Coming off 3-5 years touring her multi-award-winning Adrienne Truscott's Asking For It a simultaneously sobering and hilarious comedy about rape, rape culture and rape jokes - wherein she didn't wear any pants - Truscott is happy not to talk about rape for a while. But the show left her with the question, of course, what next? Is she a one-hit wonder? A comedian or a feminist performance artist? How do you follow up a show like that? Do you take more clothes off or put some on? What if failing arrogantly is a defiantly feminist act?
Her new show, Adrienne Truscott's A One-Trick Pony (Or Andy Kaufmann Is A Feminist Performance Artist and I'm A Comedian!) plums the joys and perils of mixing feminist performance art with stand up comedy. Bringing quirky 'high brow' performance roots to the low-down art of stand up comedy Truscott lets Kaufman's legacy guide her along that edge: if a show is doomed to ‘fail’ why not make a ‘failure’ and use Kaufman’s legendary ‘failures’ to frame it? She wrestles with standing up while telling jokes, the impossibility of 'second shows', irony, trolls and stealing 'material'. What if instead of making the follow-up show critics wanted her to make, she just made the show she wanted to make? Grappling hilariously with the art of being true to herself, while paying homage to one of comedy's greats, she literally wrestles the audience's expectations to the mat. She's found (stolen?) the perfect material but can she make it her own by curtains? One-Trick Pony or horse's ass? Who cares?! Giddy up, she's naked, funny and wants to wrestle.
The Australian Times says, 'A feminist masterpiece disguised behind dick-jokes and partial nudity. It’s brilliant!' 4.5 stars. Chortle gives it 2 stars and a definitive ‘Whatever’.
Jan 8. El Cid. Sunset Ave. 8pm
New NYC reviews in!
'In the current climate, in which we’re constantly bombarded with a breakneck news cycle, the off-kilter rhythm of this show gives us a welcome chance to forego standard expectations and join Truscott in taking a step back to reset...Truscott is so damn funny throughout, there’s no way you can’t call her a comic. She approaches uncomfortable subjects with an ease that gives the crowd the green light to laugh. A great storyteller, she makes the crowd feel like they’re chatting in a small, intimate group of friends.' - BUST Magazine
'Weaving many threads together in one bizarre, culminating pose felt the most like Truscott channeling Kaufman, perhaps because it had that same flavor of absurdity and the same sense that the performer behind the persona is just delighted to be doing his or her work. There were so many moments in this piece with such exuberance, and it made ONE TRICK PONY amusing and thought-provoking the whole way through. This show is not to be missed.' - Broadway World
'I LOVE Adrienne Truscott! Her comedic genius pushes the envelope every time. From rape culture to being labeled a feminist performance artist, Adrienne tackles it all in her comedy shows. The title alone peaked my interest and after seeing this show in June at Joe's Pub, I can't stop thinking about it.' - Call Me Adam
‘Nutty comic genius.’ West Australian ****
Source:: https://bust.com/entertainment/194837-adrienne-truscott-a-one-trick-pony.html
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Tagged Andy Kaufman, comedy, performance art, nudity, wrestling, Joe's Pub, Downtown, Saturday Night