Daring.Innovative. Enticing. “Around The World in a Nanosecond” featured dramatic monologues and original poetry by Ivory “Xtrymytyz” (pronounced ehcks-trim-uh-teez)Townsel. This one woman show was one production that had audiences wanting more.
Greeted by a heartfelt welcome and surrounded by total darkness, Townsel entered the stage performing an interpretative dance to “Diamonds Are Forever.” As she completed each piece she told different aspects of women’s struggles through apparent but yet very different situations. From a hardcore gang banger to a suffering turned murderous wife, Townsel made sure audiences could connect with each of the performances and the characters that each presented.
Townsel used varied art forms in the production including dance, acting, and speaking. The show premiered Thursday Sept. 13 and showcased through Saturday, Sept. 15 in Hobart Taylor Sr. Recital Hall. “Not only was the performance above par, but it actually felt as if I were in a real Broadway theater production,” said Brittany Wilson, 20, nursing major.
When asked how she felt about the production now that it had become a reality and no longer a dream, Townsel responded by saying “Accomplished, grateful to have a talent to share to show others how to deal with problems themselves through art form.” Townsel presented varied forms of women’s struggles and used life as an inspiration for the characters’ emotions.
“The art form is a refuge for life’s problems for me,” said Townsel. Throughout the whole production Townsel kept the audience hypnotized and in a trance by secluding us in total darkness and using various lighting conditions to keep us focused on the stage. Through each piece, the audience saw a different side of Townsel and kept them loving what she represented in each dramatic interpretation.
“My favorite was Mattie, the prison inmate. She was so real, you know. Especially when she made mention of how men are penis possessing creatures who don’t deserve the title. That’s something really deep to think about,” said Ashley MacDonald, 21, criminal justice major. “Overall this was a performance that if I had the chance I would’ve attended every night.”
One of the many admirers of Townsel’s production was her mother Shirley Kelley Townsel who critiqued her daughter’s performance as “Super. Wonderful. Took me away!”
Townsel is an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and a radio host on KPVU 91.3 The Bamboo Lounge.