General 5 — Dezi Tibbs

Cuck, Cuck, Bull borrows from the ancient Greek myth of Daedalus and the Minotaur. In an attempt to sow their wild oats before their wedding, Danny and Ike experiment with opening up their relationship. During a threesome, the couple unwittingly participates in “cucking” and are surprised by how aroused by the experience they were. Danny is driven crazy by the possibility that his fiance Ike is unhappy in their relationship, so he uses a new friend to create the perfect man and sparks an online relationship under the guise of Tyler. Danny’s obsession with the game turns sinister.

I was with Cuck, Cuck, Bull since it’s earliest inception. In earliest readings of the piece, I collaborated with the playwright to find the right structure for the piece. Crushingly personal. Intangible epic. Gay as hell. Once we were in production, I facilitated development conversations with the company. Firstly, I created the “To Cuck or Not to Cuck” packet because I figured there was a huge semiotic weight associated with the experience of “cucking” both in life and in the play. I wanted to provide a brief etymologic history of the word in pop culture starting with Geoffrey Chaucer through the infamous Oscars slap. The packet also delves a bit into the world of kink and seemingly sudden surge in polyamory. In talks with the company, I pinpointed “shame” as a guiding principle in the play’s action. I created the “Shame and Internalized Homophobia” packet to show how these intangible concepts take root in our psyche and manifest physically in our bodies to provide inspiration for the actors as they started to explore their characters.