Part comedy show, part thrifting adventure, interactive play “The Estate Sale” will be performed twice as part of the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival on Sunday, Sept. 14 at School of the Arts: Black Box Theatre. Performed and co-written by comedian Kelly Dee, the one-woman show encourages audience participation, allowing crowd members to name their price for secondhand items and even purchase them during the show.
The play, which Dee co-wrote with playwright Stew Jamesson, has been staged at Fringe festivals throughout the country, but this will be the first time in Rochester. And while it may seem strange for a play to combine comedy with an estate sale, Jamesson said the amalgamation is “the secret sauce to a great show.”
The project began when Dee submitted for the Orlando Fringe lottery, but didn’t actually have a show prepared.
“When I got picked, I called Stew crying, completely stressed about what to do,” she said.
“Then Stew had the genius idea that it should be an estate sale, since that’s where I spend the most of my time.”
Dee owns an estate sale company in Melbourne, Florida called “Estate Ninjas.” It’s the primary way she sourced items for “The Estate Sale.”
“Estate Ninjas works closely with local community thrift stores to make sure items stay out of the dump or big box thrift stores like Goodwill,” she said. “Once a sale is over and items are being boxed up for donation, I will let the homeowner know that some items are being used for the play.”
Dee also accumulates items throughout the year she believes might be desired by audiences.
“This year that includes several creepy dolls, vintage books, clothes, tchotchkes and decorative tins,” she said.
Jamesson was mostly unfamiliar with estate sales until meeting Dee and is always impressed with the items she finds for the play.
“She is a treasure hunter and I’m routinely left gobsmacked,” he said, recalling some of the unique items sold at previous shows. “Our guests took home a John Wayne tapestry, a fabulous vintage jacket, a camera, t-shirts from the 90s and an alligator ashtray that just so happened to match the buyer’s phone cover, which he gleefully showed us after purchase.”
Audience members are not only able to purchase items during the show, but before and after, too. The show essentially immerses audience members in an environment similar to a garage sale.
“There are two foldable tables with treasures displayed from one end to the other,” said Jamesson. “You come into the theater and go directly on to the stage to rummage about ‘til you find that perfect take-home item.”
Dee also finds it rewarding to watch the audience connect with the specific items being sold.
“I love when there is a kismet element to it, like a toy or cassette tape they used to have, and now they are crossing paths with it again,” she said. “I also love when I imagine the kind of person who will pick out an item and that person shows up and gets it.”
But at the heart of the show are the comedic, relatable stories told — and Jamesson believes this is what makes the show resonate with audiences. “We want them to not only get some great deals on stuff to take home,” he said, “we want them to walk away from our show inspired to have their own cathartic clear-out when they get home.” estate-sale.co
