The Box Show
About the show
One woman. 25 characters. All inside a cupboard! In Dominique Salerno's solo show, the space is limited, but the comedic possibilities are endless. A hit at the 2016 NYC Fringe Festival. More…
Each time the cupboard doors fly open, we discover an entirely new reality with a brand-new set of characters. These dynamic scenes include a drunken couple mid-fight in a Las Vegas hotel, the entire Greek Army within the Trojan Horse, a lonely Giantess, a lost Pope, and so many more. With sketch-style characters and musical numbers, 'The Box Show' is a fast-paced and adrenaline-filled roller-coaster ride that plunges its audience into vastly different worlds without ever leaving the physical space of the box. It's a shot glass of theater: potent, highly concentrated, and it gets the job done.
"With no connective tissue to speak of, the numerous sketches that have Salerno portraying women, men, children, sex organs and various inanimate objects work best when they are either short or silly or wordless. She is a gifted physical comedian...As a playwright, Salerno shows a flare for the zany...However, when the writing tries to go deep or go long, it fumbles...There are also some pacing issues that director Sash Bischoff has yet to solve." Full Review
for a previous production "‘The Box Show,’ the most purely delicious production I’ve seen at this year’s Fringe Festival, is a relentlessly inventive quick-change series of solo sketches...'The Box Show.' even in Sash Bischoff’s polished production, appeared at first to be just a clever series of comic shorts. As the performance built, the elasticity of Ms. Salerno’s creativity became clear. Reveling in restrictions, her show turned out to be a paragon of Fringe form." Full Review
for a previous production "Demonstrating brilliantly that structure helps rather than hinders creative freedom, Salerno performs her entire show in a box...In lesser hands, this might be just a great sketch show. But beyond being a highly skilled comic, Salerno is a masterful playwright and theatrical actress! Salerno employs her breathtaking array of skills to take her audience on a roller-coaster ride of emotions as delightful and satisfying as virtually any show currently playing in NYC." Full Review
for a previous production "Half the fun is seeing Salerno twist and wiggle through her tiny performance space; the other half is, of course, the delightful scenarios she and her team have devised. The show runs like a great night of improv: some scenarios will undoubtedly appeal more than others to different folks, but everyone is almost guaranteed to get a good laugh at some point...'The Box Show’s' flow of self-reference adds a satisfying unity to Salerno’s versatile character-switching...A well-polished little gem." Full Review
for a previous production "In Salerno's intensely creative collective of vignettes, she crams herself into a cupboard-like cube for 90 minutes...and she keeps surprising you with what she can produce in the space…It’s often hilarious, but what makes the show most memorable are its moments of darkness, expressed in fleeting, poignant side thoughts and comments. This interplay between light and dark helps 'The Box Show' achieve what every vignette show wants: It is even greater than the sum of its parts." Full Review
See it if ...you loved Sarah Jones in Sell/Buy/Date; you think you can predict what any one scene will be about (you can't)
Don't see it if ...witnessing immense talent and creativity makes you uncomfortable
See it if You enjoy fantastic acting, and strange, hilarious, touching stories. If you like seeing something totally new!
Don't see it if You only like totally narrative pieces.
See it if You like unique, creative use of space and an amazing, surprising array of characters created by an actress who contorts her face & body.
Don't see it if You don't like to be entertained by an incredibly talented person or can't think outside the box enough to enjoy a performance in one.
See it if You are thrilled by dozens of ingenious story scenarios performed by one amazing actress sitting in a box.
Don't see it if You have no sense of humor and don't like to see multiple points of view.
See it if You want to see an incredibly innovative show performed by an endlessly creative supremely talented performer
Don't see it if You are not a fan of one person shows
See it if You love creativity and want to be impressed by downtown theatre. This up and coming artist is creative, eager, and a delight to watch.
Don't see it if You prefer more bourgeois theatre or don't like one woman shows. She is literally in a box the entire show, so if that's not your style...
See it if you enjoy stretching the possibilities of imagination in a minimal space. Each character has unique accent, movements, idiosyncrasies, etc
Don't see it if one performer, many character shows do not appeal to you. Although this is the one that could change your mind. Its brilliant.
See it if You enjoy virtuosic, richly accomplished performance art.
Don't see it if You're looking for a narrative or symbolic thread to weave the amazing vignetttes together beyond the performer's incredible presence.
See it if You like originality !!
Don't see it if no reason not too!!
See it if you like unique, clever sketch comedy
Don't see it if you prefer a plotted show
See it if you like creative, unconventional theater that will surprise and delight you from beginning to end
Don't see it if you want something with a through-line/plot, not a series of vignettes
See it if You lile smart sketch comedy
Don't see it if You dislike silly in a box
See it if You like to watch something unusual and generally clever. One actor as many characters with quick changes of costume, setting and persona.
Don't see it if You expect an elaborate stage show and perfection. You dislike one woman shows. You like everything to be politically correct.
Also Some of the vignettes are too long.... Read more Read less
See it if unique, one woman show. it is funny, entertaining and different than other comedies. She is sometimes outrageous. Show is entertaining.
Don't see it if you don't think outside the box as this show is different than other one woman comedies. Some of the humor is slightly crazy but very enter
See it if you enjoy innovative comedy sketches. Some are better than others (there's room to trim!), but all are clever, well-acted, and well-staged.
Don't see it if you need perfection. Here, whole is greater than the sum of parts. Salerno's a big talent...she does accents, physical shtick, sings, acts.
Also Salerno not only performed brilliantly...she wrote the piece! Get her ... Read more Read less
See it if You want to see a brilliantly creative series of sketches by one woman inside a box. She's making a point but mostly it's just fun.
Don't see it if You're looking for more substance and story.
See it if You love sketch comedy with a twist supported by a great performer.
Don't see it if You loathe sketch comedy or have no imagination or are seeking a show with substance.
See it if You like ingenious sketch improv. Dominique creates 20 scenarios in a box-more surprises than a carton of Crackerjacks.
Don't see it if This is not a play. It is a performance. There is a single performer. There is a box.And there is your imagination.
Also I thoroughly enjoyed this.BUT can you really rate it on the same scale... Read more Read less
See it if you like comedy
Don't see it if you don't appreciate one woman shows
See it if You enjoy watching a phenomenal actress change roles in the blink of an eye and all within a confining space. Her imagination is astounding.
Don't see it if You don't like one woman shows. Don't have a sense of humor or imagination, or can't click into a story withing five seconds.
Also Go for the enjoyment of small scenes, most are funny, some are intense... Read more Read less
See it if Thoroughly refreshing comedic gold coming out of a tiny cupboard broken into four quadrant doors - Richard, fetus, giant, Robert and killer
Don't see it if Low-budget, claustrophobic comedy
See it if You like a one woman shows of short unrelated vignettes. The actor/writer was very clever!
Don't see it if dozens of short unrelated vignettes don't speak to you. There were so many short scenes, that it became a little numbing.
See it if you enjoy outside the box theater. Some sketches work better than others but overall a worthwhile evening. She's very versatile (literally).
Don't see it if you prefer shows with elaborate production values, large casts, etc.
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