Gerry Fishman is an experienced stand-up comedian who has performed at many of the region’s comedy clubs, including the Icehouse. Now a 65-year-old, Gerry has a few demons to cope with including weight, clutter, and anxiety, all the while having to navigate his relationship with his adored father (and what happened there), as well as connecting with his own beloved children (and a grandchild) and all that happened while they were growing up. Fortunately, everything that happened gave him wonderful material for this performance.
I spent a delightful afternoon seeing this play about the joys and horror of life’s experiences, (which I could relate to) and to hear insights into how one could live well, in spite of it all. Gerry readily engaged the audience, which appeared to hang on to his every word. He even passed out handwritten “thank you” notes on the program.
Even though written and performed by veteran Fishman, the show wouldn’t have been as smooth without the combined help of his producer Jessica Lynn Johnson, director Francisco Roel, and assistant, Alexandra Tamplin. Because of them, Gerry as a performer could be very confident and jovial. His production was 70 minutes of laughter but included a few tears. I hope we’ll have more opportunities to see this treasure.
“Coming of Age at 65” finished its LA Fringe run on Sunday, June 30th at the Hudson Guild Theater, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood CA. Call (323) 856-424 or contact info@hudsontheatre.com for more live theater.
