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Shooting fish in a barrel
"This Is the Week That Is' by 1812 Productions (1st review)
Dan Rottenberg
Some puzzles continue to mystify me. Why can't the Philadelphia Orchestra hire a permanent music director? How does gay marriage undermine straight marriage? Why can't Major League baseball pitchers learn to hit? Why don't prisons pipe Mozart over the sound system instead of hard rock? Why doesn't the Barnes Foundation leave its Merion collection intact and fill its new Parkway museum with the three-fifths of Dr. Barnes's collection that has never been displayed?
And oh, yes— why does a sophisticated comedy troupe like 1812 Productions persist in sophomoric political satire like This Is the Week That Is? Why try to replicate what Letterman, Leno, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert do so much better every night on TV?
And why now? Not every public figure is a suitable target for satire. Parody provided a healthy antidote for the arrogance of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. But how many giggles can you milk out of Obama, Nancy Pelosi or even Sarah Palin? How much comic relief do we need concerning Oprah, or Lynne Abraham, or Vladimir Putin? If you enjoy watching fish being shot in a barrel, you'll love This Is the Week That Is.
As you might expect, this fourth annual edition of Week— subtitled "The New Administration"— contains some cute ideas. Director Jennifer Childs sings "Nothing Is Coming Up Roses" as a tribute to today's economy. Fidel Castro sings "I'm Still Here." A series of video shorts celebrates the wacked-out young "Future Stars of the Republican Party."
But even the best of these ideas works better on paper than on stage, notwithstanding the valiant efforts of 1812's six versatile performers. The thing I love about Jon Stewart is that he always seems a step ahead of me. This Is the Week always seemed a step behind me.
Another secret of the best TV political satirists is: Keep it short. Leno's and Letterman's monologues rarely exceed ten minutes. "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are half-hour shows interrupted by commercials. When the show ends, you're hungry for more. This Is the Week lasts two hours. When the first act ends, you're hungry for intermission.
Chicago's famous Second City troupe, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, carved its satirical niche back in the '60s by catering to liberal outrage over the political corruption and repression of Mayor Richard Daley's administration. (In one skit, Jesus descended from heaven to warn Daley to mend his ways, and Daley responded by offering Jesus a job in the Water Department.) But when the "'60s and Daley passed on, Second City moved on as well, to domestic comedy. The otherwise creative folks at 1812 would do well to learn that lesson. For the times, they are a-changin'.♦
To read another review by Steve Cohen, click here.
And oh, yes— why does a sophisticated comedy troupe like 1812 Productions persist in sophomoric political satire like This Is the Week That Is? Why try to replicate what Letterman, Leno, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert do so much better every night on TV?
And why now? Not every public figure is a suitable target for satire. Parody provided a healthy antidote for the arrogance of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. But how many giggles can you milk out of Obama, Nancy Pelosi or even Sarah Palin? How much comic relief do we need concerning Oprah, or Lynne Abraham, or Vladimir Putin? If you enjoy watching fish being shot in a barrel, you'll love This Is the Week That Is.
As you might expect, this fourth annual edition of Week— subtitled "The New Administration"— contains some cute ideas. Director Jennifer Childs sings "Nothing Is Coming Up Roses" as a tribute to today's economy. Fidel Castro sings "I'm Still Here." A series of video shorts celebrates the wacked-out young "Future Stars of the Republican Party."
But even the best of these ideas works better on paper than on stage, notwithstanding the valiant efforts of 1812's six versatile performers. The thing I love about Jon Stewart is that he always seems a step ahead of me. This Is the Week always seemed a step behind me.
Another secret of the best TV political satirists is: Keep it short. Leno's and Letterman's monologues rarely exceed ten minutes. "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are half-hour shows interrupted by commercials. When the show ends, you're hungry for more. This Is the Week lasts two hours. When the first act ends, you're hungry for intermission.
Chicago's famous Second City troupe, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, carved its satirical niche back in the '60s by catering to liberal outrage over the political corruption and repression of Mayor Richard Daley's administration. (In one skit, Jesus descended from heaven to warn Daley to mend his ways, and Daley responded by offering Jesus a job in the Water Department.) But when the "'60s and Daley passed on, Second City moved on as well, to domestic comedy. The otherwise creative folks at 1812 would do well to learn that lesson. For the times, they are a-changin'.♦
To read another review by Steve Cohen, click here.
What, When, Where
This Is the Week That Is: The New Administration. Conceived and directed by Jennifer Childs; head writer Don Montrey. Presented through January 3, 2010 by 1812 Productions at Plays and Players Theatre, 1724 Delancey Pl. (215) 592-9560 or www.1812productions.org.
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