NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MOSAIC at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will present "Tell Me What You Learned Tuesday," written and performed by Tom Truss and co-created and directed by Amy Brentano, on Thursday, June 5, at 7 p.m. at 49 Main Street in North Adams.

 

According to a press release:

 

"Tell Me What You Learned Tuesday" is an irreverent, reverential story that revisits a young queer boy’s life through the lens of his adult self. Tom Truss dives into family, hopes, sex, and the complexities of growing up queer as he brings to life the Johnsons—a wacky, troubled family of eight. Through a potent mix of physical theater, props, dance, and monologues, Truss plays all eight of the Johnsons while deftly unpacking their treasures and tragedies around their dining room table.

 

"I got tired of creating performances about my own life, so I let my psyche run wild," said Truss. "What came out is a dark comedy that sheds light on a troubled suburban family, and then gets even darker." 

 

Born from four years of improvisational work, pandemic casualties, and eight literal suitcases, "Tell Me What You Learned Tuesday" is an odyssey of relationships and all their detritus. As the Johnson matriarch puts it in her thick southern drawl: "Some people say you carry all that stuff with you—your hate, your frustration, your baggage—until you unpack it. But I’m happy to say I am not one of those people. I believe you can leave it all behind and turn yourself into whatever you want!" Come see if that’s possible.

 

Admission is free and open to the public. Content of performance is appropriate for those 18+. First Friday, June 5 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at MOSAIC EventSpace, located at 49 Main St. in downtown North Adams.