SQUEEZABLE THEATER

Those dark days all seem so long ago. The face masks, drive-thru testing, fear of crowded indoor spaces, and some idiot assuring us, “It’s going to disappear. One day — it’s like a miracle — it will disappear.” Yes, I’m talking COVID-19, which in 2020 spread worldwide, causing global shortages in ventilators, vaccines, and of course, toilet paper, which Americans stockpiled to the point of increasing monthly sales 845%!

But while some were pondering the end of the world as we know it, others were trying to think of what rhymes with “hydroxychloroquine.â€

With Charmin The Musical now at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre, songwriter Anne Tan and Chicago-based playwright John Enright have taken audiences back to the days of self-quarantine when Netflix and Amazon stock shot through the ceiling and couples in long-term relationships were forced to meet each other.

Sheila (Judi Domroy) and Henry (Travis Joe Dixon) are just such a pair. Once love birds, their feathers have molted, isolated in their apartment during lockdown, glaring out at the deserted streets, and faced with their dwindling supply of America’s favorite TP since 1928 – Charmin.

Enright’s message is clear: “Love motivates us to conquer fear†— and Dixon and Domroy are terrific in demonstrating the anguish of not having their favorite “loo-roll†to squeeze and how their sacrifices for one another allow them to reclaim the euphoria in squeezing each other. If you are an aficionado of Fourth of July fireworks, then you will understand what I mean by calling Enright and Tan’s show a dandy M-80; a small ball that possesses a “BIG BANG!â€

Director John Coppola, a much-respected “fringe veteran,†proves once again why he deserves that respect as Charmin The Musical packs in a mere half hour so many catchy hum-along tunes, satirical snickers, and such a mammoth serving of pure straight-up entertainment that it ought to be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as “The best half hour you can spend at the Fringe.”

Charmin The Musical
Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre, 5636 Melrose Ave.
part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival
Saturday, June 21, 2025 – 6:00 PM
Saturday, June 28, 2025 – 3:00 PM
for tickets ($5.00 or Pay What You Can), visit Charmin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccge3385GTQ&t=19s