Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – The recently-shuttered MARCEL, STUFFED, and LONELY PLANET: Serving up laughter to deal with the pain

• By drediman
• November 20, 2017
• No Comments

Yesterday, three deceptively straight-forward comedies closed Off-Broadway. Although they often had me in stitches, each dealt with the tough realities of life.

Jos Houben and Marcello Magni in “Marcel” and “The Art of Laughter” at TFANA.

First up, at Theatre for a New Audience in Brooklyn, I caught C.I.C.T. / Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord’s double-bill Marcel (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) C.I.C.T. / Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord and The Art of Laughter (RECOMMENDED). Marcel was created by and stars Jos Houben and Marcello Magni, two master clowns and slapstick experts (both were original Complicité members). With this one-act delight, which is more than a touch imbued with Beckett-ian absurdity and profundity, they took on aging vis-à-vis the need our innate need to struggle on regardless. It’s an ultimately hopeful and inspiring show that’s also piercingly poignant thanks to the effortless, joyful performances, particularly Mr. Magni’s endearingly whimsical turn as the aging clown. If The Art of Laughter, performed solely by Mr. Houben, doesn’t rise to the giddy heights of Marcel – it’s basically a lecture on physical comedy – it’s nothing less than entertaining and enlightening.

Lisa Lampanelli in “Stuffed” at the Westside Theatre.

Secondly, back in Manhattan, I caught Lisa Lampanelli’s Stuffed (RECOMMENDED) at the Westside Theatre. I had missed the show’s well-received run last year via WP Theater and was therefore happy to catch the final performance this time around. The very funny play, written by and stars the happily foul-mouthed Ms. Lampanelli, uses comedy to dissect four women’s relationship with food and body image. The show’s structure alternates between stand-up comedy (Ms. Lampanelli’s confessional portions) and hyper No Exit-esque absurdity. Although the piece does a good job of presenting the spectrum of experiences, I thought that some segments were a touch generic. Nevertheless, Stuffed‘s quartet of performers – Marsha Stephanie Blake, Lauren Ann Brickman, Ms. Lampanelli, and Eden Malyn – were all wonderful, capable actresses. It was a joy to experience them perform.

Arnie Burton and Matt McGrath in Keen Company’s production of Steven Dietz’s “Lonely Planet” at Theatre Row.

Lastly, I caught Keen Company’s thoughtful revival of Steven Dietz’s 1995 comedy Lonely Planet (RECOMMENDED). The play utilizes humor to mask the pain of the loss created by the AIDS crisis. Very much like Marcel, the piece is a comedic two-hander that uses Beckett’s Waiting for Godot as a prototype to create a series of looping scenes that can’t break free from the dark reality. As the pseudo-vaudvillian pair, Arnie Burton and Matt McGrath were superb, each producing performances that were equally hilarious and heartbreaking. Keen’s artistic director Jonathan Silverstein helms (he directs nearly all of his theater company’s output) helmed the production with a subtle, delicate hand, softening some of the heightened sentimentality of the Mr. Dietz’s play, which thankfully has lost some of its urgency. But that doesn’t mean we should ever forget.

MARCEL & THE ART OF LAUGHTER
Off-Broadway, Play
2 hours, 20 minutes (with an intermission)
Theatre for a New Audience
Closed

STUFFED
Off-Broadway, Play
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Westside Theatre
Closed

LONELY PLANET
Off-Broadway, Play
1 hour, 50 minutes (with an intermission)
Keen Company at Theatre Row
Closed