(Photo: Frigid New York @Horse Trade)
Stop worrying about ebola and just be glad you aren’t on a cruise ship teaming with food-poisoned zombies. That’s the setting of a quirky, uproarious tale now playing at Under St. Marks.
You might not want to eat anything before you see The Pumpkin Pie Show: Seasick, in which chunks of vomit are vividly compared to multicolored fireworks. The story centers around four lovable cruise-ship workers whose jobs are to make sure everyone on board is as happy as can be, despite a ghastly case of seafood gone awry. The captivating Katie Hartman plays a custodian who, while tending to a playroom, is forced to shoot down zombified children with bleach. As the Karaoke Coordinator, Hanna Cheek delivers a heartwarming ballad as she amusingly fights off the urge to throw up. The stereotypical French chef, played by Abe Goldfarb, makes for a fine villain — as he complains about the lack of appreciation for his food, even if his accent wanes.
Without the help of a set or even costumes, the characters’ superb storytelling conveys the Halloweenish madness aboard the Argonautica and manages to fill the 25-seat black box theater with laughter over the course of an hour and twenty minutes.
Clay McLeod Chapman, creator of The Pumpkin Pie Show, also plays the Captain, a bitter man with a love for the open sea and a haunted past. (By day, Chapman is a writing instructor at Pace University.) Finally, as his name suggests, Brian Silliman brings the laughs as a father determined to save his family from the spreading sickness. In one of the show’s best moments, Silliman takes off his pants and shirt to drench himself with bleach, only to find the solution makes him blind.
(Photo: Ilyse Liffreing)
Sadly, the only “pumpkin pie” here is in the title. But trust us: you won’t even want to think about food until you’ve finished digesting this gross yet hilarious show.
Frigid New York at Horse Trade Theater Group, the same company behind the annual FRIGID Theatre Festival in New York, presents “The Pumpkin Pie Show: Seasick,” which plays until November 1st, with shows Thursday-Saturday nights at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18.
If you want more from FRIGID New York, the 3rd Annual Gotham Storytelling Festival takes place November 5 to 10 at Under St. Marks.