How does a trio become a duo? It happens when one of the three leaves the threesome for a variety of reasons. In the case of a family, it often occurs when the couple’s child goes off to college. If the parents only have one kid, they are suddenly confronted with what we call, the empty nest syndrome. That’s what Jen Childs and Scott Greer had to face a few years ago. They created af comedy cabaret piece about once again becoming a twosome which is now on the stage at People’s Light.
Jen and Scott are Philadelphia’s premier theater couple, the likes of Mike Nichols and Elaine May or Burns and Allen. But they are not a standup comedy team. He has performed to perfection in every major Philadelphia theater She has brought comedy to incredible heights in creating 1812 Productions, an all-comedy theater venue. And when she performs, she knocks your socks off.
“Two Outta Three” traces a couple’s dealing with their show business future following the departure of their daughter, a part of their act, as they delve into their past routines and work to reinvent themselves. They try to remember what they had done 17 years ago, before the daughter was born. And they have very different memories, from who played the straight man to the very lines themselves.
They quarrel at first, but it is very clear that they love each other. And the little quarrels are so funny, they begin us on a road to laughter that will fill the 75 minutes of their show. They sing famous songs with altered lyrics. (Scott is an accomplished player of the ukelele and the guitar.) They dance about. They try out different personalities. They try Bogart and Bacall, Nichols and Elaine May, and Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. Nothing fits. Mostly, they tell jokes, all kids of jokes, to each other and to us. They are clever jokes and they are deliberate groaners.
Their bedtime story to their daughter was from “Romeo and Juliet” where they occasionally inject lines from “West Side Story.” So many things. So much craziness, Yet so real! I often don’t connect to things that others find funny. Jen Childs and Scott Greer have created a mini masterwork of comedy. “Two Outta Three” was my kind of humor. I loved it! I think you will too.
“Two Outta Three” Created by Jennifer Childs and Scott Greer at People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, PA 19355, 610-644-3500, peopleslight.org Thru June 21, 2026
Philadelphia Theater Reviews by Frank Burd 