BWW Reviews: CAMPING WITH GASOLINE - So Funny You'll Laugh Until You Get Asthma!

Jaston Williams, quite possibly Texas' premiere contemporary story teller, hand-selected The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston, Texas, to premiere his latest one-man show Camping With Gasoline. And with full sincerity, I can say that the Galveston audiences are very thankful that he did. The show's debut run at The Grand was held on Saturday June 16, 2012, for two performances. If you missed it, then rest assured knowing that Williams has plans to tour the show through Texas and L.A. next fall and winter. When the future dates of this production are announced, you must buy tickets and ensure transportation because Jaston Williams' taller-than-Texas, autobiographical yarns are simply not to be missed!

Upon entering the auditorium, my eyes were instantly drawn to the minimal and altogether simple set. With only a white leather rolling chair placed center stage, a elegantly cut glass with water on a small table by the chair, and two folding stands complete with black binders on either side of the stage, it was abundantly clear that nothing on the stage was to detract attention from Jaston Williams himself. Yet, regardless of the set he performs on, I am sure that his charisma and charm will always capture the audience's attention and comfortably hold it for the duration of his time on stage. Moreover, the lighting design was kept simplistic as well, employing blue washes to signal the end of a story and warm ambers that faded and came up with his movements, always keeping Williams in natural and neutral lights.

At the evening performance, and I was assured that the matinee audience had similar reactions, thunderous applause and cheering greeted Jaston Williams as he came on stage. Before diving right into his first piece, he warmed the audience up with a few topical jokes and relevant background information for the piece, including commentary concerning his costume. He let the audience know that his costume designer really wanted to surprise the audience with something they had never seen him in before-a well tailored and impeccable Italian suit.

In his opening piece, "Blood and Holly," Jaston Williams shares memories of his childhood Christmases, telling the audience about his second grade teacher whose stern directives would have scared the rigidity out of an iron nail. "Keep the CHRIST in Christmas," he bellows, during an impersonation of the teacher, while the West-Texas children in his story write on her classroom windows with spray on snow from an aluminum can. X-mas simply would not work for her. Through this, he lays the groundwork for the introduction of his remarkable and unforgettable mother. The audience authentically comes to know her and her almost manic moods during the holidays through his flawless impersonnations. Whether it was the way his mother said his name, his recounting of the time he refused to ride in the car to see the pretty lights because he wanted to wait for Santa, or the awful January that he found out Santa wasn't real, each tender and adoring moment he recounts with his mother is a priceless comedic gem-reminding members of the audience that every family has quirks, and we truly do not hail from the only weird family on the block.

Jaston Williams rounds out the first act with "Saved By The Boy," which was a fantastic story for father's day weekend. Williams also dedicated the piece to all the fathers in the audience. In "Saved By The Boy," he explains to the audience that when he first began to look for his adopted son, his search began in war-torn Guatemala. Feeling the need to understand the culture that his future son would come from, he took a trip with a close friend named Ben to the country. In addition to soaking up Guatemalan culture and customs, they took a side excursion to hike up a volcano. From listening to Williams recount this experience, you can't help but know that if this tale weren't true it wouldn't be funny, nor would it seem so far-fetched. Williams simply proves that sometimes fiction cannot hold a candle to real-life experiences. Williams captivates the audience with his recollections of the German tourists, affectionately referred to as the "Teutonic Bunch," his friend Ben, his no-nonsense hiking poles that feature prominently after the epic climax of the yarn, and the heart-touching shoeless young Guatemalan boy who helped him and his friend down the volcano in the darkness of an almost apocalyptic storm. This emotionally charged piece ends with a recollection of the joys of a first-world barefoot boyhood and a touching compassionate comparison between Williams own barefoot summers the barefoot boy in Guatemala and Williams' hope for his own son to enjoy being barefoot.

The second act of the show is the title piece, "Camping With Gasoline," which will not leave a dry eye in the house because of how hard the audience will be laughing. Williams details for the audience his experiences as a both a Cub Scout and as a Boy Scout. He introduces us to a handful of West Texas elite, including the unforgettable Nicotine Twins and the magnanimous Lester, who laughed until he developed asthma. Luckily for the audience, Williams has us laughing until we develop asthma too! I personally wheezed on multiple occasions from laughing so vigorously, and I was not alone. Using skills he perfected in the Greater Tuna series, Williams adeptly imitates a handful of unique and individualized characters, complete with their own voices. As he recounts making a map of Texas with sand and glue, Little Women, a drag infused burlesque striptease, and the "Flaming Arrows," the audiences splitting sides will ache from uproarious and hearty laughter. This piece charms and is the perfect finale to an already perfect evening of theatre. Moreover, it leaves every member of the audience wanting to become a "Flaming Arrow."

Jaston Williams definitely knows his audience, and he showed his appreciation for them at the production I attended. As a third act, he offered a brief Q&A session. During this fantastic session, Jaston Williams let the audience know he was currently working on the books for two musicals, writing a novel, has 22 more autobiographical pieces like the ones we saw in Camping With Gasoline, and that he is hoping to bring his revival of Jay Presson Allen's Tru. from Austin's ZACH Theatre to Galveston's The Grand 1894 Opera House. In a very tender moment, he also let the audience know that Tuna is on hiatus because his partner and friend Joe Sears is not in good health. This profoundly affected the audience, and Williams promised to pass the audiences' well wishes on to Sears.

Overall, seeing Camping With Gasoline is an unforgettable experience. This is definitely a show to see and share with your father, if possible. Or share it with any father you can find. Women will love it too. It is a hilarious and relatable. It is tender and endearing. If you are not familiar with Jaston Williams before you see the show, you'll feel a personal connection afterwards. All in all, don't miss out on this production. You'll be sorry if you do!

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