Discover AtlantASS

Interarts collaboration is all the rage these days, as well it should be. Our modern version of Richard Wagner’s Gesammtkunstwerk, cooperation between artists of different disciplines seems like it’s a driving force for contemporary theater. But the operative word here is “collaboration.” Painters, musicians, actors, etc. coming together to lend their expertise to a project that requires their expertise.

Talibam! and Sam Kulik’s Discover AtlantASS, now playing at Incubator Arts, requires expertise in both music and storytelling. This trio, consisting of solo artist Sam Kulik and the Talibam! duo Matt Motel and Kevin Shea, can handle the first of those two things, but they are woefully inadequate storytellers. The theatrical parts of their performance were badly under-rehearsed jokes about everything from child-abuse to the sexual assault of a 5th grader with smatterings of misogyny and racism that seemed to have been written while the trio were stoned and mad about the BP oil spill. Yeah, it didn’t make a ton of sense to anyone else either. At first we in the audience laughed – they weren’t taking themselves too seriously, so why should we? Then I started to sit through the scenes waiting for the songs, which were pretty decent. But after intermission it just dragged on and on – their shtick had gotten old, and their songs were all starting to sound the same.

If I could offer one piece of advice to Talibam! and Kulik, it would to be to stick to rock & roll. Theater isn’t for you guys. If I could offer a piece of advice to the Incubator Arts curators, it would be to watch the plays you pick before you pick them. And if I can offer one piece of advice to you, dear New York audiences, it would be to not go see Discover AtlantASS.