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| The Most Shocking Play You Will See All Year… Robert A. Brader, Sr. died on March 3, 2003. Everybody loved him, but nobody knew him. Now his son will reveal what nobody but he knows in SPITTING IN THE FACE OF THE DEVIL , a daring and highly personal solo show in the vein of Spalding Gray and Mike Daisey. The show is about the death of the author's father, a terrifying and abusive ex-Marine, and their tension-filled relationship, which is contrasted with the love of his supportive mother. The father harbors a huge secret which will be revealed halfway through the piece; this revelation comes as a gigantic and shocking surprise not only to the author, but also to the audience, who discovers this information along with him. The Red Room 85 East 4th Street Between 2nd and 3rd Ave. May 7 - July 16 Mondays All SHOWS AT 7:00 PM SPECIAL LATE NIGHT SHOW THURSDAY JULY 12 AT 10:00 |
| Photo by Scott Wynn |
Review by Martin Denton Spitting in the Face of the Devil is a gripping monologue in which Brader talks about his father (the “Devil” of the title) and how he has begun to come to terms with the legacy that Robert A. Brader, Sr., who died in 2003, left behind. Brader grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania where everybody loved his glad-handing Dad—everyone, that is, except Bob himself, who was systematically abused, physically and emotionally, by his parent from an early age. In the play, Brader tells harrowing tales about being beaten for wetting his bed and ridiculed for participating in school entertainments. This stuff is hard to listen to, but Brader’s confident, candid storytelling manner and his vivid, earnest writing keep us compelled throughout. It’s not just a litany of horrendous recollections nor is it the outcry of a helpless victim; Brader genuinely wants to understand his father and why he acted the way he did (notwithstanding the epithet he’s chosen to give him), and he wants us to understand too. Near the end of the show, when Brader shares that he recognizes more of his father in him than he’d like to admit (and talks about working hard to “exorcise the Devil”), we really appreciate the stakes for the playwright/performer, and the play feels even braver than it already has. Brader’s father had a deep dark secret that fueled much of his rage and misbehavior, and though it becomes easy to figure out what it was as Brader recounts his tale, it’s still definitely a doozy and won’t be given away here. But Spitting in the Face of the Devil is less a mystery story than it is a journey into manhood and, as I’ve already said, away from constrictive shadows of the past. Brader, a fine actor who has appeared in numerous works for downtown auteurs Suzanne Bachner (who directed and developed this show) and Frank Cwiklik, proves himself also a deft writer. Spitting in the Face of the Devil is rich with intelligence and humor, and shows off its author’s broad range of talents neatly. (Brader demonstrates, for example, his nifty Paul Lynde imitation at one point.) It’s staged with simplicity, Spalding Grey-style, with just a desk, chair, and bottle of water. Brader creates the various characters in the show using spare mannerisms and differing voices. Overall it’s a gripping, elegantly conceived event. Brader’s conquest of his demons is probably still ongoing, and that fact lends his show a therapeutic feel (for him, I mean) that ongoing healing may diminish. He hasn’t put all of his father’s story in this show, either because he doesn’t know it or doesn’t want to share it; maybe with more distance he can add that in as well, for deeper insight into the dangerously unhappy man who was the most important influence on Brader’s life and who is also the sad center of this drama could only strengthen both. |
The Exorcist by Lauren Snyder Spitting In The Face Of The Devil reviewed June 11, 2007 Photo Credit: Scott Wynn There are many reasons why people write and perform in a one-person show: to engage in a very public therapy session, to tell a story that hasn't been heard onstage, and, obviously, to showcase their acting/writing talents. For Bob Brader, his reason was more pressing. He needed to exorcise the demons of his past—specifically, his father, who is the titular evildoer at the center of Brader's Spitting in the Face of the Devil. Photo Credit: Scott Wynn Growing up in eastern Pennsylvania, Brader was "Little Bob" to his dad's "Big Bob." But the elder Bob's joviality and popularity with his extended family and friends was at odds with the belittling, abusive monster whom his son and wife knew at home. As Brader dispassionately charts his coming of age and realization that his father is the Devil, he relates experiences both charming (when he figures out that he wants to be an actor) and disturbing (his father's way of handling Brader's bedwetting habit). As the truth behind Big Bob's behavior comes out, will Little Bob be able to escape his father's grasp, and his legacy? Photo Credit: Scott Wynn Brader employs a linear structure to his storytelling, starting from the news of his father's death and then running through major events of his youth and early adulthood. Though the show runs 90 minutes—a little lengthy for a solo piece—Brader's tale and his energy in telling it keep the audience from growing restless. The set (a black desk and chair on a black stage) and Brader's position (seated behind the desk) never change, but the performer's pauses for a sip of water or coffee work alongside Douglas Shearer's lighting design to note scene shifts and changes in tone. Brader's impersonations of his mother, father, younger self, and friends are judiciously minimal, evoking the characters without turning into silly impressions. The actor mostly underplays the drama of the story, but the events in his story, coupled with Brader's driving need to tell it, make for compelling theater. There is catharsis to be found when opening up to the world. While Brader admits to having worked on much of his past in therapy, it's clear from Spitting in the Face of the Devil that this production is not just vanity or exhibitionism but a way to expunge any remaining residue from his gritty past. As for the audience, some might get a voyeuristic thrill from the proceedings, or a feeling that "the grass isn't always greener" (their childhood wasn't so bad after all). But most important, they are part of one man's healing process. |
Spitting in the Face of the Devil: a Hellish Delight Tuesday, June 19, 2007; Posted: 11:27 AM - by Duncan Pflaster I have to say I was apprehensive about going to see Spitting in the Face of the Devil. Although I'd enjoyed the work of the actor and director before (I reviewed We Call Her Benny in the Frigid Festival in March), often one-person shows can be hit or miss. I'm pleased to report that Bob Brader's autobiographical one-man show about his relationship with his late father is very much a hit. Like the late, great Spalding Gray, Mr. Brader sits behind a table and talks, with nothing but his voice and facial expressions (and a few lighting changes) to carry his story. Mr. Brader is an incredibly versatile and engaging performer. Every character he talks about and impersonates is vivid and real. Suzanne Bachner's direction is flawless. She is also credited with developing the piece. The story is harrowing and fascinating- it concentrates on an abusive ex-marine father who Little Bob comes to call The Devil. Little anecdotes build up into a cohesive whole as the child begins to grasp the whole picture of who his father is and was. The sometimes shocking subject matter is peppered with humor throughout- It's a credit to the writing and direction that the audience is brought along for the ride so effortlessly. One can recognize one's own foibles in the story; by the time it was over, I knew these people. I highly recommend this piece. |
Photo by Scott Wynn
| SPITTING IN THE FACE OF THE DEVIL has just been EXTENDED thru July 16th with a Special Late Night Show on Thursday, July 12th at 10pm! |
EXTENDED
| offoffBway.com Review: Spitting in the Face of the Devil offoffbway @ 5:45 pm July 15, 2007 review by Naneh Israelyan In a compelling performance, Bob Brader, or Little Bobby as referred to by his family, animates for the audience the story of his childhood through the upbringing of his abusive father. Bob Brader enters the stage to announce the death of his father and thereafter slips into a simple wooden chair centered in the middle of a simple wooden desk—and at this desk Brader draws the audience into his childhood through the magic of storytelling. An autobiographical story, Bob Brader reproduces certain events of his childhood through immaculate impersonations of family members and friends, elaborate depictions of incidences that have marked his childhood, and smart lighting choices that aid in bringing his words to life. As an audience member, you will find yourself intrigued by this man’s tragically sad past. Certain anecdotes might spark questions as to their significance within the entire picture; however, seemingly insignificant events bring together a larger story by the end of ninety minutes. Robert A. Brader, Sr., the aggressive and insulting father who inspired a profound hatred within Bob Brader whose only salvation was found in his cloying mother, hides an entirely unforeseen, shocking secret that is revealed half-way through the play. The audience discovers the secret as Bob Brader proceeds in uncovering the truth. Brader’s words compel the audience to such an extent that one might feel as though one is unearthing secrets and experiencing events as Brader makes his movements. Further, the course of the story flows elegantly with successive stories strewn together by complex links among following anecdotes. The final blow, however, was not half as satisfying as the majority of the play. Although possessing a dense understanding of the nature of family whose attitudes, manners, and even behavior inevitably may wash over proceeding generations, one might find that Bob Brader’s inability to shy away from his aggressive tendencies disappointing. Despite an unsatisfying closure, Bob Brader keeps the audience at their knees with an engaging knack for storytelling adorned with smart humor and a shattering kind of sadness that will linger in the mind |
| Photo by Scott Wynn |
LISTEN TO THE PODCASAT OF SNIPPETS FROM 5 SHOWS INCLUDING AN EDITED VERSION OF SPRING FLING FROM SPITTING IN THE FACE OF THE DEVIL |