Odds Are
Written & Performed by Smita Russell		Good Grief - New York, NY
 smitarussell.com/		V.10 - The Asper Centre for Theatre & Film (U of W) 
Ever feel like the universe has it in for you? New York's award-winning storyteller Smita Russell knows the feeling. Drawn from events in her own life, Odds Are takes audiences on an extraordinary journey through love, loss, luck, medicine and myth.

You will laugh, you will cry, you will shout, Oh hell, no. What did you do?! Come for a show where humour meets heartache and discover why the most profound truths are the ones we can't quantify. For anyone who's ever experienced loss and come back for more.

Cast:
Smita Russell

Director:
Jacqueline Loewen

Show Info:
60 minutes
Genre:
Unclassifiable

Audience:
Parental Guidance

This show describes a Real Life, which has been through some s#*t. Some content may disturb viewers. Or, make them feel understood.

Wed July 16 9:45 PM
Fri July 18 2:45 PM
Sat July 19 8:30 PM
Tue July 22 12:45 PM
Wed July 23 6:30 PM
Fri July 25 11:00 AM
Sat July 26 4:30 PM

Odds Are

Good Grief—The Asper Centre for Theatre & Film (U of W)

Storyteller and performer Smita Russell guides her audience through a visceral, witty, and honest account of her complex personal journey and statistically improbable tribulations in procreation. In juxtaposing her unlikely series of miscarriages with mythical renditions of motherhood and childbirth, Russell reminds us that what is often treated as a typical human experience can still carry the weight of an epic trial.

Accompanied onstage by a solo violinist, Russell recounts her hero’s journey which, while positively legendary in its sheer volume of unrelenting and continuous misfortune, touches on experiences familiar to many women. Though her cumulative story positions her as a rare statistical outlier, none of the events she describes are impossible for anyone, even in the 21st century. The sheer mathematics of bringing any one life into the world underscores just how genuinely miraculous childbirth remains.

Despite the heavy premise, the piece remains remarkably accessible; neither alienating or too intense to manage. Russell manages to convey trauma with clarity, courage, and moments of seamless levity.

Ashley Frantik