“If you’re looking straight ahead, he’s looking from the left at the same thing that you are. He just sees everything in a slightly different way,” producer Sam Kinken said.
David Sedaris is a satirical author who has written many New York Times bestsellers, such as “A Carnival of Snackery,” a collection of diaries dated from 2003 to 2020. His newest work, “Happy-Go-Lucky,” details his life through the COVID-19 lockdowns and the changes he faced both within himself and in the world around him.
According to his producer, Sedaris can find humor in nearly every situation. Kinken has worked with Sedaris for upward of 25 years.
Before they teamed up, Kinken reached out to Sedaris’ agent with his own ideas of how to promote Sedaris’ tour. Before Kinken, Sedaris regularly did three or four shows in small venues. Now under Kinken’s supervision, he does fewer shows in larger venues while continuing to sell out these venues.
However, fewer, bigger shows aren’t always the most important to Sedaris. When it comes to places like Iowa City, he plays favorites with theaters.
“I have at times pitched him, ‘Hey, maybe we could try to go to Hancher sometime, it’s about the same size as two Englerts,’ and he’s like, ‘No, I really like The Englert. I just would like to play that little room,’” Kinken said.
Part of the reason Sedaris and his team decided to perform at The Englert Theatre on April 10 is because of the literary environment surrounding the city. They eat at different restaurants and visit Prairie Lights and other establishments — a feat that often takes more than just one day in Iowa City.
Besides the comfort of the venue, Sedaris doesn’t need much to get his show going. He often walks onto a dark stage with a wooden box podium, a stool to put his water bottle on, a microphone, and just enough light to read by.
Sedaris walked onto the stage with high confidence, holding a folder containing his essays and diary entries. He showed off his red, patterned knee-length shorts, black sport coat, and shiny, silver dress shoes.
The first portion of the show was new material Sedaris was testing out, including a piece about AI that he had written just that morning, armed with a pencil and paper to make edits to his work as he performed it. If one of his jokes didn’t get a laugh, he marked what needed to be changed. This method is much easier on Sedaris’ team, as he used to request a specific typewriter for each show.
Sedaris probably didn’t have to worry too much about edits for this show, as nearly every story caused laughter to erupt throughout the theater.
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The second portion of the show involved a reading from Sedaris’ diaries, which consisted of stories about his time on tour, including one about a couple fighting in Iowa City, where, if it came to it, he would pull out his wallet and pretend to be the “fashion police.”
The third portion was a reading from another author’s work Sedaris is championing. In this case, the celebrated author was Richard Yates, writer of “The Easter Parade.”
In his essays, diary entries, and novels, Sedaris isn’t afraid to show the unusual sides of his life, often doing so with great emotion. Many of his fans love this about him.
“He’s on the level of Maya Angelou and Michelle Obama with the way he uses emotion,” attendee Douglas Shelnutt said.
However, people love him for more than his writing, as his sister Amy is also a comedian, writer, and actor. He frequently mentions her in his essays, as most reflect his real-life experiences.
“They must be the quirkiest, most interesting family ever,” attendee Wendy Keen said.