-Susan Cummings Writer, Actress-
LIKING MY LOOKS
BODY IMAGE THEATER
BY SUSAN CUMMINGS
Adventures in Liking My Looks:
"Normal" Must Be So Boring!
AUDIENCE RESPONSES
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"At times we were falling off our chairs laughing."
"I have tears in my eyes. So moving. So well done!"
"Very inspirational!"
"Great story fabulously told!"
"What a fabulously awesome one-woman show--breathtaking, vibrant, joyful, flamboyant, heartwarming, totally unforgettable. Obviously written from the heart, from the soul. Now needs to be translated into every possible language and shared world-wide." L. Gauthier, Ottawa, ON
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"As a man, Susan's performance was a poignant and challenging experience in how ridiculous the standards of beauty we set for ourselves are. The more men and women who see this, the better we will all be." Steve Wilson, Minister, Braintree Unitarian Church, Braintree, MA
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"With song, dance, and deft story-telling, Susan Cummings' personal saga gives voice to all of us who ever wonder, looking in the mirror, 'Am I pretty, am I handsome, am I lovable?' Her witty, sensitive, spot-on tale of her struggle to learn to love her looks, love herself will inspire all who suffer self-conscious doubts that their body image is 'normal.'"
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"Extraordinarily lovely! Her humorous telling of her search for healing for her body, mind, and heart is a pure delight."
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“She brings alive the most poignant, affecting personal vignettes, and draws us right in with humor. Ultimately we all laugh together. I could see her show helping to start dialogues in women’s groups and school, but above all it is great fun!”
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"Susan Cummings is an accomplished actress, not just because of years of honed technique, but also because of her ability to connect with life on a level that most of us cannot, or will not. She opens herself to the full experience of life’s joys and tragedies, learns from that openness, and distills what she has learned into her performances. This is her gift to the rest of us.
I was lucky to be at one of her first performances of “Adventures in Liking My Looks”. I laughed and cried. Susan’s willingness to share her innermost trials and triumphs shone a benevolent light on my own issues. The man next to me was laughing and crying too, and he shared that he had no idea what women went through with body image. Susan’s story, so well told, will touch everyone and make whatever load she or he is carrying a little lighter."
Jean B, artist
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Susan Cummings’ new One-Woman Show, “Adventures in Liking My Looks: ‘Normal Must Be So Boring!” is a funny, spirited, sometimes poignant journey to discovering that her non-“normal” body is beautiful, and that someone else might find her beautiful too.
“Almost everyone I know, from 14 to 84, has a body image issue, even as many of us admit that we really should get over it,” says Cummings, an author and actress who lives in Amherst, MA. “Some don’t like their hair, others, their thighs, their rears. In my case, I felt ashamed of my breasts, or rather the lack thereof. First they were too small. Then I lost one to a mastectomy.”
Cummings’ journey takes her to Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, to art therapy and ballroom dance lessons, to London. A certain green vine turns out to be pivotal. Cummings tells her story with the help of over 12 characters and a bit of music.
“I hope the show nudges and inspires the audience to realize that each of their bodies is uniquely beautiful, that all of our bodies are parts of the beautiful human palette.”
“Adventures in Liking My Looks: ‘Normal’ Must Be So Boring!” runs an hour, approx.
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REVIEWS
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"You were amazing! People still come in to say how much they loved your show!"
Laurie Wheeler
Librarian, Arms Library, Shelburne Falls, MA
*****
"The audience was mesmerized. They loved the humor and the acting. Well written, heartwarming, uplifting. We would certainly urge others to attend the show!"
Kathy Dunn
Activities Director, Greenfield, MA Senior Center
*****
"I loved it and it was very well received by all in our full-house audience.
Susan Cummings gave a polished professional performance of this deeply personal material. She didn’t miss a beat, an inflection, a look, a dance step, and, yes, even a note in this latest musical version of her show.
The material exposes the everyday female battles with body image, growing up female, facing body-altering surgery, and the aftermath of healing over many decades. It’s a body image coming-of-age story, and, yes, love plays a part.
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A universal message for girls and guys of all ages, this work would be great to initiate meaningful dialogue on the subject. Two men in the audience were moved to tears at the realization of their own part in creating an atmosphere of constant judgment of women.
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Susan Cummings’ performance was outstanding and delightful. The play ends with a healthy and happy message, that we all should embrace and enjoy the unique beauty of ourselves and each other."
Annette Mackin
Arts & Activism Program Coordinator and Administrator, Bernardston, MA Unitarian Church