I Have Never Done This Before

Created and Performed by Joel Jeske

Joel took a big leap into the unknown. He performed what he says is all material that he has never done before. Joel tells the audience that the guidelines for the show require an attitude of absolute cooperation on their part. And the audience accepts the rules. He gruffly tells someone to get onstage and down on his knees. He does it, only to be treated as a music stand and castigated for looking up. He tugs three people up to sit onstage, hands them clipboards and markers, waits to see what will happen. It is fresh and feels dangerous. They do not know what is expected of them or what will happen next. Joel does not attempt make them feel comfortable.

Their looks to each other, the audience, to Joel, end up seeming like well rehearsed choreography.

Each little section is an experiment--with a proposal of storytelling, prop manipulation, audience participation, or mime. He caps its end with a curt little bow.

Joel performs with a manic intensity that can be wonderful to watch. It can also become overbearing. If I gave Joel one note, it would be to be hyper-aware of when he is angrily drilling the audience with his eyes, and choose when to do that and when to soften his gaze. When he reinterpreted a disco anthem and expressed the angry lyrics this worked beautifully. At other times his anger seemed misplaced. When he did a series of imitations of dogs, it was a great relief and joy to see the lovely soft look in his eyes as he waited for his master at the door, or sleepily looked at the TV on a Sunday afternoon.

This is a courageous experiment. While it is not always successful, some of the simplest choices created wonderful moments. Worth seeing, worth seeing a second time just to find out what Joel will do.