HOW TO POOP IN AN OUTHOUSE AT 72 DEGREES BELOW ZERO
Written and performed by Kona Morris; Directed by Padraic Lillis
Presented by the New York City Fringe Festival
UNDER St. Mark’s Place | 94 St Marks PlNew York, NY 10009
Thu April 2 at 6:15pm, Sun April 12 at 3:55pm, Thu April 16 at 9:25pm & Sat April 18 at 10:35pm
Kona Morris, a four-time Moth Slam winner, proves herself a natural and captivating storyteller in How to Poop in an Outhouse at 72 Degrees Below Zero, performed to a full house on a late Thursday evening at UNDER St. Marks.
The stage is bare, save for a chair, a suitcase, and a wall of props, a minimalist design choice that continues to trend in intimate downtown spaces and one that works beautifully here. Notably, there is no outhouse in sight, at least not at first. The play begins elsewhere, grounding us in Morris’s journey to Boulder, Colorado, where she pursues her dream of becoming a writer at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, founded by Allen Ginsberg.
A chance encounter with a street musician leads her to Benny, a poet, and what follows feels almost fated. Their whirlwind romance quickly shifts the trajectory of her life, culminating in a journey to his home in Gwichyaa Zheh, known in English as Fort Yukon, a remote village in Northern Alaska that sits along the Yukon River and crosses the Arctic Circle.
It is a bold leap in the name of love, and during the five years Morris lives there, she learns not only how to survive but how to belong. She immerses herself in the rhythms of life in a small fishing village, learning from the Gwichin people, building community, and eventually becoming a mother.
Morris draws us fully into this world. She recounts fishing for salmon, forming bonds with her new family, enduring extreme cold, and adapting to a life without the conveniences of the lower forty-eight. The storytelling is vivid and immediate, unfolding with a sense of lived-in authenticity that keeps the audience tethered to every moment.
What elevates the piece further is the thoughtful direction by Padraic Lillis and the exceptional lighting design. Having seen many productions at UNDER St. Marks, it is striking how effectively these elements transport us. The space feels transformed, expansive despite its size, allowing us to move seamlessly through Morris’s memories.
Her storytelling deepens as she reflects on motherhood, the birth of her son, and a harrowing flight home in a small plane. These moments are visceral and intimate. We are not simply listening, we are traveling with her. As her relationship with Benny evolves and her life begins to feel increasingly constrained, her desire to return to her writing and complete her education becomes a quiet but powerful throughline.
And then, at just the right moment, the outhouse arrives. The reveal, punctuated with a large stick, lands with impeccable timing and a burst of humor that the audience happily embraces. It is a reminder of Morris’s command not only of story, but of rhythm and release.
Morris embodies each chapter with clarity and emotional precision. By the end, there is a profound sense of resolution. We feel the weight of her choices and the courage it takes to reshape a life. Her journey is deeply personal, yet it resonates universally.
In a piece filled with extremes, of temperature, distance, and life-altering decisions, Morris finds balance between humor and heart. And yes, she teaches us how to poop in an outhouse at 72 degrees below zero, but more importantly, she shows us how to navigate the wilderness of our own becoming.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Malini Singh McDonald.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 4, 2026. All rights reserved.
