Saturday, November 5, 2016
The End is Near
Posted on Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 4:00 AM
If you've found the whole 2016 presidential race absurd, why not go all the way into the weird? Spend election night celebrating the end of it all at Nikolai Gogol's 2016 Election Bonanza and End-Times Hullabaloo on Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Arcata Playhouse ($110, or $10 with an "I Voted" sticker).
Presented by Vacation Mother, an ensemble made up of recent Dell'Arte grads Moses Norton, Kaitlen Osburn and Christopher Kehoe, the evening features original sketch comedy inspired by Nikolai Gogol's short story "The Nose." (Let's face it, this election has had its share of focus on body parts, from tiny hands to what they grab to, well, Weiner.) Gogol's satire about political posturing, pivoting and re-pivoting couldn't be more timely. And combined with the crazy events of the last 16 months, it should make for an evening of hilarity.
"Our thinking is that everyone in Humboldt is going to be glued to a TV in their living rooms," Kehoe says. "Why not do it together in good company, with a few laughs and some cold beer?"
The ensemble plans to craft six short pieces that blend Gogol's world with 2016's political rollercoaster, pausing between sketches for beer refills, bathroom breaks, live election results and chit-chat. Kehoe says, "Once 8 p.m. hits, we're going to switch over to a lounge vibe, stop the 'theatre' and let the news keep rolling on the wall, and watch a nominee be declared a winner live."
Don't cry or sigh alone at home. Prepare for whatever comes our way with friends, humor and booze. And they're serious about the steep admission price. Save the country, save a hundred bucks at the door. Get out and vote, folks.
— Kali Cozyris
