With its new sketch comedy show ”To Peach Their Own,” running through May 4, Dad’s Garage Theatre aims to create a silly work with local flavor yet broad appeal. It’s pleasing comfort food prepared by folks who are usually very daring, edgy and experimental, and a broad audience is likely going to be satisfied with the results.
Dad’s Garage, which has focused primarily on improv comedy for three decades, developed the script of “To Peach Their Own,” co-directed by company members Eve Krueger and Tim Stoltenberg, in a unique way.
First, the cast — Meg Ansteensen, Nate Brosy, Gabriella Gordon, Phong Le, Maged Roushdi and musician Justin Geer — performed improv in workshops and in front of audiences for more than two months. Then they honed that raw material into sketches, most of them poking light fun at Atlanta and its quirks.
Credit: Chelsea Patricia
Credit: Chelsea Patricia
To no one’s surprise, many scenes — including the opening song-and-dance number — take place in a traffic jam.
Among the highlights are longer scenes featuring a social media influencer interning at the governor’s mansion, a man with a lustful obsession toward gaming, a singalong for aging millennials and multiple funny references to a Krispy Kreme arsonist.
This kind of variety show is very difficult to do — the quick pacing and transitions are the key to its success. The jokes fly fast, and, if one doesn’t make you laugh, trust that another one will arrive momentarily.
Costume changes, sets and props are minimal in “Peach,” aiding the lightning-fast scene changes. As an added bonus, the audience feels connected to the cast members themselves.
Ansteensen is a wonderfully warm performer who develops a good relationship with the crowd at several points during the show. She leads the millennial singalong, does crowd work during a scene with Gordon set at a Chick-fil-A drive-thru and performs excellently in a sketch at a local voting precinct.
Credit: Chelsea Patricia
Credit: Chelsea Patricia
Brosy is an outstanding physical comedian, making great use of his height and dancing abilities throughout the show.
Gordon is strong, particularly during the Kemp influencer and Chick-fil-A scenes.
Le gets several standout moments, including turns as an arrogant inspirational speaker and as the compulsive Hot Doughnut fire starter.
Roushdi is always great, and his best work here is a sketch involving “Never Have I Ever,” where his reactions are priceless.
And Geer’s work as a musician deserves special praise; the songs in this show are very catchy. And when called to deliver some punchlines of his own, Geer is very good.
Stylistically, “To Peach Their Own” is reminiscent of 1960s prime-time TV comedy shows such as “Laugh-In,” where strong ensembles would play quick humor in between longer scenes. It’s a fun throwback to a more comfortable type of silly humor.
Local references in the show are rarely hyper-specific, so this humor wouldn’t confuse or alienate anyone. You don’t have to be from our city to get the jokes. In fact, the sold-out opening night crowd was filled with tourists and families, all of whom laughed heartily.
New audiences to this show will realize why Dad’s Garage is such a beloved institution. And, after most of the 8 p.m. performances of “To Peach Their Own,” audiences can catch later shows featuring the short-form improv Dad’s is known for — which can be unpredictable, surprising tightrope walks in ways that even satisfying sketch comedy cannot. It should make for a winning double feature.
Dad’s Garage is like a gateway drug for comedy — all it takes is one show to get you hooked and keep returning for years. We predict “To Peach Their Own” is gonna create a lot of new Dad’s fans.
THEATER REVIEW
“To Peach Their Own”
Through May 4 at Dad’s Garage. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. $25-$30. 569 Ezzard St. Atlanta. 404-523-3141, www.dadsgarage.com
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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ArtsATL (artsatl.org) is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. ArtsATL, founded in 2009, helps build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
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