Gothamist review
Tarot Reading: Love, Sex and Mommy
Reviewed by Aaron DobbsOne-person shows come in a variety of forms but generally fall into
one of three categories: a confessional, a critical rant or a
performance piece of a character/characters. What's often common about
these shows, regardless of the category in which one falls, is that
generally the story told is something huge, remarkable, outrageous or
even unbelievable. What makes Kimberlee Auerbach's show Tarot Reading
so compelling, though, is that it is none of these. Rather, Auerbach's
story -- while certainly in the confessional category -- isn't
extraordinary at all; but it is honest and relatable, and therefore
immensely compelling.
The show is structured as Auerbach's visit to a tarot reading (with
the reader appearing through pre-recorded video segments), and as each
card is revealed and explained, Auerbach relates another episode from
her life. Her stories are moving and funny, but the reason they work
is because they're just like our own stories, and so we share her
insecurities, embarrassment and fears thereby also allowing us to
enjoy the strength, confidence, and happiness she seems to possess by
the conclusion of what is essentially her coming-of-age tale.
If there is a problem with the show, it's a small one, and it stems
from Auerbach's performance. She's often too stiff, with feet firmly
planted in place, body leaning forward, hands making very small, non-
consequential gestures. She also doesn't always let her emotions
build, too quickly becoming overly-something -- excited, embarrassed,
afraid -- so that she falls in danger of overacting rather than
reflecting the moment. We're going to attribute most of this to
nerves, however, simply because of one of the more interesting parts
of the production -- a video segment showing Auerbach at a Moth
storySLAM a few years back. (She has won several and competed in three
Moth GrandSLAM championships.) In it, Auerbach tells a story with a
conversational tone and casual posture that is noticeably difference
from what we're otherwise watching. For the audience in the room,
she's performing; for the Moth audience on the tape, she's a
storyteller. And here's the thing: Auerbach's persona and vignettes
are so open, warm, inviting and empathetic that she doesn't need to
"perform" or act. She just needs to smile and tell us her stories like
she obviously does at the Moth slams -- that would be enough to make
an entire audience nod, laugh, and want to go along for the ride.