Whitefire Theatres Solofest presents “My Own X-rated Words,” written and directed by Fredrica Duke, and performed by Pam Levin.
This is a play that absolutely lives up to its name.
Fredrica Duke has lived quite a life and I’m oh so thankful she decided to share a little of it with us. “My Own X-Rated Words” is a hilarious, graphic, bold and thoroughly entertaining account of her early days as a fresh faced young actress in LA during the 70s and 80s. She holds nothing back as she revisits memory after memory, sexual encounters – good and bad – misogyny, harassment, bad advice, cute boys and quite a few Hollywood assholes.
The point of this show, so brilliantly and skillfully acted by the phenomenal Pam Levin, is not just to shock, although there is plenty of that, I think it’s to remind us all not to judge ourselves harshly, or label ourselves foolishly, or to pay into anyone else’s bullshit idea of who we ought to be. We are all just running around banging into things trying our best not to make too much of a mess after all and no one really knows anything, do they? God, this brings back some hair-raising memories of my own I can tell you. I often wonder how I survived the 80s. This funny, heartfelt, sometimes stingingly honest play captures just beautifully a young girl living her life out loud. No apologies, no time to waste, few limits and a ton of heart. Fredrica Duke is a bit of a legend in her own right, a little bit punk, a little bit libertine, a little bit lost girl finding out she’s perfect just as she is.
I’m thrilled she picked Pam to play her. Pam has the same kind of wild endearing spirit and it was easy to accept that Pam was Fredrica. Easy to see Pam making similar choices and giving just as many craps about them. Pam is performing in three plays for this Solofest, the next one being on March 6th, “The Quiet Room,” which I’m sure it will be just as excellent as this.
How lucky we are to have brilliant, gifted, unapologetic and driven women like Fredrica and Pam to fill us with inspiration, joy, love and laugh. Honestly, they were rolling in the aisles…life is good!