Hi, How Can I Help You? at Frigid New York

In this one-woman show, Scout Durwood performs at least eight different characters, plays a recorder and a ukulele, hoola hoops, and roller skates. She also wrote the one act, which takes place in an S/M dungeon called The Enchanted Palace on the night of Obama's election. We're exhausted just writing about it.

We saw it as part of FRIGID New York, a fringe festival that runs until Sunday. Like many fringe plays, this one shoehorned in an awful lot of sociopolitical commentary and cheesy jokes. There was also a fair amount of Durwood running around in her underpants. But then, in the midst of all that zaniness, she unleashed several knockout songs that we found ourselves humming ever since. Sure, it's not going to win a Tony, but New York would be a poorer city without these low-cost, high-energy theater festivals and the performers that keep them going.

Photo: thanks
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