“Diagnose This! Tales of a Medical Actor” got a 5 Star Review!! This means I can decorate my promotional materials with shiny bangles now!
Thanks to Don Descateau at Monday Magazine for these kind words:
Diagnose This! Tales of a Medical Actor – Donna Kay Yarborough
Adults only, coarse language solo storytelling, on until Sept. 1 at the Wood Hall
Who knew there was such a thing as a standardized patient? Yarborough describes the job in great detail, sometimes in ways not for the squeamish, such as when she has her “pelvic region” examined. Her dedication to helping new doctors learn bedside manner and communication is admirable, but her stories about her experiences working with green and often terrified students is hilarious.
Her delivery and wit are razor sharp and she makes those topics that don’t usually make the dinner table conversation seem somehow more palatable. A bad personal experience related to a prolonged health diagnosis led this longtime actor to the standardized patient job, a finale which leaves the audience with food for thought and respect for her mission.
***** (out of 5)
– Don Descoteau
But wait! There’s more…
(Victoria, BC)
Check the Program on Facebook gave me this lovely 4-star review, which is nothing to sniff at:
Fringe review: “Diagnose This!” **** (4 stars)
Venue 4: Wood Hall
When it comes to weird acting jobs, being a “standardized patient” must be near the top of the list. But as veteran improvisor Donna Kay Yarborough recounts in this mix of monologue, improv & impassioned manifesto, it’s also the most rewarding job—and the finest acting—she’s ever done.
Filled with true-life (and often cringe-worthy) stories about her intimate “face to place” experiences with medical students, this is fast-paced, funny and fascinating stuff; being an American, however, not all of Yarborough’s jokes work for Canadians, and the show does end on a very serious note—but it’s worth seeing simply for the visceral reaction she gets.
If you’re squeamish about body talk, medical details or gynecological insights, this may not be the show for you; but it is ideal for anyone who has ever had to grapple with insensitive doctors, the medical system or personal illness. It’s said that laughter is the best medicine; this show proves it right.
—JT
So, tell your peoples to come to the show in Vancouver! Showtimes run between Sept. 7-15, at the False Creek Gym on Granville Island as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival. You can share the event info on Facebook by going to my page HERE or to the event HERE.
REAL TALK: my show isn’t flashy or outlandish or sexy or extravagant. It’s just me, a smartass middle-aged white woman, sharing time with you, It’s going to be the word-of-mouth recommendations that will bring people to take a risk on my lil’ show, to choose me in a large gathering of options. So, I humbly ask, if you know people in and around Vancouver BC, please tell them about me. Victoria has been an absolute delight, and I would love to keep riding that horse of joy into Vancouver.
Speaking of Victoria, WHAT A WONDERFUL FRINGE! Folks volley (very nicely) to sit in the front row! I have my Saturday show in an hour, and my Sunday show at 6:30, so come on out!
Off to prepare. Love you, write back–
–Donna Kay.