The best one-person shows are deeply personal; the audience should leave feeling they've become familiar (and even forged some sort of bond) with the performer. Both "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" and "It Ain't No Fairy Tale. No. Really," the first two offerings in "Neo-Solo" at the Neo-Futurarium, succeed in spades.
The first piece is performed by Chloe Johnston. In many ways, she employs typical (if "typical" is the appropriate term) performance art devices as she weaves a tale (with many digressions) of a poor woman who uses her music and the radio to reach a man she had loved and lost six years ago.
A glowing light bulb is used to represent a live radio microphone. A piece of paper transforms from a notice to an airplane to a set of scribbled lyrics. Johnston smoothly integrates all the elements of her piece, including singing, playing an instrument and interacting with a recorded voice. She also finds places for both laughter and poignancy along the way.
The second piece, featuring Lucia Strus, takes on the idea of marriage as a fairy tale. At first, she performs verbatim the optimistic, witty monologue she did at the Neo-Futurarium around the time of her marriage. Peppering her story with witty wisecracks and asides, Strus expresses optimism in the possibility that she may indeed be living a fairy tale.
Then she continues her performance to describe her divorce. Though the first half of the piece was sincerely meant when it was written, as Strus points out, "Yesterday's truth can become today's bullshit." Completely free of any props or multimedia enhancements, Strus reaches out and grabs her audience members with her stories, not letting them go until she's good and done.
Only two of the seven one-person shows of "Neo-Solo" are currently running; the remaining five may be more hit-or-miss. But if these first two offerings are any indication, "Neo-Solo" will be a riveting experience throughout its run.
Playing at the Neo-Futurarium; 5153 N. Ashland Ave.; (773) 275-5255; $15 (pay-what-you-can Thursdays). Running through June 3; 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. See event listing for specific solo show schedule.
