By Ernest Kearney — We enter the Broadwater, the venue where I was covering my first show for Hollywood Fring
e 2019, to the recording of individuals revealing whatever it is they are afraid of:
Rats –
Those inflatable flailing arm balloon Tall Boys –
Condiments –
Caitlin Cook opens her show with two confessions:
- She likes pineapple on her pizza
- She killed a man
She then down pedals us away from the tasty and macabre and proceeds to share her theory on The Law of Superpowers, the hypothesis of which is that everyone has one.
Not the comic book variety like Congo Bill, Duo Damsel or Bouncing Boy, but like her brother’s superhuman ability to spot stuff.
Like Hitler’s features on a mountain side.
She also relates her art studies and treats us to a Reader’s Digest version of her dissertation on the subject of phallic representations depicted on archaic, classical and Hellenistic statuary, entitled, “Why Dem Dicks So Small?”
Positioned between this humorous banter are amusing songs like, “I Just Want America to Love Me Like They Love Michelle Obama’s Arms” and “Raping Baby Seals.”
Eventually we do learn about the man she killed.
The weakness in Caitlin Cook: Death Wish is its disjointed narrative arc and a dramatic thrust that is a tad more foible than forte.
The strength of this one-person show is in the performer herself who is talented, clever and packed with promise for bigger and better things.
Now perhaps the show was more SILVER than not, but Ms. Cook herself was better than the production, so –
A GOLD MEDAL!
For complete show information go to: http://hff19.org/5703
For the total lowdown on events, plays and fun happenings during Hollywood Fringe Festival 2019 (running 06/13/19 to 06/30/19) go to: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/
