The premise of NBC’s “The Marriage Ref” is fairly simple. A couple has an issue that needs resolution — something not too serious — and a panel of celebrity guests help determine who is in the right. So does the “Marriage Ref” actually help anyone?
“No, not at all,” said stand-up comedian and show host Tom Papa, who performs this weekend at the D.C. Improv. “If you really want help, you can go some place else. This is just a comedy show. I think the same way that comedy serves people, if we do anything at the ‘Marriage Ref,’ it’s to let you see a little bit of yourself and laugh at it and realize that you shouldn’t really take any of this that seriously.”
| Onstage |
| Tom Papa |
| Where: D.C. Improv, 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW |
| When: 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday |
| Info: $20; dcimprov.com |
Now in its second season, a recent “Marriage Ref” episode showcased a husband who insisted he and his wife sleep in a twin bed so he could be closer to her; a husband who posted instructions all over the house to remind his wife what to do; and a wife who insisted on applying her New Age-y practices on her husband.
“I feel like there’s an underlying theme of marriages, in that they’re always fighting for territory within their own house,” Papa said. “What objects they use to gain power and territory changes. Sometimes it will be throw pillows, some time it’ll be a family pet. But it’s always ‘No, I’m the boss and you listen to me.’
“I’ve been married for 11 years,” Papa continued. “The biggest thing I’ve learned from this show is that the ones that are really happy and the ones that survive are the ones that realize they’re ridiculous.”
Papa’s first love is stand-up comedy. “Stand up is really somewhat of an addiction,” Papa said, adding that he writes every day. “I am a comedian. That is what I am. No matter how busy I get, I always carve out the time.”
Papa recently recorded a one-hour stand up special “Tom Papa Live in New York City,” directed by Rob Zombie. Yes, that Rob Zombie, the rock musician-slash-horror movie director. The two worked together on 2009’s animated “The Haunted World of El Superbeasto.”
“He’s a talented guy,” Papa said. “I needed somebody that knew my vision, was going to kind of protect and design it the way I want it. It was a natural fit.”
What is a natural fit for Papa is the stage, be it on the “Marriage Ref” or a comedy club.
“I was always funny as a kid,” he said. “Then I realized you didn’t have to really get a job, that grownups were funny for a living. Once I heard that scenario, I started plotting my way.”
