Friends, I have been famished for a show like Snatch Adams & Tainty McCracken Present It’s That Time of the Month at Soho Rep (presented with The Bushwick Starr) and have come away from the trough deeply nourished. The show’s creators, Becca Blackwell and Amanda Duarte, have struck a delicate balance between keeping the audience on its toes and offering, dare I say, a safe space for everyone. These babes are seasoned comics who know the difference between a joke and a read, but at the same time they pull no punches. I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard at the theater.
Having been a fan of both Blackwell and Duarte for forever and a day, all I really knew about this show was that they would be playing a vagina and a taint respectively, and that I would happily watch either of them read the phone book for 90 minutes if that’s what they wanted to do. This demented duo delivers an R-rated talk show that feels like the three-way love child of Pee-wee Herman, Samantha Bee, and Mister Rogers, but trans-er, weirder, and with a lot more fluids. This show has everything: jokes, games, prizes, education, animation, heartfelt truths, audience participation, radical self-love, puppets, and even herpes!
From the moment the audience arrives at the venue, the show has begun. Because I was so thrilled and gob smacked by the transformation of the space, I don’t want to ruin the surprise here. Let’s just say I entered the theater feeling reborn. As we all well know, everybody loves puppets! From Amanda Villalobos’s dynamic costumes to Greg Corbino’s outrageous set to actual hand puppets, there’s literally a puppet everywhere you look. Jess Barbagallo’s direction cultivates an atmosphere of barely contained chaos that puts every member of the audience in the hot seat in a way that’s fun even when it’s a little terrifying.
Each performance features a special guest, and I was so fortunate to see Dr. Juliet Widoff grace the stage. Widoff, who treated Blackwell during their transition, shared her story of becoming a doctor during the AIDS crisis. I expected to laugh during this show, but I did not expect to cry. It’s That Time of the Month offers a multi-pronged catharsis that allows space for feelings, experiences, and identities that defy categorization.
Snatch Adams & Tainty McCracken Present It’s That Time of the Month runs through December 10th, and you should prance your little fingertips over to Soho Rep’s website immediately and get your tickets. This is not a traditional play, and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. Come prepared for a night of ribald comedy, but bring a tissue.