What is it about?
Teeth follows the story of evangelical Christian teenager, Dawn O'Keefe, played by Alyse Alan Louis, as her body quite literally bites back against the patriarchal systems set into place by her hyper-religious community. Her step-father, a priest portrayed by Steven Pasquale, preaches modesty so strongly that Dawn runs a group known as The Promise Keeper Girls or the PKG, who preach female empowerment through sexual purity and a commitment to god. Dawn and her, equally as committed, boyfriend Tobey, played by Jason Gotay, struggle against their desires. The very ones Dawn preaches against. All of this, "male struggle" is further emphasized by Dawn's brother: Brad, played by Will Connolly. He spends the majority of the show fighting against the feminocracy and male pain as well as his father's own internalized issues that are pushed onto him. The shows plot converges when we find out that as children Dawn "bit" Brad, leading to a missing portion of his finger, and that course of events is what spawned his anger and resistance to the overwhelming female presence within his environment.
As we listen to catchy songs, one after another, designed to amplify the sheer absurdity of the Truthseekers: a group of men with a spiritual life coach, and the PKG: a group of girls intertwined deeply in purity culture, we are met with an understanding of Dawn as well as the rests of the character's shame and fear. They are all forced to feel ashamed of themselves within this environment and cult-like religion.
In a not-so-shocking turn of events Tobey eventually proposes to Dawn and she feels safe enough to succumb to the desires, she spent the majority of the earlier portion of the show trying desperately to shove down. Tobey is persistent and forces himself onto her as she retracts consent, leading to heightened anxiety and fear, something her body picks up on, leading her to quite literally "bite back." From here on out phallic symbols and props cover the stage alongside blood and chaos reigning down upon the characters. After the first bite, the tone vastly shifts to a form of empowerment and female rage. From here on out the show brings every bit of chaos and horror you can imagine.
Production History
Based on the 2007 horror film of the same name, Teeth: The Musical was developed through the Ars Nova Uncharted program in 2013-2014 and was presented as a concert in 2013 then later a workshop in 2014, directed by Ed Iskandar. The show would continue to develop and was presented as a workshop in 2016 at the Musical Theatre Factory at Playwrights Horizons and was directed by Marlo Hunter. As we move close to the present day, Teeth would be presented in many workshops and finally is now open Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, where it is now directed by Sarah Benson. The current cast features many well-known and beloved actors, who you've likely seen in other shows on the East Coast, as well as some other Off-Broadway debuts.
So, what do you think?
You know it’s good when we are wearing themed outfits to go watch a group of women bite off…. you get the picture. Under Sarah Benson’s direction, Teeth is such a thrilling adventure. From the moment the scrim fell to the moment I left that theatre and even after, I find myself humming along to the ironically catchy tune of “Modest is Hottest” a phrase that I had defiantly heard as a child in our Sunday school classes. The show is campy and every bit the blood bath you could expect, equipped with subtle and not-so-subtle Christian rhetoric, but also deeply rooted in a very charged conversation on religion.
When we look at America's current political conversations, this musical is very much needed. While similar to the film, the musical is presented as a dark comedy, but many of the messages ring true in our current world. The book offers commentary on the idea of bodily autonomy, specifically concerning women, as well as prompts a conversation on reproductive healthcare and religious trauma and expectations. While the musical leans away from following the screenplay to a T, it instead expands the religious conversation and hyper-fixates on the so-called "Purity Culture". The cult-like ideology of some hyper-religious communities is presented with fire, both literally and metaphorically, and humor.
The horror of this musical is what drew me in. It is both, on a surface level as the audience is exposed to graphic bodily mutilation but also more intricate and laced within the construction of the satirical narrative. Women's bodily autonomy is consistently challenged through the ideas of letting the fig leaf down and remaining empowered through purity. While this may not seem inherently overly horrifying to all, it speaks to a larger epidemic of women in the world who are in this very real situation. "Amy-Sue got herself pregnant" a phrase heard early on as the Promise Keeper Girls discuss how to remain pure and how purity is a form of empowerment, speaks to this very idea. She was at fault not in part with the man. We see constant blame placed on the women in this musical, even Dawn as she is chastised and harassed endlessly after being [spoiler..] raped by her then-boyfriend.
Sonically Teeth feels every bit the pop-rock musical you would expect, Michael R. Jackson's lyrics pair perfectly with the music written by Anna K. Jacobs. Beginning with softer yet still mostly upbeat, pop songs the show shifts majorly as Dawn finally gets a taste of the revenge she so desperately craves after being forced into shame through her community. As she makes this transition, so does the energy and the sound. We start to get a taste of this anger through the now much more brassy, and sharper sounds. The music forces you to feel her pain, all the Promise Keeper Girls' pain as they navigate this shame and disgust thrown at them.
What does this mean though?
Teeth may seem like it is all about, well vagina dentata, but in reality, it is a conversation on misogyny, self-loathing, and the hatred that stems from oppressive systems built within so-called purity culture. It is a comedy, it is horror, it is campy, and overall it's thrilling. Many new musicals fall flat for me because of a lack of, for lack of better words, "commitment to the bit." Teeth knows what it is, and what it wants, and fully leans into this mission. For me, this musical checked all of the boxes I had expected it to; however, I was still surprised and excited the longer I watched. Having been a fan of the source material, I had expectations and not only did Jackson and Jacobs' book surpass those, but it also allowed me to see a new life with a piece of art I already found to be wildly entertaining.
While the run is mostly over, I highly suggest you find time to go visit Playwrights Horizons and give teeth a chance. You've got until Saturday, April 28th to find out just what all the rage is about.
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