EGG
Written and Performed by Sarah Adelman; Directed by Iris Bahr
Under St. Marks at 94 St Marks Place, NYC
This weekend, UNDER St. Marks became Sarah Adelman’s playground, in a one-woman show whose style paved the way for a vulnerable, yet lighthearted reflection on her own coming of age - and beyond.
When Adelman walked onstage, she welcomed us with a warmth that only a stand-up comedian possesses (aided by the mic in her hand throughout the performance). Honestly, for a second I thought to myself, ‘Have I walked into a stand-up show?’, until Adelman got past the introduction. Then, it became clear that yes, this is a performance; her demeanor was that of an actor, and despite engaging with the audience, she had a story to tell - and she intended to tell it.
EGG follows Adelman’s personal experiences, and how they bleed into her professional pursuits. Craving validation throughout her childhood, she developed extreme anxiety and tried to become a ‘scientist’ of her own life - following plans and structures that she felt were imposed upon her, but unable to fight against them. At the start of the show, she explains to us that she’s a reproductive health researcher - or, in her words, ‘I research jizz.’
Upon looking at sperm in a microscope, Adelman realizes that she might have more in common with the cells in her petri dish than she’d like to admit - they, like her, are wriggling, aimless and desperate. It’s this revelation that propels us into the next hour where we learn about Adelman’s greatest hopes, fears and failures - all roadblocks that ultimately lead to her greatest triumph.
The stage was empty, save for a stool in the corner, and allowed Adelman to move freely throughout UNDER St. Marks’ intimate theater space, which in turn allowed the audience to feel more connected with her story.
Although there were moments of lighting and sound (such as when Adelman’s bosses show her the recording of her first stand-up show), that were innovative and brought a breath of fresh air to the piece, they only left me craving a bit more. Adelman clearly has the comfort onstage to work with technical elements - so I wonder, why were they not incorporated any earlier than the final 30 minutes?
It felt as though “Sarah (The Character)” and “Sarah (The Actor/Writer/Comedian)” were two different people at the beginning, then I slowly began to understand that this was her story. When I finally understood that - the bat mitzvah, the bland boyfriend, the firing all made so much sense. It made sense that she told this story as if it was hers, because it was. And while the mere act of standing on stage for 75 minutes, alone, with nothing but a mic in hand is something to be commended for, I was waiting for just a bit more - whether in terms of the technical elements that could make this feel like a piece of ‘theater’, or perhaps something that made it feel more informal, more like a stand-up set. Maybe Adelman’s intention was to straddle that line - but it left me feeling a bit in limbo, waiting to finally be pulled in one direction or another.
Reviewed by Niranjani Reddi.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on August 28th, 2024. All rights reserved.