#thenewme

#thenewme follows one woman’s social media as she jumps from one contradicting identity to another, according to the latest trends going viral to seek validation after a break up.

The show opens with one character we’ve probably all encountered – your ordinary, everyday #fitspo #fitness #model, sharing her passion for fitness (but mostly, for herself) and her #life-changing journey to better health (to being hot). However, the audience right away, are shown the cracks appearing in her unsustainable facade, and true to the nature of social media, she quickly transforms her entire identity to another trend, ditching the activewear and sneakers for bare feet and hemp. Enter, the Yogi. That is until she dives into Cancel Culture. Then, TikTok. Dating Apps. And of course, the dreaded pyramid scheme.

The audience learns very little about who she really is, besides her ex-boyfriend’s name, and in an attempt to escape her break up, instead, she doesn’t forget it at all, she forgets herself.

#thenewme shows the effect social media can have on us, and our identity. Our social media profiles, with our best selves, our highlight reels, and our #therealme, are barely real at all…

Form and Style

#thenewme is presented in the form of story and satirical comedy, with a beginning, middle and end. Best shown in a black box theatre, however can be adjusted into a cabaret style/bar set up, as long as sound and some basic lighting is available.

There is a some audience interaction at the beginning, asking for an audience member to ‘Take a photo of me (her)’ and at the end where she directs her commentary to individual members, so access to the audience is a must.

Community Engagement

Alongside the show, we can offer talks and/or Q&A’s on using social media and being tech savvy with it, while also being careful not to overly-identify with it, and falling into the comparison trap. We can do this by sharing our own experiences with social media, what went wrong with the character/s in the show and ways she could’ve better dealt with it.

For young people, this can be offered in workshop form, where we actively help them with their own social media profiles. We will talk on safety and cyberbullying, what to share/what not to share, and engage in writing exercises such as what their values, or likes are that they would like to portray on their social media, and physical exercises, and get the young people to ‘act out/improvise’ characters they have witnessed and what their life is like outside of social media. Is it as good as they think?

As trained performers and theatre-makers, specialising in comedy and improvisation, we can offer workshops on improvisation and creating story from it – this was how #thenewme came to be!

Reviews

“The entire audience was in hysterics over this all too relatable show.” – Fringefeed

“Bitingly funny in some places and heart-wrenchingly honest in others, this poignant story captured the audience’s attention from the start.” – Fringefeed

“#thenewme covers common territory for a one-woman theatre show, detailing the insecurity and battle to find oneself that many people, particularly young women, face in today’s social-media obsessed reality. What sets it apart from other similar works is its well-worked and inordinately tight script, as well as the performance of its writer and solo star, Boorloo based performer, Mariah O’Dea.” – Expressmag.com.au

Available Marketing Collaterals

Video trailer (on Vimeo)

Professional poster and Flyer 2x designs (currently has previous Fringe Season dates on it, which will be changed accordingly)

Professional photographs of multiple performances

3x professional reviews from 2022 Perth Fringe + Audience testimonials from 2022 Perth Fringe

Archival video of entire performance with audience

Credits

Mariah O’Dea (writer, creator, producer, performer) 

Mariah is a Boorloo based performer whose eclectic, multifaceted work is born out of curiosity, confusion, and navigating the hard stuff by transforming it into big lols. Her performance experience includes BA in Performing Arts – Performance Making major from WAAPA, and has experience working in acting, comedy, improvisation, writing, movement, puppetry, and hula hooping. Her most notable works include theatre show, ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ (2016), and as an actor in ‘The Light’ (2019), a feature film now on Amazon Prime, She is also an art therapist, working for numerous Not-For-Profits, and is passionate about how art and creativity can help others. She is currently a part of the education program with Awesome Arts. Although her path has taken many directions, she really just hopes she can make you laugh along the way.

Gemma Sharpe (director, stage manager)

Gemma is a Boorloo based performer, director and collaborator. She has a certificate II in Musical Theatre from WAAPA and completed the Music Studio Summer Course at NIDA, she is an accomplished stage and screen performer, voice over artist and role player.

Her most recent credits include Amadazeus in Alex and Evie and the Forever Falling Rain for Perth Fringe 2022, she made her directing debut with #thenewme at Perth Fringe 2022. Some of her other credits include debuting in Australian feature film 1% renamed Outlaws for the American market in the role of Tracey, she also stars as Maria in the first episode of comedy series Single Ladies and as Rachel in the short film In Australia which is currently on the festival circuit.

Gemma is a trained children’s entertainer and works with the Starlight Foundation at the Perth Children’s Hospital, she is always learning new ways to connect to children and young people through play, creativity, utilising improvisation and music.