It seems silly to come down too hard on a show calling itself “You Are Poop.” I mean, what did I expect? It’s like ordering poop for dinner and then complaining, “This tastes like poop.” But a $15 ticket should buy audiences better quality poop than this time-waster that brings to mind a summer-camp skit written and performed by a bunch of 9-year-olds who spent all of July sniffing rubber cement. Which actually sounds kind of funny. So why is this thing so boring? I’m down with stupid, but draggy incoherence and ironic navel-gazing can take a hike. The show is basically a broken record stuck on the phrase “You are poop.” Repetition can be a fruitful comic device, and the stakes go up as the words get dirtier. “Uncle Fucker” and “Kyle’s Mom is a Bitch” (both from “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut”) nail the idea perfectly—and efficiently, lasting barely more than a minute apiece. Chris Churchill’s script cycles on for a full hour, and even brief moments of random comedy (Amy Sumpter’s meta monologue about being saddled with the worst character in the show) cannot justify the effort. Poop is poop, and I’m betting Churchill knows this better than anyone. (Nina Metz)
At the Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee, (773)598-4549. This production is now closed.
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