By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
July 26, 2002
Five years ago, Susan McLaughlin Karp delivered a stillborn baby. On the first anniversary of her child’s death, Karp wrote the play she will perform at this year’s seventh annual Fillet of Solo Festival.
A miscarriage isn’t exactly the best source for a one-woman show, but Karp handles her subject matter evenly in “Still.” She shares her experience in a way that won’t leave her or the audience drained.
“I come from an Irish Catholic family and one of our coping mechanisms is that the more serious a subject is, the more jokes we’ll tell to deal with it,” says the Chicago-based performer. “There’s lots of humor in this piece, which is a way of getting through the hard times. I had to work through it. But enough time has passed that I am able to deal with it.
“There are a lot of things going on in the show, and my director and I came up with a metaphor for my pregnancy–an exercise ball, which I use in the piece. I want people to be able to listen and laugh and feel whatever they feel. I wouldn’t be doing the show if I didn’t feel OK about it.”
Some theatergoers may have seen Karp’s show at last year’s Fillet when she debuted it. In August, Karp will bring her act to New York’s Fringe Festival.
“I’m a little nervous about going to New York,” says Karp. “I worry whether enough people know of me in another city to fill a room. It’ll be interesting to bring a show about my own grieving process to New York and see how they react to it.”
Karp, who has a 3-year-old son, adds, “I feel really good about it, though, because ultimately there’s a happy ending.”
Karp is just one of the many established and up-and-coming artists performing at this year’s Fillet of Solo Festival, which also includes Stephanie Shaw, David Kodeski and Edward Thomas-Herrera.
Live Bait artistic director Sharon Evans says a growing number of theatergoers are enjoying solo shows, but some have to overcome their prejudices.
“The biggest misconception about solo work is that it’s not as complex and entertaining as traditional theater,” Evans says. “These shows are very stimulating, funny and current, and that breeds a lot of good conversation for the audience members after they leave the show. The people who write and perform them are current. They’re not spending three years workshopping a piece, so you’re hearing about things that are happening now.”
She playfully adds, “The show is also a perfect escape from the summer heat. Our theater has excellent air conditioning. And within an hour, they’re done.”
For theatergoers who’ve never had a Fillet experience and don’t think they have the attention span to sit through an hour of one performer, try the Thursday and Friday night sampler series, which is akin to theater tapas. Twenty artists hit the stage, each performing a maximum of 10 minutes.
For the performers who’ve participated in the solo shows, they can’t imagine not going back.
“I was an actor doing a lot of improv shows and comedy in Chicago before doing solo work,” says Karp. “This is really rewarding to do because I’m able to incorporate so many facets in what I do. I write a piece and then perform it in a natural setting.
“I always liked acting and writing. But it seemed like they were two separate things. To be able to combine them has been really fun and a great opportunity for me. I can’t wait to work on the next one.”
Fillet of Solo Festival
Through Aug. 25
Live Bait Theater, 3914 N. Clark
Tickets, $10; $30 for festival pass (good for all shows)
(773) 871-1212
