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Written by Francis Scudellari
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Wednesday, 18 November 2009 20:18 |
 By K.D. Hopkins
There is an adage that drama is easy and comedy is hard. I laughed pretty hard at GayCo Productions “The Audacity of Nope or How I Fell for a Pansy Scheme.”
I grew up watching improvisational theater at places like Second City and Improv Olympics. This kind of comedy calls for some ripped from the headlines subject matter and GayCo hits the nail on the head.
A few days before the premiere, Maine had shot down a gay marriage law and this troop added that into the mix in a hilarious mélange of skits. The premise is that this comedy is gay-themed but they go beyond that.
There are no sacred cows here. In fact, there are some assassin livestock in a riff on H1N1. It comes on the heels of skydiving lesbians trying to land in Iowa. I about fell off of my seat with the denouement of that skit.
This troop skewers everyone. Glen Beck is put on the rotisserie spit in a brilliant Bob Fosse-inspired dance number. I now know that Dick Cheney is a hologram sent by the French and that Anderson Cooper can’t understand his emotions over the “hiney” virus.
These actors have a rapid fire take-no-prisoners approach to comedy. My favorite sketch of the evening was a café confrontation between a gay man and his favorite gal pal.
She discovers that she is either bi or a lesbian and Miss Thing is furious with her. It teeters on edgy drama and then lowers the boom with a line about mastering Power Point and a sudden change in appetite.
In my opinion, the best comedy looks to the self and reveals. GayCo lets loose on how every minority has the tendency to talk things to death instead of taking real action. Everyone wants to be heard at the expense of the greater good and in the process there is comic gold.
Take the time to check out “The Audacity of Nope.” You will believe in aliens and be exposed to ham balls in case you don’t make it to Iowa. It is truly hilarious and not for children.
“The Audacity of Nope or How I Fell for a Pansy Scheme” plays Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8pm through December 12 at the Strawdog Theater, which is located at 3829 N Broadway St, Chicago. For tickets call 1-800-838-3006. It’s perfect holiday entertainment! |
