What I liked
This lady has a way with words and I loved how she used them!! Like any excellent stand-up comedian, sometimes, things landed better than others, but the momentum continued. Perhaps because I am a member of the tribe, much of this humor spoke to me on a deeper level, and I just loved the entire premiss of this piece and taking something utterly dark, personal and (in all seriousness) scary, and turning it into something that one can look at through a different lens.
What I didn't like
I would love to see what would happen if Avital had some extra eyes helping with this piece – an added collaborator (in some regard) to help the piece grow. While I don’t believe this is a piece that “needs” technical elements, perhaps a few would have enhanced her narrative in unexpected way(s). Food for thought…
My overall impression
Allow me to say that this is one performer and one show that is not afraid to GO THERE, STAY THERE, PLAY AROUND THERE, GET DIRTY THERE, BE UNCOMFORTABLE THERE, and FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HELL TO DO ABOUT IT, THERE! That’s a shit-ton of “there,” to deal with, but I can only marvel at the pure bravery it takes to turn a deeply personal and unimaginable tragedy into not only rip-roaring comedic gold, but also, deeply, captivating performance art! Ultimately, from my humble perspective, this solo show and Avital’s form of storytelling are HEALING! Being able to witness the healing process during a fringe show is truly something to behold.
