Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History

History Has Never Been So Hilariously Obscene - Sydney Boisvert

Stroke of Genius is exactly what its title promises, an absurdly smart and hilariously funny academic exploration of one of humanity’s silliest universal gestures. Equal parts intellectual satire and Monty Python-style buffoonery, the show had the audience alternating between laughter and gasps of surprise as it made a comically serious case for the significance of pantomime masturbation in the history of performance.

The multimedia “lecture” format was both clever and engaging. Pre-recorded clips of the actor miming masturbation were projected as though they were part of a scholarly slideshow, creating the feel of an absurd university seminar that had gone delightfully off the rails. The concept never grew stale; instead, the ridiculous commitment to treating the material seriously enhanced the comedy as the performance progressed.

Central to the show was the Professor, who was played with fantastically over-the-top enthusiasm. What could have been awkward subject matter instead became delightfully playful due to the performer’s willingness to embrace grandiosity and bring the audience along for the ride. His delivery kept the energy high, and the sheer audacity of the premise felt fresh and inventive throughout.

Ultimately, Stroke of Genius: Pamtomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History isn’t trying to change the world, but it does push the boundaries of what comedy can explore. By mixing clever parody with unabashed silliness, it manages to be both ridiculous and impressively committed to its premise. I left the theater amused, a little shocked, and genuinely impressed by the show’s innovative take on comedy as a lecture.

If you like Adam Conover or Drop Out TV you'll love this show. Silly fun and well delivered 🤩 lots of groan-y puns if that's your jam too.

Every year at the Edmonton Fringe, for myself, there is a show... a show that I did not intend to see but I am able to see and it surprises me both in how it entertains me and how I happen to be able to watch the work of the artists that I have yet to interact with on the Fringe Grounds.

After working days at the fringe, my mind is poor and I had misplaced an earbud case during my fringing and performance for the day. I had time to explore multiple venues and after seeing Fear Fables at the Next Act Theatre I returned to what I HOPED would be the venue for my earbud case. Alas... it was not.

However, as I was about to walk out, one of the performers had seen one of the shows that I had worked at and they had a phenomenal time. They also said such kind words about myself which surprised the heck outta me: Being a performer, I know that the last couple of minutes are when you want to get yourself focused or, at least, when there is an expectation from your creative heads to be focused. This wonderful person took time away from their focus time to say not only kind things about myself, but my whole company's production and also shared an interest to speak more when the show concluded.

Rather than walk out to the next venue I said, "Well that was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me before a show.... I might as well support theirs as well!!" And BOY what a show it was!

Stroke of Genius is a show that many people get within the first 5... minutes?... seconds??... But what I liked is that main speaker of this lecture (Shane Mayforth) does not approach this lecture's subject topic with a plodding feeling of, "It's about Masturbation, I know it, you know it, here are the jokes about it, and we are done." The excitement, appreciation, and severity that he has with the class at moments reminding us that we must participate or be docked marks kept me on my toes and focused throughout.

You start to actually study the intricate details of the lectures topic which would be a glowing review if this was a serious lecture but, with the topic being that of masturbation, what you are intently focusing on makes you feel absurd and then you find yourself laughing both at the very clear gestures, short-hand, and diagrams being shared and laughing still because you need to make sure you put it to memory so as not to fail your grade score average.

Vulva Va-Voom does a great job in probably my favourite moments in the show which were the examples used in the lecture showcasing masturbation pantomime through the silent era of select silent films. These moments were utterly hilarious particularly one involving a tragically lost film that just had me in stitches.

At the risk of losing a new friend (should they read this) I want to share three things that I feel, for me could have contributed positively to the plays intended effect, at least as far as I can interpret what the effect of certain moments were.

The first one is in the lecture tone. I think the entire lecture structure is great, no notes (Even the magic number for the last slide was perfect.) My only observation was that there were moments when I felt there could be more passion behind the analysis.

There was intention and a direct pacing to clearly deliver many of the masturbation jokes, but the passion that comes from a raw presentation - the kind of presentation that is 'I need to talk about this or I will die' - was last for me at moments.

The second and third thing are connected: The antagonistic force that threatens the presentation and our Professors hard work did not feel as stakes heavy as I felt it could be mainly because it is auditory. Using my knowledge from the lecture (of which I now have a certificate) the believability of the stakes was much lower for me.

I think this could have been remedied with an on-stage, in-person individual walking onto the stage to address the professor directly. It would have had the same stakes level that I think any professor has fear of when their administrator walks in PLUS it would add a level of humour to having someone walk in while you are (pantomime) masturbating.

Those are major moments, yes, but no enjoyment of the show's central premise and goal was ruined for me. Any notes I have are not criticisms of the main driving force of this play which is, again, a Professor making you appreciate the manufactured history on one of the most shameful things many junior high, high school, and (still) adults ever could admit. Putting this in a classroom setting is straight from the Monty Python class of comedy and while elements could certainly be tightened in it, it was a wonderful play to stumble into and well worth the time to pay attention to; especially when my fellow performers took the time to watch the goofy nonsense I got up to this festival 🤣🤣 🙌

Entertaining and amusing! Bring your inner middle school boy sense of humour.

Wholeheartedly recommend it

Entering a show with no expectations can be exciting—we hope to be surprised, entertained, maybe even moved. Stroke of Genius offers a few chuckle-worthy moments, particularly around its candid jokes about masturbation, and it tries to build a sense of honesty by encouraging audience participation. However, despite these efforts, the show struggles to maintain engagement and doesn't quite deliver on the promise of compelling comedy. It's a niche performance that may resonate with some, but generally, it misses the mark.

Entering the auditorium, we walk into a pleasant bloom of classical string music and settle in for what seems to be a formal college lecture - complete with podium and prepared slideshow. Our college lecturer - donning a beard, glasses and iconic elbow pads on his blazer - goes to his slideshow and takes us, his community college students, on a chuckle-worthy journey through the development and anthropological significance of a strange and hyper-specific human behaviour: panto-masturbation. 



This sendup of academia and performing arts manages to pack in a lot of wordplay. If you are a dirty and insatiable punster, you can anticipate an embarrassment of treasures here. There’s phallic nods and masturbation jokes hidden throughout, dropped covertly into the lesson like little easter eggs. I dare you to find them all. And while the content leans a bit racy, it doesn’t fall into complete vulgarity. I would still bring my grandmother who giggles at the odd naughty joke. 



At fringe (and in comedy in general), the setting of a comic TED Talk or classroom is framing territory well-trod. While the form isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, there still manages to be some unexpected surprises along the way that add some delightful twists and turns.

Patrons who might be nervous about attending a show with no fourth wall, be advised that there are some instances where the house lights are turned on and the audience is invited to share. The nature of the participation felt consensual though, and I didn’t feel like there was a searing hot spotlight on any one individual. For patrons with light sensitivities during daylight hours: please know that it may take a few seconds for your eyes to adjust when both entering and exiting the venue.

Some silly, clever humor. Good if you’re into academic lectures with some pizazz. If you’re not familiar with the academic lecture style, you will probably find that this show drags. The dozens of euphemisms for masturbation that the writers came up with was very impressive and genuinely funny. The video inserts of the fictional actor were a riot. I think I would’ve liked if the storyline were a bit clearer; the ending felt a bit sudden since we hadn’t thought about those supporting characters much.