Oliver moved to New York City in 1977 and started reading poetry in nightclubs at 2 a.m. Since then, he has written a novel, "The Man Who Loved Plants," and three collections of poems. Oliver's performance on the storytelling series "The Moth" condensed his childhood into 15 minutes and was the impetus to create "Helen & Edgar."
Standing on an empty stage, Oliver charmed the audience with his performance style.
The show opened with a powerful quote from Oliver's mother: "Beware of Savannah. It will imprison you." It highlighted the cloistered theme of Oliver's time living with his artist mother, Louise, and sister, Helen, in a dilapidated house in Savannah, Ga. A frenetic and superstitious woman, his mother had many eccentricities that pervaded his and his sister's childhood.
Oliver characterizes his family as "lost children." In his mother's words, "no one [would] understand" their family, so they relied on one another for companionship. A heart-wrenching story about his mother's daily declaration that "she would never have any more kids" griped the audience, exposing the deep sadness Oliver endured as a child. Despite his mother's actions, it is clear that Oliver deeply loved and revered his mother.
Between each part of the performance, old family photographs and his mother's paintings were projected onto the stage. Oliver said he hoped to immortalize his sister and mother, presenting them as the artists that were.
As Oliver recounted vignettes from his childhood, the audience was entranced by his mellifluous, passionate voice, compounded by his unique accent.
Oliver attributes his accent to his childhood and "isolationist" mother. It is shocking how creative and vivid Oliver's prose is despite this, and Oliver is able to elicit many disparate emotions.
His vibrant descriptions and storytelling style are perhaps a product of the nuances of the world that he was separated from for so long as a child.
Oliver skillfully weaves in humorous accounts as well. Anecdotes of "albino watermelons" growing in the yard, a collective fear of the dark and his family's use of an ouija board add levity to the performance. These stories highlight the beguiling and whimsical aspects of Oliver's childhood, and the audience erupted into laughter at Oliver's witticisms and enchanting retellings.
Lebanon resident Morgan Perrone said the show was "awesome" and "highly entertaining."
Audience member Fred Polizzi, also from Lebanon, called the performance "great and intense" despite the lack of choreography and props.
"All my life, I thought I was going to be a visual artist," Oliver said during the show.
Many audience members left smiling, praising Oliver's voice. Some left with copies of his poetry collections, handmade by the publishing company Oilcan Press.
Polizzi said that he "couldn't wait to get home to take a look at it."
With his unmatched performing style, vivid descriptions and emotional appeal, Oliver certainly succeeded in attracting people as visual art does.
