Comedian Kurt Bodden walks the line between plausibility and absurdity – making this show the “Spinal Tap” of self-help. Bodden assumes the role of self-help guru “Steve Seabrook,” who takes the audience to a safe, nurturing place of empowerment where they can look inside their hearts to examine why they’re vaguely disappointing.
The show enjoyed a six-month run at The Marsh in San Francisco, and has played at Comedy Central Stage in Hollywood, the Oregon Center for the Arts (Ashland), and the New York International Fringe Festival.
Watch the trailer (2 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbgX_SplgSQ
Critics’ blurbs:
- “Attend one session with Steve Seabrook at the Marsh and you may never need to see a motivational speaker again…. ‘Steve Seabrook’ is very funny…. A master of the jargon and wordplay that passes for insight… Deftly and comically dismantles the whole profession … with perhaps a little enlightenment thrown in as well.” –Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle
- “Filled with laughs…. Bodden is pitch-perfect.” –Leslie Katz, SF Examiner
- “Deftly executed. Explores the terrain with panache, cool wit, and shrewd characterization.” –Robert Avila, SF Bay Guardian
- “A comically subversive monologue.” –Huffington Post
- “So charmingly supportive (and vulnerable) that you wish the show was the real deal.” –San Mateo Daily Journal
Directed by Mark Kenward.
Photos by Molly Kate Taylor.
Steve Seabrook: Better Than You was performed at The Marsh, a breeding ground for new performance, February-August 2013 in San Francisco. Stephanie A. Weisman, Artistic Director.
The production was presented by The New York International Fringe Festival, a production of The Present Company.
