Kate McDowell Not Normal
The cupid’s bow lips I part to speak to you
Credit: Kate Holmes
THEATRE NETWORK NSW
are not normal if your lips are thick and plump top and bottom, so juicy they’re forced to part involuntarily And if yours are a thin straight line, perfect for applying red lipstick, the colour you choose which is slightly bluish to match your fair skin which is not normal And if your lips are bright berry like electrolyte flavoured drinks, And yours are pink glass wedges of grapefruit flesh And your lips have deep brown edges like melted chocolate biscuits either side of toasted marshmallow pillows I chew on mine and tear at the thin skin that holds them together and that is not normal It’s a habit I’ve got in, Normal is the coffee order you place each morning, ‘What’ll it be today?’ ‘The normal’ It’s handy for your barista to remember your name and to perform the ritual with knowledge and skill, an exchange that is pleasing and mutual But a normal order is not you, or me, or the person sitting next to you. Box jellyfish are making their way south
Kate McDowell is a Writer & Performer based in Lennox Head and holds an MFA from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Writing for Performance. Her Masters research study focussed on collaborations with neuro-diverse artists and accessible training in physical comedy. Kate is Program Director for Sprung! Integrated Dance Theatre and is currently an Artist in Residence with Back to Back Theatre (Geelong, VIC), undertaking a mentorship with AD Bruce Gladwin. Kate is commissioned writer and performer for a new work with NORPA and the Catholic Schools Office in collaboration with local disabled artist Alice Boscheinen to be premiered in 2021. In 2018 Kate’s full-length site-based solo work Wonderbabes premiered with NORPA and the Lismore Quadrangle, and in 2016 Kate was Assistant Director and Stage Manager for NORPA’s Dreamland.
And the fish are disappearing And if my lips are made in little mountains like this And if yours turn down at the edges like a sad clown each tiny part of life and each of your three kids can be made a bit different Normal is A thing Made with the carpenters square, clean geometry, set right a metaphor taken from Latin language
www.tnn.org.au
Kate McDowell
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