Author: Abbi Mancini
Header Image: Courtesy of Theatre Off Jackson
On December 1st, I kicked off the festive month by finding cover from the rain in the Theatre Off Jackson, a hole-in-the-wall venue off—you guessed it—Jackson. I was in the black box theatre for the final night of Funhouse IV, a recurring fever dream from the brains of The Funhouse Family, a group of up and coming playwrights, directors, producers, and actors in Seattle.
Funhouse is, as described by the website, “a collection of subversive and experimental original content characterized by a multi-genre format that reaches beyond traditional theatrical norms.” It is a collection of short, one-act plays that present a basic concept, but find some devious way to twist it, just enough. The cast was introduced after the audience quickly underwent a short ritual in which we sacrificed our souls, to what I’m still unsure, but I’m rolling with it. The show began, very cleanly, with a piece entitled, For Whom the Yell Tolls in which a young woman meets her boyfriend’s mother for the first time. The mother, for no apparent reason angrily shrieks everything she says, despite offering genuinely kind comments. The creators of Funhouse make their inspiration clear, the hilarity of the Saturday Night Live vibe offset by the Twilight Zone confusion. Presented every few months, Funhouse began in June of 2017 and has made an appearance every 6-8 months, devouring just enough souls before heading back into hibernation to emerge in a new form.
As the show progresses, so does the world Funhouse IV has created. In an upside-down sex education class, young children are taught the proper way in which relationships work, with the true blessing of the Norse gods and a magic crystal. The crystals are mentioned steadily in each of the following pieces, which may be presented as infomercials, mockumentaries, or more typical plays. One piece was even a “ghost tape”, a VHS of cursed 90s images (Furbies), with the assurance that every audience member would now be haunted.
Funhouse, while dealing mostly with the absurd, found a way to be deep with a piece entitled “Wishful Thinking”, in which a young man experiences every scenario that could happen when he comes out to his father as gay. The scene would play out, beginning with the father entering the room, and end with a freeze and deepening of lights, as the scene was reset and a new scenario was tested. From traumatizing experiences to his father saying “me too” and the two deeply kissing, this piece was dark. Every interaction followed similar dialogue, creating an eerie effect of an echo in the dark. It became a study in body language, how the father entered would typically indicate his reaction. The final reiteration of the scene showed the father calmly entering and speaking with a clear, soft voice, allowing the audience to assume a happy ending, based on what we understand about the father in the first place.
Many pieces wavered between this place of sweetness and dark, presenting stupid physical comedy with a nice sentiment as an undertone such as “The Great Chair Competition”, a woman’s journey as she builds a chair and loses a competition to a fellow carpenter. The piece itself is silly, as the judging features a model who tests out the comfort of each chair in a funny way, however, it ends with a touching moment in which she asks the winner why she should even bother with the chairs. He tells her: “These chairs are for right now, and I enjoy making them.” As a creative type who struggles often with motivation, this hit me hard. Do stuff you enjoy. You might not win but hell, you’ll still enjoy it.
Funhouse IV also included the musical guest RNP, who played a few songs during the performance. The music, although unexpected, did not disrupt the chaotic flow of the show itself and only added to the warmth of the venue. RNP is a singer-songwriter, and I encourage you to click here for music. His music is soft, backed by piano and driven by sweet vocals. The studio albums have larger arrangements, but do not lose the intimacy he achieved at the show.
And of course, for a show that constantly leaves you expecting more, there is no better ending than, “that’s it.” The cast and crew of Funhouse IV have created something I am completely unfamiliar with, but definitely spot me at Funhouse V for more chaotic theater.
Check out the Theatre Off Jackson here: http://theatreoffjackson.org
ABBI MANCINI | Pineapple Kombucha | KXSUArts Reporter