John Breen is... Important People
The Goat Company (Coho Studio)

Let us examine the age-old adage that "sarcasm is the lowest form of comedy." If it's true--and there's really no way to prove that it's not true, then it follows that the highest form of comedy is the opposite of sarcasm: sincerity.

Just how is the humor level of a theatrical performance impacted by the element of sincerity? A sarcastic character is an implement of mockery; a tool used to satirize something, whether it be itself or an issue or scenario from human life. A sincere character represents that same issue or scenario, or it represents itself, but without the mockery. A sincere character is devoid of commentary. It earns its laughs through familiarity. It presents its plight or its situation without cynicism, but with a truthfulness that causes us to empathize, and thus, we laugh because we understand.

Case in point: Scene 2 of John Breen's one-man show, Important People, in which a presidential candidate in the year 2016 makes a public address. Said candidate possesses a strong voice and a large presence, but has trouble articulating any goals of real consequence. He rifles through a stack of notes and statistics, but has trouble making sense of them. He makes bold statements like "our economy is being sodomized," and then fails to back his words up with specifics.

The effect this character has on Breen's audience is absolute hilarity. People choke from laughing so hard, though NOT--significantly--at the man's expense. Perhaps the character was once conceived as a bit of fun poked at vague, soundbite-spewing politicians, but in Breen's capable hands, has developed into something much more: a man whose battles with outward expression touch us all. The bumbling candidate epitomizes the scope of Breen's show, which is little more than a loving tribute to a host of characters that Breen has clearly been developing for some time. A few highlights include an appearance by Freud and a self-analysis of his hunger for murder; a scout leader who tries to explain to his troupe why they are going to die in the woods, and a Japanese man who tells an ancient fable about heaven and hell with hilarious results. It's all dark stuff, but Breen brings it to a level that we can connect with, and we laugh because he makes us understand. Again, sincerity is his greatest attribute. He takes his people seriously and pays attention to them, studies their every nuance, masters their idiosyncrasies, and tells us about them with the exuberance of a child at his first show-and-tell. He is so refreshingly free of pretension and cynicism.

It's easy to get people to laugh at somebody. It is extremely difficult to get people to laugh with somebody. Breen is a master of the latter. He does not seem capable of indulging in the former. He has too much respect for his people; too much compassion for their plights to ever degrade them.

I saw a saying one time: "Truth is Beauty is Knowledge is Truth." Insert John Breen anywhere into that equation, and its meaning will not change. JUSTIN SANDERS