Robert Post's My Pathetic Career
Sunday, May 31 at 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM), 90 minute film followed by a Q & A with Robert Post
Tickets are available for $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and $25 for preferred seating (pay-what-you-can available)
All Ages
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My Pathetic Career is a feature-length documentary film by Robert Post, celebrated for his fifty-year career as a one-man variety show performer.
Through his video camera, a constant companion on the road for decades, Post documents his encounters with odd and endearing people across the world, and shares personal reflections on his journey – from childhood struggles and career highs to battling fear and self-doubt.
This film is an insightful look into the life of a man whose story is as funny and unpredictable as it is deeply human.
Co-presented with Celebration Barn Theater
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One of Robert Post’s childhood report cards in Columbus, Ohio, gave a hint as to how his future might unfold. Not amused by Robert’s antics, his teacher created a whole new column of categories describing maladaptive behavior. Happily for audiences around the world, Post stuck with antics. The result: a dazzling performance career that continues to defy categories.
The creator of Post Comedy Theatre, How to Survive Middle School, and his documentary My Pathetic Career, discovered the joys of the stage at Ohio State University, where he studied theater and dance before hitting the road with a touring mime and improv troupe. The experience of traveling up and down the East Coast in an old milk truck that served as a tour bus, performing everywhere and anywhere, and passing the hat for payment, not only stretched Post’s talents but also developed his knack for playful give-and-take with audiences. He crafted his signature style during intensive workshops with Tony Montanaro, the legendary performer and teacher who ran Celebration Barn in South Paris, Maine. Post credits Montanaro for “flipping the switch,” helping him see how he could combine his love of character work, movement arts, and improvisation.
And so the antics spun on, in a career spanning fifty years. The sketches that make up Post’s one-man variety show – Post Comedy Theatre – have captivated audiences in all 50 United States as well as in Canada, Serbia, Mexico, Japan, Russia, Turkey, and throughout the Mediterranean. He has appeared on the Today show, and he was invited to perform for children in Beslan, Russia, at the school that had been devastated by a terrorist attack in 2004. An Emmy Award-winning PBS special on his work, “Robert Post – in Performance,” aired internationally and the list of grants and other awards that he’s received is now much longer than his teacher’s listing of maladaptive behaviors.Post juggles – literally (he can keep five balls in the air) and figuratively, balancing his performance schedule with educational programs in schools, master classes, workshops, and stints as a director. He has directed for theatre and dance companies as well as for schools and universities. He has also served as a visionary coach and mentor for individual performers, much as Tony Montanaro helped him find his own vision. His wide ranging travels led to My Pathetic Career, his quirky documentary featuring his life as a solo performer and his encounters with – and bemused observations on – the weird and wonderful byways of American culture.
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PAY WHAT YOU CAN
No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please use this online form or contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org to take advantage of pay-what-you-can admission.
EVENT PARKING
Free on-street parking is available in Mayo Street Arts’ neighborhood.
There is one paid parking lot conveniently located a six-minute walk from the venue: Top of the Old Port Parking (119 Pearl St, Portland ME 04101)
Mayo Street Arts is accessible by Greater Portland Metro bus routes with nearby transfer points 7, 9A & 9B. Click here to learn more.
ACCESSIBILITY
All performances and most other events held at Mayo Street Arts are wheelchair accessible. There are two accessible spots directly in front of our building, however there is not yet a curb cut out at that location.
If you would benefit from additional information or accommodations, we invite you to contact us at info@mayostreetarts.org or 207-879-4629.
COMMUNITY HEALTH
Audience members — in addition to artists, staff & volunteers — who feel sick or exhibit symptoms of illness should stay home out of respect for others.
SEATING POLICY
We will save your reserved seat until showtime, at which point any unclaimed seats may be offered to other people. Please call our box office at 207-879-4629 if you are running late.
CANCELATION POLICY
MSA has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that MSA is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via the Ticket Tailor platform.
Location
Mayo Street Arts, 04101