Yoga retreat offers (rhymes with) rich material for comedy at TheatreWorks
Those who can tell a downward-facing dog from a baby cobra will likely identify with the title of Suzanne Morrison's one-woman comedy, running this weekend at TheatreWorks.
"Yoga Bitch," part of Playhouse on the Square's inaugural SoloWorks series, is the Seattle actress' autobiographical story of a nearly disastrous two-month yoga retreat. Her performance debuted in London in 2007. She is also turning the experience into a book. Morrison, 32, says she still takes yoga classes.
Suzanne Morrison performs her one-woman comedy "Yoga Bitch" this weekend at TheatreWorks.
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Q: "Yoga Bitch" is mostly a true story. How did it come about?
A: I went to Bali in 2002 to study yoga with this teacher that I really admired and thought was amazing. I was a yoga neophyte and had certain expectations. But when I got to Bali, I discovered that the people doing yoga were also doing other crazy things like "urine therapy," which is a process of drinking your own pee. I also discovered that the yoga teacher wasn't who I thought she was.
I was suddenly in the wrong world. I felt so different than them. At the same time, we were all looking for something and were in similar places in our lives. For a lot of people, yoga is like a catchall religion but without the guilt. It's almost spiritual: You get in touch with the universe and also get to wear hip outfits.
Q: At what point did you think your experience might make a good drama?
A: Toward the end of my time there, I started thinking about taking notes to keep track of the weird things. But it wasn't until I got back and started telling people about it that I knew it needed to be something. I worked at a bar, and my co-workers created a drink called the Suzanne Morrison. It was yellow.
Q: How did the story make it to the stage?
A: It took probably a year and a half to get to the first workshop production. Then I changed my mind and decided to write it as a book. Then a London producer heard about it and harassed me until I made it a show again.
Q: You've performed "Yoga Bitch" in cities from Seattle to London. Is yoga culture the same everywhere?
A: A lot of different people come to the show. There are the hardcore yogis but also people who like the idea of yoga, but never actually go.
Q: Do people who take yoga seriously get annoyed that you're poking fun at them?
A: Mostly I've been shocked about how positive the response has been. Like my roommate in Bali who drank pee and got "re-virginized." She's seen the show twice and has nothing but good things to say about it. When I was working on it, I asked if she'd mind if I used her story. The good thing about these kinds of people is that they're all looking for truth and authenticity. She doesn't think of life as a deep, dark secret. One blogger took issue with the language in the show. With a title like "Yoga Bitch," what can you expect?
Q:Did you come back from Bali enlightened or frustrated?
A: I came back aware of the fact that you can have a catharsis, but that enlightenment is ephemeral. You can't just fix your problems and ride off into the sunset with God and religion. Chances are you're going to wake up with yourself the next day.
Q: Do you still do yoga, and are you any closer to inner peace?
A: I still go to yoga, and for the most part I have a decent attitude about it. I try to go to easy yoga classes. I can do harder, but I find that in upper level classes, I turn into Tonya Harding and want to bash the knees of the people who are better than me. It can be competitive.
I've found that reading is sort of my church. Reading books and seeing plays and art and music. The arts are my religion, and I can accept that now.
"Yoga Bitch"
Suzanne Morrison performs "Yoga Bitch" tonight and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at TheatreWorks, 2085 Monroe. Tickets are $20. Call 726-4656.
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