Critical Thinking Questioned in "Free Range Thinking"

When was the last time you made an opinion on something based on what you actually believe instead of what someone has told you to believe?

Rob Dubac is asking just that and questioning people’s critical thinking skills in his one-man show “Free Range Thinking.”

“It’s about trying to figure out the truth,” Dubac said. “We have no critical thought anymore, we’re just taught what to believe in.”

Dubac, the show’s writer and performer, will be sharing a workshop performance of his show at 7 p.m. July 17 and 24 at the in Ambler.  

Dubac’s inspiration for the show comes from seeing politicians and others on TV shouting at one another and not listening to what the other person is actually saying, he said.

“I think culture has gotten into a state where there is no debate anymore. It’s just an argument,” Dubac said.

He said his show will broach all of the topics that make people uncomfortable – race, sex, religion, politics and more. Dubac said he wants to talk about all of the taboo subjects and bring them to light.

The show follows a story of a man who loses his memory and doesn’t remember what he believes so he must rediscover his own beliefs, Dubac said.

“Sounds serious but it’s funny,” Dubac said.

The show itself is a mix of all of Dubac’s training, combining storytelling, acting and standup comedy into one, he said. Dubac said he will be speaking directly to the audience and acting as multiple characters.

He said part of the problem with media today is that there are so many different types of opinion that have their own news outlets. People can go to the news source they agree with and have their beliefs reinforced rather than challenged, Dubac said.

“I’m trying to get people to step outside of the box. It’s very comfortable thinking inside our own little boxes,” Dubac said. “Outside the box, there is a lot more revelation.”

Dubac said his show is about 75 percent finished and anyone who comes to the show will be seeing a performance, not a simple reading. He said part of his writing process is acting in front of an audience and gaging their responses to his work because sometimes jokes are not as funny on stage as they are in writing. 

Dubac recommends that teens come and see the show because they are often having to make their opinions and can have trouble deciding what to believe in, he said. He said he’s received positive feed back from teens who said they liked hearing someone talk about some of the problems they’re dealing with that no one else wants to talk about.

“I suggest you bring your teenager and your teenager will think you’re cool,” Dubac said.

Tickets for the show are $20 and all proceeds will go to support the Act II Playhouse. For more information, visit act2.org.