Pittsburgh Fringe 2025
How To Prepare for A Long Distance Run
Amy Falk
Genre: LGBTQ+, One Person Show, Satire
Venue: The Mr. Roboto Project
Festival: Pittsburgh Fringe
Low Down
This is Amy Falk’s first Fringe Festival! This show, How to Prepare for a Long Distance Run, was a 20-minute one-person show that performed at the Mr. Roboto Project. The show explores themes of abuse, drugs, femininity, angels, and more, presented through the metaphor of running.
Review
Despite its name, Amy Falk’s How to Prepare for a Long Distance Run is not entirely about running; it covers an abusive relationship, drugs, angels, the feminine divine, and running, all within around twenty minutes.
Amy is incredibly endearing. Her character, if a bit air-headed, is someone to root for. She’s got rose-tinted glasses on for a less than stellar boyfriend and struggles with hallucinations, but she wants to be happy, and you can’t help but want alongside her. Through running (which may or may not include mushrooms), she’s able to access an angelic sort of image of a woman, guiding her forward and keeping her going. The idea of this “runner’s high”, something that typically happens after a point of intense physical exertion, tying in with Amy’s relationship and desire for more from life was incredibly poignant, and very well executed.
As mentioned, the show is short, and Amy’s energy is constant throughout. Through clever voice acting, she’s able to portray multiple additional characters (including a voice over for a how to video about summoning an angel), and she moves across the stage masterfully, making it feel much larger than it was. She commanded the crowd throughout the show, never wasting a moment. The piece concludes with Amy running out the doors of the venue, continuing to chase whatever she has her mind set on – a burst of energy that put an exclamation mark on the show.
While I might not be signing up for the Pittsburgh Marathon anytime soon, How to Prepare for a Long Distance Run offered an lovely and energetic glimpse into Amy’s well-crafted and well-executed world.
