Reno: Rebel Without a Pause (2001)

Reno: Rebel without a Pause has been igniting audiences in New York and San Francisco since its cathartic beginnings last October at the La MaMa Theatre. Filmmaker Nancy Savoca (Dogfight) caught a performance of the outrageously provocative show and knew she had to showcase the "opinionated, radical feminist alternative voice who creates heavily improvised stream-of-consciousness topical monologues with incredible wit, political consciousness and common sense." Reno became the first artist to take the challenge of dealing with September 11th in public. After being woken up by the first plane crash eight blocks away, the show she was in the midst of working on stopped mattering. So she changed it to the only thing that did, immediately. Reno's rapid-fire witness to the events of September 11th and how they affected her personally and in the context of the world at large became an emotional and cathartic work that drew beleaguered crowds (including local policemen and firefighters). In light of great tragedy, Reno is searching for a way to process the complexity of the pain and find a way back to laughter. Rebel Without a Pause shows Reno at her brilliant best.

Fabulous!

A one of a kind stand-up/rant that alternates between being very funny and very moving. After watching it (twice) I bought copies for 2 friends. August 23, 2007

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