Come, Pee Your PantsMiracle Theatre525 S.E. StarkFri/Sat nights Aug. 3 – 2510:15 p.m. (doors open at 10)$9 at the door/ $7 in advance503-736-1027“Come, Pee Your Pants.” Is that an invitation? A challenge? A warning perhaps? Exactly what does one expect with a title like that? Thankfully I had a press release, so I read . . .
Sean Miller and Josh Thorpe, two local actor/writers, presently involved with Toad City Productions, and directed by Adrienne Flagg, Toad City’s co-founder and artistic director, would entertain with an array of scripted scenes, monologues, songs and improvisation. Well that sounds interesting enough, I’ll go, besides the title alone has a certain amount of promise. And with skits like “One Eyed Renny,” “Pan Asian Love Dance” and “Going Down” it should be an entertaining eve.
However, I was somewhat remiss when I arrived to a bevy of “Beverly Hills 90210” rejects cackling above the blaring music before the show. Add to it Sean and Josh’s press release claiming them to be, and I quote, “Portland’s freshest comedy duo since Jim Bozley and Mary Starret.” Well, we all know how hysterical the Boz and Mary are, right? So, I quickly and efficiently altered my expectations ���� to not much.
Thankfully, because there isn’t an intermission during the nearly two hour show, which may explain the title some, Sean and Josh are funny. Very funny. And, if you can believe this, even funnier than the Boz and Mary, combined.
From the opening singing introduction to the finale, also sung, Sean and Josh go from quirky characters and odd circumstances and back again with great alacrity and naturalness. The skits, all written by Sean and/or Josh, are indeed funny. Perhaps not pant-pissing funny, but funny nonetheless.
Unfortunately Sean and Josh only “improv” on one sketch, “Folk Laureate,” a spoof on folksingers. It’s unfortunate because this is where their talent really comes through. Anyone can slap together a couple of too long, “SNL”-type, mildly funny sketches, but very few have the talent and creativity to create an amusing story with a pretty damn-good song about, at least for this night, peanut butter ���� off the cuff. This, for my money, is where they should stay. Accepting suggestions from the audience and creating funny, stupid, amusing ditties like “Peanut Butter Heaven,” or whatever.
Besides “Folk Laureate,” Sean and Josh’s camaraderie shines through in “Tale of Two Sassers.” The Sassers, two old men with a hankerin’ for the same elderly woman, is exceedingly funny. However, again, like most of the other skits, it begins running long, long on “cleverness,” cleverness to simply prove how clever one needs to be when making clever little skits more clever.
Again, thankfully, these guys are funny enough to keep the length from being too burdensome. Boz and Mary, you’re officially forewarned there are two more comedians, Sean and Josh, in this here town.
So, if you find yourself looking for something to do besides going home and staring at the idiot box, go down to the Miracle Theatre and pee your pants with Sean and Josh. I’m sure they’d love the company.
Also the Miracle Theatre has added a small cafe next door to take care of any refreshment desires one may have. But be careful, or you’re just liable to pee your pants.