That voice. I’d know it anywhere, and so would you if you’ve been attuned to NPR. You could say I’m a junkie for talk radio, and “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” is a particular addiction. A news quiz cum comedy revue, the show has gotten me from here to there, as I drive in traffic along Montauk Highway. One star, Faith Salie, has taken her story on the road, so to speak, landing at the Minetta Lane Theater with “Approval Junkie.” A monologue (co-written with Amanda Watkins) about career, marriage—she’s especially funny about her ex, “wasband,” as she dubs him, nurturing mom and dad, disparaging career coach—who while encouraging she cut bangs, basically says without saying it, she has a face for the radio.
That, by the way, is not true. Adorable, petite, in a teal jumpsuit, Salie transitions nicely from an inspiring opening involving taking her friend Ruth, now in her 100’s, to vote. The show exemplifies the kind of theater Audible does best, showcasing a writer/performer’s extraordinary feat of holding an audience’s rapt attention for 90 minutes. If I may quibble, sometimes Salie tries too hard to please—then again, isn’t that the essence of being an “Approval Junkie?”
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