

On the Periphery of Love opens on Saturday with the premiere of Paolo Sambrano's Bi-Poseur. Sunday we offer you a theatrical box of candy. Three bite-sized, chewy comic solo extravaganzas. That's when solo performers Thao P. Nguyen, Zahra Noorbakhsh, and Bruce Pachtman enter the picture. Attendees can purchase tickets for each show or, like Woodstock and the Jewish High Holy Days, they can obtain a weekend pass that allows them entry into both programs

On the Periphery of Love: A Weekend of Solo Performance with Valentine's Day Implications occurs at the intimate (perfect for Valentine's Day), dark (again just right), and spooky (that wasn't part of the plan) StageWerx Theatre in Union Square. If you don't think that's an ideal way to spend Valentine’s Day weekend, maybe you just don't believe in love. Which is sad, because we know someone who'd be perfect for you.

SHOW DESCRIPTIONS

All Atheists Are Muslims
- Zahra Noorbakhsh
How hard can it be for a Muslim, Iranian girl in her mid-twenties to move in with her White-American, Atheist boyfriend and get her father's blessing...when she says that she doesn't want her father's blessing? Which is what Zahra wants. What she doesn't want is to get stoned in aditch in the backyard. Is that too much to ask? Possibly ~ Zahra was a finalist in the National College Comedy Competition at the Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival.

I’m So Gay
- Thao P. Nguyen
Thao is gayer then a rainbow-farting unicorn. Somehow, her parents haven't noticed. Well it's finally time for her to tell them. ~ Thao has performed at Menlo College, the San Francisco Theater Festival, and The Marsh. She is also the co-producer of the solo performance series WordsFirst at Counterpulse.

it starts in bed and ends in bed but differently
- Bruce Pachtman
It's hard to explain how Bruce went from being laid off, losing his girlfriend, and ultimately rendered incapable of getting out of bed to suddenly cohabitating with a famous actress, landing a lead role in a Mike Nichols comedy, and owning a talking clock that provides him with good counsel. Even he finds it hard to believe. ~ Bruce’s first solo show, don't make me look too psychotic ran in San Francisco, Philadelphia and L.A. for a total of 100 weeks.

Bi-Poseur
- Paolo Sambrano
Assuming Paolo doesn't kill himself first, the blood clot in his leg will. But before all that he has to deal with uncooperative Playstation controllers, Bay Area prep schools, and his quest for the perfect suicide note (otherwise, why do it?) ~ Paolo was the lead producer of the short film, Elements, nominated for a Golden Gate Award at the 2005 S.F. International Film Festival.