WellBless
by Debra Thomas and Ella Roth Barton
Wellness guru, Juniper, is hosting a conference with her fitness-obsessed sister, Ava. With sold-out sessions offering everything from clean eating, Polga™ (yoga-styled pole dancing) and crystal healing, and millions of Instagram followers flocking to see them, the sisters look set to take their brand WELLBLESS – wellness when you are #blessed – to entirely new heights.
But when Instafamous cancer-patient Maha – who has rejected traditional treatments to follow Juniper’s wellness program – dies onsite, Juniper’s empire looks set to unravel. With journalist Mindy Flores asking all the questions Juniper should be asking about her own program, the sisters must work quickly to hide the truth. This darkly satirical comedy examines the parasitic world of wellness, a trillion dollar industry that preys on vulnerable women.
Written and Created by
DEBRA THOMAS & ELLA ROTH BARTON
Directed by
KELLIE TORI
Performed by
ELLA ROTH BARTON, DEBRA THOMAS, EMILY JOY, JOSEPH LAI, ANDREA MENDEZ, LAUREN STEINER
Dramaturg
SAFFRON BENNER
Sound Designer
JAMES COLE
Lighting Designer
SPENCER HERD
Costume Designers
ELLA ROTH BARTON, DEBRA THOMAS
Costume Construction
LAURA DE IONGH
Prop Designer
BRYNNA LOWEN
Set Builders
RALPH ALEXANDER, LUKE LENNOX
Stage Manager
LAUREN THUYS
Premiered at Theatre Works 1 - 11 December 2021
"The production is a spectacle, filled with pole-dancing, vaginal steaming, changing sets and audience interaction. The cast work well together, Thomas and Barton in particular create a seamless juxtaposition between the two sisters Juniper and Ava. Lai also stands out, using his long limbs to propel himself across the stage in mystical movements like a shaman...underneath the comedy and disorder is an important message about the dangers of misinformation." - Giselle Buetti, ArtsHub