For some people, living just comes naturally. It sounds silly at first, but being able to simply exist
without serious complications is an immense privilege that a majority of people don’t realize
they have. An estimated 133 million Americans – nearly half the population – suffer from at least
one chronic illness. (American Hospital Association). Former Marymount student Katie Hutch is
one of them.
From day one of her life, Hutch has fallen victim to a large number of invisible chronic illnesses
both diagnosed and completely new to medical professionals. “I spent more time in doctor’s
offices than playgrounds growing up” Hutch recalls, “Even now I’ve gotten more diagnoses but
many of the diagnoses that most seriously impact me their like ‘cool so we can tell you it’s called
this… good luck!’”
Despite this struggle to stay alive in a world that isn’t built for her survival, Hutch uses her skills
as a creator and performer to tell her story through a comedic lens.
Hutch attended Marymount Manhattan College as a BA Acting student with a minor in Musical
Theatre. Since then, she has found a special place in her heart for both stand-up comedy and
theatrical performance. Some of her credits include: Frankenstein the musical (Off-Broadway),
Super Crazy Fun Time and Hungry, Hungry Games (Off-Off Broadway), and the US premiere
for A World of Love.
According to Hutch, the idea of naming her future one woman show “Allergic to Being Alive”
has always been something she has joked about with friends. Because of her long list of illnesses
including Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, she quite literally is allergic to everything. But it
wasn’t until summer of 2022 that she realized this could be something bigger. “A buddy invited
me to do a show and I was like oh god I don’t know what I’m going to do. So I whipped
something together and it was a mixture of stand-up and this original comedy song and I was like
oh! This is so weird but I think I’m onto something!” This moment marked the beginning of
“Allergic to Being Alive”
Since then, Hutch has compiled together 9 original pop/indie songs with true stories about her
life as someone with multiple invisible illnesses to create an inspiring one woman show. Two
open-mic teasers of such original songs titled “Anxiety Attacks” and “Song of Inspiration” are
available to preview on YouTube for a sneak peak of what you may expect at the live
performance.
I had the privilege of speaking directly with Hutch’s Marketing Manager/PA and current
Marymount student Gigi LeClair to hear her own take on this project. According to her, if she
could describe this show in one word it would be “Perfect… in the most non perfect way.” she
goes on to say, “It’s everything. With the process, and the creative experience. It has all the
weirdness and the uniqueness, and yet it’s relatable and we’re all going through it.”
In an industry that very rarely advocates for the representation of people with disabilities, Hutch
is paving the way for a future of disability awareness in theatre. Though she has been dealt with
a million unfortunate setbacks in her life, she has spun it into something positive and hysterically
comedic. If you suffer from a visible or invisible disability, have friends who suffer from
disability, or just enjoy a good time, “Allergic to Being Alive” will be the show for you. In
Hutch’s words, “We’re gonna sing some songs about it, we’re gonna tell some jokes about it, and
we’re gonna just invite people in to be like, you know what? When you’re having a bad day
remember, at least you can use chapstick!”
Hutch’s premiere of “Allergic To Being Alive” will be on September 24th at The Caveat (21
A Clinton Street, Lower East Side) at 5:00pm. The standard ticket price will be $20 with a
75 minute run time.
