Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Funny women defiantly speaking their truths: Hannah Gadsby in BODY OF WORK and Alison Leiby in OH GOD, A SHOW ABOUT ABORTION

• By drediman
• May 13, 2022
• No Comments

At its best, stand-up comedy can be as affecting as any medium out there. Case in point – this week, I had the pleasure of taking in two of shows by a pair of empowered funny women who defiantly spoke their truths.

HANNAH GADSBY: BODY OF WORK
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Through May 14

This week at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Hannah Gadsby is packing them in with her new show Body of Work (RECOMMENDED). Gadsby has made a name for herself by writing and performing slicing autobiographical shows like Nannette and Douglas (both are available for streaming on Netflix). Returning to New York a bigger star than ever, the Australian comic has decided to throw her fans a curve ball. Instead of hitting us over the head with another anger-fest, her latest is a surprisingly laid-back and gentle show about romantic love – encompassing past failed relationships, as well as the story of her proposal to her wife Jenney Shamash (who also happens to be her producer). In fact, she’s in rather good spirits throughout as she chronicles the good, the bad, and the ugly of romance. Gadsby’s storytelling – which seamlessly straddles theatrical monologue and stand-up comedy – remains as stealthy as ever (although you know it’s coming, the show’s big punchline comes from nowhere). For all its pointed observations, the leisurely-paced Body of Work is at heart a mushy romcom that finds Gadsby in a fairly contented place. Enjoy the calm while you can.

ALISON LEIBY: OH GOD, A SHOW ABOUT ABORTION
Cherry Lane Theatre
Through June 4

Then there’s Aison Leiby (perhaps best known for co-producing the hit Amazon series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), who is currently appearing in an oh-so-timely one-woman show entitled Oh God, A Show About Abortion (RECOMMENDED) at Off-Broadway’s Cherry Lane Theatre. Indeed, with the Supreme Court’s recent Roe v. Wade leak, the timing of her show couldn’t be more perfect. In short, Leiby’s hourlong show candidly recounts her recent experience of having an abortion, making the case for why it was the right decision for her. Suffice to say, her reasons are compelling, and she conveys her arguments with unapologetic clarity that makes for incisive, often hilarious comedy. Her deliver is refreshing matter-of-fact, which goes a long way to demystify and destigmatize the still-taboo procedure. Although she’s honed her skills as a stand-up comic, Leiby’s work – like Hannah Gasby’s – often feels like a theatrical monologue, which surely excellent theater director Lila Neugebauer must have had a hand in.