“We are defined by the things you never see.”
One of the best feelings in the world for a film lover is stumbling upon a new movie that you don’t know anything about and it ends up being so profound it moves you to tears. Derek Delgaudio’s one man show, IN & OF ITSELF was that cathartic experience for me.
Delgaudio, with his deadpan Jimmy Kimmel delivery, plays a game of philosophical Russian roulette as the audience’s “Roulettista.” He has his hand on the gun and knows just which chamber to click, keeping the audience in suspense for the full 90 minute performance.
The film is not simply about illusions and magic card tricks. On a deeper level, it’s a look into the complexities of life, one’s identity and what role you play with the hand you’ve been dealt. Delgaudio reminds audiences that only a lucky few get to play the part they truly want in life and one’s story is told not by the individual, but the community.
In a time when we are all struggling to connect due to social distancing, IN & OF ITSELF forces the audience to realize that even though it may appear they are just another brick in the wall, with other bricks around them, they can become gold.
It is available to sail away to on Hulu.
