“Ikechukwu Ufomadu is a comic cipher that sent me pondering...At times, I found myself among stragglers in a sea of laughter, but Ufomadu accomplishes unthinkable absurdities, cajoling us into interactions that wouldn’t read as chortle-worthy on paper... In ‘Amusements,’ you’ll always find yourself curious about his next course of action.”
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“Ufomadu’s 75 minutes of weird, witty jokery is both delightful and, at this moment, almost unsettlingly kindly and innocuous... ‘Amusements’ often feels like stand-up comedy or vaudevillian variety show, but the twinkle in its performer’s eye is just peculiar enough to keep us guessing.”
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“Ikechukwu Ufomadu’s ‘Amusements’ is aggressively apolitical, a gentle parade of dad jokes and other verbal sleights-of-hand...and it feels like a welcome respite from all the urgent and important theater being created in the city. Whether he’s performing a flaccid magic trick or leading you in a holiday sing-along, it’s impossible not to like Ike.”
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“It's Robert Benchley (in his "Treasurer's Report" mode) crossed with Eugène Ionesco, a grandiose oration so obsessed with the precise meaning of words that it ends up signifying nothing at all. This could be a recipe for tedium but, dipping into Moby-Dick, reminiscing about a childhood spent ‘on the sauce (apple, it turns out), and genially handling a series of frequently asked questions (the first of which is ‘'Sup?’), Ufomadu's serene mastery of his pedantic material keeps the laughs coming.”
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“Best for last! Ikechukwu Ufomadu is, to put it plainly, a master...What he does next, and for the next 75 minutes, isn't easily characterized, but it's hilarious. Immediately ingratiating himself with the crowd, Ufomadu affects the persona of a slick, mid-century TV white guy...and I can't remember the last time I laughed so much in so short a time.”
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Director Nemuna Ceesay keeps us guessing. Are we watching an actor portraying a comedian/lounge performer? Does the comedian/lounge performer think he’s funny? What if no one laughs? A bit later there’s a recitation that goes on longer than it needs to. We start waiting for a punchline that never comes. And then it does…As it was introduced as a voice-over, “That was the opening paragraph of "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, sold wherever "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville is sold.
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