Oy joy Let’s go to the show - Meeting Speaker & Improv ... · improv workshop facilitator Jodi...
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By Becky Meyer Pourchot W hile some folks will be spend- ing their Christmas Eve din- ing on baked ham and listen- ing, yet again, to Aunt Edna’s litany of medical complaints, a few of us will be pursuing a new holiday tradition in- volving, of all things, Chinese food and im- provisational comedy. Over the past three years, performer and improv workshop facilitator Jodi Cohen has found a holiday niche in Madison, dishing out her annual one-woman dinner show, “Oy to the World,” using humor to shed light on the overwhelming nature of the holidays. Cohen originally assembled the Decem- ber show for her Jewish friends, who were perpetually looking for social activities on Christmas Eve. When she approached the co-owner of Imperial Garden, Karen Meyer, about her idea for a Christmas din- ner performance, Meyer happily agreed. With minimal advertising, seats filled up quickly, and it soon became apparent that Cohen’s appeal went beyond her circle of friends. Cohen now offers four shows, including two post-Christmas performances. Using a blend of scripted material, improv and audi- ence participation, Cohen of- fers a peek into the comic in- sanity of the holidays, allow- ing her six characters to voice the frustrations that we all face, no matter our religious background. Cohen describes her char- acters as “truth-tellers,” who utilize comedy to tell it like it really is: “For me, what’s so liberating about portraying these characters is the chance to put voice to the subtext of what goes on for all of us.” Cohen’s Jewish grand- mother character, with her thick Yiddish accent and high-tech, latke-making walker, will depart from her standard comic shtick this year to share her heartfelt desire for people to end their fretful holiday antics and instead focus on sharing time together. Nikki, the show’s teenage persona, will tell her tale of working at the airport’s in- formation desk during the holidays. With her blunt teen manner, Nikki offers “not just literal information but what you really need,” such as convenient excuses for get- ting out of the house and advice to lesbians bringing home a girlfriend for the first time. Because of the improvisational nature of the show, each performance takes on its own tone. This year, Zelda Goosebumps, Cohen’s pet psychic, will do readings, re- vealing to the audience their pets’ gift pref- erences, while Helvi Majander from north- ern Wisconsin will create her cooked maca- roni sculptures based on audience requests. “The joke of it is,” Cohen says, “No mat- ter what I do, it still looks like a pile of macaroni.” Cohen gives a nod to the role humor plays in relieving the stress in our busy lives: “Regardless of it being a great time of year to celebrate and be joyous, it’s stressful — errands, parking, the snow, waiting in lines. There’s a lot of focus on materialism, with pressure to be in the loop that way. We need humor. We need it bad.” ❄ MORE FROM ISTHMUS — NOVEMBER 2006 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE giving 25 Cohen originally assembled the December show for her Jewish friends, who were looking to socialize on Christmas Eve. Oy joy Madison comedian Jodi Cohen takes on the most wonderful time of the year Let’s go to the show Jodi Cohen will perform at Imperial Garden, 2039 Allen Blvd. in Middleton, Sunday, Dec. 24 and Thursday, Dec. 28. Choose dinner at 5:30 pm, with a show at 7; or dinner at 7:30, with a show at 9. $35 includes dinner, show, tax & tip. Call 608-238-6445 for reservations.
Transcript of Oy joy Let’s go to the show - Meeting Speaker & Improv ... · improv workshop facilitator Jodi...
By Becky Meyer Pourchot
W hile some folks will be spend-ing their Christmas Eve din-ing on baked ham and listen-ing, yet again, to Aunt Edna’s
litany of medical complaints, a few of uswill be pursuing a new holiday tradition in-volving, of all things, Chinese food and im-provisational comedy.
Over the past three years, performer andimprov workshop facilitator Jodi Cohen hasfound a holiday niche in Madison, dishingout her annual one-woman dinner show,“Oy to the World,” using humor to shedlight on the overwhelming nature of theholidays.
Cohen originally assembled the Decem-ber show for her Jewish friends, who wereperpetually looking for social activities onChristmas Eve. When she approached theco-owner of Imperial Garden, KarenMeyer, about her idea for a Christmas din-ner performance, Meyer happily agreed.With minimal advertising, seats filled upquickly, and it soon became apparent thatCohen’s appeal went beyond her circle of
friends. Cohen now offersfour shows, including twopost-Christmas performances.
Using a blend of scriptedmaterial, improv and audi-ence participation, Cohen of-fers a peek into the comic in-sanity of the holidays, allow-ing her six characters to voicethe frustrations that we allface, no matter our religiousbackground.
Cohen describes her char-acters as “truth-tellers,” whoutilize comedy to tell it like itreally is: “For me, what’s soliberating about portrayingthese characters is the chanceto put voice to the subtext ofwhat goes on for all of us.”
Cohen’s Jewish grand-mother character, with her thick Yiddishaccent and high-tech, latke-making walker,will depart from her standard comic shtickthis year to share her heartfelt desire for
people to end their fretful holiday anticsand instead focus on sharing time together.
Nikki, the show’s teenage persona, willtell her tale of working at the airport’s in-
formation desk during the holidays. Withher blunt teen manner, Nikki offers “notjust literal information but what you reallyneed,” such as convenient excuses for get-ting out of the house and advice to lesbiansbringing home a girlfriend for the first time.
Because of the improvisational nature ofthe show, each performance takes on itsown tone. This year, Zelda Goosebumps,Cohen’s pet psychic, will do readings, re-vealing to the audience their pets’ gift pref-erences, while Helvi Majander from north-ern Wisconsin will create her cooked maca-roni sculptures based on audience requests.
“The joke of it is,” Cohen says, “No mat-ter what I do, it still looks like a pile ofmacaroni.”
Cohen gives a nod to the role humorplays in relieving the stress in our busylives: “Regardless of it being a great time ofyear to celebrate and be joyous, it’s stressful— errands, parking, the snow, waiting inlines. There’s a lot of focus on materialism,with pressure to be in the loop that way.We need humor. We need it bad.” ❄
MORE FROM ISTHMUS — NOVEMBER 2006 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE giving 25
Cohen originally assembled the December show for her Jewishfriends, who were looking to socialize on Christmas Eve.
Oy joyMadison comedian Jodi Cohen takes on the most wonderful time of the year
Let’s go to the show Jodi Cohen will perform at ImperialGarden, 2039 Allen Blvd. in Middleton,Sunday, Dec. 24 and Thursday, Dec. 28.Choose dinner at 5:30 pm, with a show at 7; or dinner at 7:30, with a show at 9. $35 includes dinner, show, tax & tip. Call 608-238-6445 for reservations.
