“Har Har: An Evening with Harburg Harrisbrandt” is winner of the 2001 Excellence Award for Solo Show at the New York International Fringe Festival. The one act play will be presented by the Glacity Theatre Collective at the Valentine Theatre on Oct. 29, 30 and 31.
“Harburg Harrisbrandt is a singer-songwriter who tries to perform his songs for a nightclub audience, but constant distraction, an odd sense of self and a desire to please keep sending him off in other directions,” said Glacity Theatre.
This farcical yet moving piece leaves the audience wondering whether to laugh or run up on the stage to give the man a hug.
“The show is very funny and full of surprises. It is a portrait of a human-being,” said theater lecturer Joseph Langham.
Harrisbrandt, troubled by memories of his deceased mother, unrequited love for a lesbian and ADHD, paints a picture of disguised sadness. His sadness is repressed by his overwhelming desire to create, succeed and survive, which is relatable to a variety of people and artists of any age. He is a character; he is a man that is not particularly unique. Amidst all his woes he is fueled by an enduring hope to make his mark in the world.
Tuesday afternoon, Joseph Langham will be lecturing from 2-4:30 in the Studio Theatre at the Center of Performing Arts on the University of Toledo’s Main Campus. His presentation will cover the process of writing a piece worthy of the New York Fringe Festival, open to Theatre/Film department majors. Langham has been involved in theatre since he was 13 and moved to New York City to pursue his acting career at age 22. Currently, Langham resides in Jersey City, New York, on a sailboat with his wife and collaborator, with whom he travels when the chance arises. As a playwright, his work includes: “Out to Lunch,” which was recently published as part of the “Plays and Playwrights” anthology and is used by students for short performance projects. “Gilligan, Stump and Tha Perfesser” is his two man comedy and “CRUX” is an interesting piece he created about the end of the world. His work “Har Har” has received rave reviews from not only the Fringe Festival, but from audiences from Manhattan to Arizona as well. Joseph was also recently cast in a prime guest spot on “Law and Order” and hopes to do more acting in the future.
“This is the first time we’ve brought someone in rather than creating a show ourselves, which we plan on doing more in the future. We would like to bring a wider variety of professional theatre to Toledo,” said Holly Monsos, executive director for the Glacity Theatre Collective.
GTC is a non-profit company of professional local theatre artists, many of whom are professors at UT, such as Irene Alby, Cornel Gabara, Dave DeChristopher, Edmund Lingan and James Hill. According to their mission statement, their goal is “to bring high quality theatrical productions that reflect contemporary social concerns; and to provoke discussion and foster communication among diverse groups within our region.”
“I originally saw the show “Har Har” at the Fringe Festival and I’m glad it’s here. This is a great opportunity for people to see such a skilled solo performer who connects with [the audience] in a visceral way,” said professor and dramaturge for GTC, Ed Lingan.
In addition to GTC, there are other groups in Toledo with the similar motivation of presenting off-the-cuff theatrical pieces such as The Village Players, the Toledo Repertoire Theatre and the Collingwood Arts Center, as well as our very own university. The North Coast Theatre is a local group now housed in the South Wing of the Oliver House downtown.
Until this year, NCT had been performing in galleries at the Toledo Museum of Art and the Toledo-Lucas County Public Libraries since 1994.
“In a unique collaboration, the theatre group will present plays that accompany the works of art in the galleries [of the Oliver House],” said Christine Child, artistic director for North Coast Theatre, to Kate Giammarise of The Blade.
Dr. Matthew Wikander, a professor in the English Department at UT, is a founding member and actor for NCT. Their next performance, “Murders at Little Wotting,” written and directed by Christine Child, will be playing on the weekends in November. The group welcomes local artists and more information on auditions or involvement can be found at www.NorthCoastTheatre.org.
— “Har Har: An Evening with Harburg Harrisbrandt” runs this weekend at the Valentine Theatre-Studio A space. Tickets are available at http://GlacCity.ix.com or at the door (cash or check). Five dollar rush tickets are available five minutes prior to the show, dependent on available seating.
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