"The Empathy Project" streaming from Full Circle Theater

This past weekend, Full Circle Theater Company premiered a new play they've been working on for several years. Playwright and Full Circle Core Artist Stephanie Lein Walseth interviewed about 20 people around the state about empathy. She noted in a post show discussion (which followed all four showings of the recorded zoom reading) that she first had the idea for this project prior to the 2016 election, and started interviewing people about a year ago. Out of each interview, she pulled a short story, looking for moments of surprise or something that challenged our stereotypes. The stories are woven together in a structure she compared to the docu-theater style of a Laramie Project or Yellow Face, or like a story circle. The result is incredibly moving, and is well suited to the virtual format as it focuses on one person telling a story.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2018: "Kaboom"

Day: 7

Show: 25

Title: Kaboom

Category: Comedy / Mystery / Physical Theater

By: Sheep Theater

Created by: Sheep Theater

Location: Rarig Center Thrust

Summary: The president receives a text message threatening a nuclear bomb strike, so he prepares to launch 1800 missiles himself, except that he doesn't know the target and can't bring himself to push the button.

Highlights: Did I mention it's a comedy? This is Sheep Theater at their Sheepiest, which is ridiculous, clever, and hilarious. The somewhat inept president (no, not that one) acts without thinking when he receives the text, but when others discover that it's hoax and want to undo what he's set in motion, they find out he's been kidnapped by "spiritual anarchists." Complicating matters, the Secretary of Defense wants the bomb to go off to force a do-over on earth. Meanwhile the Vice President hides with her husband and daughter in the bunker she built under the oval office, and is dismayed to find out her daughter wants to sell insurance. There are a whole lot of shenanigans and physical comedy, campily sincere (or sincerely campy) acting, and one big Iowa joke. Everyone eventually ends up in the bunker, with an ending that keeps twisting and turning. If you're a fan of Sheep, this is more of what they do so well. If you're unfamiliar with them, this wacky hour is a good introduction.


Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.