As part of their ANT Fest (All New Talent Festival), Ars Nova combs through a bunch of submissions to select up and coming performers and give them an opportunity to bring us 29 shows in 22 days during the month of June. I’m a huge fan and supporter, having seen many shows here including the original staging of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, currently playing on Broadway. “In Russia, we write letters, we write letters…”
I decided to pick a show from ANT Fest and last night saw Night Soap, a hilarious piece of theatrical camp. We follow the story of the two warring chocolate families, Hershey and Nestle, who are in a battle to sell the first chocolate candy in space. Naturally, like any good soap, it is the wives who spar here. The character of Mrs. Hershey is Barbara Hershey, the Beaches star whose acting trajectory is obviously way-off course, adding to the fun.
The out loud laughs were frequent through this three act play which clocked in at less than one hour. Like many drag shows, this one has its crude humor but somehow even all of that was well written and hugely funny. We seem to be in a golden era of drag right now with Ru Paul’s Drag Race continuing to shine on. Night Soap is as good if not better than most of the offerings I’ve seen in PTown. And there’s sort of a real plot and a great ending — is this the future of drag?
Quick tip for those outside New York. Two productions that Ars Nova has presented in recent seasons are going on tour this year and are well worth seeking out: Underground Railroad Game and Small Mouth Sounds. Both are unique and unforgettable.