Rua | Wülf

Rua|Wülf is a migrating play currently taking place at The Goat Farm on the west side of Atlanta. I saw it last Friday and have been singing it's praises ever since. Historically, I have not been much a theatre-goer. This could be due to the fact that I have not been aware of many plays with subjects that peaked my interest but more so because I have not found myself able to get "lost" in plays the way I can in books or movies. I am naggingly aware that the actors are acting and am normally left craving more authenticity or at least a few more surprises.

Rua|Wülf is a dark, sexual and sometimes disturbing interpretation on the children's classic "Little Red Riding Hood". I've heard of many children's stories being re-interpreted to discover their sexual or violent undertones so I was not surprised to hear that this production's interpretation focused on Little Red Riding Hood's story as one about a girl becoming a young woman, discovering her sexuality and avoiding "wolves" on the pathway to love and self discovery... and I was intrigued.

There were so many things done right in this play. One- there was no actual wolf... just the mysterious and very human Hemmimg. A man who became a "wolf" only after being taken advantage of as a young boy (I will leave out all of the details as to not spoil the play). Almost subconsciously seeking revenge on the wrongs done to him in the past, Hemming preys on Rua ("Little Red") to not only satisfy his sexual hungers but to also satiate his innermost urges to reach the one he cannot have through Rua.

Two- this literary journey from Mother's house to Grandmother's house is also a literal one. You walk among the actors over the 12 acre Goat Farm as the sun sets and both the night and story grow colder. For about two and a half hours you interact with the same set as the actors from watching Hemming and Rua dance in the forest from behind the trees to sitting at the foot of Grandmother's bed. At one point I said it reminded me of being a little kid and going out on a night walk with friends. Everything normal somehow became a little scary and unfamiliar. Every step you took was a little shorter than the last as you nervously walked deeper into the darkness.

Three- the actors... all of them are fantastic. Every actor in this play was lost in their role allowing the audience to really see them as the characters they portrayed and caused the audience to react emotionally when finding out new information about the characters we thought we knew. Despite feeling every moment that I'd just found out an important secret that might provide the explanation I was searching for in the plot, I found that both the characters and the story evolved so quickly that there was almost no way to predict the outcome of this dreary tale.

The intermission was incredibly special. Staying true to the story's roots, we all sat down to an exquisitely decorated Alice and Wonderland-like tea party for tea and cookies. The break came after two separate and intense monologues where the audience was broken into two groups to hear background information from each of the each main characters. I couldn't wait to rejoin my group to unload all of the secrets Hemming told me in private... or at least, it felt that way.

I wish I could divulge more details of the play's powerful and intense story line, but then I would rob you of some of the play's most exciting moments. Please check out Rua | Wülf at the Goat Farm. Be entertained, support local artists and see one of the most important venues in the city of Atlanta in all it's glory. And watch out for the Turkey that lives on the grounds... he runs around loose and isn't afraid to speak his mind. BUY TICKETS NOW- only running through the 29th! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/225913.

Things I learned while dating.

I will start off this post by saying that by no means do I know everything about dating but, what I can tell you is many of my single girlfriends have told me to write down and share my personal advice and I am now following through that that suggestion. After all, there are plenty of things I wish I could have told myself when I started dating as an adult. This may all sound a little corny but, here they are: the things I learned while dating:

1. Don't trust a guy who has no girlfriends. By that I mean, friends that are girls. And, very specifically, girls that are friends that have never dated them. A guy with close girl friends respects women, finds women to be funny and feels that women are worth having all sorts of relationships with, not just romantic ones. I think they will inherently respect and be more inclined to ask for women's opinions. I think a lot of girls see a guy hanging around other women and see it as a threat. It is not; It's a GOOD thing.

2. Opposites attract sounds nice and all but, it's a lot more fun to be with someone who likes to do the things you like to do. I think a sign of a good relationship is one where your partner feels like your best friend. You both deserve to be with someone who shares similar passions. Do not feign interest in sports if you hate sports... it will only come around to bite you in the ass later. Same for guys, don't say that you can "totally get down with a RomCom" if you don't really mean it. If you love being active, you will go NUTS with a total couch potato. And this point directs me to lesson #3...

3. You have no business dating until you have a good relationship with yourself. You need to know what you like, not necessarily in relationships- dating will teach you that, but what you like about your life. Make sure to devote time to your own personal development before trying to show someone else who you are. It definitely makes dating far more enjoyable when you are confident and know you have something to offer instead of trying to find someone to help you discover who you are... that rarely works and puts too much power in the hands of someone you are just getting to know.

4. Dating is not all about THEM, it's about you too. Go places you want to go and see. When they ask you where you would like to go- tell them somewhere you want to go! It sounds silly but so few women use this opportunity to enjoy the city they live in or try something they've always wanted to try. If you make the date itself more about the experience rather than putting so much pressure on the person being someone you can really be with, you will inevitably enjoy it more. That way, it's not all a loss if it doesn't go anywhere.

5. Going on "bad" dates will teach you more about yourself than anything else. How do you handle an awkward situation? Can you still find a way to enjoy yourself even if the person isn't a match? And, not to mention, my bad dates where the best stories to share with friends.

6. It is NOT normal to HATE every single one of your exes. I'm not saying they need to be best friends with them but, c'mon... How can someone HATE ALL of them? What does that say about that person? I know it may cause your ego to inflate temporarily when you hear "how much better you are than the last person" but, first off, they shouldn't be directly comparing you to anyone else and secondly, it just shows that, no matter how good things may start in their relationships, not only do they end but they end BADLY... run! Run for your life! I definitely trust a man who has "friendly" relationships with his exes and doesn't have a million mean things to say about someone once they've broken up. It's nice to know the guy I'm with chose good, sane, nice women as girlfriends and not crazies... although it's normal for them to have one of those and, hey, we all make mistakes!

7. Specifically do not go on dates some weeks and just do things you like and be around the people you love most. It's not your job to find someone as soon as possible. If your approach to dating is relaxed, you will learn more, have more fun and it will be SO much easier to recognize when you've found someone special because they will be the ones that REALLY make you nervous.

8. Ask someone out or let them know you like them... don't always let the guys be the ones choosing... that definitely worked out for me in finding my dream guy ;)

9. Wear exactly what you feel like wearing and do not try to look any particular way that is different from how you normally look. It will only make you feel more confident if things go well if you know they really appreciate you for the way you naturally are.

10. You don't have to date anyone if you don't want to. It's only important if it's something you want.

There you have it. I tried to make this sound like the advice I've dished out to my friends recently and hopefully not like a Cosmo article. My dating days are over but I've learned wonderful lessons and found a relationship that will last a lifetime... not too shabby :)