We’ve all had that feeling at one time or another (or, if
you’re me, constantly): sensing that, though we’ve gotten older, graduated
college, and possibly found some sort of gainful employment, we’re not truly an
adult. We’re all fumbling around and around pretending we know how “grownups”
are supposed to act, faking it until we’ve figured it out … if that ever
happens. (I suspect it doesn’t, but please don’t tell me that). This is the
state of mind Grayson Morris explores in her one-woman show, "Am I a
Grownup Yet?” which she’s performing at Blackfriars
Theatre during the Rochester Fringe Festival.
With her immediately likeable, deadpan demeanor, Morris
delivers a wandering monologue of personal stories about her continuing journey
toward the unknown destination that is adulthood.
She covers a lot of ground: feeling lost and aimless
post-college, struggling to find a job, and — through the strange world of Internet
dating — searching for a companion to tag along with on the journey. At times,
Morris illustrates these hilarious and sometimes poignant stories using
cardboard stick puppets; some crude, yet evocative drawings on an overhead
projector; and even some shadow puppetry. As someone with a soft spot for
puppetry, and often feels like an imposter in the grownup world, Morris’s show
spoke to me on a primal level.
Rochester is Morris’ last stop on her tour of regional
fringe festivals, and has plans to retire the show after her last performance
here, so catch it while you can. “Am I a Grownup Yet?” has two more
performances: Friday, September 25, at 5 p.m., and again on Saturday, September
26, at 3 p.m. Blackfriars Theatre. $13. Appropriate
for ages 18 and older.
This article appears in Sep 23-29, 2015.
