Chabot Spectator

Issue date: 9/14/06 Section: In Focus

Media Credit: Jack Barnwell Actor-writer Michael Gean Sullivan shares his experiences with the San Francisco Mime Troupe Tuesday afternoon in Chabot's Little Theatre.

On Tuesday the San Francisco Mime Troupe presented Godfellas at Chabot's Little Theatre.

Performing groups like the Mime Troupe present satirical comedy. Under all those laughs, there are real underlying issues about American society.

During WWII the British play Blithe Spirit came out in England. Blithe Spirit was a satirical comedy of the London air bombings of WWII. This play helped ease a lot of tension during that time by delivering good laughs on the things that were bothering them.

There was a revival or reproduction of Blithe Spirit after Sept. 11.

Shows like these help heal and look back at social dilemmas by mocking them.

In today's entertainment, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and the Colbert Report are examples of satirical comedy on TV. Both shows make fun of media corporation. Just remember both shows are not real news informant or offer factual news.

While a large portion of The Daily Show makes fun of the general media, the San Francisco Mime Troupe talks about political and social issues.

In Godfellas the mime troupe pokes fun at dogma. Both writers Michael Gean Sullivan and Christian Cagigal said you should come with an open mind. They said that people can sometimes become narrow-minded at some point in the play and not follow through, thus missing the main point of the production.

Sullivan, the head writer and one of the performers of the San Francisco Mime Troupe said that one should write plays to change the world. If an audience has come out changed, then the show was good and really succeeded.

Sullivan also said that one of the things about a good play is that it presents material in a way that seems like the "working class is talking to itself." It makes the audience part of the production.

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