Spitting In The Face Of The Devil

In the last time slot of the last day of the SF Fringe Festival, I saw Bob Brader's solo show, Spitting in the Face of the Devil, about growing up with his stern & abusive ex-Marine father. As a teenager he discovers that his father has had sex with 2 of the male friends he has brought home from school. There are a lot of opportunities to get angry, but the narrative is direct & does not sensationalize. The show makes good use of an ordinary-looking family photo blown up to poster size. Mr. Brader was very invested in his performance, even for our audience of 25, who refused to laugh even at the lighter moments. Though it looks like he has been doing this piece for a couple of years now, it clearly has lost lost none of its power to move him. My theater companion was impressed by Mr. Brader's emotional presence but was bothered by the show's implicit association of homosexuality with pedophilia. Afterward, the story just sat with me, making me feel uncomfortable.

§ Spitting In The Face Of The Devil
by Bob Brader
John Montgomery Theatre Company
SF Fringe Festival 2011
Sunday 18 Sep 5:30 PM