The Virginity Lost & Found – Toronto Fringe 2012 Press Release

From press release

Where were you when you had it last?

Award-­‐winning Toronto writer and performer S. Bear Bergman, best known for his funny and accessible work about gender and sexuality, has created a brand-­‐ new work -­‐ The Virginity Lost & Found -­‐ for the Toronto Fringe. 60% sex comedy, 30% sex education, and 10% interrogation of the whole concept of virginity, The Virginity Lost & Found is a new take on a very old topic.

The Virginity Lost & Found, an office of the Ministry of the Interior, is now down to one staff member – Mary Pat, an elderly government functionary with a carefully calibrated filing system and a very specific mandate. When her tiny office is thrown into chaos one morning due to budget cuts, she finds herself having to explain more than she expected -­‐ with hilarious results.

Played by Bergman in understated garden-­‐granny drag, Mary Pat details the ins and outs of sexual debut with a growing confidence that just might surprise those with pre-­‐conceived notions about the sexual values of the seventy-­‐year-­‐old set. Along the way, Mary Pat explains “pegging”, discusses queer virginities, waxes rhapsodic about mutual masturbation, has a good laugh about the ridiculous situations “losing it” can find us in, and extols the virtues of a good-­‐quality lubricant.

Directed by Spencer Charles Smith, producing artistic director of Straight Camp, and written by Bergman himself, this fast-­‐paced, sex-­‐positive, feminist drag comedy raises interesting questions about virginity – losing it and finding it.

The July 8th performance of this show will be interpreted into sign language by Toronto interpreter Bonnie-­‐Lyn Barker, sponsored by Come As You Are, Canada’s co-­‐operative sex store. This will be the first-­‐ever Toronto Fringe performance presented with ASL interpreting as far as anyone currently affiliated with the festival is aware.

For interviews with writer/performer S. Bear Bergman or director Spencer Charles Smith, please contact Bear at bear@sbearbergman.com or 647.802.3623. Interviews are available in English or, with advance notice, with a sign-­‐language interpreter.

 The Virginity Lost & Found plays at Tarragon Extra Space, 40 Bridgeman Road, on
4 July @ 10:30pm
8 July @ 3:30pm (ASL-­‐interpreted performance!)
10 July @ 7pm
11 July @ 2:15 pm
12 July @ 10:30pm
14 July @ 3:30pm
15 July @ 10pm