A Brief History of Smoking Cigarettes

It’s part play and part magical meltdown.
With puppets. And show tunes. And oddly...a lot of heart.

A Brief History of Smoking Cigarettes follows Deanna’s personal history with cigarettes, and, quite impossibly, THE ENTIRE GLOBAL HISTORY of cigarettes, in a touching and hilarious one-woman show that uses puppets, live music, and video to convey how SPECTACULAR the play will be when it eventually gets funded by “Big Tobacco.” Sharing true stories, wide-reaching musings and playful audience interaction, this multi-dimensional show shines a light on how one of the biggest and ugliest industries changed the world and influenced Deanna’s life. Through the polarizing puff\pull of a cigarette, this play explores themes of colonization, capitalism, and the commodification of a sacred natural resource.

“It is so funny and moving. A rare combination of quite personal and universal. It’s also a brilliant exploration of this ‘wicked habit’ that has touched us all. Dee is such a compelling performer and we always feel like we are in great (and kind) hands. The clever combination of video, music and puppets puts this important show over the top.” -Bruce McCulloch