Playwright: Judy Fabjance At: GayCo Productions at Donny's Skybox, 1608 N. Wells St. Phone: 312-337-3992; $13. Website: www.gayCo.com . Runs through: Feb. 24
Performing a comic solo show can be daunting for any performerand if the subject matter is about surviving breast cancer, then good luck wringing out laughs from audiences who might be reluctant to even see the show in the first place.
However, Judy Fabjance of GayCo Productions fearlessly delves into her own personal experience with breast cancer in the company's first one-woman show, Are You There Judy? It's Me Cancer, at Donny's Skybox Theatre. Fabjance does provide a lot of laughs in addition to personally poignant moments about her four-year breast-cancer odyssey involving diagnosis, mastectomy, chemotherapy, reconstructive surgery and a painful recovery (all without steady health insurance, too).
That Fabjance could find so much creative and entertaining humor from her life-threatening ordeal is certainly impressive. Yet, there are times when you feel she's taking on too much.
Fabjance's show isn't just an affair where she stands and gabs into a microphone for an hour. Are You There Judy? … is essentially a full GayCo sketch-comedy revue. However, instead of a company of many performers, it's all executed by Fabjance (with occasional assistance from musical director Amanda Murphy at the piano and the uncredited tech crew who were occasionally shaky with the sound cues on opening night).
Unfortunately, Fabjance's show is front-loaded with material that is only so-so. Fabjance's opening interpretive dance about a woman confronted with cancer isn't as polished as it should be, while her cheerleader routine about reconstructive breast-surgery options just about fell flat.
Luckily Fabjance gets into her comic groove with great comic-video vignettes featuring other GayCo company members, silly songs (including one about her complicated relationship with broccoli) and even an interactive cancer game show where an audience member has to guess if a woman is a lesbian, or a just straight woman with short hair.
Opening just days after news broke about the Susan G. Komen Foundation's plans to phase out breast cancer screening grants to Planned Parenthood (whose plans were reversed thanks to a massive backlash), Fabjance's show doesn't wade into any of this recent controversy. While some people might be disappointed by this omission since GayCo isn't afraid of tackling controversy, it's probably a better choice on Fabjance's part.
Are You There Judy? ... keeps the audience's focus squarely on Fabjance's own personal struggles with breast cancer. That Fabjance was able to buoy her own spirits with so much laughter and productivity (just look at this frequently funny show), be grateful that she's willing to share so much about herself in order to educate and entertain.