Cannonball, Philadelphia's innovative platform for risk-taking and boundary-pushing independent artists, is set to once again captivate audiences this September with its unique blend of performances. What sets this year's festival apart is the explicit focus on sex worker artists, who are at the forefront of four featured shows. Spearheaded by Co-Founder and sex working artist Mae West, Cannonball challenges norms, fosters artistic freedom, and advocates for the decriminalization and recognition of sex work as a vital part of our cultural landscape.
“When we created Cannonball in 2021, we had no idea what it would become. What started as an act of communal resource sharing has grown into a platform for hundreds of artists, many of whom are living and working on the margins, and taking genuine risks in their work,” West explains.
Cannonball is the first and largest independent production hub within the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, known for its commitment to creating spaces where unconventional ideas and underrepresented performances can flourish. This year, from September 1st to the 30th, the hub will be presenting over 500 performances of 150+ shows across four venues in the Old Kensington and Northern Liberties area of Philadelphia. Among this lineup are four standout shows that also serve as powerful statements for sex worker advocacy.
$7 Girl by Mae West of Almanac Dance Circus Theatre uses virtuosic storytelling, innovative aerial work, and improvisation to delve into their experience as a queer and trans sex worker, shedding light on sides of the industry that are rarely seen. In this “TED Talk meets Strip Club meets Cirque Du Soleil,” West pitches the audience on their mantra of “Radical Permission” as a gateway to a more pleasure-filled life, while exemplifying the ludicrousy of laws targeting the sex industry. Showing Sept 21, 22, 23, & 24 at Icebox Project Space.
Sex Werque: Notes from the Field by Ella-Gabriel Mason unveils the emotional and economic complexities of stripping through theater, dance, and interviews with other sex workers. In this auto-biographical piece, Ella explores how we perform eroticism and consume intimacy, both in the club and at home. Ella unpacks the emotional and economic forces, the movement vocabulary, the masks, and the moments of authentic connection. Showing Sept 7 & 18 at Fidget Space.
Cirque Du Heauxleil by Mxstress Lilith is a queer, erotic extravaganza of salacious circus that blurs the lines between performance art, BDSM, and traditional sideshow acts. Pole dancing clowns, bed of nails performers, and a resident human pincushion are among some of the unapologetically erotic performances by professionals in the sex industry. Showing Sept 14, 21, 24, & 29 at the MAAS Building.
Whore's Eye View by Kaitlin Bailey of Old Pros takes audiences on a 75-minute mad dash through 10,000 years of history from a sex worker’s perspective. Equal parts history lecture, stand up comedy, and personal storytelling, Kaytlin Bailey masterfully unpacks the age-old stigma surrounding the oldest profession. Her eye-opening performance weaves together compelling facts from history and hard won wisdom from lived experience with comedic flair, offering a fresh perspective on the role of sex workers in shaping societies. Showing Sept 24, 25, & 26 at the MAAS Building.
In a world where sex workers often face harsh stigma, censorship, and discrimination, Cannonball serves as a stage where their creativity can shine without judgment. "Our community faces severe gatekeeping in performance spaces,” Mae West says. “Cannonball looks at the work that many institutional presenters would reject on sight and says, 'The risk of this work is its strength. How can we support this? What do you need?'"
Mxstress Lilith, a Philly-based sex worker and director of Cirque Du Heauxleil, is returning to Cannonball with performance work for the third year in a row. “Having participated in Cannonball before, it was really wonderful being in front of what felt like a different audience for us. People who may not typically be looking for a show like Inversions or CDH not only showed up, but showed out, and were very receptive and appreciative!”
One of the challenges Mae highlights is the tendency for arts presenters to police erotic performers, pushing a version of sexuality rooted in cis-hetero white supremacist standards, often at the expense of sex workers' experiences and agency. They emphasize the need to create platforms where sex workers can authentically express themselves without being boxed into preconceived notions of what their art should be.
“I’m so grateful that we have been able to cultivate a space where explicit erotic work, in all its forms, is celebrated. I’m also aware of many artists in Cannonball who are current or former sex workers presenting shows that have nothing to do with sex. There is space for us to bring our expansive, authentic selves.”
Ella Gabriel-Mason, creator of Sex Werque, ardently agrees. “When I first began creating performances about my experiences in the sex industry six years ago, it was very scary. It felt risky to be out about my status as a former sex worker, and I felt a lot of pressure to represent all sex workers. With Cannonball’s curation of multiple sex worker artists, I have permission to let my own work be more specific and nerdy and weird, because at this hub I know I won’t be the only perspective audiences are offered. Being in community with other sex worker artists within a mainstream festival is such a joy.”
Other highlights of this year’s festival includes the full roster of “After Dark” productions that will “quench your thirst for the weird, wild, sensual, salacious, and seriously hilarious.” The 2023 “Panel Picks” are recipients of Cannonball’s special presentation tracks, which awarded over $38,000 in funding to BIPOC-led projects, shows that center intimate audience experiences, and a development cohort for youth-focused theatre. Awarded shows include She Was a Conquistawhore by Rachel O'Hanlon-Rodriguez, a bawdy standup tale about a woman and her cowboy vagina named Pete in search of intergenerational healing; The Other Gardeners by Very Good Dance Theatre, a Black, trans reimagining of the Adam and Eve story; and Privy Privy by Donna Oblongata and Patrick Costello, an actual glory hole that results in a moment of pleasure and a tasty treat.
In addition to traditional shows, Cannonball hosts a series of extension programming and workshops, including “BDSiMprov,” facilitated by Philadelphia Pro-Dom/mes Mia Action and Mx Vex, where performing artists can learn how to translate their theatrical skills to intimacy and eroticism, as well at take part in hands-on kink demonstrations. Cannonball’s Blind Date Nights return, offering a “not-necessarily-romantic way to connect over art,” where audience members can be paired with a stranger to enjoy pre- and post-show discussion and drinks in Cannonball’s signature garden bar. The hub historically partners with local advocacy organizations, including the Philadelphia Red Umbrella Alliance and Project SAFE, offering panels and post-show roundtables that further educate audiences on the movement to decriminalize sex work, and says similar events are in the works for this year.
No matter your artistic taste, there truly is something for everyone at Cannonball. With back-to-back performances and sliding scale $5-$50 (or in some cases, free) ticket options, the hub serves as a perfect night, weekend, or month-long plunge into Philly’s vibrant and sexy underground art scene. For more information on Cannonball’s full range of programming, and to purchase tickets, visit www.cannonballfestival.org.
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