from roanoke.com - October 7, 2004

Thursday, October 07, 2004


 

No shame in change

By Mason Adams
ROANOKE.COM COLUMNIST

Have you been to No Shame Theatre lately?

If you're like me, you probably went a few times in the spring when Richie Cannaday was hosting. Maybe, like me, you even performed once or twice.

But then, after Richie left and summer set in, I found other things to do on Fridays. Since I work Saturdays and Sundays, Friday is the only weekend night I share with my friends. More often than not, I found myself spending my summer Fridays camping, dancing, drinking or other such nonsense.

But after a long, shameful hiatus, I ventured back to Mill Mountain Theatre's Waldron Stage on East Church Avenue to see what I'd been missing. To sum my findings: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

A change: Todd Ristau now serves as master of ceremony, running things in an efficient manner.

The same: The three basic rules. 1) All pieces must be original. 2) Performers have five minutes to get through their stuff. 3) You can't break anything, including the law.

A change: Several folks from last spring still participate, but there's a slew of new people as well.

The same: No Shame Theatre remains a source of creative lifeblood in Roanoke.

Zach Anderson typified the new breed. The young man wearing casual clothes and bowling shoes delivered a short set of stand-up comedy. He proceeded to work through bits on palindromes (observing that "strap-on" works out to "no parts") and fruit-flavored tampons. The material's raunchiness was subverted by Anderson's nonchalant delivery.

Anderson mentioned to me that this was the first time he'd tried these bits, putting his nonchalance in an even more impressive light. It's one thing to try out tried-and-true material before a new audience; it's another to try new material out before a new audience. Anyone that doesn't understand the difference there should check out "Comedian," the documentary film about Jerry Seinfeld's year spent developing new comedy bits after he retired his television show.

Other pieces were just as strong. Sylvia Woodward read "Uncle Sam," a poem ranting about taxes and the gap between rich and poor. She started out fairly calm but quickly built a towering edifice of anger, frustration and rage. A few times last spring I felt that some poets were falling into patterns of standard poetry-slam cadences, but Woodward's performance stayed far away from this territory. I was intrigued and a little bit threatened by her menacing reading, and that's a good thing.

Librarian Joan Ruelle actually performed two pieces during the course of the night. The first was "Be Afraid, Very Afraid," in which she tried to read a scary Halloween story but kept getting interrupted by censors who didn't like the books she had. Later, she explained how real-life versions of those censors get books removed from libraries, either by going through official channels or by vigilante action. As she spoke, Michelle Bennet went through a stack of banned books, listing the titles and authors as she went. The two acts combined for a powerful commentary on a widespread but oft-ignored attack on freedom.

Those were just a few highlights. There were also the quirky skits, political rants, folk songs and poems that will be familiar to anyone who sat in on No Shame last spring.

The most noticeable and attractive aspect of No Shame hasn't changed one bit. The audience there remains the most eclectic, intelligent and attractive group of people you're likely to find on a Friday night. I've never failed to leave the theater jazzed up over something or other, whether it's a conversation or performance. Usually it's both.

If you haven't been to No Shame Theatre, or if you have but it's been a while, there's a perfect chance to catch up on what you've been missing. On Friday, October 29, the theater will hold Best of No Shame, a collection of 25 of the most popular pieces from past months. Doors open around 6:45 p.m., and the StarCity WildCats will provide pre-show music starting around 7 p.m. Best of No Shame starts at 8 p.m., with the WildCats playing more music during intermission and afterwards. The regular No Shame edition kicks off Ñ as always Ñ at 11 p.m. And anyone who buys a ticket for Best of gets into the regular version for free. Tickets will be available for $8 from the Mill Mountain Theatre box office.

For more information, check out noshame.org and click the link for Roanoke.

You can also see the Best of No Shame from this past spring. Check out these video clips.


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