Review by Steve Desroches
Eve Ensler wrote The Vagina Monologues, in part, to counteract the ridiculous nonsense women have been told about their bodies, and in particular their genitalia, empowering them to celebrate that which they may have been taught to be ashamed of. The show Puppetry of the Penis came out of a house party in Melbourne, Australia, when two guys dropped their pants and said, “Oi! Look what I can do!” It was first performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1998 and has since been performed in over 35 countries in multiple languages becoming a global phenomenon. And after a smash hit debut last summer in Provincetown, Puppetry of the Penis swings back for another season on the Cape tip…but just the tip.
Puppetry of the Penis is indeed what it sounds like. Two men twist, stretch, and contort their genitals to present tricks and illusions like “The Loch Ness Monster,” “The Eiffel Tower,” and “The Hamburger.” It’s a simple concept. A penile practice done since time immemorial, becoming a bit of a staple in high school locker rooms, and receiving a big boost ever since that scene in Silence of the Lambs. The success of the show is that it is plain and simple, fun and funny. At the risk of over-thinking it, Puppetry of the Penis presents a playful interpretation of masculinity opening it up to be the punchline in opposition to Puritanical views of nudity and the body as well as rejecting the phallus as symbol of power, position, or dominance. These men are asking you to point and laugh at their penises, and the more you do so, the better the show. That being said, it does require a bit of maturity from the audience as the joke isn’t their naked bodies, or even their genitals, but in that it overcomes the taboo of full, frontal male nudity quickly and then turns into just a silly and slapstick good time. Is it sophomoric? Duh! Yeah, that’s the point. But these guys are working hard…well, no, they’re flaccid the whole time, but they are giving 100 percent in creating a stage presence and performance that exudes such a confidence and playfulness most everyone feels comfortable seeing two grown men naked for an hour or so. It’s important to note that there is no eroticism to this show. Puppetry of the Penis is basically nude vaudeville. In its way there is a giggly innocence to it all. And no worries, as no one in the audience is picked on, though there is a moment when an invitation is extended to any guy in the audience to come on stage and try a trick themselves. Alas, on the night in question no one dared…but when they got home, well that might be another story.
Puppetry of the Penis is at the Art House, 214 Commercial St., Sunday and Wednesday at 9 p.m. now through September 13. Tickets ($35/$45) are available at the box office and online at thearthouseptown.com.
