On Oct. 17 and 18, Slow Theatre hosted a drive-in event that included comedy, monologues and musical performances centered around the theme “Freedom of Speech.” The presentation was a mix of live performances and film. 

The drive-in theater allowed the audience to stay in their cars and practice social distancing,  which made the event unique and safe.

The underground political rally was geared to feature those with performances that talk about some of this country’s most pressing topics of discussion. 

Following the national anthem, the night started with the phrase “The President is a moron,” which the audience then laughed with in agreement. The monologue went on to critique President Trump and violations of the First Amendment.

Among the performers were several Chico State professors, one of them being Laird Easton of the history department. Easton compared Hitler and Germany in the 1920s to Trump and the current political climate. Easton’s main focus was pointing out similarities during both times where the public seemed extremely divided and the concept of “fake news” during both Hitler’s regime and Trump’s presidency. 

Each presenter came with their own twist on the Garage Fest theme. The event seemed to act as an outlet for local talent and intellects to express their ideas and inspire conversations about relevant topics.

In between acts there was a live band that played music that kept the audience in an upbeat and positive mood throughout the night. 

Vice President of Slow Theatre Greg Ellery emphasized how important the Garage Fest was this year and how we may be facing threats to our freedoms

“This show spotlighted both how important speech is to achieving and maintaining all of our rights, and the hardships endured to secure freedom,” Ellery said.

This was Slow Theatre’s second annual Garage Fest and with their ability to adapt it may be safe to assume we will be seeing more from Garage Fest in coming years. 

Ellery also encouraged people to visit the Slow Theatre website and Facebook page for clips of the show as well as more info about upcoming events. 

Sophia Pearson can be reached at [email protected] or @sophia__pearson on Twitter.