DENTATA is a joyful, riotous, and feral exploration of feminine ferocity and pleasure. Rooted in the tension of a god-fearing upbringing in the American South, the piece weaponizes the grotesque mockery of the Bouffon to interrogate how women have been misunderstood, belittled, and underestimated throughout history.
The performance is a high-stakes ritual of presence, conjured through the poetry of the Three Weird Sisters, the reclamation of a misunderstood teenage Medusa hoping for a date, and direct, playful confrontation with the audience. Centered around a giant, operatic vagina puppet, the work is as theatrically beautiful as it is provocative—prioritizing stunning visual imagery and extreme physicality to transport the viewer for sixty minutes.
Directed by Jess Lazar (Funny or Die, Hulu) and co-birthed by SITI Company's Lucy Smith. Written and starring award-winning Julia VanderVeen, The Broad Street Review called it, “A rich expression of female ferocity: joyful and brave."
Cast & Creative Team
Julia VanderVeen - Performer/Creator
Lucy Smith: Show Doula
Jess Lazar: Director/Creative Consultant
Eva Lansberry: Puppet Designer
Mae Merkle: Puppet Designer Medusa
Scottie Rowell: Puppet support
Hans Meyer: Sound Designer
Jackson Sturkey: Original song
Special thanks: Zach Fine, Hannah Mitchell, Dynamic El Dorado, Fly on a Wall, William VanderVeen
https://youtu.be/-IwgGaeAJms
Reviews
A great balance of rage and vulnerability. A terrific physical comedian, invoking Carol Burnett.
- Broad Street Review
A rich expression of female ferocity: joyful, thoughtful, memorable and brave.
- Broad Street Review
The kind of theatre piece that you don't quickly forget.
- Broad Street Review