Baring Souls Along With Some Skin

By Daisy Rosario

Jeff Simmermon [Photo courtesy of And I Am Not Lying]
 Emotional catharsis is now available with a side of T and A.

And I Am Not Lying” mixes first person storytelling with burlesque, sideshow, and comedy to create a wild night out. The NYC-based show plays cities like Washington D.C. and Boston. It was a featured event at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas earlier this year. Host and producer Jeff Simmermon created the show based on his blog of the same name.

Simmermon started the blog a few years ago, while living with his parents and trying to figure out what to do with his life next. The blog garnered attention after a posts about his personal experiences – like the time a barista harassed him about icing an espresso drink –  went viral. He has since been featured on the NPR radio show “This American Life” and his writing has appeared in Vice Magazine.

Earlier this year, the show began a run at popular Brooklyn venue Union Hall. The venue’s owners cut the residency short after an act by burlesque performers Mat Fraser and Julie Atlas Muz that featured a good deal of frontal nudity was seen as going too far.

“And I Am Not Lying” now has a new home at Under St. Marks, a small theatre in the East Village. Simmermon has since invited the notorious burlesque pair back to the show to perform what is now referred to as “the act that got us banned in Park Slope.”

The show also features regular performances by Simmermon’s frequent collaborators storyteller Brad Lawrence, and burlesque performer Cherry Pitz, AKA Cyndi Freeman.  The three also perform at various venues around NYC, such as R Bar and Pacific Standard.

Tickets are usually around $12 depending on the venue. They will be at The Black Cat in Washington DC on December 9.

Comments are closed.