So . . . you may be misled by the title of the world premiere of a production that, for one weekend only, graces the SLO Rep stage in downtown San Luis Obispo under the “Ubu’s Other Shoe” banner.
17 Raccoons (or, It’s a Really Long Story), a one-woman show written and performed by that inimitable veteran of local theatre Jill Turnbow, isn’t really about raccoons, nor is it a really long story.
Well, to be fair, you might consider Turnbow’s 90 minutes of humorous, expressive discourse about herself, her comedy career, and her not-really-so-dysfunctional family to be one long story. But, in the spirit of the most revealing stand-up comedians, Turnbow has knitted together a series of short stories with wit and charm and, in this case, a garbage can. Oh, and a ringing telephone.
Turnbow bravely draws items from the refuse bin (is there a metaphor in the house?) to bridge her tales of ups and downs in the comedy world, her family dynamics, and her own mental and physical health.
Whether this is Turnbow’s idea, or that of her astute director Zoe Saba, it works. A deck of tarot cards, a brick, a toy car, two cat collars (hats off to Suzy Newman for her work on props) . . . they all engender funny, often touching reflections that give Turnbow the opportunity to hold us spellbound in her storytelling.
She is supported with some graceful music composed by David Norum, thoughtful sound and lighting design by Kevin Harris, and precise stage management by Pam Hester.
Turnbow issues not one but two warnings in the course of the show to which everyone can relate: Don’t ever say the generic “I need something to happen,” or ask “How could this get any worse?” As you might guess, that’s where the ringing telephone comes in, bringing, as we all suspect, news of a negative sort.
About those raccoons . . . their appearance in this chronicle isn’t exactly positive (she refers to them as “trash pandas”), but Turnbow seems to be able to relate to them in a way that gives us the feeling that, despite all the trials and tribulations she encounters, she’s going to be okay. And, if we were to find ourselves facing 17 raccoons in our attic, we will be okay, too.
That’s a pretty good feeling, and one well worth spending an hour-and-a-half with Jill Turnbow to discover.
Editor’s Note: 17 Raccoons (or, It’s a Really Long Story) is scheduled for three performances on March 14 and 15, 2025.