Bust

Bust is a semi-autobiographical work built around Lauren Weedman’s experiences working as a volunteer advocate in a Southern California prison for women. Weedman previously premiered her pieces Rash and Amsterdam at The Empty Space Theatre. Weedman has also appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Reno 911 (both on Comedy Central), and on NPR’s Rewind.

Clichés and stereotypes of jailed women collide with an almost more absurd reality as we follow Lauren through her preparation to volunteer at a women’s jail. Nothing, however, could prepare her for the actual encounters with the prisoners. Her job is to meet with these women once a week and talk to them, perhaps help them get messages to their families. She’s not supposed to tell them too much about herself; she is asked, simply, to listen. “I’m not there to make them laugh or talk about myself,” Weedman says. “But, as anyone who knows me will attest to, these are the only skills I really have.” Throughout the story, we see Lauren struggle to balance the superficiality of Hollywood with the frank intensity of life in jail. Her attempt to reconcile these two disparate realities provides the springboard for this searing new comedy. With one foot in Hollywood and the other in jail, the former Daily Show correspondent careens wildly between the two worlds, making for an hilarious, poignant and completely unforgettable ride.