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| No Shame Columbus - founded by Jens Rasmussen |
Magic, music, dance and drama, even stand-up comedy or acrobatics - you might see all this and more in one night of No Shame Theater, said Jens Rasmussen, director of No Shame Theater, which debuts in Columbus Friday at the Springer Opera House.
"You don't know what you're going to get," he said. "It has this stability and this complete wild card kind of feel."
Created in 1986 and now a nationwide movement, No Shame gives a twist to the traditional talent show or open mic night.
For the artists, it's first come, first served, and the pieces, which must be original and no longer than five minutes, are not censored or reviewed in advance, Rasmussen said. That leaves audience members with the chance of seeing everything from performance poetry to juggling.
"I was just blown away by it," Rasmussen said. "It was so exciting and such a broad range of people came in. When you go to No Shame, you're going to see something that no one has ever seen before. It's shameless; it's risk taking. Even if the art is not polished, the spirit of it is just so engaging. That's really at the core what No Shame is."
Ashley Laughter, campaign coordinator for the Springer, said she is excited about opening night.
"It's like an adventure," she said. "Come with an open mind. Come prepared to be shocked - but in a good way."
Laughter said the unique form of entertainment will help the Springer cater to a younger audience and will be particularly good for Soldiers, since it's a weekly event with no sign-up necessary.
"We always try to get Soldiers involved here at the Springer, but it's hard for a Soldier to make a commitment to a show because it can be time-consuming," said Laughter, wife of a Sand Hill drill sergeant. "But this is ‘bring what you got and do it one night.' I think No Shame is going to offer the Columbus area something brand new. All the works are original, which is something you just don't get to see as often as people should."
"You don't know what you're going to get," he said. "It has this stability and this complete wild card kind of feel."
Created in 1986 and now a nationwide movement, No Shame gives a twist to the traditional talent show or open mic night.
For the artists, it's first come, first served, and the pieces, which must be original and no longer than five minutes, are not censored or reviewed in advance, Rasmussen said. That leaves audience members with the chance of seeing everything from performance poetry to juggling.
"I was just blown away by it," Rasmussen said. "It was so exciting and such a broad range of people came in. When you go to No Shame, you're going to see something that no one has ever seen before. It's shameless; it's risk taking. Even if the art is not polished, the spirit of it is just so engaging. That's really at the core what No Shame is."
Ashley Laughter, campaign coordinator for the Springer, said she is excited about opening night.
"It's like an adventure," she said. "Come with an open mind. Come prepared to be shocked - but in a good way."
Laughter said the unique form of entertainment will help the Springer cater to a younger audience and will be particularly good for Soldiers, since it's a weekly event with no sign-up necessary.
"We always try to get Soldiers involved here at the Springer, but it's hard for a Soldier to make a commitment to a show because it can be time-consuming," said Laughter, wife of a Sand Hill drill sergeant. "But this is ‘bring what you got and do it one night.' I think No Shame is going to offer the Columbus area something brand new. All the works are original, which is something you just don't get to see as often as people should."
Laughter said she plans to perform with a burlesque dance group - "kind of reminiscent of the vaudeville era."
She will be joined by other local talent, including Becky Macy, an actor in the Springer's current production of Footloose and wife of an Infantry Mortar Leader Course instructor on post.
Macy said participating in No Shame will appeal to people of diverse backgrounds.
"It's less pressure. You don't have to audition. It's an outlet for your own creativity," she said. "I just think it can be inspiring … everybody has something to put out there."
To "cast themselves," people 18 and older should show up at 10 p.m. at the Springer, Rasmussen said. The first 15 in line get to perform.
The show starts at 10:30 p.m., lasts roughly 90 minutes and costs $5 per person, performers and attendees alike.
"It's a small investment, and it's going to be a really welcoming, laid back, enjoyable group … a great place to meet people, to make new friends, to talk about new ideas," Rasmussen said. "It's about fearlessness; it's about putting yourself out there and not censoring. It's about cutting loose — individual expression. There's no limits."
The Springer saloon will be open during the show. For more information, call the Springer at 706-324-5714. For more about No Shame Theatre, visit www.noshame.org.
She will be joined by other local talent, including Becky Macy, an actor in the Springer's current production of Footloose and wife of an Infantry Mortar Leader Course instructor on post.
Macy said participating in No Shame will appeal to people of diverse backgrounds.
"It's less pressure. You don't have to audition. It's an outlet for your own creativity," she said. "I just think it can be inspiring … everybody has something to put out there."
To "cast themselves," people 18 and older should show up at 10 p.m. at the Springer, Rasmussen said. The first 15 in line get to perform.
The show starts at 10:30 p.m., lasts roughly 90 minutes and costs $5 per person, performers and attendees alike.
"It's a small investment, and it's going to be a really welcoming, laid back, enjoyable group … a great place to meet people, to make new friends, to talk about new ideas," Rasmussen said. "It's about fearlessness; it's about putting yourself out there and not censoring. It's about cutting loose — individual expression. There's no limits."
The Springer saloon will be open during the show. For more information, call the Springer at 706-324-5714. For more about No Shame Theatre, visit www.noshame.org.
By Cheryl Rodewig / The Bayonet
