Unattended Baggage Presents The West Coast Premiere Of I'M SMILING BECAUSE I'M UNCOMFORTABLE

I'm Smiling Because I'm Uncomfortable will make its West Coast premiere in kitchens Wednesday, June 20th through Monday, June 25th as part of the San Diego International Fringe Festival. The show runs fifty minutes. The kitchen is located at 951 Fifth Ave (a five-minute walk from the Fringe Festival Hub!). The play is written and performed by Emma Howard, directed by Sean Pollock and Hana Mastrogiacomo, and produced by Alyssa Berdie.

Why do we eat? Why do we stop eating? This show is an autobiographical story traveling from early childhood experiences of queerness and lessons on body image, to a college eating disorder, to the present challenges of eating and living in a human body.

Sean Pollock (Co Director) is a multi-disciplinary writer, director, designer, and artist based out of Brooklyn. Recent credits include: Laundryfest, The Bed Show, Super Short Site Specific Festival, Phantom of the Paradise (Secret Loft), Intimate Bar Plays, #serials (The Flea), A Very...Scientology Pageant: In Concert (54 Below) I'm Smiling Because I'm Uncomfortable (NYC and Touring), Greed Play, This Is A Play About Newscasters. Off-Broadway: Trump Rally (United Solo/Theatre Row). He currently serves as the Literary Associate for The Dirty Blondes and Company member of Unattended Baggage. Training: Ithaca College, NTI, Directors Lab North, Directors Lab Chicago, Directors Lab West. www.seanpollock.net insta: @seanzyart

HANA MASTROGIACOMO (Co Director) Her previous theater credits include The Bed Show, I'm Smiling Because I'm Uncomfortable (NYC), ReEntry Theater Program, Good Boys and True, and Fried Bacon (Ithaca, NY).

Emma Howard (Performer/Writer) is a writer and performer and a recent graduate from the Experimental Theatre Wing at Tisch. She likes to make work about eating and mental illness. She is interested in one day become a medical and humanitarian clown and using physical comedy to tackle body image issues.

ALYSSA BERDIE (Producer) is a creative producer, writer, and director living in Brooklyn, NY. She is one of the Artistic Directors of Unattended Baggage and a coordinator at The FRONT. Her theatre credits include: The Bed Show (NYC), Super Short Site Specific Play Festival (NYC), A Very Merry... Scientology Pageant: In Concert (54 Below), Cheaper, Faster Garbage Food (GREED PLAY), American Juggalo (Porterspace) @alyssaberdie

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at https://sdfringe18.ticketleap.com/im-smiling-because-im-uncomfortable-presented-by-unattended-bag/