[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre interview of Cock Tales: Straight Up, Dirty & Shaken Stories of Lust & Love, written and performed by Lori Hoeft and Macy Pitt at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2024.
Lori Hoeft’s brilliant show is one of my absolute favorites this Hollywood Fringe. Socking, sweet, funny and moving, she takes us on quite a spin through her life and loves. We love finding out how artists create and this show is so wonderful I just had to ask Lori how it all came together!
Lori Hoeft: Cock Tales is deeply personal, reflecting my journey to overcome grief. Like in French cinema, I believe in captivating the audience from the very start. My father introduced me to storytelling with the book “James and The Giant Peach,” which sparked my desire to become a director. I even directed a play based on it in fourth grade. His death left a profound void in my life, and I visualized this story best through theatre, imagining him in the audience, experiencing it with me.
Your play touches on profound themes. What message are you hoping to convey?
Lori Hoeft: My goal is to explore our shared human experiences of sex, death, and the hope for resurrection or rebirth. Throughout my artistic life, discussing men’s private parts was taboo, unlike women’s. After becoming a member of The Happy Cock Church, where we were encouraged to share our innermost stories without shame, I felt compelled to create art based on my experiences with these subjects.
How did you go about selecting your team for this project?
Lori Hoeft: I chose my team intuitively. For instance, I met Jimmy Berry at a Valentine’s event for those with heartbreak stories at Three of Clubs. His voice and presence struck me, so I asked him to perform in “Cock Tales.” I met Brian Knudson, who I initially envisioned as an immersive priest, but after hearing him read, I realized he could portray all the men in my story. Additionally, I included Duffy Hudson, whom I met through the acclaimed acting coach Sandra Seacat. His George Burns character voice reminded me of my dad, and I loved that.
Can you describe your creative process?
Lori Hoeft: I write every day, inspired by Morning Pages. This practice helps me open up and let inspired writing flow through me. I start with table reads, hearing actors play out the scenes. I visit museums and used to frequent record stores, sometimes writing to a single song. For this piece,”Time in a Bottle ” written and recorded by Jim Croce and Harry Chapin was significant; it reminded me of my Dad and my dog, Macy. Authenticity is crucial in my creativity, so I dig deep within myself to find true stories, fictionalizing them as necessary.
Macy seems to play an important role in your story. Tell us more about her inclusion.
Lori Hoeft: Macy, my dog, is like my shadow. She has met all the men in the play, and I talk to her in a baby dog voice. Macy once stood up on two legs when a raccoon entered our backyard, showcasing her strength. Including her in the play highlights the healing bond between humans and pets. Macy recently got diagnosed with bone cancer, and honoring her in this play is my way of showing appreciation for her.
Reflecting on the production, is there anything you would have done differently?
Lori Hoeft: I wish I had hired a producer from Cal Arts to allow me to fully express my artistic vision. Additionally, I suffered a concussion while carrying Macy from her chemo and radiation treatments, which made it hard to drive to locations. Without that injury, the process would have been smoother. Given the limited time Macy and I have left, I’m doing my best with what we have.
What have you learned through this experience?
Lori Hoeft: I’ve learned that many people have similar experiences but struggle to express them through art. My time at Art Center taught me the value of bravery and free-spiritedness in storytelling. If my work touches even one person, I feel I’ve succeeded artistically. I had a supportive group in my program, and we discovered that passionate art resonates with others. Lastly, I realized my taste in men was questionable after my father passed, a sobering lesson in my journey.
Thank you, Lori, for sharing your heartfelt journey with us. Cock Tales sounds like a powerful and deeply personal piece of art.
Lori Hoeft: Thank you. It’s been an emotional journey, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it.
Jimmy Berry is Lori’s accompanying musician during the show, her troubadour essentially. We wanted to hear from him a little about his experience.
Hi Jimmy, thank you so much for talking about what it’s been like working with Lori as her accompanying musician and side-kick in the show.
What Is it about Lori that made you say yes?
I said yes to this project because working with Lori is exhilarating, and she really gives her collaborators creative license and trusts their creative decisions.
Why have you learned about her, each other, and yourself?
I’ve learned that Lori likes a good martini! And I’ve learned about her trials and tribulations when it comes to finding love. As for myself, I’ve learned how valuable it is to be kind to someone, even if they might not be the love of your life. Being kind goes a long way.
Would you do this again?
Yeah!
Has it inspired you to create art about your own journey?
Yes! I’ve already written several plays about my own experiences, so this play has just inspired me to do more of that.
Thanks, Jimmy!
Brian Knudson voices Lori’s horrible boyfriends and had a lot of fun with each role. So we had some questions for him about how he became a part of the project.
Hi Brian, welcome to Fringe! What is it about Lori that made you say yes?
Her funny and goofy personality! We met at one of the HFF mixers and laughed over sharing stories about our personal lives. Then I read her script and enjoyed her wild stories. When she said she wanted to hire me to do the voices of the 8 male suitors, I gave her an immediate yes. I love doing voiceovers so having an opportunity to record so many different roles was beyond fun!
What have you learned about her, each other and yourself?
Lori is very driven and I watched her overcome some of the numerous challenges to mount the show. The avalanche of issues that she plowed through would have broken a weaker person. She’s also a team player and understands the bigger picture when it comes to entertaining an audience. She was receptive to all the crew’s input as the script and show evolved. Writers can be very defensive but Lori rolled with the script edits. I learned that when there are creative differences, it’s important to engage in a civil manner and to move forward together, because putting up a play is always a team effort.
Would you do this again?
Absolutely! I love recording voiceovers so I’m grateful for any opportunity, but Lori’s play also gave me a range of characters to explore. It was a rare chance to express many different colors.
Has it inspired you to create art about your own journey?
Lori’s effort has shown me that a strong determination is necessary to bring theatrical art to fruition, which I think I have. Ideas are definitely percolating about my own life.
Although some of Cock Tales is unapologetically wild and outrageous, the play has a big heart. You can read my review of the show here: https://nohoartsdistrict.com/cock-tales-straight-up-dirty-shaken-stories-of-lust-love-review.
Cock Tales: Straight Up, Dirty & Shaken Stories of Lust & Love is highly recommended and a brilliant addition to the Hollywood Fringe!
Tickets:
https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10628?tab=tickets
Where:
Los Angeles LGBTQ Center
1125 North McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038
When:
June 22 at 7pm
June 23 at 7pm (virtually as well as live)