INTERVIEW: Dissecting ‘Midterm Madness’ with political satirist Will Durst
Photo: Will Durst is a well-respected political satirist who turns his attention on the midterm elections for his new show, Durst Case Scenario: Midterm Madness. Photo courtesy of Dan Dion / Provided by Richard Hillman PR with permission.
The United States is extremely divided. Political contests are talked about as if they were boxing matches. Republicans lob verbal attacks against Democrats, and Democrats send back equally biting critiques. So many people get lost in the fray.
Trying to make sense of it all is Will Durst, an accomplished performer and political satirist whose new show is appropriately titled Durst Case Scenario: Midterm Madness. The limited-engagement run of the solo play runs through Sunday, Nov. 18 at The Playroom Theater in Midtown Manhattan.
Durst, who is not the biggest fan of President Donald Trump, has been known to share his political thoughts in a variety of media, including books, radio, television and the stage. Durst Case Scenario is his latest show, and he continually updates the content as the news cycle changes (and changes and changes).
Recently, Durst exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox about the New York City engagement. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired Durst Case Scenario: Midterm Madness?
It seemed that a certain group of people needed humor to put everything in perspective. Also, comedy helps make it all seem manageable. I would get people coming up afterwards saying, ‘Thank you. I never thought I’d laugh again.’ It was cathartic. Half therapy, half comedy: I became a theramedian, helping folks overcome their PTSD, President Trump Stress Disorder.
Does the show regularly change as the news cycle churns?
Yes, indeed. The hardest part of the show is keeping up. I would switch between baseball and the news, and stuff would happen between batters. The problem now is material gets so old, so quickly. I had five minutes on Anthony Scaramucci, and those jokes are not just old, they’re ancient, medieval, wearing breastplates.
What makes you the most upset about the current political landscape?
Not sure upset is the right word. There’s intransigence on both sides, but it’s not coming in on an equitable basis. Mt. Everest versus an immature anthill. That said, it is rather disquieting that the right wing is never shaken by any of the scandals that previously caused them to be outraged. Porn star payoffs? Are you serious? So, I guess it’s the hypocrisy, but that’s standard operating procedure in politics, right?
What makes you the most hopeful?
The American people make me hopeful, and the fact that waves like this have happened before. We’ll get through it. If we could come out on the other side of eight years of [George W.] Bush and eight years of [Bill] Clinton, we can survive anything. We’re a very resilient nation.
When did you realize you had a knack for political satire?
Still working on it. But back in 1974, when I started doing this, it was all Watergate and [Richard] Nixon and Vietnam, and everything was political. Your haircut was political. Your blue jeans were political. The movies, music, art, it was all political. And I didn’t date much, so I couldn’t do relationship humor. Also, my dad and my stepdad both read three newspapers a day. I grew up thinking everyone did. Newspapers were these big flat white things with a lot of words printed on them. You probably read about their demise in a tweet.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Durst Case Scenario: Midterm Madness continues through Sunday, Nov. 18 at The Playroom Theater in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets. Click here for more information on Durst.
