On "Taking The Note"

Why I Rewrote My Award-Winning Show

I want to talk a little bit about “taking the note.”

One of my favorite things about being a Fringe artist is that it’s a platform for experimental shows, for new work, and a great way to learn from other artists. It’s common for a Fringe fest to be the first time a work is going up in front of an audience.

When I premiered Godzilla’s Not a Dinosaur in 2023, it was a different show than it is now. It was well-received and won Best of Venue at the KC Fringe, but the show I’ve been doing this year, and even the show I took on my first leg of its tour last summer, are very different from the original draft.

Two reviewers took the time to critique the show in 2023. They both noted that my show was full of pop culture references and that those unfamiliar with them may be lost at times. I felt a little like Sookie from Gilmore Girls, the reviews were good but I was stuck on the singular detail that they didn’t like the magic risotto…

Ok…maybe I see the point.

The original show definitely still had Godzilla as a through-line, but also made pit stops in Adventure Time, Jurassic Park, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Great British Bake Off…

In short, it was doing too much.

Abby, why would you revamp an award-winning show just because a couple people critiqued one part of it? (Some people might ask.)

In the name of growth!

And committing to the bit.

I knew I wanted to start touring to other Fringe festivals and I knew that there was something about “Godzilla’s Not a Dinosaur” that could work. I think the first version of the show only scratched the surface of what I was really trying to get at. It bounced around, it was a little hard to follow.

[ You can learn more about that show in A Free Guide to Trying. ]

After the premier, I spent the better part of the next year reworking the show, writing new material and poems, and watching every. single. Godzilla movie. I wanted the whole show to be Godzilla from top to bottom.

I wanted to share some things I learned during the process of revising and touring this show:

1. Writing a show takes time.

Ok, ok I know that sounds like a “duh!” but listen, every time I rehearse or perform my show I still discover a new thing about it. We are 3 years into the writing process at this point.

While I was preparing for the Atlanta Fringe Festival, there were still little pieces of the show that struck me differently. There were new parts that I realized called back to each other and more places to weave in the through-line.

This version of the show is my favorite and I feel like it just keeps getting better. And there are still things I want to work on.

2. Don’t be afraid to try a new approach.

There’s nothing that shapes a show quite like getting it in front of an audience. That’s where you learn that what you thought was a funny laugh line ends up getting silence, or an “awww,” or another unexpected reaction. Sometimes it’s just crowd dependent, sometimes it’s because you haven’t quite figured out the delivery.

I decided at the last minute to do a different preview for the Atlanta Fringe than I did for Minnesota Fringe. And It was a /roaring/ success..hehe. I got tons of comments about my preview being great.

Why did I decide to change my preview last minute? Because I watched back the preview from Minnesota Fringe and noticed that there was long silence while I was setting up something that I didn’t need to set up.

Which leads me to my next point:

3. Record everything.

Not for “content creation” or whatever (gag me) but to watch it, because you can see what works in real time. Do I remember to do this every time? No. Do I regret not having a recording of my Atlanta Fringe preview? Yes.

As a stand-up, I’m often working out bits as I go. Having a recording helps me actually know what changes I made on the fly worked.

The other day after one of my shows, someone wanted to know exactly how I said something, so she could write it down and remember it. My response? “Me too.” Because it was something I had said on the fly. But we were able to watch the recording back and see what I said. And now I know that was a good way to say it, so I should maybe put it in the script…

Final Thoughts

Sometimes, taking the note is worth it.

The biggest difference between the original draft of the show and its final form is committing to the bit and considering a wider audience. By focusing only on Godzilla and getting rid of (almost) every other pop culture reference, I was able to craft a story that resonates even with people who’ve never seen a Godzilla film. I give them everything they need to know as part of the show.

Especially blending poetry and comedy, which can feel like opposing art forms to some, I wanted to set my audiences up for success in as many ways as possible.

If you want to catch the last Kansas City run of Godzilla’s Not a Dinosaur, tickets are on sale now!

I’ll also be at St. Lou Fringe Fest and Omaha Fringe Festival in August!