By Cari Maher
On November 8th, 2016, I sat at a table in a well known improv theater’s bar with dozens of other improvisers. We bought beers and chicken fingers and watched 5 different stations. We laughed at Donald Trump’s orange face. We dreamed of a new chapter with our first female leader. We got on our phones and checked in and showed our pride for participating in our civic duty. Maps filled the room on every screen, and the race to 270 was upon us.
As the map turned red, the cheers quieted. The tears began. Sad, fearful embraces took place around the bar. I ordered a double scotch, one I was planning to have in celebration but soon became one of mourning the end of an era that had been good to those of us on the left.
In the days, weeks, and months that followed, I watched as my friends and family became more engaged citizens. We started going to marches instead of bars. Progressive candidates for office, like Sameena Mustafa, became our rockstars. In between the show promos that dominated my newsfeed on Facebook, I now saw articles, think pieces, and links to donate to non-profits and political parties.
Talking Sh!t, to me, is a way to bring the conversations happening on our phones into the real world. We have an amazing cast of women and non-binary performers discussing the news of the week in an accessible way without the name calling that comes with the comment section. We have interviews with cool community heroes discussing things like immigration, free speech, and running for local office. We have bold solo acts defying the wishes of the oppressive right by dressing in drag, making off color jokes, and doing burlesque. We have improvisers doing a new form of improv, one that posits that if a cast is given a slight amount of time to plan, they can create great satirical improv.
As I have talked to people about the show, many have the same thought: "Oh, so it’s like The View”
I can assure you, this ain’t The View.
This is Talking Sh!t.
Check out Talking Sh!t on Mondays in September and October at 8PM! Tickets are $10.
