Comedy act a walk through performer’s life

By Coriå Bowen| @KyKernel

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The one-woman show, “Bag of Bits,” staring Debra Faulk also known as DD Rainbow, was a ride through some of the most pivotal frightening, painful and joyous moments of Faulk’s life.

Faulk produced the show as her thesis project for her master’s program.

She was once a UK theater student and brought the show to UK’s Little Black Box Theatre.

“I felt that it was extremely successful,” Faulk said after her Friday night performance. “Most importantly, I had my professors here; the main three that started me on this journey.”

Those professors were Robert Haven, Nancy Jones and Herman Daniel Ferrell III. Faulk took the audience back with her through the decision she faced of whether to write a paper for her graduate class, or book a comedy show for extra income.

She also walked the audience through the gripping and risky moments during the weekend she went to rescue her father who had been put in a home. And she let the audience in on her thoughts and confusion when she had to learn what dementia and prostate cancer would mean for her father’s life.

Ultimately, Faulk used comedy to make light of herself and the moments that have shaped who she is.

“I loved how real she was with telling the story,” theater freshman Alexis Slocum said. “She showed the beauty that has come from these trials.”

Faulk endured many trials growing up in Lexington, and during her performance she said she has learned to “turn poison into medicine and negativity into positivity.”

A retired social worker from Georgetown, Jane Gibbs said she read about Faulk’s story and really wanted to see her show.

“She struck a nerve (with me) because she obviously had the same family issues that I’ve worked a lifetime trying to improve (in) family and teenager’s lives,” Gibbs said.

In her storytelling, Faulk let everyone in on some of the “country style” lessons she learned from her father and mother growing up.

In a scene from when she was a little girl, Faulk animatedly illustrated one of the biggest lessons she said she has learned: “Nobody does it alone.”

In some of her closing remarks, Faulk said, “I came back home to tell everyone your prayers and thoughts, I remember.”