Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Engrossing political theater: Josh Fox’s THE EDGE OF NATURE and Panti Bliss’s IF THESE WIGS COULD TALK

• By drediman
• June 25, 2024
• No Comments

Over the past week or so, I’ve been engrossed by a handful of works of political theater. On the heels of attending Dark Noon at St. Ann’s Warehouse on Friday night (you can read my review of the compelling production here), I also encountered two more Off-Broadway shows that featured urgent political messages. Read on for my thoughts.

THE EDGE OF NATURE
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
2 hours (with one intermission)

This past weekend at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, I had the opportunity to catch the stage version of Josh Fox’s The Edge of Nature (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). Largely set during the lockdown in a remote one-room cabin deep in the woods of Pennsylvania, the work chronicles the outspoken and fiercely intelligent firebrand’s tough year-long bout with long Covid. During his time in isolation, Fox found himself contemplating his place in the natural world, in the process re-focusing his passionate plea — a heady juxtaposition of profound meditative reflection and a practical call for engagement and activism — to save the environment and thereby prevent mass extinction. Originally conceived as a documentary film, the International Wow Company now presents the material as a seamlessly devised piece of theater — a stylish hybrid that weaves together Fox’s film and live performance (a playful touch of puppetry is thrown in for good measure) into an elegant theatrical collage. Armed with a banjo and a myriad of other instruments, Fox overlays his film with live musical accompaniment and moody voiceovers, bringing a soulfully reflective quality to the work. He’s also joined onstage by an ensemble of 11 talented young musicians and singers, who provide stunning soundscapes — namely, recognizable American Folk songs and an original score by Dougie Bowne — and poetic visual backdrops to accent the film.

PANTI BLISS: IF THESE WIGS COULD TALK
Irish Arts Center
1 hour, 10 minutes (without an intermission)

Just in time for Pride Month, you’ll also be able to catch If These Wigs Could Talk (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), the latest live act from drag icon Panti Bliss (a.k.a. Rory O’Neill), the self-professed Queen of Ireland (which is also the title of an acclaimed documentary about the legendary drag queen). The solo show is currently packing them in at Irish Arts Center in Hell’s Kitchen, where it is being presented in conjunction with Dublin’s renowned Abbey Theatre and THISISPOPBABY. More theatrical monologue than your typical drag show (only in passing does the requisite lip-syncing make appearances), the piece is essentially a personal memoir documenting her various adventures as an internationally recognized drag queen — no spoilers here! — which ultimately culminates in the recounting of her key involvement in the passing of Ireland’s landmark marriage equality legislation. Right off the bat, Panti creates an uncanny rapport with the audience, beginning the show by immediately breaking the fourth wall to peruse the audience. She eventually settles into her captivating narrative — a well-balanced mix of somber and silly, inspiring and tragic — showcasing her quick wit and knack for masterful storytelling. And although the piece ends with an urgent plea for continued political engagement to advance and protect hard-won LBTQ+ rights, her persona as simply a fun-loving drag queen is never compromised.