Q&A with Camirin Farmer
Creator of Fart Piss Puke: A Work-In-Progress
Written by Hannah Benson
Camirin Farmer is inherently funny and bodily functions are inherently funny, so it’s no surprise they are (finally?!) collabing. Farmer has combined their background in stand-up, sketch, improv and clown to create a show to make you feel a lil something-something for your basic functions. They are also super cool and nice, which cannot be said for everybody, so it looks like it’s time to get your stinky butt on over to the Elysian and appreciate a show starring someone who is super cool and nice.
HB: How would you describe the show?
CF: It’s a show where I try to make peace and have an understanding of my human body and the propensity of the Divine. I’m struggling to receive the adoration, understanding, empathy and exchange of emotions that I’m asking for from the audience and from the Divine. It’s also extremely stupid and gross.
HB: Would you say the medium of ‘Fart Piss Puke’ is primarily Clown?
CF: It feels more like a piece. I have many different characters. One of the characters is just doing stand-up that I’ve done before, but it’s presented in a different way. The first section would be mostly clown-esqe bits. The last section is pretty performance art heavy. It’s an amalgamation of my comedic experiences.
HB: You’ve had your rehearsals already, were there any audience reactions that reassured you to keep certain bits in or lean into the joke more?
CF: I’m a Virgo so I’m very into planning, so before the first two rehearsals, I performed it in front of other people and asked for a lot of notes. This is the first thing I’ve done completely on my own that wasn’t just a ten-minute bit or a stand-up set. It’s mostly just feeling it out, doing it and seeing how I feel. Hearing other people’s reception of what they’ve seen has cleared up questions I’ve had in my mind. People will point out “Oh this is a full circle moment,” and I think ‘Oh my god, I never even considered it.’ It is cool to be collaborative in this way.
HB: Say you have a group of people who have never seen the show, how should they prepare?
CF: Be prepared to be really uncomfortable, definitely physically uncomfortable. My goal in certain ways is to bring the audience into my lived experience. The show isn’t very literal, it’s a lot of sporadic information but that’s also where I live in my brain. I get very overwhelmed with a lot of my thoughts and emotions, so I’m always trying to find balance. I don’t really hold the audience’s hand so don’t try to overanalyze or think too much about what’s happening, just experience it.
HB: People love to describe media as “This movie is for your mom!” or “This series is for ‘the young at heart’; who is this show for?
CF: The demented, fucked-up people. The punk-rockers! People who appreciate the visceral and chaos. It’s a very chaotically-lilted show.
HB: Would you consider your show ‘rock ‘n roll’?
CF: I would absolutely consider my show ‘rock ‘n roll’. In no way, shape or form has anything to do with Josie and The Pussycats the film but the energy is there.
HB: What’s your most memorable fart?
CF: I’ve struggled the majority of my life with my mental health. There was one time with my husband, we were lying in bed and I was in such a dark place and I was talking about it and then I farted so loud for so long and it shook the bed. It wasn’t even a fart that I knew was coming, it just erupted. I started laughing so hard and thought, ‘You know what? Nevermind. It’s not that big of a deal. I just need to relax.’ It just knocked me out of my stupor.
HB: ‘Marry. Fuck. Kill.’-- Fart. Piss. Puke.
CF: Marry Piss. Fuck Fart. Kill Puke but we would have to go out together.
If you want more explanation on the choices above, catch Camirin Farmer’s FART PISS PUKE on Sunday, May 14th at 9pm. Get your tickets here!
This performance is part of The Elysian’s VIP: Very In Progress programming.
