Show: 4
Category: Comedy / Improv / Audience participation
By: DallaDanna Productions
Directed by: Michael DallaValle & Danna Sheridan
Location: Strike Theater
Summary: The title says it all - an improvised spoof of the Netflix dating show Love is Blind.
Highlights: This show is a regular at Strike, and I saw it two years ago, but at the time I had never watched the reality show it's based on. In fact I don't watch any dating reality shows, but I did break down and watch Love is Blind Season 8 last year because it featured Minneapolis residents, with some local filming. Unfortunately I had to suffer through 6 or 8 episodes of inane "pod dates" to get to the local parts (including Bryant Lake Bowl). It's a show that's ripe for mocking, and this troupe does it well. Usually they do a "season" over several shows on a weekend, but for Fringe, they're doing the whole season in under an hour. Since I've now seen the show, the setup makes a little more sense to me. First we see the awkward "blind" dates, each half of the couple on one side of a screen clutching a golden goblet (just like the show), mixing it up with different pairs of the 6-person cast (Robbie Darling, Lisa Fulton, Derek Landseidel, Olivia Wulf, and co-directors/creators Michael DallaValle and Danna Sheridan). Then the in-person meeting, then the vacationing together (location based on audience prompt), returning home to meet each other's family, and finally - the wedding. They read vows provided by the audience before the show, which are almost as ridiculous as the ones on the show, and when it comes to the pivotal question, they draw a slip of paper that says "yes" or "no" out of a bin, which adds a bit of tension. Whether you've seen the original show or not, this is a very funny and fast spoof of reality show dating (and marriage), this troupe of improvisors making it look natural, and hilarious. After watching an entire season of Love is Blind, I can tell you that the Improvised Love is Blind is much more fun, and a much better use of your time.
