So, Eris...

[Redlass]

...dare we talk about the show we saw last night?

This may be the first time that I've talked about one of my husband's shows in the Cafe rather than the Limelight. What a strange show it was. And some of the drama/comedy took place off stage.

Rick was performing in "Free Food and Full Frontal Nudity." It's a collection of skits written by the interns at our local professional theater. It is performed as a "dark night" production (meaning that the theater is normally closed and there is no charge to see the show, though you can make a donation that goes to the interns). They started rehearsing two weeks ago and then lost a few nights because of the snow.

I make plans to attend opening night with the wife of one of the other actors. Then Rick tells me that that actor is going to be crossing the Rubicon--that he'll be the "full frontal nudity" half of the title. He also told me that he wasn't planning to tell his wife before hand.

Eris joined me for the show. Both of us exchanged glances and worked very hard at not saying a word when not only does this actor's wife arrive, but his father too. However, both of them seemed cool with it and took it in stride. They certainly did much better than I would have if it had been Rick. Or indeed, if it had been Rick's father (Rick's comment was that we could have jsut leaned over and turned off his oxygen 'cause it would be quicker.

The show was well-acted for the most part, but strange. It was very much like a collection of Saturday Night Live skits, though somewhat cruder and with less social commentary.

My favorite of the skits was the one that Eris liked the least.

[eris esoteric]

Redlass said

...dare we talk about the show we saw last night?

This may be the first time that I've talked about one of my husband's shows in the Cafe rather than the Limelight. What a strange show it was. And some of the drama/comedy took place off stage.

Rick was performing in "Free Food and Full Frontal Nudity." It's a collection of skits written by the interns at our local professional theater. It is performed as a "dark night" production (meaning that the theater is normally closed and there is no charge to see the show, though you can make a donation that goes to the interns). They started rehearsing two weeks ago and then lost a few nights because of the snow.

I make plans to attend opening night with the wife of one of the other actors. Then Rick tells me that that actor is going to be crossing the Rubicon--that he'll be the "full frontal nudity" half of the title. He also told me that he wasn't planning to tell his wife before hand.

Eris joined me for the show. Both of us exchanged glances and worked very hard at not saying a word when not only does this actor's wife arrive, but his father too. However, both of them seemed cool with it and took it in stride. They certainly did much better than I would have if it had been Rick. Or indeed, if it had been Rick's father (Rick's comment was that we could have jsut leaned over and turned off his oxygen 'cause it would be quicker.

We were good! We were so good! We didn't explode or anything when his wife flipped over the program and read allowed the part that said "When we say full frontal nudity, we mean FULL FRONTAL NUDITY." Although it was close.

The show was well-acted for the most part, but strange. It was very much like a collection of Saturday Night Live skits, though somewhat cruder and with less social commentary.

The acting was definately good. The social commentary was definately there, I'd have to say. The two role reversal pieces (one in which the gay parents are shock to learn their daughter is straight, on in which the man gets pregnant and he and his wife have to figure out what they're going to do about it) seemed deliberately designed not only to hurt your head, but to make one actively think about the ridiculousness of some of our assumptions. The pieces about mental abuses in the workplace (corporate outings gone too far; the one in which the manager criticizes people for being late to the meeting, including the guy whose wife died an hour before; and the lovely bit about abusing the temp) were well aimed jabs that hit true. And they were FUNNY!

My favorite of the skits was the one that Eris liked the least.

Not true. My comment was that that one didn't fit. I liked that one, but it was a semi serious psychologically introspective piece slammed in the middle of a bunch of pop culturally relevant shock funny bits. On it's own, it's a good piece, but it just didn't belong there.

[Redlass]

So, are you saying it was worthwhile? (OK, it was free, so I won't ask whether it was worth the ticket price.)

I've been trying to decide whether to go again next week.

I'll confess I'm a little disturbed at the thought of seeing a show again in which one of the people I socialize with is naked. It makes me embarrassed to talk to him later. Now, don't ask me why it doesn't bother me to be in the men's dressing room when I'm costuming a show. I can't explain that contradiction (except perhaps that I know how to keep my eyes averted from the private parts).

I didn't think the temp abuse one came off as well as it could, though it certainly had its moments. I did like the one with the meeting. That one was really tight.

I also really liked "Small Penises Anonymous." Rora was asking me whether I enjoyed it just because it was so funny to see Richard playing the Mr. Rogers role, or whether it was really that funny. I have to say that anytime you're seeing four men on stage talking about their small penises, it is hard not to find it funny.

It also took me awhile to figure out whether the couple in the original skit was gay. I knew that they were doing gender-neutral casting for a number of the roles, so I didn't know whether the person in drag was supposed to be a woman or a man in drag. It wasn't until the daughter said, "Dad, Dad," that I figured out what was going on. Then again, I'm a little slow.

[eris esoteric]

Oh, definately worthwhile.

[Redlass]

Want to go again tomorrow night?

[eris esoteric]

Unfortunately, I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow, so I'll have to decline. Give naked boy my regards, though.

[Redlass]

Still want to set up a fan club for him?

Anyone else around here going to be near Lansing tonight? I'd love company.

[amykhar]

Red, read Shogun again before you go. Then the nudity won't bother you as much

[Redlass]

Shogun?

I don't think I'll have time.

Heck, I know when the nudity occurs, I can look away. It's funny, 'cause speaking generally, I don't have much problem with nudity. I just don't want to see a friend naked. It makes it too hard to talk to him and his wife at the dinner table.

[eris esoteric]

Redlass said

Still want to set up a fan club for him?

Yes, but now it will have to be an entirely different sort of fan club.

[Redlass]

I went again last night and once again sat next to Harmony. Mark was a little more into his role. He found the clown wig that is often worn by the guy at the Spartan football games. So when he came out in the buff, he also had "John 3:16" painted on his chest in a parody of super-fan. He was also on stage longer.

They had a large crowd there last night--and they were passing out chocolate instead of potato chips. Other than that, though, I thought the show we saw was the better performance. They had more energy.

[eris esoteric]

I still liked Redlord's costume in that skit best, though. (Superman shirt, shorts, and a red necktie tied around his head like a bandana.)

[Redlass]

Yeah, he got lots of laughs with that last night, too. Especially the bit where he is patting his belly and walking to emphasize fatness.

Fat = funny/jolly

Now, if we could just get him a gig as Falstaff...

[Redlass]

So, to add to those "crawl under my chair" moments that have accompanied this show...

This morning one of the parents at my son's school came up to Rick and said, "Hey, are you Richard Redman?" He nodded and the mom said, "I saw you in the Dark Night show at Boarshead this week."

All I could think of was, "Yes, and we're teaching your child..." (Thankfully, I wasn't there.)

But as Rick pointed out to me, it wasn't his penis on stage.

[eris esoteric]

No, that was just Rick leading the discussion group on small penises...

[Redlass]

But maybe that would be reassuring to a parent?