On stage, comedian Kate Berlant is a lot – a lot of exaggerated faces, a lot of abrupt and free physicality and a lot of instant thematic twists.
He's brought that same frenetic theatricality to both the small and big screen, including last year's Emmy-nominated comedy special. “Would it kill you to laugh?” co-starring his friend and frequent collaborator John Early, as well as scene-stealing roles in HBO's “Search Party” and the Boots Riley film “Sorry to Bother You.”
Now its lush extra-ness is on full display in his one-man Off-Broadway production “Kate” through February 11 at Pasadena Playhouse.
Written and performed by Berlant and directed by Bo Burnham (who also directed his 2022 Hulu comedy special, “Cinnamon in the wind”), the almost autobiographical work is, in his own words: “something like my ridiculous clown show. It is an absurd theatrical experience, but also sincere.”
While she is a blur of hyperactivity during performances, she is considerably calmer outside of the spotlight.
“I'm a hedonist,” he says. “I seek pleasure openly and quickly and it is not difficult for me to relax.”
In Sunday Funday, the people of Los Angeles tell us step by step their ideal Sunday in the city. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
Born and raised in Santa Monica and now residing in Silver Lake, her version of relaxation ranges from a low-key break in Silver Lake Meadow to an hour-long cold-immersion contrast therapy session at Pause study in West Hollywood. And when it comes to pleasure, your mind goes straight to food: “I guess I don't know what else motivates people!”
She put together an ideal Sunday itinerary in which her cravings would guide her on a food spree around the city. She shamelessly visited highly advertised restaurants and not one but two trendy health food stores, as well as a couple of old hangouts from his teenage years.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
9 am: No rush to get up
Since the weekend has no meaning to me because my life doesn't follow the rhythms of a normal life, I guess there is a little feeling of “The office is closed.” I would love to sleep until 8:30 or 9. I need at least eight hours of sleep and I honestly want to sleep for 10. I like being able to sleep freely and not have anywhere to be. I would wake up and stay in bed for about an hour.
10 am: Play barista at home.
I am obsessed with my new coffee machine, which is a Breville Bambino espresso machine. I must say it has changed my life. It makes the best coffee you will ever get in the world. Also, I'm sure this is a habit that will probably dissolve in the next couple of weeks. I'm currently very obsessed with making green juice every morning, as a natural symptom of living in Los Angeles.
11am: Make a decision about breakfast.
Love squirrel – is still one of the most delicious and reliable meals you can get. I also love Courage Bagels, which obviously receives extraordinary press coverage, but lives up to its reputation. The line at Courage is often overwhelming and impenetrable, certainly in the face of hunger. There is one rare occasion where, if I can stand to stand in line, it is Courage. I am often starving and usually if I need food I need it within 20 minutes. If I go to Sqirl, I really like the rice dish with pesto and sorrel, or the frittata they make is beautiful.
Noon: Embark on a West Side Hike
I would probably go to Santa Monica to visit my parents, which I do quite often on Sundays. It's a shocking The sacrifice I make as an only child who loves his parents. You have to give yourself completely to the traffic and overcome it. I'll usually just be listening to the same songs on loop, because I'm a creature of habit. (Right now, some songs on repeat are “Let 'Em In” by Wings, “When the Morning Comes” by Hall & Oates, “Number One Fan” by Muna, “What It Is” by Doechii, and “Party 4 U.” by Charli XCX.) Or I'll take the opportunity to make phone calls. When I lament about the traffic, I realize how lucky I am to be able to see my parents: they are just one annoying traffic stop away. We'll just be sitting at the dining room table, chatting. I often bring them food, so I would bring them some Sqirl or buy Tacos Please, a Santa Monica place from my youth that is still there. Their stuffed chiles are a staple of my childhood; My parents ordered them in bulk for parties.
15:00: Shopping comparison
I'm going to Erewhon —as the government requires me to do—at least three to five times a week. (I have a habit of buying their soups that come in a jar, as an emergency post-show meal if I'm late getting home from the theater.) No It wouldn't be like me to go to two different Erewhons in one day and have it be a ridiculous whim. I'll go to the one in Silver Lake and look around. So I'm really going to go to the Santa Monica Erewhon just to compare and contrast. And if I'm in Santa Monica, I'd make a nostalgic stop at the Brentwood Country Mart, to examine how the 0.5% live and maybe some shopping can be done. [Growing up] I spent a lot of time there.
5 pm: dinner time atmosphere control
If I wanted a hamburger, I would go to short boy In Echo Park. If I wanted pizza, I would go to quarter sheets. I love to eat very early; My partner and I want to have dinner at five.
7 pm: Hit up an atmospheric bar.
As a date, we would go to Sad Coffee in Chinatown and have a nice glass of wine and hang out outside. The atmosphere is key and Café Triste is kind of sexy and has a nice energy. Or I also love it Club Capri. I have no qualms about fully embracing, loving and adoring the most media-hyped places in Los Angeles. I could rack my brain for a more specialized list to, you know, present myself as someone walking my own path. But I'm following the commoner's trail!
9 p.m.: Return home to look at the houses.
Honestly, on a Sunday, it's really nice to be home at 9 and then, realistically, watch like an hour of Architectural compendium videos. I am driven by aesthetics and obsessed with people's homes and spaces and how the rich reproduce a certain aesthetic. Catching people in that Architectural Digest “performance” tour, it is some of the most disturbing material you can find. To be clear, I am loud, wild, and love to stay out late. I love to party, I love glamor and I love Hollywood, but I also love to eat at 5 and then be fully immersed in REM. [sleep] at 11.
