Daejeon performance artists to stage play on being 'irredeemable'

John A Riley, from left, and Kevin and Beatrice Nickolai take a boat ride on the Han River in Seoul. Courtesy of Kevin Nickolai

An upcoming theatrical performance in Daejeon has people asking, "What is this?"

That is the name of the play, which is described in an online invitation as a "Weird theatrical comedy show." It's the product of local artist Kevin Nickolai, joined by his 12-year-old daughter Beatrice (who he refers to as "Beee") and John A Riley.

"The final shape of the piece is still liquid because we rented out the theater before we ever really landed on a working order or knew exactly what was going to be presented," Kevin told The Korea Times. "We didn't even have a title that had to be written on the form. I looked up at John and said, 'What is this?' He said, 'Yes.' So that's what it became."

The show is "mostly scripted," as Kevin and John both put it, played out in skits and monologues, but also includes some audience participation and some ad-libbing and improv.

"It's an unusual mix of comic monologues and sketches," said John, who teaches a drama class at a local university.

"We're kind of throwing crap at the wall to see what sticks and giving ourselves an unreasonable deadline to see what's possible," Kevin said. "I wanted to create a comedy show around the theme of being unredeemable. I think comedy works best when you share your weird way in which you see the world. I have insecurities around my value as a person. So some of my stuff is about leading a wasted life and not focusing on doing good acts for others but rather focusing on my own comfort over long-term, more meaningful goals. So there's a lot of underlying guilt here."

John elaborated on the theme of being irredeemable.

"The focus in this show is very much on Kevin's irredeemable behavior, but you'll also be hearing about my atrocious behavior too. I'd say being irredeemable is one of our main themes," he said.

"Characters I've written for our past shows have been dysfunctional office workers, serial adulterers, con artists and religious fanatics with unsavory appetites. Something about being in the EFL industry in Korea seems to result in meeting these kinds of characters. We're playing around and trying to make people laugh but we're also posing the questions of are such people capable of changing and what do you do when you have someone truly dysfunctional in your life."

A poster for the "What is this?" performance to be staged one time in Daejeon / Courtesy of the Rustwater Players

One sketch will feature Kevin as a soul rotting away in Hell, where the Devil is a very sympathetic character focused on customer service. John has a sketch of the unspeakable cruelty of absolute power. Kevin will also put his shortcomings as a father on display.

Between sketches, Kevin will deliver monologues aided by a large-format sketchpad.

"There will be sketchbooks and self-portraits of my neuroticism on display," Kevin said. "I talk to the audience about my fear of horror movies and how parenthood can feel enough like horror's always lurking around the bend. I talk about my experiences as a kindergarten teacher and demanding an unreasonable amount of work and effort from the children. I talk about my love for the movie 'It's a Wonderful Life' but how I doubt the thesis of that movie."

This will be the first time Beatrice appears on stage with her father. She has become known in the local artist community for her "The Annoying Dad" comics, which are inspired by real-life with Kevin. John said she also contributed several ideas for the sketches.

John explained the father-daughter dynamic between those two. "One of Beatrice's catchphrases about Kevin is, 'I still haven't forgiven him for that.' She keeps Kevin on his toes and chides him when he uses bad language. I think he knows if he does something irritating that she's going to turn that into one of her comic strips. Kevin is one of the easiest people I've ever collaborated with creatively. And Beatrice is one of the funniest people I know. Getting burned by Beatrice is a rite of passage. She often comes at the scene from a surprising angle, and she's a master of the callback too."

"I like working with everyone in the cast except for Kevin," Beatrice said. "He told me I could be in the show last time, but he gave my role to someone else. And I still haven't forgiven him for that."

"What is this?" will be staged one time only at Daejeon Jung-gu Cultural Center, starting this Saturday at 8 p.m. with a performance by the Reggie Hart Show. Entry is free.

"It's weird. It's free. You might get wet. There will be marshmallows," Kevin said.

"Come see it, if you are bored," Beatrice added.