Debra Penberthy

Serious Rabbit is an evening-length, one-woman musical that Debra wrote and produced and performs live.  A musical folktale about finding one's purpose outside of their comfort zone and the prestige that can come with our jobs and their titles, it's also a story of finding love for oneself through loving another creature.  Debra plays Clover, a professor of feminist rabbit studies at WeHop University, a fictitious institution in the rabbit town of Cuddleberry on the edge of Los Angeles. When she doesn't get tenure, she's forced to go out in the world and figure out her purpose and her worth beyond the ivory tower.  It's funny, tear-jerking, and strangely human. Though Debra was never a rabbit (that she knows of), the piece is autobiographical.  As one person put it, "I was suspicious when you told me it was a rabbit musical, but I identified with Clover, and it was really good!"  Drawing upon the musical influences of Sondheim, Joni MItchell, and the writers of Avenue Q, it's the real stuff.  So far, Debra has performed it live completely solo, playing Clover the rabbit while singing and playing the piano.  Plans are in the works for Debra to perform it with a live band in Western North Carolina.