April 30, 1999 GAY PEC

CHRONICLE 13

With playful joy, Annie Sprinkle lissex out of the shadows

by Tamara Murphy

Cleveland-Annie Sprinkle's voice has a charming, sunshiny lilt, despite the message relaying the tragic details of the fire which destroyed her houseboat in Sausalito, California only weeks ago, along with everything that was in it.

She is, though, she says, "good at making lemonade from lemons." From the looks of her résumé, it's not the only thing this former-porn-star-turned-sex-guru is good at.

Sprinkle will be in Cleveland May 5 though May 9 doing what she does best. That is, taking us mere mortals on a sexploration unlike anything we've ever experienced. This time, she'll be at Cleveland Public Theatre with her one-woman show, Herstory of Porn— 'Reel to Real.

This new work, directed by Emilio Cubeiro, the director of Sprinkle's infamous hit Post Porn Modernist, includes clips from some of the more than 200 films Sprinkle has appeared in. With Annie as our guide, we'll explore issues of personal growth, sexuality, society, and the human body through the lens of her experience in the worlds of porn, performance art, and sexual activism.

From the Pink Pussy Cat Sinema to the Museum of Modern Art, with several stops along the way, this performance and film diary traces Sprinkle's 25-year voyage through the sexual revolution; and baby, it's one hell of a

ride. The evening peaks with Annie's newest film Teenage Mermaid

Fanta-sea, which teaches the audience how to make their

own porn.

When Sprinkle last came to Cleveland, she received a visit from the Vice Squad, who threatened to arrest her if she performed Post Porn Modernist her way, including the nudity. Sprinkle says she chose to censor herself rather than risk the rest of the tour. "This time I'm not going to censor myself. I'll be going straight to jail, if there are any problems" she says. After all, she rather cheerfully reminds me, she has no place to stay anyway.'

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You don't have to be a porn aficianado to love this show, but you shouldn't be squeamish about sexual content, and you must be at least 18. For those brave enough to take on Sprinkle, the rewards will be a thought-provoking, sexy ride through the valley of their own inhibitions.

As a teacher and lecturer, Sprinkle brings her own sexpositive brand of feminism to workshops and rituals that encourage participants to fully explore and revel in their sexuality, and put them in touch with the sacred inside the sexual.

With playful joy, she pulls sex out of the shadows into the light with workshops such as "How to be a Sex Goddess in 101 Easy Steps," and "New Ancient Erotic Massage Rituals" and "Sensual Magical Mystery Tours."

Sprinkle is a self-described "metamorphosexual," and one has to believe this renowned sex-work pioneer, AIDS activist, photographer, filmmaker, writer, and performance artist when she says she's "done everything at least three times."

A visit to her web site at http://www.heck.com details the amazing body (no pun intended) of work she has created over the past 25 years. It also gives more information on the houseboat fire, and details on how you can help her through the crisis.

Cleveland Public Theatre will present Annie Sprinkle's Herstory of Porn-Reel to Real, Wednesday, May 5 through Sunday, May 9. Performances begin at 8 pm Wednesday through Saturday, with Sunday's matinee beginning at 7 pm. Thursday's performance will be a "women's or men-dressed-a -as-women's" night. If you've ever wanted to take a walk on the wild side, here's your chance.

Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $12 for students and seniors,. Reservations are requested and seating is limited. For reservations, call Cleveland Public Theatre at 216-631-2727.

"This time I'm

not going to censor myself. I'll be going straight to jail,

if there are any problems"