Vanessa Boss' Fantasy Solo Show Takes Flight At Fringe

Having moved eight times during her childhood as a result of her father's career, from Hong Kong to Buffalo, Vanessa Boss struggled to find a place she called "home." With that yearning and confusion came expected early and lingering effects like depression, self-esteem issues and an eating disorder. During those times, Vanessa often sought an escape and an identity for her problems...and some unique characters began their development.

Years later, Vanessa is ready to tell her personal, touching and still funny story, with the help of some of those characters, in Uprooted: A Tale of Navigating Turbulence to Find Home, playing this June at the Lounge Theatre as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

In Uprooted, the creatures of Vanessa's inner world take you on the flight of her life! A disturbance triggers violent weather, endangering matriarch Elda, the elder tree, the voice of Vanessa's wisdom. Elda leads Vanessa's inner fantasy creatures on a journey to remind Vanessa of her strength, but Vanessa's demons take control of the flight and her mind as she is moved again and again, facing bullies, saying unexpected goodbyes to friends, and hoping for the day to come where she'll get to choose where home is. But is home a place or a feeling? Full of exciting adventure, triumph and heartbreak, Vanessa frees herself from the restraints of her inner demons and proclaims her power to define her own fate. Uprooted is a young woman's resilient story of growing into the strong, rooted woman she is meant to be.

"I thought there would be no better way to tell my story of moving and not feeling in control than through a flight," she said. "Being on a plane, you put your fate in someone else's hands. The turbulence representing the unpredictability and challenges along the journey. Then I knew I wanted the show to be interactive, where the audience would be a part of the flight, for them to experience the journey with me as they see my story unfold. I wanted to speak to the universal themes of how we all at times struggle to find home, knowing who we are, the shame we share and wanting to find our voice."

But in Uprooted, it isn't Vanessa telling the story, but rather the creatures she's created as she sits back and observes, again relinquishing control. With Elda, there is also Nerva, Puddle, Froggy and others, all representing a piece of Vanessa. And Vanessa herself does show up...from time to time. The idea for the show, directed by Fringe veteran Jessica Lynn Johnson, came from Vanessa's love of mythological stories. When she premiered the work at the last SoloFest, critics and audiences praised her new way of telling a very identifiable life story. And Vanessa hopes to spread her message to an even bigger audience by bringing it to Fringe.

"This story is about defining who you are for yourself and embracing and nurturing yourself," she said. "I hope people see that our self-limiting beliefs are just thoughts passing by in the wind. They are not the truth of what you are capable of. I hope that the audience leaves feeling inspired and believing in the power of vulnerability as a birth place for growth and finding peace."

FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/5824

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