After seeing the Soulo Salon at SoulOTheatre’s 2016 edition of the SOULO Theatre Festival, I stuck around at Red Sandcastle Theatre to see Daniel Stolfi’s Finding Funny.
Set within the framework of an evening at a comedy club, Stolfi becomes a one-man line-up, playing the whole cast of characters, including himself. The awkward, uncomfortable host Mark Tipps tells bad jokes (all written by Manuel, who he keeps hidden in the back) and it’s a relief when he finally gets the guest performers onstage: an Italian comic with an intimidating wise guy edge; a fumbling razzle dazzle gesturing magician; a delightful classical clown music act; and a gay spoken word storyteller of few words and big, loaded facial expressions. In between acts, Stolfi (as himself) paces in the green room, trying to keep his overwhelming anxiety and the threat of explosive diarrhea in check as he tries to get his comic mojo back. He’s up last and hates his material – and is desperately grasping for the now elusive funny.
It is in these moments where the true magic happens. In the midst of all the self-doubt and self-torture, Stolfi finds himself back at the place where it all began: as a six-year-old in the schoolyard playground. This is when someone told him he was good at something. And this is where the first joke happened. And it wasn’t about himself or the glory of performing – it was for his audience. This is when he got the comic calling.
Stolfi shifts adeptly between sharply drawn characters, each one representing a facet of the entertainment industry in all its light, dark and seedy glory. The result is a funny, moving and extremely engaging and entertaining performance.
A hilarious and touching stand-up origin story in Finding Funny.
Finding Funny was a one night only performance, but no worries – there’s more SOULO Theatre Festival happening at Red Sandcastle Theatre this weekend (May 28-29). The fest includes solo show performances and workshops, see the full schedule here; and get your advance tickets/passes online here. Advance tickets strongly recommended; it’s an intimate venue and a very popular festival.
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