Part satire, part infomercial, with a "ripped from the headlines" feel, Kreisler has fashioned an approximately 70 minute presentation in which he expounds on the theory that there are basically two types of people in the world: the cheaters and the cheated, and he leaves no doubt as to which is the preferred category.
Kreisler claims to have found a foolproof method to make untold fortunes through the art of cheating. He has written down these principles in his book Get Rich Cheating (subtitled The Crooked Path to Easy Street), an actual tome he wrote and which has been published, and a copy of which is prominently displayed on stage. (One of the few props used in the show.)
The show opens with a hilarious film presentation, spoofing those countless infomercials on late-night television, with people explaining how they became enormously wealthy after reading Kreisler's book. (In one testimonial, the CEO of a company reveals how he declared bankruptcy just before a multimillion dollar payment to the union pension fund was due, thereby keeping all that money for himself.)
In the tradition of most smart entrepreneurs, Kreisler doesn't give away the secrets of the book, instead he entices his potential "buyers" (the audience) with the possibilities it contains. Noting, as he begins his spiel, that all of those present are interested in cheating, otherwise they wouldn't be there in the first place. During his presentation, he lists some of the greatest cheaters known to man, from politicians to financiers to sports figures, all the while asking the question, if they can do it and get away with it, why shouldn't you?
Kreisler does offer a few hints as to what's inside his book, such as sections on the importance of document shredding, and the art of putting the blame on someone else. He also explores some of the great "documented" moments of cheating in history (for example, in 1969, the moon landing was faked under pressure from the moon rock industry).
It's also interesting to note that when Kreisler says that if only two people in the audience buy his book, and they get two people to buy it, and so on and so on, and so on, the pyramid scheme is nicely brought forth with accompanying graphics.
Kreisler, who comes across as a combination pitchman and learning annex instructor, is amiable enough, nicely combining both an innate sense of confidence with some self-deprecation. The latter quality comes through when he struggles with the slide projector, one that seems to have a mind of its own, often asking the very question Kreisler is posing, although often a few clicks ahead or behind where it's actually supposed to be.
Kreisler also has an excellent deadpan delivery, which he uses to great effect when describing some of the schemes various cheats have gotten away with over the years.
Running through the entire show is a dark note of irony, as the work unconsciously asks how such cheating can be possible. This unspoken question is especially evident whenever Kreisler speaks of the Enron incident, using tones of reverence and awe as he marvels at the magnitude of what was done in that scheme.
Also unsaid is the fact that were such a class on cheating actually offered (and it probably is somewhere), there would be no shortage of potential applicants to learn what can only be called (with apologies to Donald Trump) "The Art of the Steal."
The show does drag a bit toward the end, and about 5-10 minutes could probably be cut. But Kreisler (who co-directed the piece with Anne Teutschel) is quite comfortable with the material, making the entire experience enjoyable to watch as he pokes fun at the establishment, heroes with feet of clay, and greed in all its forms; all the while posing a few moral queries along the way.
Jeff Kreisler's Get Rich Cheating
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th Street
Tickets: 212-279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com
Running Time: Approximately 70 minutes
Closes: July 30
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
