7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, Schneebeck Concert Hall
TACOMA, Wash. – David Schmader, the Seattle-based writer, and performer, regularly delights audiences with his wit and insights into human nature. His one-person performances—delivered on stages from New York to Los Angeles—have a way of winning over even the most jaded of critics. Whether it is the pathos of seeing his father cry or the hilarity of his favorite YouTube video, Schmader interprets events with the black humor of one who has been driven to the edge and refused to jump.
His solo play, A Short-Term Solution to a Long-Term Problem, has been described by critics as “devastating, true, and smart” (The Stranger) and “Amazing. You just have to go.” (Seattlest).
Audiences can see the show at the University of Puget Sound on Wednesday, Sept 23, at 7 p.m., in Schneebeck Concert Hall. Tickets are $5 general, with complimentary admission for Puget Sound faculty, staff, and students with campus ID. Tickets are available through the outlets described below.
Schmader’s performance and artist residency at Puget Sound is part of a series of events the college is holding to support the Tacoma Art Museum’s groundbreaking Art AIDS America exhibition, running from Oct. 3, 2015, to Jan. 10, 2016. Other related events at Puget Sound in the academic year ahead include a themed student art show and printmaking workshop; an Art+Science Salon, featuring artist Micha Cárdenas speaking on “HIV, Violence, and Trans Women of Color”; and a Surviving & Thriving: AIDS, Politics, and Culture exhibition and panel discussion at Collins Memorial Library.
A Short-Term Solution to a Long-Term Problem is a show offering an inside look at Schmader’s experience as a gay fifth-grader in Texas; at how he dealt with a dramatic life upheaval; how he coped with his partner’s Mormon family; and at his churlish love for the viral video Beyonce Clown and the stage show Showgirls.
“Schmader doesn’t so much pour his heart out as construct himself
—doubts, passions, distractions, and all—before our eyes.”
The Seattle Times
The elements of this brilliant writer’s comedic tales are sometimes dark. Still, throughout the performance, he keeps the atmosphere light, inviting the audience to share the healing power of humor he adopted as a life strategy. A review on the news website Boosh says of Schmader:
“It’s easy for him to seek refuge in his comedy bunker. Too easy. It’s where he doesn’t have to deal with the pressing concerns, and the world can go away. That’s a big part of the show—comedy as a crutch and a shield. Some jokes sounded like insights and insights that made you laugh. For anyone who can relate to the idea of a comedy bunker at the end of the world, this show shouldn’t be missed.”
Dan Savage, the author of Savage Love and The Kid, writes that “David Schmader is a tremendously gifted writer. (He) doesn’t beat up on the usual suspects, nor does he trot out standard retorts. Instead, he digs deeper, exposing hypocrisies—including his own—by turning them inside out.”
Schmader has toured the country with productions that embrace social and cultural issues, such as homophobia; the unifying power of anger; and trauma, escapism, and forgiveness. His earlier works include Letters to Axl (1993) and Straight (1999).
Directed by Dan Savage, Chay Yew, and Matthew Richter, Schmader’s performances have been staged in cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and Columbus. Schmader also has been a writer for the Seattle newsweekly The Stranger, where he is best known for his column “Last Days: The Week in Review.” He is currently writing Weed: A User’s Guide, published by Sasquatch Books in spring 2016. Schmader has lived and worked in Seattle since 1991.
FOR TICKETS: Tickets are available online at tickets.pugetsound.edu or Wheelock Information Center, 253.879.3100. Admission is $5 for the general public and free for Puget Sound faculty, staff, and students with campus ID. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door.
For directions and a map of the campus:pugetsound.edu/directions
For accessibility information, please contact accessibility@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3236, or visit pugetsound.edu/accessibility.
Press photos of David Schmader can be downloaded from pugetsound.edu/pressphotos.
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