I went, for the first time, to The Marsh last night. For those who don’t know, The Marsh is a black box on Valencia that seats about 100 in a U-shape. They exclusively present one-person shows, and help the actor/writers create, develop and refine their performances. Being on Valencia there are plenty of options for food and drink before or after the show.
I saw Brian Copeland’s “The Waiting Period,” so named for the ten-way period a gun buyer must wait before he can actually receive his gun. Mr Copeland is purchasing the gun to commit suicide, and his story tells about the events that happen during those ten days, from continued depression to moments of hope and inspiration. Since he is on stage it is no spoiler to say he doesn’t go through with the suicide (he references this fact early with a funny aside about “Sunset Boulevard” and how its narrator is dead at the beginning.) It is interesting to follow his journey, a roller coaster of highs and lows, comedy and tragedy, optimism and anger. Being a longtime standup comic, Mr Copeland is an engaging, deft and interesting actor. He knows how to draw the audience in, no easy feat when it is just you and a chair and some subtle lighting and sound effects. The performance runs 75 minutes with no intermission. House was about 85% filled. “The Waiting Period” runs on Sundays through the end of May; shows are at 5:30 so plenty of time for dinner and conversation after and still be home at a reasonable hour. There are other one-person shows going on concurrently.
I really enjoyed the performance, and definitely plan to see other shows at The Marsh. My buddy who took me says tickets are usually available on Goldstar. The one criticism is that, for such a personal piece, I don't feel like I have as strong an understanding of what led the father of three young kids to take his life. True, has wife has unexpectedly and without explanation left him. I don't claim to understand depression or his thoughts, but it seems like it would take more for him to consider such a final and irreversible action. Perhaps that's ultimately part of his decision to not go through with it.
Oh…and one of the best things? The legroom is over twice that of other theaters and the seats seem more modern and wider (which is nice for a broad-shouldered guy like me.
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