“I think that anyone should be able to play anyone. But if that’s true for anyone, let it be true for everyone.” Confused? Good. Starting as a casual stand-up to becoming a stunning and unorthodox comedy special, Dropout presents “Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson” Premiered on August 23, 2024, Chris Grace blurs the line between standup comedy and theatre in a paradoxical spiral of self-identity and epiphanic realization. When acting, embodying one’s character is key in portraying to the audience precise alikeness to whom you want them to see. In this case, Grace encapsulates Scarlett Johansson, performing a witty, autobiographical monologue of her beginnings in film, to the many controversies around her cast roles.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The show starts with a casual introduction and talk between Grace and the audience until he decides to “start” his special. From beginning to end, we witness the slow downward spiral of Grace confronting and challenging discrimination in the film industry from Scarlett Johansson’s white-washing of Japanese stories and his struggles that were in the cause of his ethnicity to his realizing his hypocrisy, perpetuating the problems around casting diversity and acting. The more you learn about Johansson, the more is said about Grace between the lines, devolving into madness before you even realize it. It turns from “Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson” to “Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson: As Chris Grace” to “Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson: As Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson” and onwards until the climax occurs, and everything falls away, to where he is Chris Grace, as no one else but himself.
Script-wise, intricacy and detail were a large factor in the comedy special’s success. Down to the word, each moment assists in the masterpiece that Grace creates as it builds upon itself; even the moments that seem casual and off-script eventually come to hold their own, clear purpose in contribution to the main commentary on identity, stardom, and discrimination.
His delivery is trenchant and earnest, reflecting upon both himself and the world equally, criticizing society and its continuance of indulging in racism and discrimination. By the end of the show, he manages to arrive back at the beginning with the same words, but evolved meanings, leaving the audience with a new set of eyes to look back on everything that has happened in an entirely different light.
It should be mentioned that the meta nature of this show that makes it so unlike others can also mean that it is very much for a select audience. Again, it is quite far from what one would imagine stand-up comedy to be, making its unconventional qualities a turn-off for those who prefer a more classic experience.
All things considered, “Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson” is undoubtedly a 9 out of 10 for its intricate and intentful scripting, immaculate narrative arc, and well-expressed commentary on personal issues caused by discrimination. Especially for teenagers, adults, and even Village students, this production is an amazing watch, a type of uncomfortable entertainment that is unmatched. This show is behind a paywall for the streaming service of Dropout, but the subscription is definitely worth it, as there are many other shows of various genres that are just as great! I highly recommend watching this to anyone looking for something new and meta, and even more so that whoever watches it, watches it again, as there are always new details you’ll catch that further heightens the experience.
