Brooke Finegold is masterful in her hour of live poetry, spoken word and stand up comedy. The Town Cryer is a wonderful combination of queer joy, storytelling and laughter. The show is multifaceted, ranging from Finegold unpacking her experiences of restrictive religious groups to writing a ‘live poem’ with the audience about whatever story we have to tell.
A wonderful combination of queer joy, storytelling and laughter
Typewriter in tow, Finegold has an ethereal energy on stage, paired with a strong point of view and heaps of sass. Her poetry is reminiscent of Catherine Cohen and Megan Stalter, making unapologetically bold statements and musings on the parts of life we tend to hide from the world. It is tongue-in-cheek, hilarious and totally random.
In one portion of the show, Finegold invites the audience to tell her stories and anecdotes to form the basis of a collaborative poem, taking the classic introductory ‘getting to know the audience’ sections of many stand-up shows to whole new levels of fun and intimacy. The idea is inspired and the poem makes clever call-backs to comments made by the audience that you don’t see coming. Finegold showcases her improvisational talents and quick-witted mind here, producing art that is as innovative as it is entertaining.
The stand-up set focuses on Finegold’s youth where she was obsessed with the Christian Rock worship that is so prevalent in Northern California. Finegold’s jokes provide a refreshing take on the peculiarities of modern zealot Christianity and its impact on her understanding of sex and sexuality. The recollections of her jean-clad, soft-rock guru pastor are hilarious, as is her account of how she and her boyfriend used to try and find a ‘loophole’ in the strict rules on adultery. Her brilliant observations on suppressed sexuality provide an earnest look that is delivered to us with spoonfuls of laughter.
The Town Cryer demonstrates a wonderfully new approach to a solo show that creates comedy in safe, loving space. Finegold has an incredible gift for writing that reflects the poetic voice of our generation, making her a definite one to watch.
