Andrea Mezvinsky's Comedy SAWED IN HALF to Play ACME Theatre

Crowned America's Funniest Mom on Oprah, stand-up comedienne and actress, Andrea Mezvinsky has created a new solo play "Sawed in Half" that begs the question: 'What happens when one woman's competing roles of wife, mother, lover, and performer collide?'

Seeking guidance from role models as diverse as her spry but dead Jewish grandmother and her neurotic, feminist mother to Frida Kahlo, Isadora Duncan, and Erma Bombeck, Andrea tries to abide by all the rules before realizing that, in the game of life, a woman has to make her own.

"Like most of us in life there are our own set rules that we live by, then there are family traditional rules that we were raised on and then there is the reality of real life that challenges us every day, making our lives even more confusing. This is where I found the true comedy in co-writing this show with Director, Victoria Larimore," says, co-playwright and actress, Andrea Mezvinsky.

Andrea met Victoria while working on her TV comedy series 'Open House" - a comedy about the treacherous world of Manhattan real estate - and as they worked together, Andrea found that Victoria complemented her perfectly which prompted their collaboration on 'Sawed in Half' as well. According to Director and co-playwright, Victoria Larimore: "In working with Mezvinsky on "Sawed in Half" we drew on our own experiences, but then turned to inspirational women from history whom we felt were role models, women who led their lives with courage, followed their own dreams, forged their own path, despite what their family, friends or even society said. We specifically picked Isadora Duncan, Frieda Kahlo and Erma Bombeck as diverse representatives who mentor the main character in the play. But at the end of the day, while it's great to seek inspiration and advice from others, Shakespeare said it best - "to thine own self be true." The problem for some people is, however, that their own inner voice is being drowned out by the loud expectations of others."

"Coming up with the premise of the play happened naturally. I wanted to write about feminism and had the idea to look at the changing domestic roles of women over the last century through the characters of my grandma, mother and me. My marriage was ending and I was writing poems to deal with it. At some point I realized that the poems were written like monologues, like I was speaking to another person or an audience. I started incorporating this personal poetic writing (of what I was going through) with my original premise of comparing three generations of women and. these poems became the voice of my show," says, Mezvinsky.

"SAWED IN HALF" was developed and directed by Victoria Larimore, an Emmy-nominated TV, film and theater director/writer whose work has appeared on ABC, Comedy Central, LOGO, A&E, PBS and in festivals, theatres and broadcast in more than 25 countries. It is also created by and stars Andrea Mezvinsky, whose credits include the CBS movie Open Admissions; Comedy Shorts on Bravo; the indy film Gratuitous Sex, plus the Off-Broadway hit comedy Grandma Sylvia's Funeral. A stand-up comic, Andrea has left audiences in stitches at venues from Caroline's on Broadway to the Comedy Stop in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City. She also performed on the Vegas Strip as part of The World Series of Comedy.

LARRY MINION (co-producer) has been creating and producing theatre in LA for more than 30 years, including the multi award-winning solo shows Short of Breath, Freedom of Speech, and One Man, Two Plays, as well as the Techno Rock Opera Blue Girl.

Opens Friday September 16th 8pm. Runs every Friday and Saturday through October 8th. Tickets: $17 in advance, $20 at the door, brownpapertickets.com. Plays the ACME Theatre, 5124-5126 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601.

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