My overall impression
Me Rich You Learn is a raunchy two-man show where the intended show is not the actual show and the actual show is something of a task to describe. As part of his community service, ‘Tax Criminal’ TR Hamer (Zach Steel) must present an ‘educational course’ to an audience, us, relaying the pitfalls of tax evasion. Present to ensure that Hamer completes his ‘scripted show’ is IRS Agent Martin Almond (Adam Carpenter). However, much of what comes about over the hour length performance has very little do with financial strategies and more to do with a series of crowd pleasing and often crowd engaging routines. It is only with about fifteen minutes remaining that the puerile Steel declares, “We’re going to do the show now!”
Me Rich You Learn presented by Four Clowns makes its World Premiere at the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival with a six-performance run through June 29. Co-written by Carpenter and Steel, and directed by Turner Munch, three-time Fringe Physical Theatre Award winners (2010, 2011, 2012) and 2011’s Best World Premiere and Top of the Fringe, the Four Clowns Company once again puts on a display of their physical-based comedy.
Beginning with Steel prancing around the stage in a clown suit, to scanning (and re-scanning) an imaginary ‘membrane’ wall, to marshmallow eating antics, to a time-traveling duffel bag, to near nudity including simulated masturbation, before finally ending with a little play on Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare—not their 2011 Fringe Festival Award winner), this is a show run by two ‘clowns’ who are willing to take the joke long past the line of comfort and, for the most part, are rewarded in laughs for their efforts. Steel’s curly brown hair, bushy moustache and engaging eyes lend him a certain sensitivity that makes his character endearing, albeit in raucous fashion. Carpenter’s straight man antics seem to work well combined with his rigid, waiting-to-let-it-all-out demeanor.
The great irony of Me Rich You Learn is that neither character seems to have a clue about either teaching nor getting rich. Perhaps not a show for all, this is a duo who has figured out a working formula to entertain the audience and executes it well. Even if it means stripping down to their underwear to do it…
This review first appeared on Arts Beat LA (http://www.artsbeatla.com/2013/06/hff-13-4/)
