"Smile in 3 Acts"

Smile in 3 Acts
SMILE — A performance memoir of “being” and becoming a woman in American society. Crystal Cruz “aka” Madame C’s disturbing, dangerous, often hilarious and cringe worthy performance memoir opens a window into her journey as an artist and womanhood. Madame C founder of House of Cirque (a circus performance company) takes the audience on a riveting visual exploration of the Patriarchy, the Me Too Movement, Women’s Suffrage and her own self exploration of identity. She uses her mastery of performance including dance, burlesque, side/show skills including bed of nails, stilts, fire, walking on glass, straight jacket escape and more to visually share her deep personal experiences and as an artist on the fringe and as an outsider of expectations, social norms and body constraints. Included in the performances is award winning artist Joy Young and published poet Ana Flores through a call and response method of storytelling and poetry the audience is immersed in three distinct voices and experiences of becoming and empowering one’s self in authentic paths of living.