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SPNP Tech—Son of Warehouse

In this forty-five-minute one-man show, Eric Jaffe of Brooklyn, New York, reflects on the serpentine paths that he and many others of his age and social group have taken in their work lives during the past twenty to thirty years. To prepare for this show, he had interviewed sixty-five former fraternity brothers, compiled their stories, and looked for trends. Sometimes he acts out their stories, putting on different accents and mannerisms, and at other times he summarizes what he has learned. One conclusion that he draws is that nobody really knows what their intended career will be like before they finally get into it, and more than a few people discover that they do not actually like what they have chosen. Often individuals have to try many things in life to find a suitable fit. These are good lessons that I appreciated being reminded about, but does this work as theatre? I can’t say that any of the stories really stuck in my mind, and another problem was that it was sometimes hard to tell if Jaffe was speaking for himself or as just another one of his characters/interviewees. Moreover, what is Jaffe saying about his own production with his choice of title?

Konrad Antony