I’ve got news for Tiffany Anne Price: she’s not really a cat lady. “Cat lady” connotes eccentric recluse and pungent odors. But Price — who has only four cats — is outgoing, charming and chatty. She reminds you instantly of the zany, very loud friend you had in high school that was frequently attracting way too much attention to your lunch table and failing miserably in her attempts to impress cute boys. With a mega-watt smile, a massive amount of energy, Price has a treasure trove of awkward anecdotes that she’s eager to share.
A one-woman show in the 2013 Cincy Fringe, Confessions of a Cat Lady (with a side of crazy), is a quirky blend of theater and stand-up comedy. Price, both writer and performer, addresses the audience directly, relating stories and landing jokes. She does the occasional costume change and even a spine-snapping air guitar solo. As she talks at length about her husband, her mental block about public restrooms, and of course, her cats, Confessions is engaging and entertaining. And much of the content is surprisingly clean. She might gross you out as she details her delight in untwining in-grown hairs, but she is rarely, if ever, raunchy or sexually explicit. Rather, she jokes freely about her teenage obsession with church camp and Tommy Hilfiger overalls.
Confessions, directed by Kimleigh Smith, moves at a frantic pace, kept afloat by sheer enthusiasm. For the most part, Price’s superhuman energy level is more than enough to power the show. But there are moments throughout when she seems tired and just a tad sloppy for comedy.
Confessions of a Cat Lady is a high-speed Fringe experience — a weird, wild, very funny night of theater. The show's final performance is 9 p.m. Saturday.
