“What would you do with $800,000?” playwright and actor Tarek Ziad asks at the start of Give Me The MacArthur Genius Grant. And then again. And then again.
The piece, produced in workshop form for a one-night performance at Brooklyn’s recently reopened Herbert Von King Cultural Arts Center last week, is a thought-provoking solo comedy/variety show that, according to the event website, “uses the idea of The MacArthur Fellowship — a shining $800,000 symbol of validation and success for creatives — as a gateway into discussions of achievement, self obsession, passion, and how they all fit under one umbrella: Financial Security.” It is also a lot of fun.
In Give Me The MacArthur Genius Grant, what begins as a witty satirization and yassification of the MacArthur Fellowship selection process evolves into a deeper exploration of what “success” or “genius” even mean, especially in the context of the here and now of being an emerging artist. The infinitely meme-able piece moves at a blistering pace as Ziad flings around wigs, props, philosophical queries, silly video clips, and himself as he dives deeper into what it takes to be a successful and financially secure artist.
Along the way, Ziad offers a courageous, clear-eyed, and comical refusal of the premise that “the most legitimacy and intrigue in art and theater are found in the pain” of one’s own experience, a premise that is disproportionately harmful to young, queer artists of color like himself. His candor and willingness to “complicate the complication” is admirable and refreshing.
As a performer, Ziad displays abundant charm, excellent timing, and sharp instincts as he moves gracefully between traditional stand-up, crowd work, presentational and embodied performance of zany characters, and dance. Simultaneously, he deconstructs his own work and intentions live, adding a captivating layer of self-analysis to the performance. Laughter, cheers, and applause flowed freely throughout the night, and I can’t recall a single joke or bit falling flat with the audience.
Ziad is beyond a triple threat; in addition to being the writer, director, and sole performer in this workshop production of his piece, he’s also the sound designer, props designer, and graphic designer. As he notes during the show, “I hate hustling. I’m good at it when I need to be — that’s the only way I’ve made it this far.” He is indeed good at it (I’m obsessed with the show poster), but I would look forward to a future production where he doesn’t have to wear quite so many hats, for his sake.
Alexander Bartenieff and Benjamin Campbell serve as lighting designer and stage manager of the piece, respectively, and expertly capture and execute Ziad’s electrifying whirlwind of lighting, video, and mood shifts.
Give Me the MacArthur Genius Grant also features the most demented use of a wired microphone I’ve ever seen: Ziad bolts around both onstage and off with it, with the extra long cable following him, disturbing the placement of the props laid out across the floor, and at times even serving as a prop itself. The erratic cable use yields comedic results, but as someone with a theatrical background that has conditioned me to care deeply about performer safety and cable management, I couldn’t help but worry that Ziad might trip and hurt himself amid the ever-changing landscape of the stage floor. But these are not the concerns of a layperson, and Ziad ultimately doesn’t so much as stumble during the performance.
Microphone safety woes aside, what sticks with me most after Ziad’s performance is his stellar argument in favor of Universal Basic Income (UBI). After nearly an hour of humorously interrogating, deconstructing, and agonizing over how to define and measure “success” as an artist, he astutely observes that UBI could nullify most (though not all) of the questions and anxieties he’s been working through, freeing him to just focus on creating art that is funny and memorable, and that provides a good time to the folks in front of him. Of course, in keeping with his iconic style, this observation is presented as a “who’s that Pokémon?” video prompt, to which the answer is “UBI!”
Folks shouldn’t have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their spirits, and Ziad reminds us that, in a just world where UBI is a reality, they wouldn’t. It’s a world I regularly dream of, and one that Ziad and artists like him deserve to live in. Until that dream is realized, I’m thankful that the Herbert Von King Cultural Arts Center is around to provide free resources and support for local artists to develop and produce fabulous work like Give Me The MacArthur Genius Grant.
Up Next at The Herbert Von King Cultural Arts Center: The Most Massive Woman Wins, a play by Madeleine George, will run at the center on Thursday, Aug. 31 and Friday, Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m. Free tickets are available here.
Up Next for Ziad: Ziad is moving to LA, where he intends to stage a full-scale production of Give Me The Macarthur Genius Grant in the future.
Up Next for Me: Not quite sure yet! If there’s an artistic or cultural happening in NYC in September you’d like to see me cover for the Independent Review Crew, feel free to send a suggestion my way using the “email the author” button at the top of this article. You might lead me to my next review!
