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Ways to connect: Bad Mouth performance group prepares for their quarterly show
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In 2016, Rebecca Aronson wanted to get out of her house on the weekends and find other people who shared her passion of performing.
Aronson decided that if she could not find a group, she would make one, and Bad Mouth was born.
Ways to connect: Bad Mouth performance group prepares for their quarterly show
鈥淚鈥檓 a poet and I wanted a venue for writers doing interesting things, and we love music, so we wanted to bring in some musical performances,鈥� said Aronson.
Bad Mouth is a curation of performers who meet quarterly to present varying works of art. 鈥淏ad Mouth: Words, Music, Feelings鈥� will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at q-Staff Theatre, 400 Broadway Blvd. SE.
From live readings of short stories, essays and poetry to musicians showing off their latest songs, the Bad Mouth is centered around live performances of the work they create.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to oversaturate the group,鈥� Aronson said. 鈥淚 want this to be something people look forward to. That might change in the future and we might try to do shows more frequently, but right now this works best and makes it a special event for everyone.鈥�
While the group focuses on highlighting local talent, in recent years Bad Mouth has featured performances by people from other parts of the country.
This year, the group will present performances from poets Radha Marcum from Colorado, Johnny Horton from Seattle, and local writers Greg Martin and Becca Yenser. Local musician and playwright Ermine will accompany the performers with her musical performances in between acts.
Each performer will have roughly 15 minutes to present their works. In between performances, guests are treated to a spread of food and drink that is included with their donation.
Out-of-towners might be performing, but that doesn鈥檛 mean they won鈥檛 be talking about the Land of Enchantment.
Take Marcum, who will be reading stories from her book, 鈥淧ine Soot Tendon Bones.鈥� The book features several anecdotes about New Mexico and its history.
鈥淢ost of my writing refers to the New Mexican ecosystem, history and landscape,鈥� Marcum said. 鈥淓ven if I don鈥檛 live in New Mexico anymore, some of the poems take place there. I share so much history with folks from the Albuquerque area, and my poems reflect on those issues.鈥�
When Bad Mouth reached out to her to perform, Marcum was pleased to work with the group.
鈥淏ad Mouth always has a dynamic mix of voices and I appreciate them bringing so many voices together,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey speak to the whole community and like to be a part of the larger conversations.鈥�
Marcum feels the Bad Mouth group is exactly what writing and music communities need.
鈥淧laces like Bad Mouth really are a unique opportunity for us to come together as a writing community and larger artistic community to raise awareness and to be together in community,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e always looking for ways to connect with more people and hear what鈥檚 going on with them. I think Bad Mouth creates that.鈥�
The group has found its place at the q-Staff Theatre, where they feel right at home.
鈥淎 few years ago we started working with the q-Staff Theatre and I feel like that鈥檚 our home,鈥� Aronson said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e super helpful and set up mics and amps for us, since I don鈥檛 know how to do any of that. It鈥檚 been a great fit for us.鈥�
For many of the performers past and present, Bad Mouth gives them the opportunity to interact with various styles of performance.
