Saturday, May 22, 2010

Jason watches An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening

My second time seeing a P.U.S. show. And this was very different from TEMPEST(uousness). This re-imaging of Faust's final day, tormented by Mephistopheles before descending to hell. It's almost a one man show by Scott Baker as Dr. John Faustus (the only one who actually speaks), apologizing to the audience not for the events of his life, but for his inability to keep a proper diary. Seems that Mephistopheles (Valerie Fachman, doing some great diabolical pantomime around him) keeps stealing his diary, so to foil the demon's plan Faustus has written nothing but hatch marks in his diary. Counting...nothing in particular. It's an ode to meaninglessness as a means of conquering (or attempting and failing to conquer) the devil. Or perhaps an apology that a life spent in Faustian pursuits leads, ultimately, to a life that means nothing.

Or I'm over-analyzing, even trying to find meaning. The important thing is it was funny, and the bit about time travel and finding our "future beer" and "future potatoes" (Budweiser and potato chips) at some corner store whose name was a short number poem (two numbers that rhyme...what were they?) was funny and resulted in free beer and chips for the audience (sadly, the bit about the future beer being called the king is in the title, so the free beer had to be Budweiser. That's what the apology should really be for).

Anyway, last chance to see it is tonight. Details here. Tickets are $15. If you tell them Jason sent you...you'll get nothing but I'll look cool. If you mention their Facebook ad, you'll get 2-for-1 admission.

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