Alli Kaman Welcomes the Weird

The Springer Opera House has a new host for NO SHAME Theater, and that girl is Alli Kaman. At first I wondered how she would survive each week due to her wholesome disposition and the growing numbers in the crowd. Will she be tough enough to get the audience to respect performers or shut them up? After a few minutes with Alli, I realized that she has an impish personality to match her fiery red hair. For instance, I was in attendance of NO SHAME when Jim Pharr (former host of NS) passed the torch to Alli as she sang her song “Bad Idea” with the hook “I don’t trust any decision that I have ever made in my entire life” as her debut. I was slayed as she asked the crowd to sing along.

Alli, 22 years old, was born in Greenville, SC, and is very grounded due to a supportive family of artists and teachers from Suwanee, GA. I wondered what brought her to Columbus.

“I feel at home in Columbus. I want to encourage people to show who they really are and hope to create an environment where people can truly feel accepted. Jim was the ‘Loveable Asshole’ and I may seem innocent but I like to surprise people,” she said with a wink. Her new gig at NO SHAME will give her the perfect opportunity to utilize her theater degree from CSU in the apparent Renaissance that is  happening in our town, as well as show off her many skills: musician, dancer, actor, singer, songwriter, and she’s gorgeous—NO SHAME!

“The Inauguration of the Weird” was a brilliant way to bring attention to NO SHAME on social media. It’s this kind of challenge that drives people to get outside the box. You may find yourself wondering “What is happening?” Then confirm “Yep, that is a goblin feeding a dog on a big television that was brought out of a large kennel carrier.” The bit was as weird as it was entertaining for the crowd while raising the bar for future acts. NO SHAME is an open-mic style variety show, and performers are encouraged to bring their “A” game.

I watched Alli work with a smile as the people bombarded her at the door scrambling to get on the list to perform. Regulars know to arrive early, as the doors open at ten, sharp. It’s cool to see that there is no shortage of people ready to “fill her slots” (a regular joke in her show). It is a first come, first serve situation for artists, and the talent can range from acts such as interpretive dance, music, poetry, comedy or anything as long as it is original and doesn’t break any laws. She continues the tradition of explaining the house rules at the beginning of the show and “NS virgins” are still called to the stage; however. she does tell The Local that she plans to create new things as she gets more comfortable in this role.

I asked how she got the job and if there was a lot of competition? “I was hired by Paul Pierce and I’m not sure who all wanted the job; I am just thrilled to be here,” she said with an honest intent to bring about variety and inspire people to embrace themselves.

She went on to say, “People should understand the spirit of NO SHAME, which is that art created creates us and if we honor our experience, we can bring much needed beauty into our community.”

Check out the NO SHAME page on the Springer website to learn more about the launching of NO SHAME Productions, a new development which will focus on artists and performers approaching their endeavors in a professional way that is longer than the 5 minutes they get each week on stage. Alli will be greeting you every Friday night at the Springer Opera House.  The cost is only $5. Look for the silver mannequin.

by April Norris