THEATRE: DIXIE’S TUPPERWARE PARTY

0

DIXIE’S TUPPERWARE PARTY

Here’s something I think few of you would expect of me—I love Tupperware parties!!! I haven’t been to one, nor thrown one, in a hundred years, but they remind me of my salad days.

Photo by Bradford Rogne, as is the one at the top of this page.

Photo by Bradford Rogne, as is the one at the top of this page.

And I also love Tupperware itself. (And no—this is not a sponsored post! Although it should be.) I still use the cups and bowls I received for being a successful hostess many years ago. I love all the colors.

So, despite my usual eschewing of one-person shows, I was happy to attend the opening night of Dixie’s Tupperware Party at the Kirk Douglas Theatre last week. There’s much to say about this crazy (in a very good way) show, but all you really need to know is…go see it!  Dot, dash, end of story.

When I was doing my equally crazy TV show, people were always amazed that I could talk by myself for a half hour in a row.  (And be what most considered entertaining, thank the Lord!) But to me, it was normal.  Well, even I was amazed that Dixie could also do that…but for almost two hours! And she’s funny and charming throughout, both in the scripted segments and the many off-the-cuff moments. It’s like Karen’s Restaurant Revue on steroids! But with excellent planning and writing, two things I never even thought of. So I’m uber-impressed. [Note: “Dixie” is the alter-ego of male playwright Kris Andersson, but since this show is all Dixie, I’m referring to her as female. And, by the way, both of them have legs that I would kill for!]

The set, with guests already seated on the on-stage couches.  Photo by Karen Salkin.

The set, with guests already seated on the on-stage couches. By the way–it’s hard to see in this pic, but on the top of the Christmas tree, instead of a regular star up there, it’s a Jewish star!  I really appreciate that little nod to my people!  Photo by Karen Salkin.

Dixie’s Tupperware Party is the perfect mix of monolog and audience interaction. As you enter the lobby, you get a name-tag, that also has a number on it for the raffles later. (So BYOL–bring your own laniard, to put the tag on, if, like me, you won’t stick them onto your good clothing! Trust me about this excellent advice!)

Then, while everyone is getting seated, Dixie goes down the aisles with a bowl of mints. (Wrapped ones, thank goodness.) And then the non-stop fun begins. We’re all guests at Dixie’s Tupperware Party!

Dixie knows exactly when to do each bit: i.e. showing a product, doing a raffle, picking on an audience member, mumbling some inane thing that we can not make out but laugh at just the same, and bringing some seriousness to the proceedings near the end. One of the many clever touches is to have four random people sit on two couches on the sides of the stage, so she can refer to them occasionally.

Karen Salkin, recoiling not from Dixie but from being asked to "tickle the ball!"  Photo by Mr. X.

Karen Salkin, recoiling not from Dixie but from being asked to “tickle the ball!” Photo by Mr. X.

The whole opening night show was a mix of emotions for me.  I was laughing hysterically most of the time. And then it happened—my number got called as the winner of the second raffle!!! Which meant I had to go on stage! Because of the rain, I had not arrived perfectly camera-ready, but, very thankfully, my hair had survived. So, I had that going for me. Believe it or not, I usually hate going on stage with anyone. But, of course, I soooo wanted that little Tupperware gift!  (Did you doubt it for even one second?!) The woman who went up before me got the one I wanted, (a tiny, burpable Tupperware bowl on a key chain,) while I got some sort of toy on a chain. But you know that I was grateful to win anything.

I got to chat with Dixie/Kris for awhile at the after-party, since we had just become besties on stage, and found-out that this is what he also does in his off-stage life!  He was a Tupperware lady, in the guise of Dixie, for years before he and his friend developed this into an off-Broadway show.  And guess what?  He still is a Tupperware lady!!! OMG! I became even more taken with him than I already was! (Some audience members received catalogue sheets, which I think can actually be ordered from during the show! I’m not sure how delivery would work with that one, but I still love the concept.)

Photo of the program by Mr. X.

Photo of the program by Mr. X.

Kris told me that he has absolutely no training as an actor or comedian, and never did anything on stage until this show! I don’t even understand how that is possible—he knows exactly what to do at each moment in the spotlight! Mr. X, an excellent actor in his own right, (and someone I would find on a set just by following the trail of laughing cast and crew members,) was equally impressed with Kris. He said, “Kris has brilliant instincts. His timing and command of the space make him seem like a trained actor. And his dramatic turn [toward the end of the piece] brings an unexpected depth to the production.” Of the long-running (all over the country) show itself, Mr. X marveled, “It’s like a work of art that he keeps adding to over the years.”

I’m not going to tell you exactly what goes on there because you just have to experience the joy that is Dixie’s Tupperware Party for yourselves. (And possibly even multiple times—I have a feeling that every show is a bit different.)

The lovely opening night reception. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The lovely opening night reception. Photo by Karen Salkin.

One note about the opening night audience—I’ve seen better-dressed guests at real Tupperware parties!!! Granted, it was raining that night, so even I was rocking casual (but very hip and happening) rain boots, but come on, people of LA! You can do better than this! At least even a small effort should be made for theatre openings. Most people looked like they were dressed for a Costco run!

Except for Dixie, of course. She was, as always, I believe, rocking her adorable and cheery red-and-white ensemble, with high heels to match. And her mile-high red hair completes her look. With all that going for her, I have a feeling that Dixie is one of the most successful Tupperware ladies of all time. And we Angelenos are so lucky to be invited to her party. You’d be a fool to miss-out on this opportunity.

Dixie’s Tupperware Party running through December 30, 2018
Kirk Douglas Theatre  9820 Washington Blvd. Culver City
www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/kirk-douglas-theatre/guest-productions/dixies-tupperware-party

Share.

Leave A Reply