The show is "85-95% true," said Straus. With the rewriting, she condensed timelines and characters, but the events all happened, she said. The play is based on advice her father gave her about how to find a husband, which she may have taken too literally. "A guy came over and never left," she said -- not until she was able to stand up for herself. To do that, Straus plays 15 different characters throughout the show, including her father, the guy who wouldn't leave, a therapist, a number of San Francisco residents, and her mother.

In case you couldn't tell, it's a comedy, a "tragic comedy," she said. And, there are plenty of bits about cows and farming too. "You'll learn some about cows and some about my family along the way," she said.

But, what would Straus' autobiographical show be without cheese?

Because her love of farming and her experience with the dairy is so much a part of her story, Straus asked the local cheesemakers she knows, which is pretty much all of them, if they'd be interested in participating. Now, each performance will also feature a complimentary cheese-tasting.

The show is drawing interest and the first weekend has already sold out. Straus is hoping to break even and then who knows. She's working on more shows, including a "comedy about my mother's death," she said.

"I might as well put my adventures on the stage," she said. "We're all dysfunctional" -- even the Straus's.

If you go:

E-i-E-i-OY! - In Bed with the Farmer's Daughter
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., April 4 - May 10
NOHSpace Theater, 2840 Mariposa St., San Francisco
Tickets: www.eieiOY.com

Cheese TrailCheese Trail

The 85% True Story of Vivien Straus -- as a One-Woman Show, with Cheese