By Connie Bollinger
Contributing Writer
“The Book of Moron” is not to be confused with the Tony-winning Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon.” But both are laugh-out-loud funny.
This one-man show is the brain child of actor, writer and comedian Robert Dubac, a multi-talented humorist who creates innovative and completely unique theater.
Subtitled “If Thinking Were Easy, Everybody Would Do It,” the play takes on rampant stupidity, and Dubac has much to say.
“The Book of Moron” is a cerebral tour de force, a 90- minute walk through his world of skewered notions and questions that involve some of the larger problems humans face daily in a world of hype and spin.
Dubac engages the audience immediately and keeps us hanging on every word, even forcing us to think a bit, a feat of magic in itself these days.
The premise of his show is that he has been conked on the head and has lost his memory, or his inner self. He realizes he must find out who he is, what he believes, and what exactly happened to him.Dubac sets out on his journey to self-awareness with exuberance and takes us along. Our guides on this trek are his inner voices: his Common Sense, his Reason, his Inner Moron, his Inner Child, his Inner A***hole and we, the audience, act as his Scruples.
Dubac gives each character distinctive voices and mannerisms. He is flawless in his performance, the very definition of a professional. The wise use of props and even a bit of magic was refreshing.
Along with his own incredible wit, Dubac combines several genres of comedy in his show, calling to mind George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld and even a bit of Lewis Black thrown in for good measure. But the show is all his — noisy,sharp writing, paradoxes flowing freely and an “all hands on deck” approach.
He entreats us to keep up as his agile mind moves from one segment to another of his quest.
Describing a performer like Robert Dubac or a show like “The Book of Moron” is extremely challenging. Definition seems to limit the experience. The themes are fun but deep, the visuals are arresting. One could call it observational comedy but that’s cliched.
First-hand observation is the only way I can think of to fully appreciate this show and this performer.
Robert Dubac’s “The Book of Moron” can be seen through Sept. 23 at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza. For more information, visit www.playhouseatwestport.com
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.