Show: 8
Title: 1985: Relative Chaos!
Category: Comedy / Storytelling
By: Jason Schommer
Created by: Jason Schommer with JC Lippold
Location: Strike Theater
Summary: A solo storytelling comedy show about growing up in the '80s, dysfunctional families, love and loss.
Highlights: This was my first time seeing one of Jason Schommer's shows, after enjoying his hosting of the Fringe's annual Five-Fifths fundraiser this spring. He's a very funny and endearing comedian and storyteller, and definitely strikes a Gen X chord. This show is about his family, and growing up in the '80s. In front of the most deliciously awkward family photo (see above, the story of which is hysterical), he tells us about his two siblings (one an agent of chaos, the other a tick, tick, boom) and his parents, who got divorced in 1985, one of three pivotal occurrences that made that year remarkable (and the title of this show). He tells stories from his childhood and older years, jumping around in time, with some really outrageous stories about this dysfunctional, but loving and supportive, family. Spoiler alert: both of Jason's parents died relatively young, leaving him an orphan in his 30s, which he talks about with honesty and disarming humor, for a laughter-through-tears sort of feeling. But mostly, there's a lot of laughter. The full 1980s kitchen table set on stage, which isn't used but just referenced at the end, brings a tangible feeling to the show, and brings the people he's talked about for an hour to life (I had seen, and used, the table out in the lobby earlier in the day, and noted how similar it was to my own childhood kitchen table). And as a bonus, J.C. Lippold plays keyboard and sings a few songs during the show, songs from the period or references from the stories, with some audience participation. Highly recommended for Gen Xers, or anyone with a dysfunctional family (aren't they all?).
