THEATER THIRST TRAP: Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s THE LADY DEMANDS SATISFACTION

**Lady Theodosia (Megan Schemmel), Penelope (Kate Booth), Luitger (Amanda Forman), & Tilly (Ari Kraiman); Photo credit: Joe Mazza**

Babes With Blades Theatre Company held its first showcase in 1997. It was a two-day presentation of fights and monologues, intended to bring awareness to the plethora of stage combat-trained women in Chicago. Over 2 decades later, BWB has evolved into a fully-formed and totally badass company that boasts some of the best stage combat-trained babes in town. I always go into a BWB show expecting to have a good time. I also expect to leave with a deep desire to time-travel back to my college days and attend my stage combat classes not stoned. Whoops. Sorry David Woolley!

But, alas. The plot of “The Lady Demands Satisfaction,” world premiere play written by Arthur M. Jolly and directed by Morgan Manasa. When 15 year old Trothe learns she is to lose her late father’s estate to anyone who bests her in a duel, all hell breaks loose. With the “help” of her two servants, her Queen Of Swords aunt (omg this was supposed to be a niche tarot reference but it also totally works with the play because SWORDS. Wow.), and two bumbling dudes, Trothe learns to stand in her power and demand satisfaction. *Insert reclaiming my time GIF*

**Luitger (Amanda Forman) and a disguised Tilly (Ari Kraiman); Photo credit: Joe Mazza**

Here are my top ten thirst traps for this show. Drink up, friends.

1. The physical comedy in this show is so fun. You know in Scooby Doo when the gang has those “running from the monsters” montages? Those sort of moments are just as funny when done with humans wielding swords and fake mustaches.

2. There are several moments in the show in which two young lovebirds are courting each other via the passing back and forth of a sweaty handkerchief. The horny drama escalates, along with my heart rate. I won’t spoil this for you but I will say I now believe oral sex and handkerchiefs are now synonymous. “Damn I want to give you handkerchief right now.” Try it on ur next date, with consent!

3. Using men as vehicles for making fun of men is my new kink. Linsey Falls (Abernathy) has some of the shadiest dialogue in the whole show and he delivers it with a twinkle in his eye that says “on behalf of men, I am sorry.”

4. Omfg do you want to fall in actual love during a show? This can happen! Just watch 3 seconds of Amanda Forman playing the dashing Prussian fencing master Luitger, and feel your heart explode! They don’t speak English the entire show, yet the audience was with them the entire time. That’s an accomplishment. #nonbinarybbysunite #fuckthebinary

5. Deanalís Resto (Trothe) is a favorite Chicago human of mine, and probably has the best wailing stage cry I’ve ever experienced. They were also serving pastel REALNESS thanks to costume designer Carlie Casas. Where’d you get that lipstick, bb???

6. Kate Booth (Penelope) and Ari Kraiman (Tilly) were like one non-stop Lucy-and-Ethel-in the-chocolate-factory-scene and I want to eat all of their comedic chemistry until I have a tummy ache!!! I hope to see a spin-off with Penelope and Tilly on Netflix within the next year.

7. Megan Schemmel (Aunt Theodosia) was serving some Meryl-Streep-Devil-Wears-Prada ATTITUDE. What a powerhouse of a swordsperson. Also, I could listen to her roll her R’s for the rest of my life.

8. I’ve never seen a fight in which both of the people fighting were trying to lose. I want more of that. It was weird and counter-intuitive and those adjectives are tasty to me. Shout out to fight choreographer Samantha Kaufman, who conquered this script like a goddamn warrior.

9. Felipe Carrasco’s (Osric) physical comedy is outstanding. It was like watching a Logan-square sad boi at a poetry open mic, who was learning how to walk, while also maybe being on a psychedelic drug. So many power lunges, so little time.

10. One of my favorite lines in a play ever (I’m paraphrasing): “I always thought I’d be the first one in my family to marry my true love, but I sort of stabbed him instead.” That is now the title of my autobiography.

“The Lady Demands Satisfaction” is a fierce, feminist farce. It is a commentary on the inherent, yet consistently overlooked, power of womxn. It is queer as hell. This is a 2 hour soundscape of belly laughter, metal on metal, and whatever the sound of pure heckin joy is.

**Osric (Felipe Carrasco) and Trothe (Deanalis Resto); Photo credit: Joe Mazza**

**”The Lady Demands Satisfaction” is the winner of Joining Sword & Pen 2017-18, sponsored since its inception by Fight Master David Woolley, SAFD.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company at City Lit Theater
1020 W Bryn Mawr Ave, (773)-904-0391, babeswithblades.org
Running through August 25
Run Time: 2 hours with an intermission