90 Years of Songs and Scandals and Foreign Affairs
Written & Performed by D’yan Forest
wild project | 195 E 3rd St, New York, NY 10009
April 3rd, 11th, 17th & 20th
Theatre festivals are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
The FRIGID Festival reflects approximately 65 shows will run in rep at 5 different venues. Shows will run a bit under an hour. There will be one-acts and bits of longer works in progress; dramas, comedies and musicals.
I now know what I want to be when I grow-up: D’yan Forest.
Growing old is unavoidable. Growing up is relative. This spritely nonagenarian is still owning the stage. She holds the Guinness World Record for Oldest Female Comedian in the World. But taking the title meant losing a friend. If this show is any indication, D’yan will not be relinquishing the title anytime soon.
D’yan show reminded me of Elaine Stritch at Liberty, though Stritch was a mere 76 at the time. Songs, stories and jokes going back to a time most of us only know from old films and pictures. Like Stritch, she’s not as nimble as she once was, but remains just as fiery - quick witted, potty-mouthed and on point. D’yan gives us a glimpse into her past growing up in Boston, being a child yearning to find the spotlight. Her uncle, Lawrence Berk, who started Berklee College of Music, had a hand in launching her career. He got her a spot on TV, and much to our audience’s delight, she recreated the performance.
Anyone who has been on stage long enough, and certainly D’yan has been on the stage a long time, isn’t thrown by little things not going as planned. In fact, old pros like her make them hilarious. Her headset mike wouldn’t stay in place, no worries – she doesn’t really need it, Can’t recall a line, no worries, the NYPD Police Detective assigned to her assault case is on book. “To Serve and Protect” includes cue prompts, and that too becomes part of the fun. From childhood piano lessons to performing in Paris to a Turkish bathhouse, D’yan takes us on a wonderful journey that we never want to end.
D’yan is an absolute NYC treasure. But as I mentioned in other reviews, Boston has sent some amazing talents to this festival, and I’d put D’yan in that category even if they sent her 67 years ago. Catch her at the Frigid Festival - time is of the essence!
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Nicole Jesson.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 14th, 2025. All rights reserved.