By Henrik Eger

Near the end of each year, Philadelphia’s only surreal theater, The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium (IRC) —with their deeply philosophical mission statement, “We Bring Good Nothingness to Life”—offers a benefit performance for the next season opener. However, the recent presidential election threw the cast and the directors for a loop as they had to rewrite the script, give up what they had already learned by heart, and rush to learn new lines. In spite of it all, the latest production of A Little Raw Onion at Philadelphia’s L’Etage Cabaret was performed before standing-room only crowds.

​The cast of IRC actors treated the packed house to much mayhem from the many satires of The Onion, “America’s Finest News Source,” including these hilarious and often timely pieces: The First Rule Of The Quilting Society Is You Don’t Talk About The Quilting Society; With All Due Respect, I Choose Not To Go Fuck Myself; Ladies And Gentlemen Of The Jury, Marry Me!; Sometimes I Feel Like I’m the Only One Who Gives A Shit About Lustrous Hair; and If You Are Reading This I Am Already Gone.

The following popular IRC actors brought down the house with their straight-faced performances of the sublime and the ridiculous: Brian Adoff, Melissa Amilani, Tina Brock, John D’Alonzo, Tomas Dura, Sharon Geller, Michael Harrah, Teresa Leahy, Lee Pucklis, Bob Schmidt, David Stanger, and Bayard Walker.
I asked the actors to peel off layers of the onion, addressing these two points:

1. Tell us about your Onion piece and your interpretation, and provide a few quotations to give us a flavor.
2. Given the recent political upheaval, how do you see your Onion piece being part of a wider picture? For example, how do you see the surreal as a way of creating some relief, perhaps even some tikkun olam — repairing and healing the world—through theater?​

And now, curtain up for The Onion, presented by the actors of the IRC:

David Stanger: There’s just no freaking way I’m redeeming that S.O.B.

My piece is a satirical response from Jesus Christ regarding his refusal to grant forgiveness to an especially obnoxious churchgoer. I like to think my performance captured his frustrations, in particular his contempt at the hypocrisy of this person’s humble church persona versus his cruel and self-centered day-to-day behavior. I think the line that best sums it up is: “I know I’ve said all are welcome at the table of the Lord, but there’s just no freaking way I’m redeeming that S.O.B.”
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I would hope that now, more than ever, theater—and especially theater of the absurd—can be used as a counterbalance to the upheaval and atrocities we see in the world. I think absurdism and satire can be effective tools in allowing us a chance to see the incredulousness of a situation, but can be equally effective as a call to arms. And if nothing else, it allows us a chance to be united with our laughter—even if only for an evening.

​Bob Schmidt: “Absurdist Theater shines a spotlight on the ridiculousness and pointlessness of it all.”

My piece, Son, You’ve Made a Mockery of Taco Night, is about a teenage son suggesting that his family try a few new dinner options and his father horribly overreacting, deeply morally offended by any suggestion of change or alteration to the family routine. To really highlight the ridiculousness of the situation, I tried to bring the same gravity of emotion that one would experience in a life-changing event and apply it to a simple Taco Tuesday family night.

It’s hard to pick out one particular line, since the piece covers all sorts of familial territory, but I think this paragraph captures a lot of it:

“You used to be such a good boy, content with the taco toppings and serving sizes I provided. But you’ve changed. The son I raised would never have asked to have chicken instead of taco meat, because that son would have been considerate of the fact that his mother slaved over that ground beef. Slaved, Joshua.”

The piece captures the hypersensitivity, closed-mindedness, and outright anger we see all around us in today’s climate. Let’s face it, we all need a little control and routine in our daily life—some more than others. Without it, the sheer absurdity and brutality of the modern world would drive us insane.

Theater of the absurd and publications like The Onion shine a spotlight on the absolute ridiculousness and pointlessness of it all. Hopefully, it will help us to stop taking everything so seriously, laugh a little about ourselves, and maybe even understand each other a bit better.
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Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?

Tina Brock: American Values, a relationship break-up letter from The US Constitution

The Onion piece I performed was entitled American Values, or: If You’re Reading This, I’m Already Gone— essentially a relationship break-up letter written by The US Constitution, addressed to the American People, showing that their relationship is no longer functional in the face of dissolving values. It conjures up the absurdities and shifting realities of the post-2016 presidential election period.

I play the role of “American Values,” voicing the text. John D’Alonzo, as “The Constitution,” says nothing but stands with the pages in hand, letting the Articles float in the air as the piece progresses. Below, one of my favorite lines:

“Maybe hearing all this is a shock to you, but trust me, everyone else has been able to see the warning signs for years, and they knew this was a long time coming. Deep down, I think you did, too.”
​
The writer captures the sadness, the incomprehension, the tragedy, and the disintegration of what we have come to understand as American Values—and what was, for many, the absurd journey and result of the last election process. So now, we all grapple with the Brave New World we have inherited and created—with a crumbling foundation as the roadmap.

John D’Alonzo: Changing and mistreating the US Constitution

“American Values” personifies the US Constitution, which is pissed about being changed and mistreated in our own time. Wearing a formal black suit, as the embodiment of the Constitution, I did not speak. I simply looked out to the audience and dropped pages of the Constitution during the reading—symbolizing the slipping away of its substance, as witnessed by this example:

​“You know what really bothers me, though? The way you keep trying to change me. It honestly makes me wonder if you ever really knew anything about me in the first place.”

Artistic Director Tina Brock, and the IRC provide a safe place for the actors and audiences to come together and find solace. Every season, Tina chooses plays packed with philosophical nuggets. Audience members take something with them after each show to help build bridges in communication and work toward understanding and healing.

Tomas Dura: “Artists have been criticized, even silenced, by authorities.”

“People, people, people! Put down your torches for a second. I know you’re all angry that, after days of bloody and terrifying rampage, the monster still hasn’t been caught. Your outrage is not unjustified; however, it’s misdirected.”

The speaker in my piece, This Monster Problem Is Distracting This Town From The Real Issues, tells the mob that it is letting a monster—which is destroying the town—get in the way of day-to-day problems that need to be addressed, as in typical scenes found in many monster movies where the townsfolk take up pitchforks and go after the monster on their own. There is usually a character that tries to provide a voice of reason, telling everyone that violence is not the answer and that innocent people might get hurt.

The text mentions torches and pitchforks, which would be consistent with peasants or farmers. When I came to the dress rehearsal, I came straight from work (as a landscaper)—wearing dirty dungarees, a flannel shirt, and work boots. I even brought my own pitchfork.

Theater has often commented on troubling developments in society by portraying stories whose sole purpose appeared to be to simply amuse an audience. Often contemporary characters and locations were given mythological or exotic names to protect the author. However, while being amused, audiences may have thought through what was really going on in the plays and in their own lives.
​
To challenge audiences, theater artists may resort to unorthodox techniques, breaking out of the rules of traditional theater. As we have seen in history, artists have been criticized, silenced, and even exiled by authorities just for departing from the accepted norms. However, if I can get an audience to feel compassion for someone who is being mistreated, or to recognize the wrong of any type of injustice, then, as an actor, I have done a pretty good job.

Brian Adoff: Full-throated, post-election laughs

My piece is called Ha! Ha! Ha! I Can’t Believe How Funny This Sitcom Is! and was written from the perspective of a personified laugh track for the show How I Met Your Mother.

At first glance, this is just a silly monologue with full-throated laughs (“Hold on—the tall lanky one is having a comically physical overreaction to a situation that hardly calls for it!”).

However, post-election, I found sub-textual meaning in lines like, “We all could use some lighthearted entertainment, couldn’t we? And you don’t even have to really get the joke or see why it’s funny—just sit back and follow my lead. Come on, loosen up a little!”
​
I definitely saw audience members nodding their heads in agreement when I earnestly delivered those lines.

Melissa Amilani: “Just because my client is a lost cause doesn’t mean we have to be!”

Originally, I chose a different monologue, but I switched pieces—my first choice hit a little too close to home after the election—and I’m so glad I gave Ladies and Gentlemen of The Jury, Marry Me! another look.

It was written for “Anthony Forster,” a male defense lawyer, and not “Annette,” but I felt like it made just as much sense, if not more, coming from a woman. Apart from the healing power of laughter, I think my piece was gratifying because we saw a bold proclamation of love to a “racially and demographically diverse group of peers” from a woman in a position of power.
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And a few people told me that this monologue would help them get through jury duty the next day, so I’m happy to have made a positive impact there.

Sharon Geller: I’m Single, Grieving My Husband’s Death — and Ready to Mingle!

This is a piece about a middle-aged woman who had been happily married to the love of her life for many years. Following his sudden death, she finds herself in the uncomfortable position of having to date again, even though she doesn’t know that she isn’t ready for that step.

One of my favorite lines is, “Next, we’ll all head over to J.P.’s Bar, where I’ll throw back a few margaritas and see my dead husband’s face in everyone I meet.”

The challenge with this piece is to keep the laughs flowing and not make the audience feel too sad for this poor woman. Many of us can identify with having a spouse or long-term relationship that is no longer in our lives—for one reason or another.

I feel the only time since the election that my mood has been uplifted has been when I was performing on stage and making people laugh. The monologue reminded me that laughter is important, especially during times of stress and sadness. It serves as a reminder that not everything is dour. Theater and humor can provide tikkun olam, or a healing for people’s souls.

For IRC director Tina Brock’s thoughts on surreal theater in the post-election period, read Henrik’s interview with her on HowlRound.

The two hilarious shows at Philadelphia’s L’Etage Cabaret raised funds for the IRC’s February 2017 regional premiere of Jean Giraudoux’s The Enchanted at The Walnut Street Theatre, Studio 5, from February 7 – March 5, 2017.

For more information about IRC, visit their website.

Originally published by DC Metro Theater Arts, ​February 18, 2017.

By Henrik Eger

Unlike many other music groups, Last Chance also performs for a wide range of worthy causes. With their music, Last Chance supports special needs teens and adults, seniors, veterans, homeless and unemployed folks, and patients—including the terminally ill in hospitals, via Musicians On Call, a national organization that has arranged performances for over half a million individuals.

Before forming Last Chance, Jack practiced law and taught Songwriting. Ingrid played violin as a child, worked as a pharmacist before studying classical violin at Temple University, and became a popular music teacher in Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Swarthmore.

Given their many engagements, it’s not easy to catch up with them, but we finally did get together.

Henrik: What’s new and exciting with Last Chance?

Jack: Let me tell you. My car radio is usually set at WXPN, my favorite Philadelphia music station. Recently, on a Saturday morning, as I started the car, the song playing on the radio was “Same Moon,” from our brand new Last Chance recording, Endless Flight. It was the first time Last Chance was played on WXPN. I nearly jumped through the sunroof.

Ingrid: He called me and started screaming. It was 7:30 on Saturday morning. I tried to calm him down, but my adrenaline was pumping, too.

Great! How did WXPN get your CD?
​
Ingrid: In December, we played at an event for WXPN’s Musicians on Call program at Philadelphia’s Hard Rock Café, along with other performers who volunteer to play in hospitals and veterans’ facilities at the bedsides of patients. We’ve been volunteering for Musicians on Call for about four years. Helen Leicht, who works for WXPN and supports local musicians, hosted the show. The next day, our CD was finished, and we sent one of the first CDs to Helen.

Musicians on Call sounds like a worthwhile program.

Ingrid: It really is. We get a lot out of sharing our music one-on-one with patients and their families. Some of the patients are very ill. Through this program, we’ve also met some wonderful musicians and guides who volunteer their services.

Jack: If you look around, you’ll find many worthy causes. We play regularly as volunteers at the Community Cup Coffeehouse in Springfield, PA, specifically for special needs teens and adults. They’re consistently one of our most enthusiastic audiences.

Ingrid: We also love to play for veterans groups. We’ve found a number of them in the area.

Tell us about Endless Flight, your latest CD. It’s an attractive package. Where did the title come from?

Ingrid: It’s from the lyrics in one of the songs, “Two Stars.” The artwork is by Jenell Kesler, an artist friend of mine who lives in New Mexico. She does beautiful work on CD covers and posters for musical groups. The photos are by Rick Prieur, a professional photographer we like a lot. And my daughter, Miranda Brodsky, put it all together and designed both the cover and the disc.

How do you write your songs?

Jack: I write the songs, but Ingrid collaborates with me to let me know what works and what doesn’t — lyrically and melodically. Ingrid writes all the fiddle arrangements and comes up with the harmonies. It’s a team effort, from start to finish.

How do your audiences respond?

Ingrid: The songs are all original. It’s important to us that we play only original music. We’ll play senior centers where the Program Director tells us the audience will want to hear songs they already know. We smile, and then we play our songs. We’ve been doing this long enough to know that our audiences love what we do.

Your songs all sound different and cover a wide range of experiences.

Jack: We include different topics in our songs. We tell stories, describe scenes, and sing about adventures. My musical hero, the late John Stewart, was a fascinating and talented songwriter who used to say, “Life, you can catch it in a song. The trick is to catch the song.”

Ingrid: We work hard to present a lot of variety in our songs. In the songs on our CD, and on every set list we prepare for live concerts, we mix fast songs with slower ones, major keys with minor keys, banjo songs, harmonica songs, even instrumentals. There are just two of us, so we need to keep the audience interested and captivated.

I’ve heard your latest CD. I thought it was as delightful and real as your first CD.

Ingrid: We always want our recordings to sound just as we do in live performances. We don’t enhance our recordings with any studio tricks.

​Jack: We’ve been recording the songs for several years. It always takes longer than you expect. We work with Chuck Jopski who owns Studio 740 Sound.

Describe the recording process.

Jack: Usually, we start by recording an instrumental track. We add the lead vocal, by either Ingrid or me, then our other instruments—fiddle, harmonica, banjo, or guitar—and finally harmony vocals. Then the real work of listening and improving begins.

Is that always the recording sequence?

Jack: Not always. Sometimes we use a different approach. For example, I had previously recorded the banjo part of an instrumental, “Sacramento,” and Ingrid added her fiddle to the existing track. As we both listened to the playback, she didn’t like what she heard.

Ingrid: I remember that recording for our CD. Sometimes it’s really hard to get the timing right by adding tracks. I was struggling with the timing and ready to give up and drop the song. Jack encouraged me to keep going, and Chuck suggested that we forget about what was already recorded and just play it live. That’s how we ended up getting the recording right—and we think it worked beautifully.

You recently celebrated the release of your latest work, Endless Flight. I attended your CD Release party and concert which featured a wide range of musicians. How did that amazing, standing-room-only event come about?

Jack: We wanted to plan a party, rather than a simple show. Last summer, we were thrilled when Last Chance was invited to play at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. That’s where we met other great musicians, including Rusty & Jan [a husband and wife vocal duo: Jan Alba on flute and saxophone, and Rusty Crowell on guitar] and the Michael Spear Duo [with multi-instrumentalist Smiling Ed, and guitar player and singer Michael Spear]. We invited them all to join us for our CD Release party.

Ingrid, you are a classically trained violin player. Yet, you seem to fit in with all those folk musicians as if you had been playing with them for years.

Ingrid: Thank you. When we received the invitation to play the Folk Festival, I didn’t even know what it was.

Jack: I explained it was like Carnegie Hall with marijuana. And I told her what a big deal it was. I grew up in Philadelphia and loved folk music all my life. To play at the Philadelphia Folk Festival is a dream.

I recall there were four duos who played at the CD Release party and concert.

Ingrid: Yes, we also asked Square Wheels, a Media-based vocal duo, to play [Wayne Harvey, guitar, and Mac Given, clarinet].

You must know quite a few musicians by now.

Ingrid: Very much so. We host an Acoustic Music Circle at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford, PA, and an Open Mic at the Head House Café in Philly. As a result, we know a lot of local musicians. For our release party, we wanted really good ones who play different instruments. We had guitars, banjos, harmonicas, a fiddle, a clarinet, and a flute.

The lyrics of Last Chance are not only beautiful and thought-provoking but, together with the music, present a generosity of spirit to which I related from the moment I first heard you. You combined your CD Party and concert to benefit an important organization.

Jack: Thanks for the kind words. We decided early in the planning that we’d donate the proceeds to a worthy cause. One Step Away is an organization in Philadelphia that publishes a newspaper that homeless and unemployed folks sell all around Center City. The vendors are working hard to improve their lives, and One Step Away offers them some structure. All the musicians agreed to play for free so the proceeds could go to One Step Away.

Ingrid: The newspaper editor, Alexis Wright-Whitley, interviewed Jack and wrote an excellent article, wondering how music can be used as a tool to hammer out issues like homelessness, joblessness, and poverty.

Jack: Sometimes our songs deal with injustice. For example, on our new CD, we included a song that tells the story of a New Orleans cop who was shot five times while delivering a warrant on a drug house.

Ingrid: Alexis also spoke at our concert, and we gave away a copy of the One Step Away newspaper and our CD to each attendee.

The venue where you held the concert was unique and interesting.

Ingrid: It’s called WaR3house 3 in Swarthmore, PA. We love the atmosphere. The owner, Rob Borgstrom, converted a warehouse to a music venue. He built a stage, and added a lot of local and industrial antiques and art. Rob is very supportive of local musicians, and we all love to play there.

You released a beautiful new CD, had a song played on a popular radio station, and hosted a successful benefit concert. What’s next for Last Chance?

Jack: We’re going to keep moving on the path we’ve started. We’ve been playing as a duo for almost five years now. We plan to continue to expand our radius where we play live concerts and get more playing jobs wherever we can. We’ll continue to look for worthy causes and support them with our music. Last Chance isn’t a 50:50 enterprise. It’s more like a musical partnership to which we are each 100% devoted.

Ingrid: Singing and playing this style of music has been a dream for me. We feel like we’ve just scratched the surface of what Last Chance can do. We can’t wait to see what’s next.

Neither can I. Every single one of my friends who has experienced your music loves it and wants to hear your latest CD.

Last Chance has released two CDs: We Came to Play (2013) and Endless Flight (2016). Both CDs are available online and at their concerts.

You can visit Last Chance’s website, which also lists their upcoming events, or their You Tube Channel.

Originally published by DC Metro Theater Arts, February 18, 2017.

By Henrik Eger

Henrik: You left quite an impression portraying the Artful Dodger in Oliver! (2009) and Peter in Peter and the Starcatcher (2016) — both at the Walnut Street Theatre. Seen from the perspective of Peter Pan, you said in an interview with Kelli Curtin, “As a kid it is a really cool story because I was mesmerized by the idea of not having to grow up . . . I hated the concept of having to become an adult.” Now that you are older, how do you see the Peter Pan syndrome?

Brandon: For the most part, my answer is unchanged. Life can be awfully boring being a grown-up. I think being childlike gives you freedom. I think that in all of us there is a certain child. This is where we hold creativity, imagination, determination — and love for life.

​You were also quoted as saying, “Peter does not really have anything to connect to. I really feel Peter feels this isolation and it is similar to what I felt growing up.” Does this sentiment still describe your experience or have things changed for you?

As of now, I feel this more than ever. I just graduated from college, and I’m looking into the next chapter.
Connections are key, and relationships are essential. That being said, it’s a transition period for me. I’m letting go of old, and welcoming the new.

You are now entering a new phase, playing Romeo, one of the world’s most famous roles, in Romeo & Juliet. What was your initial reaction to the invitation by the Media Theatre and what have you done to prepare for this demanding role?

It’s a daunting role for sure! I felt truly honored to be offered the chance to play such an iconic role as Romeo. Apart from memorizing my brain to death, I’ve been studying the world of Shakespeare.

Describe your work with Juliet and the cast.

I am very happy to say that it’s a solid group of people. I feel that everyone is truly happy and eager to be there. Lexi [Gwynn who plays Juliet] is a joy. It’s been wonderful getting to know her more.

Bill Van Horn directed Peter and the Starcatcher and now Romeo & Juliet. What was similar and what did he do differently directing you in this Elizabethan play?

Bill is at home with Shakespeare, so that said, it has been a very smooth process. Starcatcher was a tough show to do. It was incredibly complicated, and it generally took a ton out of me. Romeo & Juliet is a bit different. While yes, it is a tough show to do, and by no means is it easy, I find that we are focusing more on the intricacies, as opposed to the extremely broad strokes of Starcatcher.

We started off the process for Romeo & Juliet with a pretty strong idea of character development, whereas with Starcatcher, that development was a huge part of the rehearsal period.

Honestly, Bill is a joy to work with. He is very involved with the actors, and genuinely cares about the show to an extent that I’ve never seen before in a director.

Tell us about the Romeo that you would like to present.

I think that Romeo is a tough role. On first glance, many, myself included, may find the character to be a bit hollow and one-dimensional. However, I am finding the depth to his character, something which is not easy to do. I want to portray Romeo in a way that shows what makes him tick. If you delve further into him, you will find that he’s a very complex character, but you must pay close attention in order to discover this. I’m really excited to bring this new Romeo to life.

Looking back at your earliest roles during your childhood and as a young adult, how much of your own world are you bringing into your performances — not only as an actor, but also as a mensch who reflects on life?

Acting is a learning experience. Everything from my childhood till now defines the genetics of the roles I play. While my life may be very different from one like Romeo’s, my past and my experiences allow me to understand how someone like this thinks.

Even though Romeo & Juliet is a tragedy, could you tell us a bit about some of the lighter moments of this production?

Well, truth be told, there are so many jokesters in this cast. Everything from the rehearsal studio to getting on the stage has been so much fun. We have also found a ton of opportunity to incorporate humor into this piece.  It makes the story more interesting and easier to follow.

For many young people, this production of Romeo & Juliet at the Media Theatre may well be their first encounter with live theater and with Shakespeare in particular. There may be lonely kids in the audience, teenagers who may be asking themselves lots of questions. Based on your experiences, what would you say to them about the importance of theater as a way of building community and moving forward — together?

Theatre is a wonderful thing for many reasons, but the most important in my opinion is the ability it has to include people, no matter their age, gender, race, height, or where the notch is in their belt. That’s huge for students. Theatre is a place where they can just fit in and be themselves.

If there is one thing that I want younger people to take away from this, it’s the knowledge theatre has so much to offer them, not only in terms of the art form itself, but also in terms of its ability to help young people find themselves.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

​I am very grateful for the theater audience response and for the critical acceptance.

Running Time: Two hours and 15 minutes, including an intermission.

Romeo & Juliet plays through February 19, 2017, at The Media Theatre – 104 East State Street, in Media, PA. For tickets, call the box office at (610) 891-0100, or purchase them online.

LINK:
Review of Romeo and Juliet at The Media Theatre by Ellen Wilson Dilks.

Originally published by DC Metro Theater Arts, ​February 9, 2017.

​Henrik Eger: Recent events have shaken the US and the world. How do you see the role of your Theatre of the Absurd in the past and going forward?

Tina Brock: Much of our work in the last decade—with the exception of Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros—focused on the existential crisis of the individual. The election created a new crisis. As result, our artistic responses need to adapt. What’s called for is a different tool in the absurdist arsenal. We need to draw attention to the seriousness of the existential challenge we all face. It’s now a group effort.

Henrik: I vividly remember your Rhinoceros stampeding across the stage. This drama has often been associated with the rise of demagogues. Your production hit the nail on its historical head—even before things changed last November.
​
Tina: We presented Rhinoceros in a somewhat different time, but Ionesco’s play remains a chilling commentary on conformity in the midst of chaos and the struggle. Our current daily life is very similar to that of the play—people not knowing what to believe, whom to trust, or who is on their team.

Henrik: Much of the world of the surreal presents harsh realities in form of dreams and nightmares.

Tina: In planning the IRC productions, I try to provide a space where people can feel a reflection of their own experiences. When I saw Ionesco’s The Chairs for the first time, decades ago, I felt comforted knowing there was a playwright who felt the same anxieties of existence.

Henrik: Given the dramatic changes in the US, what do you want to do next?

Tina: We’re running for cover from a world we cannot make sense of on so many levels. In a post-truth world, what is the baseline? In a country that now seems to be dismissing the historically smooth transition of power, what do we use to ground our anxieties?

In the past, I veered away from the works of Fernando Arrabal, specifically Picnic on the Battlefield, which is set in wartime. The stage is covered with barbed wire and sandbags, which I felt created an overly violent tone for the experience I hoped the audience would have.

For a fantastic production of the same play in English, directed by Lisa Channer and Vladimir Rovinsky, and performed by Theatre Novi Most, Minneapolis, MN, March 2012, click this Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/81470339.

Henrik: Before the election on November 8, 2016, you and your IRC actors were working on a number of hilarious satires from The Onion—​and then something happened.

Tina: The pieces chosen for our Raw Onion fundraiser (from the Commentary section of The Onion, with permission) were published well before the election. However, we faced an enormous challenge in putting together an evening of post-2016 election humor in just a few days.

What we had to rethink for the show post-election was the content of the pieces—some opinions and commentaries that registered as funny pre-election were suddenly tragic post-election, so we dropped those commentaries and substituted others. Consequently, our annual Onion evening morphed into a totally different show.

​Henrik: How did you handle this unexpected situation, given that your show had to go on?

Tina: After election night, our program had to be significantly altered. Many of the Onion pieces in the show were either dropped or switched out as they had the opposite of the desired effect. They killed the forward momentum of the comedy. The jokes were simply not the right ones at that time. They were tragically unfunny as they now had become reality.

Henrik: During the turmoil that followed the election, it seems as if all conversations in America centered on the most absurd of all characters in US presidential history. Particularly at a satirical show, one might expect a strong reference to that shocking event—yet, you seemed to have avoided the obvious interpretations.

Tina: There were several reasons for my decision to avoid those automatic responses. Our nation made a statement loudly and clearly on Election Day. The sense of loss and astonishment was overwhelming. All discussions, jokes, and conversations circled back to Trump.

As a producer, my job was to respond by way of comedy. My choice to cut or drop certain sections of the text was a decision to respect the rawness of our audience. People were still reeling from the outcome. If the producer isn’t responding to the overall gestalt of the evening, then that producer is tone-deaf, asleep at the wheel, and driving off a cliff with a very small company in tow.

Henrik: Entertaining the audience and generating urgently needed funds for a small theatre company while the country is grieving must have been a difficult task.
​
Tina: We have been performing a new version of The Raw Onion annually for seven years. This time, it was the timing of the content, rather than the content itself that made it difficult. After the election, the show needed to be a place where people could come together and regroup—not endure more of the same depressing tone we were already experiencing. It was too soon for a political rally. Rather than screaming at the audience about the obvious pain, we staged a wake cloaked as a comedy show.

​Henrik: Given the pain you spoke to, how do you see Absurdist Theatre as a way of creating some relief, perhaps even some tikkun olam, or healing of the world?

Tina: The last lines of Rhinoceros speak to the importance of resistance: "I’ll put up a fight against the lot of them, the whole lot of them! I’m the last man left, and I’m staying that way until the end. I’m not capitulating.”

Henrik: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

​Tina: Ionesco said, “Fear separates us. Dreams and ideologies bring us together.”
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Beckett left us this challenge: “To find a form that accommodates the mess.” I take his charge to mean, “Find a play, a setting, and an environment that illustrates the deep anxieties and fears people have. Invite them to share that experience.”

Originally published by HowlRound, February 3, 2017.