No one in attendance at Chris Gethard’s set at the Rivoli as part of JFL42 can say that the New Jersey-born comic didn't warn them ahead of time.
Gethard laid his deeply personal and intensely revealing stand-up act out in advance, foretelling the audience that “this show will have jokes about stuff that isn't normally funny.” Those in the audience had no idea how true that preview would prove to be, as the Broad City writer led an emotional and unflinching journey through his own tumultuous struggles with depression and suicidal instincts.
In the hands of someone else, this material would hardly befit a show tied to a comedy festival. But Gethard finds the humour in some extremely dark material that comes off far too real to make up. After putting those in attendance at ease by acknowledging that he wasn't discussing anything that he hadn't made his own peace with, he goes on to bares his soul with harrowing—and ostensibly true—stories of his vehicle collision with a truck that he deliberately engineered, battles with drug abuse and alcoholism, standing atop a cliff with the intension of jumping and a frank discussion centered around what depression feels like.
It’s a testament to Gethard that he’s funny enough to extract some genuine laughs from his material, poking fun at his therapist’s many professional faux pas and drawing yuks as he describes the surreal ridiculousness of some of his lowest moments.
The stunning contrast between the two emotional poles makes for a mesmerizing piece of incredibly real theatre. Gethard doesn’t pull punches, coming off earnest without losing composure and laughing at his own expense without seeming detached and cold. What makes the narrative so powerful is how unfinished it feels. While he serves up a chronological narration dotted with humorous anecdotes, he briefly touches on some dark periods in 2007 that, to quote the comic, “I haven’t found a way to make them funny so I’m not going to go into them.” It’s clear that these struggles remain on-going, making his one-man show seem somewhat therapeutic. It also further emphasizes the Gethard’s vulnerability, as he is speaking openly about something that continues to plague him.
The end result was a roller coaster of emotional catharsis unlike anything that you’d expect JFL42 to provide. Sure, Gethard, an experienced comic based in LA, wasn’t afraid to go to the well on typical comedy themes of drugs, alcohol, sex, masturbation and the odd poo joke, but his hour-long set came layered with a level of poignancy and feeling that made it so much more than a mindless hour of fun.
