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| Sally Jo Bannow photo by Reg Madison Photography |
“If you went a little bigger you’d be perfect,” those were some of the first words that Sally Jo Bannow, writer, co-creator, and star of Phoenix Theater’s The Boob Show, heard after her breast cancer diagnosis.
While battling breast cancer, Sally Jo, naturally went through an exploration of her body, and most of all her breasts. She did so in emails to friends, and loved ones in correspondences called, “Keeping you Abreast.” This hilarious, and introspective attitude through one's journey lead to the eventual creation of her one woman show.
With a name like The Boob Show it's easy to assume one is in for a night of some scantily clad outfits, but this show is a different type of titillating experience.
PHX Stages met with Sally Jo to talk about all things mammary, so before you go, here are 5 things you need to know about The Boob Show!
1. It’s Musical!
Sally Jo is naturally a musical person, and when faced with her breast cancer experience she used music as a tool for healing. This in turn lead to many songs, and musical storytelling experiences. First as therapeutic tools, and now the songs will be featured in the show, as musical interludes, or numbers. Sally Jo will be accompanied on stage by Craig Bohmler, the show’s composer and musical arranger.
2. It's Hilarious!
Sally Jo stressed, the show isn't a show about breast cancer, but all kinds of female and male bodies, and their stories and experiences all surrounding boobs! She even laughed while thinking about the show, which is littered with hilarious moments. “I mean it's hard not to laugh when you think about boobs, they are funny, and wild, and yet they do so very much for us.” said Sally Jo.
3. It's a One Woman Show.
As the curator of this experience, Sally Jo toyed with having multiple women on stage with her, but in the end, decided on using her own experiences as a storytelling thread. This one woman approach served to highlight many other women's mammary stories. The piece looks at the life of a big chested woman, Sally Jo, and every size in between, all effortlessly played by Sally Jo. She slips in between cup sizes, and characters through the clever work of her costume designer, Connie Furr.
4. It's a Multimedia Experience.
Although The Boob Show is a solo show, it utilizes some rather creative multimedia storytelling elements. Much like how the costumes serve to differentiate different women in multiple stories; the multi-media served as the same story-telling tool. The show is set in an avant gard, farcical, hilarious world, thanks to the show’s sound designer, Chris Neumeyer and Kristen Peterson, the video designer.
5. It's a Community Affair.
Although Sally Jo might have faced trials and tribulations during her breast cancer experience; she had a total role reversal while working on the process of this show, most prominently while the show was in workshops at Phoenix Theater. At one point a woman said to her, “Oh my Gosh I need to bring my daughter to see this,” which was followed by another woman's same comments only with her sons.
“That's the overall goal for the piece”, said Sally Joe, it might be a night of entertainment, but she hopes it also opens up a dialog about the way we view, talk about, and understand breasts.
CLICK HERE for more information on this production, which runs through March 25th
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