Laura Zam’s humorous one woman show treads a fine line and masters it beautifully. It centers on sex and marriage, and her quest to free herself from the effects of being sexually abused as a child – all usually serious, unfunny topics.
However, Zam’s approach keeps it fun, without losing the reality of the situation. She does this via an impressive array of characters, 28 men and women to be exact. She shifts from one to the other seamlessly, sometimes embodying seven or eight distinct personas in several minutes’ time. These wild people help keep the mood light, even when discussing deeply personal topics.
The 75 minutes are structured to keep the audience engaged. Zam shifts back and forth from direct addresses, to therapy sessions with an eclectic collection of ‘Sexperts’; to self-help, woman-only brunches. All the while, she switches bodies and accents without ever missing a beat.
Married Sex
by Laura Zam
70 minutes
at Fort Fringe – Bedroom
612 L Street NW
Washington, DC, 20001
Details and tickets
Zam herself leads us through this journey, imparting on us her sex tips and personal thoughts on the current scene. At times though, her ‘Laura Zam’ character comes off as disconnected from the situation at hand. As a result, the laugh lines are most effective when Zam is embodying one of her myriad quirky characters. She also juggles so many different people that some of her accents don’t stay consistent, but her characters are so enthralling you only barely take notice.
Overall though, Zam has a comfort with this heavy material that is a mix of it being both personal and well written. She is not afraid to tread the line into the uncomfortable, but makes sure you are comfortable with the ride. She bravely invites you into her world, leads you through ridiculous situations with a cheerful flair, makes you smile through otherwise serious moments, and leaves you inspired with her gumption.
– More Capital Fringe 2013 reviews –
Thank you for this wonderful review! An update regarding MARRIED SEX. After this Capital Fringe run, the play went onto the New York International Fringe Festival, where is had much acclaim. Now, MARRIED SEX is premiering Off-Broadway in November (see links at end.). To fund these Fringe launch pads, as well as tremendous outreach, including FREE workshops with men and woman who’ve been sexually abused and/or assaulted, I’ve initiated an Indiegogo campaign. We have just two days left to raise $4000. Any donations would be greatly appreciated! Here is a Broadway World announcement, including a link to the campaign! http://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/STAGE-TUBE-United-Solos-MARRIED-SEX-Kicks-Off-Indiegogo-Project-20130911