The Quitter
Al Lafrance is a funny guy, and his one-man show, The Quitter, has some interesting insights. Anyone who attends Fringe knows that one-person shows based on personal memoir are perhaps 25-50% of all shows, and this is another one in that category.
In this autobiographical work, Al describes how he gets used to the idea of failure and quitting. It starts in high school, where he tires of being the "smart kid" who is sometimes ostracized and who misses out on various social activities because of his emphasis on being a great student. He goes on from failing a math class to a desultory college career involving several dropout events over several years, before finally graduating with a diploma in sound engineering. Al gets and quits jobs in retail and food service with ease.
Should failure be celebrated? Does perseverance to achieve a goal, which may even be a meaningless goal, matter? Is quitting OK? These are important questions, and Al takes a good stab at exploring them.
As a parent, this life story made me empathize with his parents. How difficult to know if you are failing your child when he appears to be having a lot of trouble adjusting, although Al was frequently having a lot of success too (such as when he founded the popular Doughnut Club at college).
Almost by chance, as he struggled to find his feet after a friend's untimely death, Al gets involved with the Montreal Fringe Festival. Al finds that for at least some performers, Fringe festivals are not about expecting or obtaining success. Many performers travel to and from all over to Fringe festivals, knowing they will not make money on their shows, but they will meet other Fringers and have a great time. Al continues his work, and almost involuntarily (which seems to be a common theme in Al's life), he ends up as general manager of the Montreal Fringe!
Al recognizes that the fact that he's done so well as he has, despite all of the setbacks, is because he has a fair amount of privilege and family support. They help him out when he fails or quits. I applaud his self-awareness, as this life plan would have resulted in homelessness for many.
Ultimately, Al decided that a life of administration was not for him, and he gave up a contract renewal offer at the Montreal Fringe in favour of expressing his own creativity through theatre. Al clearly enjoyed writing and presenting this show. He's a highly talented performer. I am curious to see what he does next.