WORDS BY Tiffany Lukk
Years before the Supreme Court’s historic decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, Alison Leiby began writing her one-woman comedy show, Oh God, a Show About Abortion, based on her own experience of getting the procedure.
Comedy centered around abortion can easily fall into cheap shots and conception jokes that’ve been told ad nauseam. However, Leiby talks about her abortion in a genuinely funny way with thoughtfulness and relatability.
To get there, Leiby examined every little detail of her experience. “When you’re on a granular level being like, everybody in the waiting room was wearing leggings, we all looked like we were going to a workout class—that’s funny,” she explains.
And encouraging others to talk about it in that normalized way is one of the reasons that Leiby wrote the show. By talking about things that have made people feel judged or isolated, she explains, she can create community through the show.
“I should be able to talk about my period, I should be able to talk about what’s happening with birth control for me,” she says. “And then I should be able to talk about my abortion and not feel shame around it.”
“Not everybody should have to talk about their abortion—it’s completely up to everybody,” Leiby continues. “But if you’re not talking about it because you feel uncomfortable and scared, hopefully this is the kind of show that would make you feel a little less alone and [make it] a little less scary.”
WHEN YOU GO
Oh God, a Show About Abortion, Nov. 19
The Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Ave, Mpls
theparkwaytheater.com
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