With his endless gags about his aging parents and their hearing aids, his inconsiderate ex-wife, his chain-smoking sister and a few of his own foibles, comedian Steve Solomon has found a following — from off-Broadway to Jewish community centers.
First it was “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy!” — his one-man show that played the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta last fall. Now he’s back at the Dunwoody venue with his follow-up, “Still in Therapy!" — a piece that continues his exploration of family dysfunction with a particular emphasis on the comedic bedlam of old age.
Plainly put, that mainly means flatulence. And in Solomon’s windy world, old folks aren’t the only culprits of incontinence; we also get stinkers about dogs chasing their tales and sharks’ superior sense of smell.
The premise of “Still in Therapy!” — which I don’t think ever once mentions psychoanalysis — is that Solomon is waiting for his old man to arrive for his 85th birthday party at his senior citizens club. Thus the stage is decorated with balloons, hand-made signs, bags of chips and cheese puffs and piles of garishly wrapped presents, which inevitably lead to ethnic jokes about price tags. Lost in a geriatric-neighborhood maze of corner drug stores, assisted living centers, funeral homes and cemeteries, Solomon’s parents — and his hacking sister — never show up for the party. They get roasted nonetheless.
There’s the one about his dad trying to find alphabet soup — in large type. Another about the time his father ended up with a suppository in his ear. (Guess where he put his hearing aid.) And another about the time his technically challenged dad answered his cell phone, said it was working just fine, then asked: “How did you know we were at Walmart?” (Ba-da-dum.)
Though the writing falters and the material often feels recycled, Solomon does have a wry sense of timing and is firmly grounded in the traditions of Borscht Belt shtick. His most impressive skill is his mimicry, the way he uses a squeaky head voice to channel his inner child or a basso profundo to conjure his grandmother.
At the end of the almost two-hour session, “Still in Therapy!” comes off like a work in progress, as if the performer is trying on jokes for laughs. It also feels more like stand-up comedy than legitimate theater: a tiring barrage of low-brow humor, soft-core sex jokes and constant proof that Solomon has a gas gag for every situation. Live and unplugged, indeed. Too often, however, that's just wrong.
Theater review
“Still in Therapy!”
Grade: D+
8:30 p.m. Aug. 7 and Aug. 14. 2 p.m. Aug. 8 and Aug. 15. 8 p.m. Aug. 10-12. 6 p.m. Aug. 15. Through Aug. 15. $20-$25. Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. 678-812-4002, centertheatreatlanta.org
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