It’s not every day that we’re the #1 trending topic on Facebook.
Or written about by the Daily News, the Associated Press, three British newspapers (the Independent, the Guardian, the Daily Mail), New York Newsday, Metro New York, and countless websites (among others, Huffington Post, Salon, and Jezebel). Oh, and did we mention NBC News?
What caused that storm of attention? Simple. On two beautiful days last week — rain threatened for a while, but what we wound up getting was sun — our merry band put on a show in Central Park. The show was William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, a story of sorcery and conspiracy and romance on a tropical island, and we performed it with an all female cast of 13, fully nude.
“Fully nude?” you ask. “I know it’s legal for women to go topless anywhere in New York a man can, but I didn’t think it was legal for either women or men to go fully nude in public?” Well, under most circumstances that’s so. But there’s an exception to the laws against what’s called “public exposure,” and one of them is if you are performing in an artistic performance. Such as a play. Such as The Tempest by William Shakespeare.
And so we did just that. With eight outstanding actors, three brilliant dancers, and two gifted musicians, we took over the natural stage at Summit Rock (the highest point in Central Park) and for an audience of more than 200 people each time we performed the play. It was marvelous. Yes, we had to compete with sirens and helicopters to be heard at some points. But that’s what it means to perform outdoors in the middle of New York City. And yes, one or two people gawked or made needless, uncomfortable comments — but only one or two. (Far worse was the asshole from the New York Post who blustered around with a pair of giant cameras and ignored repeated requests not to disrupt the show. But fortunately there was only one of him as well.)
The hundreds of other New Yorkers and tourists who joined us on our adventure sat rapt and appreciative, and the end of each performance was greeted by a tempest of thunderous applause. Nothing could have made us happier. Not only did we put on a terrific play, but we proved a point: that the human body is a thing of beauty, not of shame. Not fearful, not dangerous, not troubling. The presence of a dozen naked women on a lawn in Central Park did not cause the sky to fall or the moral fabric of the city to be rent asunder. On the contrary, it probably went a small way toward teaching people that nudity is not inherently very noteworthy at all. What we do with our bodies can be good or bad, praiseworthy or the opposite. But our bodies themselves are just bodies, and deserve nothing but simple respect.
Which is what we received. What a wonderful, wonderful beginning to this glorious summer of 2016! We only wish more of you could have come (though the space was filled to overflowing). And we remind you all: whether you’re a woman or a man, you don’t have to be performing Shakespeare to enjoy a summer day in the park naked from the waist up. Men know this — women too often do not.
And if you are a bold, body-positive woman — or if you’re unsure, maybe even nervous, but you’d like to be one — you can join us and try it in our company. Send us email at toplesspulpfiction@gmail.com and tell us a little about yourself. We’re always happy to expand our ranks. You don’t need to be an actress, a dancer or a musician. You just need to have a body, and a desire to be free.
We have our own magical island. It’s called Manhattan. And we would love for you to join us there, as naked as the law allows.
Brilliant.
I read the review over here in the Independent. Well done. We were in Central Park just two weeks ago. Wish we had stayed on for this. We saw the Tempest performed by three men at the Globe Theatre a few years ago. This would have made a nice balance. Miranda in that version was a 6ft bearded bloke in a pink frock. Your version would have been far more convincing!
Have not been to New York yet but I think what you are doing is Awesome! Keep it up and maybe some day people of the USA will understand.
Reblogged this on Mondo Nudo and commented:
Big, big, big!
Good Morning Ladies and Bravo!!!
In case you didn’t see your feature article on the Internet, here is your performance as captured by the New York Post.
Great ‘exposure’ to the cause — too bad the guy was an ‘asshole’.
http://nypost.com/2016/05/20/naked-chicks-do-shakespeare/#1
Cheers!
Doug
the âRunning Bareâ
Twitter: @RunningBare
[running_bare]
I’ve followed your blog for years, and I’m thrilled that you guys are getting positive publicity. I am truly proud of everyone involved! What an achievement! I would have loved to have seen it and supported your group in person, but maybe next time. Keep up the good work!
it looks like the chicks are getting liberated.
What a wonderful experience. I wish I could have been there to watch the performance. World might turn into a better place after all. Keep it up, never give up!
Congrats ! Hope to see more of you !! (pun intended)
Seriously, I hope you continue to explore putting great literary works onto the stage.
Bravo !
Congrats on the performances and the publicity. Perhaps your group will grow as a result. Any women in the audience bold enough to join in the fun and freedom?
Yes. Several women in the audience (and several men) watched the show naked from the waist up.
great job you’ll are doing…thank you.
Reblogged this on clothes free life and commented:
Perfect example of how you go about normalizing nudity do something “normal” nude
Will you do this again sometime with (naked) men in the men’s parts?
Well…someone probably should, since it would show all the commenters online who wrote things like “This would never fly if it were nude men performing” that they were wrong. But I’m not sure we’re the best ones to do it, since we’re principally a women’s organization (the “Co-ed” in our name notwithstanding). But who knows. Maybe our next show will have to include a male or two just for diversity.
Maybe you just need the right play (The Odd Couple?)
With ‘Co-ed’ in your name a naked male or two would be very appropriate, and very welcome.
This was deliberately an all-female production. But we do have male members in our group and we’ve posted photos of nude males at our events from time to time. If you scroll through our old posts, you’ll find some.
severe lack of pics 😀
I’m a man from Belgium and wishing all the BEST towards all the WOMEN who have the STRENGTH to act fully nude at a public place ! Please, go on like this ! ! ! ! !
The fifth image is striking. Well, for the nude woman holding a log in the middle of the forest, sure, but because the photographer used a shallow depth of field to put her and the tree immediately behind her in focus and the rest of the foliage in background. Great job, and thank you for sharing it.
Well done! I was able to attend the first performance and was so into the play that at times, I forgot that the performers were fully nude! For myself, Early Modern English was always a problem to memorize but the performers made it seem quite natural!
I would never have guessed that noisy old guy with the big cameras was from the NY Post!
I would have attended the second performance but I had to hold a spot for a friend because Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke was at Barnes & Noble on 82nd Street that day (just being honest)!
Anyway, complements on a successful play and I look forward to your next production!
It’s great you could put the play on in New York, I wish I could have watched it. I only wish the laws in England were as liberal to allow it to be put on in a public park here.
Huge snaps to all of you. You are inspirational and I only wish I could have been there to enjoy one of my favourite Shakespeare plays.
Once again: many thanks for doing what you’re doing.
hope one day Indians also have this kind of liberal thinking, you girls are so motivating, keep it up.
It was so odd, surreal even, seeing people in the crowd that I recognize from this blog sitting right next to me. I wanted to say hi and quickly offer some congratulations/support, but i was just too damn shy. Ah well. It was a really great show, just as stated.
“Asshole from the NY Post” – isn’t that what you call redundant?
The human body *is* a beautiful thing, and rarely more so than in these photos of your play. Wish I could have been there.
Great job
Are there any plans to release this on dvd or blu ray? Those of us who unfortunately live in small mid-western towns never get to experience anything like this in our communities.
All the best.
I’m afraid not. Like any Broadway show (or Shakespeare In the Park performance, for that matter), it was a live performance only and was not filmed. We have some short clips, but no full-length recording of the show exists.