Meat My Package
Woodcoxen
She speaks, she dances, she squirts! In Meat My Package, sex-positive performance artist Anna Charlotte fills in the gaps in “traditional” sexual education while serving up a hearty dose of kinky queer personal testimony. In the grand traditions of Roseanne Barr, Margaret Cho, and Lady Gaga, Anna looks to meat, as both nourishment and metaphor, for clues into how we treat women, how we interact with pop culture, and most of all how we think about sex. When you leave this show, you won’t know whether to start an orgy or eat a hotdog. In fact, you’ll probably do both.
If you take one splash of enviro-activism, two splashes of queer theory, three splashes of Gaga, and one gushing puddle of kink-filled sex-positivity, you might come close to a recipe for Meat My Package. Filled with explicitly juicy details, sharp social commentary, and booty-poppin’ dance breaks Meat My Package rocks the bordello. This show hopes to leave you hungry and horny.
Promotional video for "Meat My Package"
http://www.annacharlotte.net/media.html
Kickstarter project:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1002506254/meat-my-package
Anna Charlotte
Role: Writer/Director
Anna Charlotte is a performance artist who currently resides in Southern Illinois. Her work starts at a place of activism that weaves in comedy, burlesque, body art, and personal narrative. Anna Charlotte's work focuses on body acceptance, sex-positivity, sexual education, feminist critique, and most importantly booty shaking. Anna is a member of Woodcoxen, the performance collective that is producing this show.
Anna's Website:
http://www.annacharlotte.net/index.html
Nico Wood
Role: Choreographer/Cast member
Nico Wood is a performance artist and PhD student at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Nico works with posthumanism, sexy narrative, film, and post-modern performance. Nico is part of the Woodcoxen collective that is producing this show.
Nico's website:
http://nicowood.com/
Nichole Nicholson
Role: Cast Member
Nichole Nicholson is a performance artist and PhD student at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale who has directed a number of shows in Carbondale. Her previous work has focused on disability, sexuality, and personal testimony. Currently, Nichole is working a lot with new media, graphic design, and coding websites. Also, she's a badass.
Nichole's website: http://nicholenicholson.com/
Sam Sloan
Role: Choreographer/Cast member
Sam Sloan is a performance artist and PhD student at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Sam does a lot of work with new media, dance, film, and post-modern performance. His hair is world-renowned.
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Burlesque Confessional
by Fringivitis Vulgaris Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Very racy and very Fringe-y, this show makes a respectful grab for your pink squishy bits. There's enthusiasm for pop music, lots of discussion of body fluids, and plenty of personal revelations. The performers will get right in your personal space: by entering you are consenting to hear intimate details of sexual encounters. The preachy politics got a bit strident, keeping this from being a 4-kitty show. Absolutely true: this show is sex-positive and sometimes kinky. I'd like to see the show again in a few years to see what's been added and polished.
Some much-needed sex ed
by Sophie Kerman Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This performance is funny, honest, sometimes empowering, sometimes moving, and yes, sometimes self-indulgent. Considering that these are all adjectives that would apply to a healthy sex life, I'd say she's hit her mark! Be prepared to go out of your comfort zone - with the message that sex is messy, Anna & Company don't keep the audience neatly packaged in plastic wrap. The kind of show to take your girlfriends to, to take your significant other to, maybe not to take your mom to (unless she's really cool).
Spot On
by Michael Mapes Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
At times moving, at times hysterical, at times uncomfortable and at all times intellectually stimulating this performance keeps you engaged from start to finish. It was, to me, a postmodern juxtaposition between pop culture, Victorian ideals and sex. Sociological in that each scene is a microcosm for how sex is written onto our bodies writ large. Psychological in that the performer shares her own process from resentment of her pain to acceptance of the very darkness she once resented.
At once a critique of traditional theater and simultaneously a complete embrace of some of the finest elements theater has to offer. I was blown away by this show.
amazing.
by meggie mapes Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The previous reviewers have completely misunderstood this performance. I agree that the cast is energetic and articulate but their message is not meant to packaged in a bow. As an audience, we should recognize that being introduced to these difficult topics is the starting point. This show is not only necessary to view due to its amazing energy and up beat cast, it is also intellectually challenging and necessary. I hope these performers continue on.
Genuine - Hilarious - Provoking
by Sam Harris Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Performance activism at its finest. While intense in its emotional and personal journey of one woman's sexual path, you cannot help but examine yourself through the process. It is quite an accomplishment to bring humor and honesty to a piece like this, and that is exactly what Anna has done. I laughed and cried through the whole show. Congratulations to the whole cast on a wonderful performance.
No more meat for me
by Mark Nigogosyan Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
So .... this show was interesting and the performer is articulate about a variety of subjects related to sex,media,oral sex, female ejaculation, s&m etc. It was not too comfortable hearing about these topics when the audience was so tiny and so quiet. It felt just a little too intimate for comfort. But I was glad I went because I think the performer has something to say that is worth hearing.
Great effort
by Jimmy Zerker Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
by the cast, but I could not be enticed into meeting them halfway. Daring performance and subject matter that were neither exciting nor stimulating, and I was confused about whether they were supposed to be. I just didn't find the chemistry I needed to leave hungry.
Darker than I expected
by Heather Bufkin Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
This was the bravest show I've ever seen. There was plenty of hilarity, honesty, food for thought, no-holds-barred content, and just plain raw talent exhibited by the cast. But after lots of buildup, I felt several of the topics presented didn't quite reach a climax. I left dissatisfied.
Uncomfortable Trip
by Margarite Dante Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
A tough ride but a fantastic talent and performance. Goes so many place, many you don't want to visit, but still find fascination. Kudos to a great use of props, and praise for the back-up performers.
Meat My Review
by Laura Borger Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I saw this show at its premier:
female ejaculation + instructions for friendly-co-masturbation + commentary on Gaga's meat-ness + floppy pork-chops + inspirational dance number interlude + Gallagher-like spray-squirting of the audience + solid, thoughtful, talented performances = Fringetasticness that's so good it'll make your face hurt!
Great charisma in main actress
by Matt Pettis Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
This could have been an overly-preachy-hit-you-over-the-head-with-the-message show, but it rose above that. The main actress is highly energetic, polished, and makes you believe that you are sitting with a small group almost conversing with her. Except for the props, I guess. She has great humor and timing, and though the subject matter is dark at times, her comedy helps pull you through something worth listening to.
I agree with another reviewer that I left in none of the states that was promised I would leave in, but it didn't matter because it was worth it for what it was.
Juicy Cut, Well-Done
by Chris Van Meter Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This gayboy got a bit of eductation last night about sensuality "down there" - what to me is a flyover zone.
Quite blunt, quite descript, well articulated, and, well, graphic. Anna has great timing and delivery, playing well off the audience reaction and very polished delivery for first performance. Adept at choreography and choice of props too, along with trio of able co-stars.
Get out of your comfort zone and see this show.
heavy topics
by Stacy Kosluchar Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
A brave show about some serious topics. I left neither hungry, horny or dripping wet.

Schedule
| Thursday, 8/4 | 10:00 p.m. | Saturday, 8/6 | 10:00 p.m. | Sunday, 8/7 | 5:30 p.m. | Friday, 8/12 | 8:30 p.m. | Saturday, 8/13 | 4:00 p.m. |
Venue
The Playwrights' Center ![]()
2301 E Franklin Av
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Overall rating
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