Drink Up

One of the more enduring mementos to pass through this office was the SF Weakly, a satire crafted by comedian Kurt Weitzmann in 2000. Wisely, Weitzmann moved to Los Angeles soon after the execution of his media lampoon. He appeared on stages for HBO, Comedy Central, and the fabulous Fake Gallery; worked with some funny folks from The Simpsons, SpongeBob, and The Office; and released a sketch-comedy CD. Recently, he returned to the Bay Area, publicly roasting Jesus Christ and generating nervous laughter like nothing had changed. But they say behind every clown is a suicidal, attention-deprived alcoholic, and Last Call may be proof. It’s Weitzmann’s first dramatic offering, a one-act play set in a local bar where a despondent man gains his bartender’s attention by threat of suicide. Believably written, deftly directed (Norman Siopis), and beautifully acted (Joe Madero and Tom Martins), Last Call captures the desperation and complexity of the human experience in microcosm, suggesting that, after nearly 20 years of comedy, Weiztmann may have another calling.

Last Call is staged alongside The American Bar, written by award-winning playwright Mark Witteveen. With characters worthy of Sam Shepard, Witteveen conjures Midwestern warmth on a chill winter evening when a returning soldiers drops in for a drink. Of course nothing is as simple as that.
Thursdays-Saturdays. Starts: April 3. Continues through April 26, 2008