RSS
Home
Not the Muppet Show: Puppetry of the Penis at the ACT Theatre
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
By Audrey Gervasi
Puppetry of the . . . wha??? Genital Origami??? Dick Trickery??? When I first heard of this show, I, perhaps like you, felt an eyebrow rising. Curious, I visited the POP website and clicked on a tab called “Trick of the Month.” It turned out to be step-by-step, illustrated directions for how to turn the male genitalia into a hamburger. Yes, a hamburger. At that point curiosity overcame revulsion.
Now you are wondering, what exactly is this show?
Put simply, two men, naked except for their stylish kicks, wow the audience with amazing feats of testicular fortitude, forming various "installations" with their genitalia, such as the signature Hamburger, Pelican, Loch Ness Monster (accompanied by bagpipe music), Kentucky Fried Chicken (you'll never eat it again), and my personal favorite, the Sea Anemone. And while I didn't expect to see any Muppets here, Gonzo the Great made a cameo appearance. Not to leave the reader “dangling,” but if you want to know how they do it, you’ll have to see the show.
The installations are projected onto a screen so as to assure maximum visibility, and an enthusiastic audience comprised largely of inebriated women, and a few good and brave men, shouted and applauded appreciatively for every feat of dick trickery. As I found myself laughing hysterically and exclaiming “you’ve got to be kidding!” at each freakishly fantastic creation, I thought about the classic common law standard for the tort of outrage: conduct that would cause a reasonable person to exclaim "outrageous!" in response. I would sue, except that my only "damages" would be for a sore stomach and face from laughing so hard.
Puppetry of the Penis is the brainchild of Simon Morley, who along with David Friend debuted it at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1998. The show was such a hit that the puppeteers toured it around Australia, and eventually around most of the western world, 30 countries in all. The current Seattle production stars Vancouver, WA native Christopher J. Cannon and his puppetry pal, Rich Binning.
Seattle comedienne Cathy Sorbo opens the show with a half-hour standup routine. With her cynical wit and knack for physicality, she is the perfect warm-up for this very adult (but non-sexual) show.
POP is simply hilarious, and incredibly good fun. Cannon and Binning, besides being young and adorable, are energetic, and remarkably relaxed and charismatic onstage despite prancing around naked and, well, playing with themselves in front of an audience. The creativity and courage demonstrated by these guys is astounding , although they assured us that "it doesn't hurt." I spoke with the actors briefly after the show and they told me that Cannon was inspired to stretch his capabilities when he saw the show at age 17 (I’ll bet his mom is proud). He recruited his theatre buddy Bining and the two decided to try out for the show, the original creators having retired from penis puppetry (one can only imagine what that audition was like).
Puppetry of the Penis runs every evening (Wed.-Sat.) through October 24 at ACT Theatre, 700 Union Street, Seattle. So leave the kids at home, grab your girls (don’t forget grandma) and your guys, and go see the boys play with their “boys”!
For tickets call (206) 292-7676 or go to www.acttheatre.org.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
