I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH
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This is the kind of opening line that makes me groan–usually comedians or monologuists think they’re being clever to point out in such a false, self-deprecating manner that their show is wacky, unconventional, and uncategorizable. But Garlin is disarmingly sincere in this moment, and wholly unimpressed with himself or his status as artist.
This ten-second opening is the perfect introduction to Garlin’s charming piece, which breaks down the wall between audience and performer as successfully as any performance I’ve seen. He tells an hour’s worth of anecdotes and observations seemingly drawn from his own life, some of them remarkably odd and some intentionally mundane. But throughout, his virtuoso story telling and his warm, genuinely inviting manner make even his uninspired moments endearing.
Near the end of the hour, Garlin tells us of a rare and potentially life-threatening heart condition he had as a child; it often made his heart race uncontrollably, causing him sudden, intense chest pain. This sobering story not only serves as a unifying image for his piece–the heart condition a metaphor for his and others’ inability to feel or express emotions genuinely–but reminds us of the underlying seriousness of his material. Garlin takes us on a potentially painful journey, and without compromising the emotional truth of his material, keeps us safely out of harm’s way.
