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"She has the impeccable ability to make you laugh & cry in the same sentence . . ." - a review of MmHmm
MmHmm : A Killer One Woman Show
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"MmHmm" is Laura's second one woman show. With 7 female and 2 male characters, it can be performed fully cast, or as a solo piece. After it's premiere at the Whitefire Theater's Solofest in 2016, Laura took it to the Hollywood Fringe Festival. It received an Encore Producer's Award. For bookings or a pdf copy of the play, visit the contact page. About the show...Recent college graduate, Jennifer, has just been "graped". Grape is the newest, hottest term out there for grey rape, which is “a sexual assault that does not fit into the stereotypical confines of rape, but where lines of consent have been misconstrued”. Unable to bring her grapist to justice in a court of law, Jennifer decides she must kill him. But she'll need all the help she can get from the women who know her best, the 5 bad ass women who raised her.
Recommended for: college students, adults, rape survivors, people that like laughing and then crying immediately after, sexy suffragettes, men (sometimes allowed), “boss-ass bitches”, the ghost of Maya Angelou, and Francis McDormand. Oh, and Kelly Clarkson, because what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Explored Themes: What is strength?, What does it take to be a strong woman?, What is justice?, What is the justifiable punishment for "accidental rape"?, Rape Culture in America, The many viewpoints of rape and sexual assault, and What is true healing? 40 minutes. Comedy. Directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson. |
Laura's first solo show, "Triangles are my favorite shape." is a 1 woman, 10 character, autobiographical play following Laura's journey to 'fix' her dysfunctional family. After it's premiere Off-Broadway at the United Solo Theatre Festival, Laura brought the show back to Los Angeles for a limited, well-received run at The Lounge Theatre.
About the show...The Drama Triangle: a diagram used to describe certain groups of people in conflict. In a dramatic triangle, a person will play the role of a persecutor, a victim, or a rescuer. If your family functions this way, you're invited to the next Jenkins family dinner! Brutally funny, and stabbing for the truth, Laura digs through her family's past, attempting to fix her modern, and in all senses of the word nuclear family. Dramatic Comedy. 80 minutes. Recommended for anyone that likes southern family gossip.
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Watch clips of the show here.
Check out the photos below from "Triangles" Los Angeles preview presentation, also held at The Lounge Theatre:
© Dan Smiley
Review of the LA Preview Presentation by Jake Tropila
I had never met Laura Jenkins before seeing “Triangles Are My Favorite Shape,” her first, of hopefully many, one woman shows, but by the end of watching I felt like we had been close friends for years. A remarkably brave and impeccably performed show, Laura rises as a true talent in this day in age, baring her heart and soul as she recounts the pros and cons of having a fraternal twin sibling, the woes of playground relationships and the joy of renting the unedited cut of “Cruel Intentions” on VHS. When Laura first appears on the stage, she’s armed with a kimono and a triangle instrument, shuffling across the floor and playing a few brief notes before initiating a breathless 75 minute performance, deftly alternating characters and re-enacting various memories, ranging the delightfully wonderful to the tearfully melancholy. Laura is a revelation here, easily managing the balance between laughter and sorrow, never favoring one over the other. She also never misses a beat in her step during the entire performance, carrying out extended diatribes like a seasoned professional, only pausing for a brief moment to break the fourth wall to point out that she’s grabbing props for her next bit. It’s fearless work, requiring an immense sense of bravery as she shares her history of awful dates, heart surgeries, secrets of previous marriages amongst her parents, and her neglect of her natural Arkansas accent (because it’s “gross”). Assisting matters is the ace lighting scheme controlled by Kristin Mothersbaugh, alternating between the warm red glow of Laura’s stream of consciousness and the bright white lights utilized during the dramatizations of key events in Laura’s life. It’s stunning technical work that compliments the flow of the show nicely, finding both artists hard at work and perfectly in tune. Once Laura reaches the show’s denouement, she wisely ends on an uplifting note, recognizing the goodness to life and realizing that everything falls into a sense of consistency, much like the angular proportions of, well, a triangle. I look forward to seeing more from her in the future.