“If my dad had been prime minister of India–as unlikely as that would have been–I probably would have written a play about that. But, he died from lung cancer and that became my topic,” said Jay Nachman, creator and performer of My Dad is Now Ready for His Sponge Bath, his 2011 Philly Fringe show.

My Dad is Now Ready for His Sponge Bath is a one-man show blending theater, storytelling, and stand-up comedy, all of which helps Jay depict his father’s illness while sharing humorous family anecdotes. “My dad was a funny guy, and I’d like to think I have a good sense of humor, so it’s hard for me to write something that is dark and heavy. There are a lot of jokes in the show because that’s the way my mind operates,” Jay said.

Jay also described the frustration he felt after his mother passed away (his parents were happily married for 47 years beforehand) and with the lady friend his father acquired after her death, referred to by Jay as “The Piece of Work.” In his show, Jay manages to demonstrate the pain of losing a parent while also expressing the joy his father brought to his life. Philadelphia City Paper‘s Toby David described the show as a “sweet and funny portrait of a grown man’s childlike adoration of his perfect father.”

My Dad is Now Ready for His Sponge Bath runs Friday, September 16 and Saturday, September 17 at Grasso’s Magic Theater, 103 Callowhill Street. 8:00 pm, $15.

–Christina Snyder