What I liked
The intelligence of the writing and economy of the staging never let the serious parts wallow or the comedic parts to feel jarring, from the ironic framing device to the deeply personal exploration it all magically feels like a single piece. It’s rare for a show to be so personal without diving into self-pity or tone-deaf score-settling but Nussen avoids every pitfall and creates a show that keeps surprising as it evolves, never settling into one thing but never feeling disparate or scattered either. As a performer Nussen held the wild tonal changes together and kept the show charming, moving (emotionally) and moving (in terms of pace). Didn’t wonder once when it would end.
What I didn't like
Less a criticism but I would love to see the piece continue to develop, without knowing the specific direction that it should take.
My overall impression
Gregory Nussen has created one of the most impressive one person performances I’ve seen, at Fringe or otherwise. Walking a continuous tightrope between comedy and profundity, Nussen asks out loud why a public record of a personal exploration is necessary and arrives at an answer that feels powerful without being myopic, preachy or self-aggrandizing. The show is instantly funny and eventually heartbreaking without contradicting itself (except, of course, when it purposefully and loudly contradicts itself). Nussen is an arresting performer; getting laughs with wordless gestures and then leading the audience on a full journey that never tests our patience, going into painful personal history and coming back with something universal about identity and how our own stories create (and confuse) our sense of self, finding humor and grace throughout. Based solely on the content of the show Nussen and I have little in common on paper, but as it ended I felt a strong affinity for the story and its fragile but nimble hero. It sounds like hyperbole but you have to see this show and discover Nussen for yourself.
