For Immediate Release: November 15, 2005
Media Contact: Aileen McCulloch, Vagabond Acting Troupe, 215.563.4330

PMS might seem like strange concept for a musical comedy, but for the Vagabond Acting Troupe, such edgy choices are in essence the company's daily bread. The ensemble troupe has presented such shake ups as Shakespeare with puppets, or with every syllable danced or with five actors playing all the roles; entire evenings of gut-wrenching Becket; a Christmas Carol with four actors and two stools, and a show about the art of war that really focused on the art side - just to name a few approaches from a thirteen year history of presenting physical work. Next up for the Sansom Street company is this season's world premier musical entitled PMS! (A Period Musical).

Conceived by the company's founder and artistic director, Aileen McCulloch of Morgantown, PA, PMS! features the work of dozens of area artists who have joined the process for as little as one rehearsal, or as long as the entire process. "We started our all access approach to theatre development last season with our ensemble collaboration THE ART OF WAR, and we returned this season with an expanded process which allowed anyone who wanted to come to have access to the development, select rehearsals and this year to documentation of the process online."

McCulloch said she was pleased to find that many men were as interested in exploring the concept as the troupes' female participants - and that once they realized they weren't the butt of all the jokes, became invested in the process along with the women. "We really try not to bash men - too much - in the show," McCulloch explains. "Two of the songs were written by men, and during the development process we had a lot of feedback from men who wanted to make sure we explored their viewpoint. Plus our music director is the a man. This trend towards personifying women as "weak" and "angry" is really a bad thing for men as well, and all of the men who participated were eager to share that side of the issue."

But McCulloch is quick to point out that the impetus for writing the play did begin with her own frustrations about how the monthly period seems to be fair game for excusing (a.k.a. forcing) women from the "big boys" playing field. "I was inspired to explore this topic for three big reasons...1. I read about this study that determined that 80% of all American women experience pain, discomfort and other symptoms of "illness" during or right before or after their periods which means that the medical industry is labeling most U.S. women as "sick" for 1/4th of each month BECAUSE they are women; and 2. I'm a woman who runs a business, and I can assure you people say things to me about my management style that they would never say to a man doing the same things, and finally, 3. a few years ago when I was having some problems in my relationship, and a relation on my husband's side thought to help by giving me a little pink book called PMS AND YOU - I became really peeved that because there were problems in my 15-year relationship, it was assumed my body and monthly menses were at fault, rather than perhaps assuming that communication problems might be causing some bumps in the road."

McCulloch, who is quick to point out that her relationship is now happily at 20 years and still going strong, reiterates that the company actually ended up steering away from ranting at men too much in the course of the development. "We got it out of our systems pretty quickly, and then decided to explore the show as a musical burlesque, because we knew that style usually forces the writer to lean towards lighter and more sassy and usually away from too dramatic and depressing. One of the through-lines explores a fight between two different couples, and how both are resolved through communication."

"Pre menstrual symptoms cause enough pain for women and even for men," says the show's other playwright, Bridget Ingram of Mohnton, PA, who is also McCulloch's younger sister and an actress in the show. "We agreed pretty early on that it was important that we take the lighter, funnier road whenever possible, as long as we emphasized the seriousness as well."

McCulloch founded Vagabond Acting Troupe in 1993 to explore challenging material through experimental forms. So, the small experimental company has become known for it's edgier ways of approaching work and the physical style it employs. "The subject was a launching pad, but we aren't presenting a dissertation on our women's studies findings," says Ingram, who is also a realtor in Reading, PA who is in the midst of planning the opening of her own realty firm, called Aggressive Realty.

"Basically, we've thrown all of our findings into the air and kept what stuck. In essence, we wrote over three times as much as we are actually using in the final show," notes Ingram.

"I always tell my students, the job of a playwright isn't the writing," agrees McCulloch, who is also a workshop leader with Philadelphia Young Playwrights. "Anyone who can pick up a pen and put down words can write. It's learning how to keep what's strong and get rid of the weaker stuff - or in this case - get rid of the stuff that doesn't tell the story we finally settled on - that is the hardest part of the job. When you have all these great, fun songs, but they don't work for the story - it can be like cutting your flesh to actually remove it from the final show."

"We were just joking the other night that we have enough material to do RETURN OF PMS and SON OF PMS down the road," quips Ingram.

So, says McCulloch, some of that material is making its way into the work of the artists who collaborated on the project. "I know, for example, that Joanne Mercer who is the founder of the Dutch Blitzkrieg comedy group out in the Reading area asked if she could use some of the stuff she wrote that we cut for DB comedy routines out that way," says McCulloch. "I was thrilled! It's so great that even the cutting room floor stuff might make it into a show somewhere!"

THE BASICS: Tickets for the production run from $10 to $18 depending on performance night. Shows run Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. On Saturday, December 17, the company has it's annual XXXMAS CARNAL-VAL scheduled for 7 p.m. at St. George's, so the company will have an industry matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 17, and no 8 p.m. performance that night. For $25 - Saturday audience members can receive a ticket to the fundraiser AND a ticket to the Saturday matinee! For ticket reservations for any Vagabond event, theatre-goers may call the reservation line at 215-563-4330, extension 3 or email the company at inthelime@aol.com. For touring information, contact the administrative offices at 610-286-5567, or email the company at inthelime@aol.com.

The company also offers a few talk-backs with area professionals and entertainers with a "women's studies" appeal.

• Wednesday, December 7, after the 8 p.m. show, meet Dr. Doris Jeanette, Author of A Natural Process for Opening the Heart- Your Emotional Guide to Love, which shows you how to trust your feelings, energy and body, which was highly praised and used by the late Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, MD.
• Wednesday, December 14, after the 8 p.m. show, lounge singer MEDUSA. This Greek Goddess turned Philadelphia cabert artist, joins us for a talk-back about being a gorgon at that time of the month, and if we're lucky she might sing us a few of her tunes! Medusa is created and performed by Hannah Tsapatoris.
• Wednesday, December 21, after the 8 p.m. show, discussion with the playwrights and development staff.

Several other shows also offer talk-backs with cast members and development artists. For more information on specific cast and staff talkbacks associated with the production or our other works in progress or touring, visit the company's website at: www.vagabondactingtroupe.org.

VAGABOND'S XXXMAS CARNIVAL: AND SAVE THE DATE for Vagabond Acting Troupe's annual fundraiser, an XXXmas CARNIVAL on December 17 at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church, 256 South 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA. The evening starts at 7 p.m.! Guests are invited to join the company for the 2 p.m. show that day, then meet members of the cast and development team that night with food, drinks, entertainment, silent auction, raffles and more!

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