ANYONE FAMILIAR WITH SHEL Silverstein’s children’s books, or cartoons, or songs, or plays, will not be surprised by the skewed viewpoints on parade in “Shel Silverstein Uncensored,” now running at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in West Los Angeles. The man was WEIRD, and his characters converse in insane non sequiturs, demented logic, and perverse banalities. Very much like Nichols and May in their heyday.
“Shel Silverstein Uncensored” is an eclectic collection of 11 of his short plays and songs, presented by six superb comic actors who play it straight, as if it all made sense. My favorite was “One Tennis Shoe,” in which an uptight husband (Daniel Zacapa) tries to dissuade his wife (the beautiful and elegant Sarah Brooke) from becoming a bag lady. (“Becoming a bag lady!” she scoffs. “That’s like saying I’m becoming a werewolf!”) But as he digs around in her Big Brown Bag from Bloomingdale’s, as well as her attache-sized purse, he questions the items she has collected and stashed. They are an accumulation of visual non sequiturs, and they are hilarious. And so are her explanations of why she needs them.
Also a favorite was “Best Daddy” in which a happily beaming father (Tony Pasqualini) gives his 10-year-old daughter (Colleen Kane) a dead pony for her birthday.
In “Life Boat” Martha Gehman sets up a “What If …” game with her husband (James MacDonald). As she imagines it, they are in a small boat, 500 miles from land, and the boat is sinking. He must throw somebody overboard. Who will it be? His wife? His baby? Or his mother?
Meanwhile, in the cracks between one vignette and the next, four of Silverstein’s better-known songs are presented: “Cover of the Rolling Stone,” “I Got Stoned and I Missed It,” “So Good to So Bad,” and “Freakin’ at the Freakers Ball.” With each number James MacDonald plays a mean guitar while others in the ensemble sing, dance, or play a trumpet (badly).
The evening is sharply directed by Dan Bonnell, and imaginative use is made of Charles Erven’s deceptively simple set design, which consists of variously shaped white blocks which morph into tables, cliff tops and other pieces of scenery. All helped by the ubiquitous Jeremy Piven’s effective lighting design.
All in all, it’s a fun show. Some sketches are better than others, but all have their LOL moments. So, if you were an SNL fan when that show was really good, you’re sure to get a kick out of “Shel Silverstein Uncensored.”
“Shel Silverstein Uncensored” will run most Wednesdays through most Sundays through Aug. 10 at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., in Los Angeles. Post Show discussions are scheduled for June 19 and 25 and July 10. Call (310) 477-2055 for performance schedule and tickets.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 13, 2008. Read the original PDF.