Philly Fringe 2024: Kaila Galinat presents ok, bye!: a show about rejection

Ok, bye! had a three-show run right in my neighborhood, at a tiny queer-led café venue called The Painted Mug, just off West Passyunk. I was intrigued by the show description (exploring “the grief, wisdom, and humor of rejection through sketches, monologues, parody, and characters”) and I enjoy Fringe Fest opportunities to catch indie out-of-town artists, so I headed to Galinat’s show instead of a bigger Saturday-night ticket.

Facing breakups, romantic or otherwise

I was not disappointed. Galinat, a Connecticut native who lives and works in NYC, grounds the show in the vulnerability and expansiveness of their burgeoning queerness. The show kicks off with a painful breakup that happens a few months before their ex-boyfriend can bestir himself to move out. Galinat pulls on mundane, devastating moments like watching him wrap a Christmas present for everyone but Galinat in their shared living room.

But the show is not just about romantic travails. In a mix of monologues, characters, and evocative projections (Sammy Overton) and soundscapes (Charlie Lockwood and Kid at the Corner), Galinat fearlessly unpacks all kinds of rejections—even an adopted cat who wasn’t what she seemed. My favorite vignettes are a series of perfectly delineated therapists who unselfconsciously declare the full trajectory of their relationships with Galinat. These are as funny as they are tragic, and they will not surprise anyone who has ever sought mental healthcare (I could add my own litany of bizarre shit therapists have said to me, but that would exceed my word count).

Ultimately, Galinat learns what we all do about rejection: there’s no way to prevent it. A storm can roll in on even the most perfect day, and what matters is how we prepare for it—and our ability to simply embrace what is. I can hear my own therapist now (one of the good ones, finally): “And how do we practice radical acceptance?” Overcoming rejection is not about avoiding anyone who could say no. As Galinat demonstrates in the final scene, the secret is getting comfortable with yourself.

Accepting the writer’s role

Ok, bye! often conjures the energy of popular London-based feminist writer/cartoonist Lily O’Farrell (of “no worries if not!” fame). In their own script, Galinat admits that the path to writing a show of their own was an unexpected one, but they should continue to embrace the title of writer. Combined with an engaging, well-articulated performance under director Jasmine K. Bernard, their show is involving and insightful. I would be interested to see how it grows as Galinat, now in their late 20s, continues to encounter the slings and arrows that come for us all (but especially women, trans, and nonbinary artists). And I’d love to see it in a space better-suited than The Painted Mug, where the tiny stage and some of the dingiest lighting I’ve ever seen would challenge any performer.

Ok, bye! will be back onstage at Lower Manhattan’s Paradise Factory Theater on October 2, 2024. And if Galinat ever ventures back to the cream cheese town, Philadelphians should get their tickets.

Above: Kaila Galinat in ok, bye! at The Painted Mug in this year’s Fringe. (Photo by Jasmine K. Bernard.)