Award-winning comedy ‘The Eulogy’ pokes fun at funerals at the Scranton Fringe Fest Oct. 3-4
From a press release:
Tears of grief at a funeral are commonplace, but a new comedic play – ceremoniously titled “The Eulogy” – offers theatergoers the opposite: “The only tears at this funeral will be from laughing,” says playwright and performer Michael Burgos.
Set at the funeral of “Thomas” – a man who, after a lifetime of gluttony, died from eating too many eggs – “The Eulogy” features a menagerie of characters whose inept and inapt speeches give anything but a proper homage.
“The play is a bit unorthodox and has some ridiculous characters,” says Burgos, “but then again, we’re all a bit ridiculous, so why not be ridiculous together and laugh at something we normally take so seriously?”
The Indianapolis Star wrote that the show is “hilarious … deftly written,” and the Washington Post called it “a comic gem,” among many other rave reviews.
A graduate of the internationally renowned École Philippe Gaulier (alumni include Sacha Baron Cohen, Emma Thompson, and Helena Bonham Carter), Burgos is an internationally acclaimed writer and performer who holds a B.M. from Berklee College of Music and has toured with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.
Burgos brings his award-winning solo show to Scranton as part of the inaugural Scranton Fringe Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. at Coalwork (544 Spruce St., Scranton). If you’re wondering what a fringe festival is, wonder no more.
Fringe festivals are performing arts festivals that allow greater accessibility to the theater for both audiences and artists alike. With their traditionally pared-down productions, fringe festivals lower production costs for artists as well as ticket prices for audiences – all while maintaining entertainment value. With the reduced financial risk for both audiences and artists, fringe festivals allow the performing arts to flourish in the cities that host them with the added benefit of a boost to the local economy. As a result, fringe festivals have been cropping up all over the world over the past few decades (there are more than 30 fringe festivals in the United States alone); this weekend, Scranton becomes the newest addition to the worldwide fringe family.
“I studied theater in France and began writing ‘The Eulogy’ in London, but with this weekend’s inaugural festival, I get to play a small part in Scranton’s artistic history,” says Burgos.
“That’s pretty cool.”
Tickets are $10 or $7 with a Fringe button and are available at the door or online via TicketLeap. For more information, visit theeulogyplay.com.
