A few graceful moments

On a sparsely set stage, five readers share Spalding Grey’s stories from notebooks. I’d never heard a word of Grey’s work before. Maybe that’s why I didn’t expect the Spalding Grey Project to be so funny. I also didn’t expect it to be so full of bathroom humor. So I was surprised when I was suddenly laughing uncontrollably. I was surprised when it was gross. The riveting thing about the performance was the play between those ridiculously funny stories and the mournfully tender parts. That balance was an invitation into Grey’s world. I could identify with Grey’s use of health insurance as a measure of success. I could feel the riveting, open gaze of his eight month old baby. At one point, a reader states, “I came to know of my life through the telling of it.” By listening, I came to know of Grey’s life. And I’m glad I did.
posted by amber bell