I'm not sure there's much that I can say about the one-man comedy "Defending the Caveman" that I haven't written already - twice.
The show has played at the Brewery two times already to sold-out audiences, and obviously as far as Carson audiences are concerned is a solid smash. There can't be many Carsonites who haven't seen the show, yet they keep coming back for more.
Even if you've seen the show you still might want to give it another audit since there's a new Caveman involved. He's Paul Perroni, and he's one of seven Cavemen around the country starring in this comedy and in Las Vegas as a running show.
Paul moved to Chicago a few years ago from Little Rock, where he performed regularly at the Loony Bin Comedy Club. In addition to the Caveman, his most memorable roles include Edmund Tyrone in "Long Day's Journey into Night," Cassius in "Julius Caesar" and a recurring role as comedian/DJ Johnny Hughes in the Off-Broadway production of "The Awesome '80s Prom at the Radio Star Ballroom." OK, so maybe the Shakespeare role doesn't seem the sort of thing a Caveman would do, but it's all acting.
Other Chicago credits include work at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse, Redtwist Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Metropolis Performing Arts Center, The Journeyman Theatre, Apollo Theatre and Chemically Imbalanced Comedy.
Paul has also appeared in a variety of commercials and films, including the independent short film "Sugar," which was featured at the Dick Clark Productions Theater in Los Angeles, and "The Minx," which was featured at the Hong Kong Film Festival.
So face it, he's got the chops for the Caveman.
The comedy was written by Rob Becker, who spent three years working on the script, then appeared on Broadway in it. "Defending the Caveman" has been seen in theaters around the world by more than 7 million people in more than 30 countries. It has been performed in more than 15 different languages.
A blend of stand-up comedy, lecture, and therapy session, it attempts to resolve the "war" between the sexes. The play manages to stand up for the women's side, while still being sympathetic to the male side of issues as well. Becker describes the play as a venue for showing that "men have emotions, but they express them differently."
Defending the Caveman has been seen and recommended to patients by psychologists and counselors. What more recommendation can you ask for?