Reviewed by Lovell Estell III
Hollywood Fringe at The Broadwater Studio
Through June 29
RECOMMENDED
Like countless others, actor Aaron Foster came to Hollywood in search of that Pot of Gold, but didn’t exactly find it.
In the world premiere of his solo show, Foster delves into his career in the “biz,” as well as the more unpleasant aspects of his life. The show is advertised as “mostly jokes”, and Foster is fully adept at using comedy to humorize the ugly and painful. Early on, he admits to suffering from “clinical depression,” and recites a litany of meds he was taking. “I am a chronically alone, middle-aged bachelor,” he proudly states. He tells of a father that was bi-polar and abusive, an emotionally fragile mother, a brother who was a drug user and schizophrenic, and “an uncle who was a Republican.” His brother committed suicide by jumping off a bridge, but Foster turns even this tragic event into comic fodder.
One of the funniest segments involves him watching his father die in hospice! In another, he tells of a hilarious meeting with a television executive, where he more or less tells the suit what he really thinks of him. Foster’s self-deprecating manner and smooth conversational delivery make this hour-long show enjoyable from start to finish.
The Broadwater Studio, 1078 Lillian Way, Los Angeles. (Part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, consult website for show times. http://www.hollywoodfringe.org
