In 2008 Eric Jaffe set out to interview all of his formerly hard-partying, now middle-aged fraternity brothers to look at the value of a college education 20 years down the road. What is the value of a college education for people who spent 4 years tapping kegs rather than opening books? Based on interviews with 65 of his formerly hard-partying, now middle-aged fraternity brothers, “C-“ is a comic look at the tragedy that is college, how people really earn a living, and how life perspectives change as they age. Jaffe has had many jobs, from software developer to poker player, but C- is his first solo show.
We recently interviewed Jaffe in between performances of C- to get his take on Fringe, Orlando, and, of course, his show.
TDC- How are you enjoying Fringe this year? Have you been able to see any other shows? EJ- The Orlando Fringe has exceeded all my expectations. It’s very well-run, everyone is extremely friendly, and it’s an incredibly supportive environment for artists. I arrived from NY on Wednesday, I’m virtually unknown here, we had very little PR, and we had 70 people at my opening on Saturday. You try pulling that off back in New York and it’s going to be you, your girlfriend, and your director standing in some basement black box theater wondering what went wrong.
I’ve seen ‘They Call Me Q’ and ‘Made For Each Other’, and I really enjoyed both shows. It’s been difficult for me to catch more shows because I’ve had previews or performances every day, and I find it difficult to focus on other things when I have a performance. My last show is Wednesday and I plan on spending the following 3 days seeing as many shows as I can.
TDC- You're show seems very unique. Explain what went into your showEJ- I wanted to explore the value of a college education, so I went around the country and I interviewed 65 of my old fraternity brothers to see which aspects of college had been helpful and which had not. It also didn’t hurt that we had some really crazy guys so I knew a lot of colorful stories would come out of it.
TDC- What a great idea! College can be overwhelming. What was the inspiration for your show?
EJ- I came from an extremely education-focused family. There was no question that I was going to college, and I was top student all the way through high school. But in college, I couldn’t find a passion for any of the coursework. Then I joined a fraternity and was having so much fun that it became even more difficult to apply myself in school.
I was really being pulled in two different directions: partly I felt I was squandering an incredible opportunity, but part of me also felt that maybe that opportunity wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
TDC- What would you like the audience to leave with from your show?EJ- First and foremost I hope people enjoy themselves. There are a lot of laughs in the show, and I think there are some memorable characters presenting some interesting perspectives.
I also hope I can impact the national conversation we're having right now about college. Right now that conversation is mainly about whether or not someone should be willing to go into debt in order to get a degree, or whether they should enter the workforce without the degree. We need to offer people better choices. When you look at the cost of college and the absurdity of the experience there has to be a better way.
TDC- What outside of Fringe did you find the most interesting about Orlando?EJ- Honestly, I haven’t had a chance to see much outside of the Fringe. I’ve been to Thornton Park and around the Downtown area. There’s a vibe here that’s a bit different than anything I’ve come across before. I’m not quite sure what it is yet, but I like it.
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