Without Her We're Nothing

Photo: Stan Barouh

In 1988 performance artist, actress, comedian, and woman-about-town Sandra Bernhard premiered her tour de force one-woman show Without You I’m Nothing in Los Angeles. In 1990 she turned the piece into a film, directed by John Boskovich, in which she did everything from sing Burt Bacharach in front of go-go boys to don oversize African robes and headdress to sing Nina Simone's famous song about race, "Four Women." Of all of Bernhard's shows, none spanned so many cultural, poetic, and popular movements as Without You I Am Nothing, proving that Bernhard was not just a comic but an inspired and insightful medium of modern America. Twenty years later she returns to Los Angeles in a one-night-only performance of Without You I'm Nothing at the Orpheum Theater on Friday, November 21, giving fans, old and new, a chance to laugh and love the show all over again; with its sharp wit, brassy musical numbers, and insights -- all served up with a healthy helping of chutzpah as can only be dished by simply Bernhard.

Advocate.com:Why have you decided to bring back Without You I’m Nothing?
Sandra Bernhard: It’s the 20th anniversary. It’s a seminal piece of work for me and put me on the map as a live performer. You know, it’s interesting how our lives go in these cycles; I think there’s a lot of material that fits into where we’re at culturally right now. And there’s so much new material that’s in the show that it’s really not the Without You I’m Nothing it was then. The beautiful thing about the show is it was always very fluid depending on what was happening that night. The major key pieces that people recognize are there too, so it’s a fun trip down memory lane. 

How much of your show is improvised?
Well, if I’m doing a show that’s brand-new, the entire show could be improvised -- I could do 100% improvisation. But this show is probably 25% improv.

Do you get a lot of roadies following the show around?
You mean groupies?

Groupies! What did I say? Roadies? I meant groupies.
Roadies are people who work for you. Groupies are people who come and stare at you and love you. [Laughs] I’ve had some groupies over the years. Unfortunately, not too many anymore -- it’s too much work. But of course there’s my die-hard fans, but they’re usually a little smarter than a groupie.

Was there any material that now feels like an awkward fit or no longer suits your state of mind or heart?
No. So much of what the show’s about, with its impressionistic personas, still works for me. It still holds up.

Is there a typical scenario wherein which you write your material?
I write in notebooks. I’ve got a stack of notebooks I’ve kept over the years. Whenever an idea percolates I jot it down. When I travel I keep my notebook handy, but I don’t do a daily thing -- I don’t try to force writing. Ideas come, and they come so often, especially with the political scene -- there’s just so much constantly coming at you.