Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Disarming autobiographical solo shows to catch: ADAM GOPNIK’S NEW YORK and Abby Wambaugh’s THE FIRST 3 MINUTES OF 17 SHOWS

• By drediman
• October 20, 2025
• No Comments

Solo shows seem to be a dime a dozen these days, but when done right, the experience can be an illuminating and exposing glimpse into the workings of a mind other than one’s own at work, and thereby a deeply and uniquely empathetic view of the world as seen from another perspective. Here are two disarming, masterfully told autobiographical solo shows that do just that.

ABBY WAMBAUGH: THE FIRST 3 MINUTES OF 17 SHOWS
Dixon Place
Through October 25

Currently in the midst of performances down at Dixon Place in the Lower East Side is Abby Wambaugh, who is delighting audiences with their solo show The First 3 Minutes of 17 Shows (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), which was a hit at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The premise is deceptively simple — over the course of more or less an hour, Wambaugh essentially launches into, as the title of the show plainly advertises, the first three minutes of 17 potential shows. Although the evening begins rather quaintly, their extraordinary range as a natural comic quickly makes itself apparent, as does their considerable abilities as a captivating and intelligent spinner of yarns. As the invariably quirky and goofy scenes fly by, Wambaugh makes increasingly nuanced connections between them, all the while working the audience into hysterics — the moments of audience interaction are utterly inspired (no spoilers here!) — and weaving a tapestry of their own life, particularly as it relates to their immense satisfaction of being a nonbinary parent. As a performer, Wambaugh is a silly, immensely likable, and a comforting presence. They command respect and inspire confidence by creating a safe space for complete honesty (e.g., their attitude towards sex is refreshingly on point) and vulnerability. The centerpiece that grounds the show is a segment that simultaneously parodies (hilariously) David Sedaris’s “read essay” performances and recounts a painful episode of a miscarriage, which as fate would have it, was the catalyst for Wambaugh’s brave first foray into the world of comedy.

ADAM GOPNIK’S NEW YORK
Lincoln Center’s Clark Studio Theater
Through October 26

For eloquent, more traditional storytelling, look no further than Adam Gopnik’s plainly-titled theatrical memoir Adam Gopnik’s New York (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), which is playing a handful of performances at the Clark Studio Theater at Lincoln Center this fall. Presented by Steve Martin and James L. Nederlander (the show is not a Lincoln Center presentation), the piece is at heart a deeply loving and articulate homage to the Big Apple as animated by Gopnik’s gorgeously interconnected vignettes recounting his evolving relationship with New York City — first as a three-year old on the sidewalk in front of the Guggenheim Museum on its opening day, then as a young and impressionable arts journalist living in Soho (particularly amusing was his recollection of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the “individualism and pluralism” talk that helped launch his career as a speaker), then as an established family man, and now as a New Yorker entering his twilight years. Along the way, he takes detours to muse about Central Park’s artificiality, Proust’s erotic relationship with rodents, his chuckle-inducing struggles with texting lingo, the physical properties of snowflakes, and of course art in its various manifestations. Centrally featured in the narrative is his confounding yet profound relationship with his aging therapist, who has acted as a quirky guiding light on his life’s journey. Delivered with calming wisdom, Gopnik is quietly captivating throughout, and he ties it all up beautifully — and seemingly inevitably — in a full circle moment that lands him gracefully to the here and now.