Originated by Australian Simon Morley and his fellow down-under comedian David Friend, "Puppetry of the Penis" might well be considered genital origami, consisting as it does of more than 40 "penis installations." Featuring everything from the Loch Ness monster to the Eiffel Tower, it brings a new appreciation of the flexibility of a well-trained human body or its parts.
The upcoming ACT show will feature Australian Daniel Lewry and his English buddy Martyn O'Dell. Both men, after exhibiting the requisite stage presence and pliability demanded for this particular art form, were trained by the group's founders, and have been performing internationally for more than two years.
Since the show's inception in 1996, more than a million fans have marveled at the versatility of its two all-too-often-hidden anatomical stars. It's been called by critics, "hilarious," "outrageous," "brilliant" and "just plain funny."
It's not surprising that the company founders and one of the Seattle performers have Australian backgrounds. Among many Australian aborigines, the penis is a thing of wonder. It's not hidden, and there's no need to snicker about it. Why, among the Walibir people of the Outback, the men greet one another, not with a shake of the hand, but instead with a shake of the ... you know what. Around the world, the penis garners more respect than it does in our culture. The Hindus worship the lingam that represents the Lord Shiva but in a form that is immediately recognizable for what it is. On March 5 every year, the Japanese celebrate the penis and fertility with parades. In one town, the parade features a 900-pound wooden phallus. In pre-industrial societies around the world, the pubescent boy doesn't become a man until he goes through the rite of circumcision.
Now, finally, through "Puppetry of the Penis," audiences throughout the western world are given an opportunity to be publicly and properly respectful of this important male appendage. And, as every woman knows, respect of this sort is just what our men want.
"Puppetry of the Penis"
runs April 29 through May 4 at ACT Theatre located at 700 Union St.
Tickets $45 and $25 (students). Call ACT Box Office at 292-7676
or visit www.acttheatre.org.