The age-old advice for showbiz performers is to never work with children or animals. But what about food? It’s a risky prop that can easily steal the spotlight from any actor or actress. Just the scent of frying onions can captivate an audience more than the most impassioned speech.
However, American actor and theater artist Geoff Sobelle is undeterred by the challenges posed by working with food. In fact, he’s dedicated an entire show, aptly named “Food,” to this slippery adversary. The performance begins with Sobelle, dressed as a waiter, serving the audience around a massive dining table, creating a fine-dining atmosphere.
But “Food” is more than just a spectacle. It provokes the audience to reflect on their own relationship with food – how they eat, prepare, grow, and contemplate it. Sobelle explains, “I’m drawn to these very simple but very large themes. There’s something really absurd in just trying to make something called Food. I love that as a jumping-off point.”
“Food” is the latest in a series of innovative works by Sobelle that explore profound questions through everyday experiences. In his previous shows, “Home” and “The Object Lesson,” he delved into themes such as possessions, living spaces, and now, food. Sobelle’s performances start from the specific and expand to address universal issues – from personal memories to socioeconomic and political concerns.
When discussing his work, Sobelle’s keen eye for the absurd and the narratives hidden in ordinary objects shines through. He shares a remarkable story about his wife’s French grandfather, who transported arms to French Resistance fighters by hiding them beneath a wooden cart carrying bees. The bees would get agitated if the cart was disturbed, deterring anyone from interfering with his mission. Sobelle’s work combines philosophical reflection, illusion, and comedy, drawing inspiration from comedic legends like Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati.
Food has long been a source of comic potential in entertainment. Think of Bridget Jones’s blue soup mishap or the chaotic dinner scene in One Man, Two Guvnors. In theater, the presence of food can ground the performance in the present moment and create a tangible connection between the actors and the audience. It can also serve as a metaphor for human connection and compassion.
Sobelle’s “Food” encourages audience participation and reflection. Spectators are invited to recall significant meals they have prepared for loved ones, fostering a sense of shared experiences. The show’s design, with its white tablecloth and dining utensils, evokes the ritualistic nature of breaking bread and sharing meals.
Ultimately, “Food” is not about providing answers or solving the complexities of our relationship with food. It’s about embracing the overwhelming nature of the topic and reveling in the absurdity of our attempts to understand it. As Sobelle explains, “Let’s just swim around and admit that we’ll never get it.” And amidst the laughter and contemplation, the audience is invited to fill the show with their own rituals and memories, making each performance a unique and personal experience.
“Food” will be showcased at The Studio in Edinburgh during the festival season, followed by performances at ASU Gammage in Arizona and BAM Next Wave in New York. The combination of comedy, illusion, and reflections on food promises to be a thought-provoking and entertaining experience for theater enthusiasts.
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