One Woman Show
“The Monk Who Licked Me,” is a modern day odyssey into the heart, mind, and body of a young woman on a spiritual quest.
Armed with vibrators, palmistry books, and the wisdom of Buddhis Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Erin leaves Los Angeles for Vietnam, her motherland. Expecting to find answers in the ancient Buddhist temples and picturesque landscapes of Vietnam and Cambodia, Erin finds much more than she was bargaining for — the temples are neither so ancient or sacred, being touched by the long arm of Hollywood film an altogether too human monks, tour guides, and roaming punks. While imagining the carving of the stones that make up the temples of Angkor Wat, Erin reflects on life, the work that must be put into love relationships, and the insidious nature of verbal abuse. Her experiences also bring her face to face with the aftermath of war in Vietnam and force her to think about the effects of the current war in Iraq — the similarities, as presented in a multimedia slide show, are stark.
The story is a clever and poignant exploration of transnational identity and the effects of U.S. militarism from the U.S. war in Vietnam to the SARS scare to the current day U.S. war in Iraq. Through a compelling and often hilarious narrative, Erin covers issues such as love, sexual violence against women, and globalization by interweaving her personal experiences and reactions with the realities of the aftermath of war and U.S. cultural imperialism.
For booking please email me at erin@erin-obrien.com