PORTLAND — Mayo Street Arts and Celebration Barn Theater will present a screening of the film Robert Post’s “My Pathetic Career” at Mayo Street Arts in Portland at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 31.
“My Pathetic Career” is a feature-length documentary by Robert Post, celebrated for his 50-year career as a one-man variety show performer.
Through his video camera, a constant companion on the road for decades, Post documents his encounters with odd and endearing people across the world, and shares personal reflections on his journey – from childhood struggles and career highs to battling fear and self-doubt.
This film is an insightful look into the life of a man whose story is as funny and unpredictable as it is deeply human.
One of Robert Post’s childhood report cards in Columbus, Ohio, gave a hint as to how his future might unfold. Not amused by Robert’s antics, his teacher created a whole new column of categories describing maladaptive behavior. Happily for audiences around the world, Post stuck with antics. The result: a dazzling performance career that continues to defy categories.
Post discovered the joys of the stage at Ohio State University, where he studied theater and dance before hitting the road with a touring mime and improv troupe. The experience of traveling up and down the East Coast in an old milk truck that served as a tour bus, performing everywhere and anywhere, and passing the hat for payment, not only stretched his talents but also developed his knack for playful give-and-take with audiences.
Post crafted his signature style during intensive workshops with Tony Montanaro, the legendary performer and teacher who ran Celebration Barn in South Paris, Maine. Post credits Montanaro for “flipping the switch,” helping him see how he could combine his love of character work, movement arts, and improvisation.
And so the antics spun on, in a career spanning 50 years.
The sketches that make up Post’s one-man variety show — Post Comedy Theatre — have captivated audiences in all 50 United States as well as in Canada, Serbia, Mexico, Japan, Russia, Turkey and throughout the Mediterranean. He has appeared on the “Today Show” and he was invited to perform for children in Beslan, Russia, at the school that had been devastated by a terrorist attack in 2004. An Emmy Award-winning PBS special on his work, “Robert Post – in Performance,” aired internationally.
Mayo Street Arts is a welcoming community arts center in the heart of Portland’s Kennedy Park neighborhood. The organization’s building serves as a performance venue, gallery, and gathering space, and offers affordable studios and rehearsal space for artists. Mayo Street Arts’ programming embraces variety, with a particular focus on puppetry and folk music and dance.
Tickets to see Robert Post’s “My Pathetic Career” are available for $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Pay-what-you-can options are available to support accessibility. Visit www.mayostreetarts.org for ticket links and more information.
