A punk rock coming-of-age: 'Menarche in the U.K.' takes the Albuquerque stage
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A new play blending punk rock energy, comedy, and coming-of-age chaos is set to premiere in Albuquerque this spring.
鈥淢enarche in the U.K.,鈥 presented by Blackout Theatre Company, will run at Fusion | 708 from Friday, March 21, through Sunday, March 23, and April 4-6. Juno Brewery will host additional performances March 28-30. Written by Caroline Toby Graham and directed by Amelia Ampuero, the production is a fast-paced, funny and tender exploration of adolescence, queerness and the chaos of coming of age.
The origins of 鈥淢enarche in the U.K.鈥 can be traced back to Graham鈥檚 time in the Master of Fine Arts playwriting program at the University of New Mexico, where an unconventional writing exercise led to the play鈥檚 distinctive structure.
鈥淲e had to 鈥榖orrow鈥 a narrative structure outside of traditional storytelling 鈥 like a grocery list or the zodiac 鈥 to write a play. I chose a menstrual cycle, so it was a very short, 28-scene play with a cyclical narrative,鈥 Graham said.
At its core, the play follows two teenagers, Stoz and Prinkey, as they navigate the turmoil of social anxiety, self-discovery and the awkward indignities of growing up.
鈥淚 wanted to honor the cringiest aspects of adolescence,鈥 Graham said. 鈥淭he perpetual embarrassment, the big fashion swings that don鈥檛 pan out, the little moments of unkindness we test out on each other, hoping that they鈥檒l make us feel bigger or cooler or less vulnerable.鈥
One particularly memorable scene is drawn from Graham鈥檚 own eighth-grade experience, and involves a character having an embarrassing period experience in front of a crush.
The play鈥檚 humor was an immediate draw for Ampuero. 鈥淚t鈥檚 probably one of the funniest scripts I鈥檝e ever read,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he first time I read it, I got to page 17, and I knew I wanted to figure out how to get this thing off the page and onto the stage.鈥
The production is described as a 鈥減layground鈥 by Ampuero, where rapid-fire character changes, absurdist humor and deeply felt emotional moments coexist. The cast, she said, was encouraged to 鈥渏ump into the absurdity of the play feet first,鈥 embracing its heightened, punk-infused energy.
A live punk band underscores the play鈥檚 frenetic pacing, with musicians Maya Urrutia and Kane Distler not only providing the soundtrack but also acting as an irreverent Greek chorus of sorts.
The play鈥檚 approach to queerness is also deliberate, Graham said, 鈥淚 wanted to write a story that centers queer and nonbinary characters who go through difficult and painful things, but the painful things don鈥檛 happen to them because they鈥檙e queer 鈥 they happen because they happen to everyone.鈥
Ampuero, too, sees the play as more than just a comedy. 鈥淲hile it may look irreverent, I think that Menarche is really a love letter to anyone who survived puberty, or being queer, or falling in love for the first time,鈥 she said.
They chose to premiere the play with Blackout Theatre because of Graham鈥檚 connection to them.
鈥淏lackout Theatre has been my home since 2018, and it has also been the home of this play for the past several years,鈥 Graham said. 鈥淭he deep investment in new works and bizarre, genre-bending shows made it the obvious choice for this play.鈥
With performances at both Fusion | 708 and Juno Brewery, the team hopes to reach a diverse audience.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to know we have a more traditional theater space at Fusion for folks who already know they love theater,鈥 Ampuero said. 鈥淢y hope with Juno is that folks who don鈥檛 go to the theater will be intrigued by a punk rock, queer, coming-of-age play in a bar, and they鈥檒l grab a beer and come check out the show.鈥
The production follows a pay-what-you-will ticketing model, with a suggested price of $10鈥15, ensuring accessibility to a wide audience.
鈥淚 hope audiences will laugh a lot, cry a little, and gain the courage to ask some questions they might have been too shy to ask before,鈥 Graham said.
Ampuero echoed that sentiment. 鈥淟oving yourself and other people, unapologetically and out loud, is one of the bravest things you can do.鈥
