The two-barrelled title of Bud Hunter's play is only the first of Hunter's many problems. How about (for seconds) opening lines like, "This probably won't be much fun for you" (oh-so-true) and, "If my childhood had been a factory, they would've shut it down years ago due to poor managerial practices and a blatant disregard for the law". Yoiks. His play (more a rambling shapeless monologue) went downhill from there. Hunter himself, a lumpen middle-aged man bereft of stage charisma or charm, without an inkling of stage craft, plunked his heft into a chair (the play's only action), crossed his legs and proceeded to unburden himself to an "imaginary" psychiatrist (fortuitously absent from the room). In an unexpressive somewhat pedantic manner and tone, Huunter disgorged pointless stories about his misspent childhood that only he and someone really really drunk could find stimulating, insightful and amusing. However, for those of us who were sober, Hunter's outing was like being trapped next to the window on a three day bus trip by a seatmate yacking non-stop about utter banalities. According to a Fringe handout, Bud's seeking answers to these big questions: What went wrong? Where did it go wrong? When did it go wrong? and Why? Here's where to find the answers, Bud. Rent DVDs of Spalding Gray's stage monologue, Swimming to Cambodia and Eddie Izzard's stage shows Dressed to Kill or Glorious. There you'll see how consummate professionals craft stories with beginnings, middles and payoff endings. You'll see how minimalism on stage can work to a presenter's advantage. And if you're up for writing and performing another stage monologue, measure your script and staging against the best at it and strive to either match or better their standards. It's your only hope.
Showtimes: Thursday Sept 6 in the Khyber 1 at 7:15, Saturday Sept 8 in the Imperial Room at 7:30 and Sunday Sept 9 in the Imperial Room at 7:30 $4.00
