BODY LANGUAGE Solo Show by Jenny Napolitano to Make Bethesda Premiere at The Allan Lefcowitz Theater
Performances will take place September 25 and 26 (evening) and September 27 (matinee).
Comedian, writer, and storyteller Jenny Napolitano will premiere Body Language, a new solo theatrical piece blending storytelling and stand-up comedy, at The Allan Lefcowitz Theater at The Writer's Center in Bethesda, MD. Performances will take place September 25 and 26 (evening) and September 27 (matinee), with tickets going on sale in late June. A public workshop performance will take place June 13, also at The Writer's Center, with another potential workshop in July.
Body Language explores what it means to live inside a body that doesn't always make sense, struggling to be heard in systems not designed to support it. Napolitano balances humor with vulnerability to turn her experience with chronic pelvic pain into a wider exploration of miscommunication: between the self and the body, between doctor and patient, and between individuals in relationship with each other. While rooted in one person's experience, Body Language invites audiences to reflect on their own relationships with their bodies and health, and the moments they've struggled to be understood.
Chronic pelvic pain (including but not limited to conditions such as vaginismus, vulvodynia, dyspareunia, and vestibulodynia) is both widespread and widely under-discussed. An estimated one in four people with vaginas will experience pain with sex at some point in their lives, yet conversations around these experiences remain limited, stigmatized, or dismissed. Body Language uses humor and storytelling to bring visibility to a set of experiences that are deeply common but rarely spoken about, and questions the systems (medical, cultural, and interpersonal) that shape how pain is understood, dismissed, or left unspoken.
The piece has been developed through a series of short-form performances and festival appearances, including Basement Cabaret in Washington, DC (August 2025), StoryExtreme in Alexandria, VA (October 2025), and Bergamot Comedy Fest in Santa Monica, CA (March 2026). The September run marks the first full-length production of the work.
Audiences and press can also get an early look at the piece during a public workshop on Saturday, June 13 from 2-4 PM at The Writer's Center (4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD, 20815, Room 6 (downstairs)). The workshop will feature a full run-through of the current draft followed by a guided feedback session. RSVP is required.
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