Dahéli Hall’s ‘Spadura’ Is A Humorous Take On Infertility

Spadura is a comedic one-woman show about infertility. Not a subject that you usually find funny? You’ll have to watch this show.

Dahéli Hall is a name that you’ve likely heard before. Best known for her work on Netflix’s Dear White People and Fox’s Mad TV, she has also appeared in shows like Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Grace and Frankie, and Sam & Cat.

Ms. Hall is a screenwriter, director, and comedian with many talents, but when you see her on stage, she is also a hilariously relatable woman. A woman who intimately understands the challenges that many women have and can deftly transform those serious matters into something funny, moving, and thought-provoking.

Spadura, Dahéli Hall’s new show, is “a comedy about trying to get knocked up.” And regardless of your gender, this is a subject that everyone can identify with in some way. Whether you’ve tried to get pregnant yourself (successfully or unsuccessfully), have parents or friends who have had fertility struggles, or have ever dealt with the insecurity that if you have sex a single time, you’re going to get pregnant, this is a show for you.

Spadura opens at a baby shower. The stage is covered in balloons, decorations, and a stroller set off to the side. And over the next hour and twenty minutes, Ms. Hall discusses what she’s been through in a hilarious way. Who ever thought that struggles with infertility could invoke so much laughter?

While this is a one-woman show, Ms. Hall is excellent with audience engagement. She works off of the little comments from the audience, asks direct questions and seeks the answers, and ultimately has an audience member on stage to help her.

There are some very amusing and unique moments in this show. I won’t ruin them for you by writing too much about them here, but I will say that I’ve never seen a vagina puppet before and that I thoroughly enjoyed the photos, videos, and data shown on a screen next to the stage. I truly learned something about pregnancy and infertility statistics, which I was not expecting.

I thought this would be a comedy show – and it is, don’t get me wrong. But it is more than that. This show is the story of someone who has dealt with real challenges and it touches you. She weaves the tale in such a way that it draws you in.

So, while during the first 20 minutes I was interested and listening, at some point I was truly invested. I wanted her and her husband to succeed in their mission. I wanted to know what happened next. I wanted happiness and peace for this couple who were so passionate about each other, their dog, and what their family would look like.

Spadura is a show about the real journey that Dahéli Hall has been on to have a baby. It is honest, it is touching, it is engaging, and it is very funny. I highly recommend checking out this show if it is at a theater near you, and if not, keep a note for yourself to look out for the comedy special that will be filmed in a few months. It’s worth the wait.

Spudura runs for approximately 80 minutes with no intermission.

Dahéli Hall: Spadura – Spadura will be touring the country throughout 2024 and being filmed as a comedy special in September 2024. You can look for additional tour dates on Dahéli Hall’s website.