Photo by Rachel Bodenstein

While the word "Tats" normally tempts my gag reflex, it is easily allayed with tattooed eye candy like those above. They're cast members in a new theater production about tattoos entitled Tats: The Experience.

Writers Kat Reynolds and Colleen Hammond Whitmore have created a play, which includes music, dance, and puppetry, where the main characters are tattoos.

Daniel Guyton in Access Atlanta previews tomorrow's opening at the Woodruff Arts Center:

"The play (though, truthfully, it is much more of an event than a play) primarily follows Mattie, along with Len, Dinah, Nash, Ansley, Sue and more, as they explore the motivations, causes, feelings, and reactions to the body art which they, or their friends have obtained. While the individual tattoos and body art are the primary characters here (make no mistake, this is NOT Death of a Salesman), the script still manages to follow (believably, heartwarmingly, and hilariously at times), the stories of 16 characters (all played by 7 actors), who have (or have witnessed) said tattoos. [...] As I read through the script, I laughed, I grew thoughtful, I felt genuine sympathy, and I found myself understanding and accepting tattoos in a way I had never thought before."

I know, it sounds corny, but I'm reserving judgment until I see the play myself; hopefully; it will come to NYC.

The real problem for people who truly love tattoos and are heavily tattooed is that not every tattoo has to be an epic tale. You can simply want a tattoo for beauty, just because you like it. Art for art's sake.

Yet, those who only know tattoos from TV have quite a different picture. In every reality tattoo show, there must be drama and ethos behind a tattoo. I understand you need this for TV, but it doesn't make it "reality." The biggest complaint I hear from tattooists today is this:

"Why do I need to hear clients talk about their dead dogs or why daddy didn't love them? You should come to a tattoo studio for art, not therapy."

In fact, "tats" don't need a story. But maybe it will still make a good show. At least there are pretty actors to ogle. 

The first performance is tomorrow at 7:30 PM and tickets are only $15 each. For my Atlanta friends reading: if you go, hit me up and let me know what you thought.