This weekend, while home in New York City for Thanksgiving break, I saw a matinee production of Shear Madness, an off-Broadway show. The first half hour or so was a bit boring as I was just observing the everyday lives of people at a hair salon.
The characters seemed stereotypical, making a commentary on different types of people and their stereotypical behavior, such as actors, which is ironic, given that everyone in the show was an actor. The actors also seemed to overact their characters, making the play seem unrealistic.
However, at the end of the first act, the show began to pick up as a character was discovered to be murdered. The show turned into a whodunit murder mystery with two characters serving as detectives, four as suspects, and the audience as witnesses. The show peaked my interest when it was up to me to figure out who the killer was. I thought about details from the first act that might help me solve the mystery and wondered who could have possible committed the crime. I got to suggest theories to the detectives outside the theater during intermission, and at the beginning of the second act, I got to ask the suspects questions. I even got to vote for who I thought was guilty, and by the end of the show all my questions were answered. The murderer was arrested, and I left the theater feeling fulfilled.
The show was also laden with hundreds of pop culture and political references ranging from Taylor Swift to the recent presidential election. The show is clearly rewritten at least every few weeks to apply to current events. There are also references to the location of the show and New York City itself, such as references to New York sports teams. It is a comedic show perfect for the college-aged student, as well as the whole family. And the best part is, you don’t have to travel all the way to New York to see it. You can see it in Boston, where the show actually started out. So take a break from studying for finals, and go see Shear Madness!