Lana Lesley, "Rude Mechs’ Lipstick Traces" (53rd State, 2019)

Rude Mechs’ Lipstick Traces (53rd State Press, 2019) is Lana Lesley’s graphic novelization of Lipstick Traces by Austin-based theatre collective Rude Mechs, itself an adaptation of Greil Marcus’ classic book Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century. The graphic novel vibrantly recreates the experience of watching Rude Mechs perform: light and sound cues, costume choices, and actors’ facial expressions are preserved much more faithfully here than they could ever be in a traditional script. From 16th-century mystic John of Leyden to 20th-century punk Johnny Rotten (born John Lydon – coincidence?), this imaginative and immersive work traces the secret history of a tradition of revolt that is perhaps more needed now than it has ever been.

Andy Boyd is a playwright based in Brooklyn, New York. He is a graduate of the playwriting MFA program at Columbia University, Harvard University, and the Arizona School for the Arts. His plays have been produced, developed, or presented at IRT, Pipeline Theatre Company, The Gingold Group, Dixon Place, Roundabout Theatre, Epic Theatre Company, Out Loud Theatre, Naked Theatre Company, Contemporary Theatre of Rhode Island, and The Trunk Space. He is currently working on a series of 50 plays about the 50 U.S. states. His website is AndyJBoyd.com, and he can be reached at andyjamesboyd@gmail.com.

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