Sunday, November 20, 2011

Jason watches a P.U.S. production of How To Love

P.U.S.--Performers Under Stress--is a cool little San Francisco theater group. I've seen a couple of their plays before, and last night I caught the second to last show of their latest, How To Love. (Their last show is today, Sunday Nov. 20th at 2:00 pm, so you just barely have time to see it).

It's a funny little bizarre treat, by local playwright Megan Cohen. Deep under the earth's surface, a team of researchers answer all of humanity's problems. In the past, they've answered such important question as How to be born, How to die, How to belch, How to build a jet engine, etc. There are three researchers--The Sexy One, The Stern One, and the Very Young One--plus a magistrate. They spend one week on each question, at the end if they're successful they move on to the next question, if not they disappear, leaving mankind with no one to answer the questions. Of course, you know by the title that this week's question is How to love.

The process of research is very simple--on day 1 they all think. On day 2, they rest. On day's 3, 4, and 5 they present results. On day 6, they consider and reconsider everything, then eat a great meal. On day 7, they give a final presentation, and then are judged. This has worked quite well in the past. But this time, things are a bit trickier. While the Sexy One and Stern One have lots of ideas (much of which either contradict or make very little sense), the Young One has nothing. This has never happened before!

Okay, I've gone far enough into the spoilers. I'll just say it's very funny, with comedy high-brow and low-brow, verbal and physical. The question of How to Love may or may not have been answered, but I found it pretty easy to love the show. And if you can't make it to their last show, you should at least follow whatever PUS is doing next.

Oh yeah, and since the reason I was there is because I'm friends with the stage manager, I should mention he had an exciting night--dealing with a couple of uncooperative lights and a theremin that was a little wonky on the volume. So kudos to Colin, the hardest working stage manager in San Francisco (at least last night.)

No comments: