Chatham Phat-ness

Phat Love & the thin girl

(Chatham Cultural Centre Jan.17th/2009)

I can’t imagine anything scarier for a performer -- the one person show. You’re out there alone for an hour or more. You can’t drop your concentration for even a moment; and if you screw up there’s no one to save you -- no one but you. The first time I saw a one person show, some thirty years ago, I was convinced it was a second rate vehicle. Where were the bad guys and where the surprise? You knew darn well the butler didn’t do it because there wasn’t one – nor was there anyone else much; just this guy or gal standing there – talking.

But the one person show has come a long way in thirty years. To judge from “Phat Love and the thin girl” it has all the pedigree of a stage play and the same chance at success or failure. The writing is better for one thing. The trick was to understand that the ‘one person show’ is not a stage play at all. It is a hybrid between stage play and stand-up routine – or stage play and dramatic speech or monologue – and it takes a specific type of performer to make it work. Tara Duffy is such a performer and she makes it look easy. For several years she has taken her One Woman Shows to the Fringe Festival in Toronto and venues across Canada. I’ve had the pleasure to see four of her five productions and ‘Phat Love’ is the pinnacle of that effort. Suddenly all the stars align: in terms of performance, material and polish. It first played at the Toronto Fringe Festival in the summer, 2008, to packed houses. Since then it has traveled through the province from Chatham to Windsor to Toronto and back again. As for the material – she has an affinity for it; probably because she wrote it.

The story follows a high-school dance teacher as she looks for love on an evening of speed dating. “Yeah”, she says, “I know what you’re thinking: pretty bottom of the barrel”. This character is not afraid to laugh at herself. The speed dates turn into a clever theatrical device. With each date she dollops out a little, sometimes a great big slice, of her personal history: from the small town star to big city tadpole; to her battles with delinquent students; to a failed romance with a co-worker. All the while she battles the bulge and her weigh scale; at one point taking up stripper classes just to make exercise more ‘flirty fun’. She is buffeted on all sides by the winds of passion and suggestion and the latest fad – a sucker for anything that tastes good, looks good -- promises a quick fix. She wouldn’t last a minute without her imagination and her humour. And maybe that’s the message. The evening of speed dating ends and prince charming is a no-show; but we get the feeling she’ll take it in stride.

Because, whether it’s lofty ideals, or change rooms without mirrors, or a sweet guy who loves his country music just a little too much for prime time, our heroine hurdles over all with wit and humour and even a song and dance on occasion. Great show, great writing, standing ovation – and I still don’t know how they do it.

Tom Coatsworth


“Phat Love & the thin girl”
Written & performed by Tara Duffy

Directed by Cynthia Rose
S.M. & Sound Christina Orr

Peace, Love and shout-outs to all the Chatham folk who braved the winter weather and packed into Studio One at the Chatham Cultural Centre on January 17th, 2009!
xoT.

10 things I love about you

1.
" I can't imagine a better way to spend an evening - Tara Duffy waxing poetic and making me pee my pants! Does it get any better than this?"
~ Jennifer Grant
2.
"Autobiography was never funnier!"
~Tom Coatsworth
3.
"I go speed dating every Friday night in search of Tara Duffy."
~Nicole Myers
4.
"I really DID laugh and cry. No lie. Enjoyed every heart-felt moment, from start to finish."
~Rochelle Douris
5.
"Captivating! Bold, brilliant, hilarious!! Check your eye makeup at the door!"
~Heather Bordine
6.
"I was amazed that any woman would have the guts to get up on stage by herself and put on a show. Tara is unbelievably talented, energetic and captivating. I really relate to her dating escapades. If you want a good laugh, you MUST see this show! With a live show like this, why would you waste time watching another B rate Hollywood movie?"
~Janice Carter
7.
"Phat Love was more than worth the price of admission. It gave me lots to think about I haven't laughed that hard for a long time. And we all could use a good laugh."
~Laura Gawne
8.
"Thanks to Tara and PHAT for the gift of reflection, laughter and a lightened spirit. We all can take a lesson from PHAT about how to go easy on ourselves. Perhaps we all need to soften our eyes when we look within!"
~Carol Shea
9.
"PHAT LOVE & the thin girl…funny, enjoyable…thoughtfully written…great insights…a truly energetic performance…I’m going to see Tara perform again."
~Victor Disyak
10.
"All I can say is: laughs, tears and plenty of FOOD for thought! It's about living, loving, not loving, and all the calories in between..."
~Karen Robinet

Peace, Love and Gratitude
xoT.