No Shame Theatre is a forum for original stage performance work. Starting in 2012, The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, NC will be hosting its very own No Shame. This once a month, late night show is for performers of all stripes, shapes and persuasions. The ArtsCenter is joining theaters in Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Iowa, Oregon, Nevada, California, Tennessee, and even North Carolina! (Asheville) which a
ll host current No Shames. All are welcome! Playwrights, actors, jugglers, magicians, poets, tap dancers, comedians, musicians, storytellers, belly dancers, monologists, film makers, singers, bands, comedy duos, performance artists..and all sorts of pieces from script in hand pieces or memorized, funny, musical, dramatic, puppetry, dance, bad, weird, or just what the hell, all styles of performance are welcome! No Shame is a place where writers, audience, and performers constantly change roles throughout the evening. There are only three rules:
1. All pieces must be original
2. You can't break anything (the stage, the audience, yourself, the law, etc.)
3. All pieces must be under 5 minutes
Format
Usually, the program contains approximately fifteen pieces. The pieces are not censored in any way, which leads to a fantastic mix of comedy, performance art, emotional drama, terrific music and more that is rarely seen in more conventional theatre. History
No Shame Theatre was founded by Todd Ristau and Stan Ruth at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. It began on October 3, 1986 in the back of a green 1976 Dodge pick-up truck belonging to Todd Ristau, and parked in the E. Mabie Theater parking lot. A sign up sheet was posted in fall of 1986 to generate interest in No Shame. The sheet read:
"The No Shame Theatre is looking for a few good three to 5 minute scripts that would be suitable for performing in the bed of a pick-up truck in some parking lot someplace. If you have such material and are proud enough of it to want to see it done someplace we've got the perfect vehicle for your expression--a big green '76 Dodge with a slant six engine. To submit scripts for consideration, contact us or leave them along with your name and phone number in the cardboard box on top of the locker just outside and to the left (as you stand looking at) the door to the playwright's office downstairs. Please waste no time, we want to get this truck started. No Shame is at least as serious as you are."
