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When you are what people euphemistically refer to as “a big girl,” you get treated differently. Everyone assumes you’re a jolly, maternal figure who would make an excellent comedic sidekick but could never be the star of the show. Miami native Jennylin Duany is out to shatter that stereotype with Cabaret Unkempt, a ballsy multimedia performance that juxtaposes Jennylin’s lush curves against dancer Elizabeth Doud’s lean, spare, and striking figure in order to communicate a larger point about self-image.
“I’m an actor who is black and of volume. I’m a woman of size in the theater world. Living in this community here in South Florida, with the influences of the media on women’s body image, the popularity of plastic surgery – which has been suggested to me – all started to provoke my interest,” says Duany. “Becoming familiar with those parts of me that I wasn’t feeling so comfortable with, and thinking about the personal stories that are hidden there, really sparked it,” she explains. Jennylin’s Cabaret debuts December 29 and will run through December 31 at the Studio Center in the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts.
Dec. 29-31, 9 p.m.
