It’s time for solo shows to move beyond the trauma plot

Josh Sharp in “Josh Sharp's Ta-da!” at Greenwich House Theater in New York. (Emilio Madrid/Soho Playhouse)

Column by Naveen Kumar

Pain is classic comedic fuel. In stand-up, solo theater and the hybrids of the two that are everywhere onstage in recent years, performers recall personal trauma with a spoonful of sugar for the purpose of audience enlightenment. Subscribe for unlimited access to The Post You can cancel anytime. Subscribe

Pioneers such as Richard Pryor, John Leguizamo and Margaret Cho used confessional comedy to get at what life is like outside the dominant culture, whether by playing multiple characters or speaking as themselves. The social function was key — their stories, however wildly personal, invited catharsis among marginalized people who could relate, while educat