Theater review by Raven Snook
At the outset of Judy Gold’s funny and furious new solo show, the veteran stand-up says that a comedian's only goal onstage is to make audiences laugh. By that standard, Yes, I Can Say That! is an uproarious success. But the show, based on Gold’s book of the same name, isn't just an evening of yuks. It’s also a memoir and memorial to her comedy forebears and, as the title of this Primary Stages production implies, an impassioned defense of the right to offend in an era when free speech is under attack from all sides.
As an argument, Yes, I Can Say That! is not always convincing. Gold is right that life is not a safe space, but she indulges in the false equivalency that speech is being stifled in the same way on the left and the right, and she never acknowledges that punch-lining down may have consequences beyond cancellation. If you’re rankled by digs at identity politics (especially pronouns), this may not be the show for you. Still, in the culture wars, we need savvy soldiers like Gold on the front lines to remind us that, in other countries, speaking your mind can get you jailed or killed.
Directed by BD Wong, the show includes clever projections, cute stage business and clear emotional beats that keep it from hardening into a TED Talk, and ultimately it's more successful as a personal narrative than as a polemic. Gold's tributes to pioneering ladies like Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller and Totie Fields are moving and amusing, and her own tale of coming out while she was coming up is a testament to the importance of speaking one's truth, particularly for comedians. If they're not allowed to cross the line—which is constantly being redrawn, anyway—how will we ever move forward?
Yes, I Can Say That! 59E59 Theaters (Off Broadway). By Judy Gold and Eddie Sarfaty. With Gold. Directed by BD Wong. Running time: 1hr 30mins. No intermission.
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Yes, I Can Say That | Photograph: Courtesy James Leynse