Minnesota Fringe Festival 2019: "A Cult Classic"

Day: 2

Show: 4

Title: A Cult Classic

Category: COMEDY / HISTORICAL CONTENT / POLITICAL CONTENT / RELIGIOUS CONTENT / SHAKESPEARIAN ELEMENTS

By: Sheep Theater

Created by: Sheep Theater

Location: Southern Theater

Summary: A doomsday cult of unknowing can't remember how to achieve the final goal because they forgot everything, including how to read.

Highlights: "The world is really really loud and complicated," says the cult propaganda flier passed out before the show. So true, and maybe that's why humans are so susceptible to religions that tell us how the world works and promise us that things will turn out OK, even the weird extremist religions that we call cults. Sheep Theater takes this idea and runs with it, with their typical "deranged sincerity," in a new work written by Joey Hamburger and directed by Michael Torsch. Four members of a cult (Erika Kuhn, Jacob Mobley, Joey Hamburger, and Madeleine Rowe) are convinced that their leader (Robb Goetzke at his creepiest) has died/disappeared/ascended to "the five stones in the sky," so they perform the final ritual. Which includes preparing an elixir (obviously poison, a la The Peoples Temple) that they don't realize they need to drink. When they don't ascend, they get desperate and look for help from a possible new leader (Kyle Munshower) and a crisis counselor (Iris Rose Page). Wacky things continue to happen (including a pretty brilliant power point presentation), but it's funny (and scary) because it's true. The story unfolds in one long scene that gets more and more desperate and almost a little sad as as these people's deluded dreams are shattered. A Cult Classic is a very Sheepy, very Fringey absurd comedy.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"George" by Sheep Theater at Phoenix Theater

Celebrate Independence Day with Sheep Theater, who is bringing back their delightfully wacky original comedy George for the July 4th weekend. This show was my first introduction to Sheep four years ago, with their motto of "Original plays. Deranged sincerity," and I've enjoyed many moments of deranged sincerity since. At the time I called George "funny, clever, and irreverent, with jokes about the many things America is best at (giving speeches, celebrating) and how it's OK to lie if it's for the good of the country." Revisiting it, it gave me all of the patriotic feels, watching a bunch of goofballs make fun of our founding fathers (and mothers!) in the most lovingly irreverent way, celebrating all of the freedoms we hold dear, and remembering the ideals this country was founded on (which is easy to forget these days). As my great-grandmother, daughter of Polish immigrants, used to say - hooray for the 4th of July!

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.

"The Minotaur Or: Amelia Earhart is Alive and Traveling Through the Underworld" by Sheep Theater at In the Heart of the Beast Theatre

The history and legend of Amelia Earhart and Greek mythology seems like an odd mix. In other words, perfect for Sheep Theater, a company that promises "original plays with an emphasis on classically epic stories that highlight the deranged confidence of humanity with sincerity and honesty." Like much of their work, The Minotaur Or: Amelia Earhart is Alive and Traveling Through the Underworld is a fun mish-mash of history, legend, and myth with an awkwardly long title. With a lot of ingenuity, heart, and silliness, the troupe proposes one possible fate for the long missing pioneering aviator, and makes the Underworld look like a pretty fun place to hang out.

"Christmas Storiessz V: Silent Night" by Sheep Theater at the Southern Theater

There's no better way to spend Christmas Eve Eve Eve than at an irreverent, ridiculous, super fun show by Sheep Theater. This is their fifth year presenting a series of original plays called Christmas Storiessz, about a detective in pursuit of an evil Santa. Even though I'm a fan of Sheep Theater, I've never seen Christmas Storiessz before, but no worries, there's enough exposition to catch us up to the present. But the plot isn't really what matters with this show. It's more of an excuse for Sheep to do their thing, with a little bit of holiday flair.

Fringe Festival 2017: "Pinocchio"

Day: 2

Show: 8

Title: Pinocchio

Category: Drama

By: Sheep Theater

Created by: Sheep Theater

Location: Mixed Blood Theatre

Summary: A re-imagining of the classic tale of a wooden boy who longs to be real, in which Geppetto is a gangster and Pinocchio a sociopath.

Highlights: This hilarious alternate universe Pinocchio is narrated by Jiminy Cricket (Michael Rogers in a beautiful green velvet jacket), who in this version is just a cricket forced into being a conscience for the wooden boy. Geppetto (Jacob Mobley) is a former gangster who now wants nothing more than to love and parent the puppet Pinocchio (a truly creepy and dead-eyed Robb Goetzke) that his deceased wife, the blue fairy (Iris Rose Page), brought to life. But since he has no feelings, Pinocchio turns to the dark side and joins with his father's enemies (Joey Hamburger and Michael Torsch) as they create "Pleasure Island" - a sinful place full of big cigarettes, booze, and gallivanting. In typical Sheep Theater style the show is clever and funny and goofy, and a whole lot of fun.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"The Assassination of the Archduke of Austria-Hungary Franz Ferdinand" by Sheep Theater at the Southern Theater

"Warn the Duke!" calls the clairvoyant little boy in the musical Ragtime. Those who paid attention in their high school history class know that he's referring to Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian crown, whose assassination in 1914 started World War I. It turns out the story is a little more complicated than that, and Sheep Theater's new play The Assassination of the Archduke of Austria-Hungary Franz Ferdinand tells the story fairly historically accurately (from what Wikipedia tells me, my high school history class being a long time ago), but with modern language and humor. The result is part history lesson, part reflection on the current state of events, part tragedy, and part wacky farce. Judging by the sold out house last night, Sheep Theater (they do "original plays with an emphasis on classically epic stories that highlight the deranged confidence of humanity with sincerity and honesty"), has a loyal following, deservedly so, and might want to consider extending their runs past the usual handful of shows. This one closes tonight, sorry folks! Watch their website and Facebook page for your next opportunity to see this uniquely clever and funny company.

Fringe Festival 2016: "The Most Dangerous Game"

Day: 4

Show: 17

Title: The Most Dangerous Game

Category: Comedy

By: Sheep Theater

Written by: Joey Hamburger

Location: Southern Theater

Summary: A delightfully melodramatic adaptation of the short story The Most Dangerous Game, in which a hunter becomes the hunted.

Highlights: I really like these kids (meaning Iris Rose Page, Joey Hamburger, and Michael Torsch, aka Sheep Theater), and not just because they went to my alma mater. This is only the second show of theirs I've seen (they've only been around a few years), but I've found both to be clever, funny, unique, and entertaining. In this show, a hunter named Sanger Rainsford (Joey) is shipwrecked on an island with the wealthy and eccentric Count Zaroff (Michael). Another unwilling guest, Eve (Iris), is disturbed when her brother (Robb Goetzke) disappears. They soon discover the truth, leading to a mad chase around the island. Everyone in the cast (which also includes Jacob Mobley as various characters) performs this melodrama with utter sincerity, which is the only way to do it. They make innovative use of ladders and scaffolding as the only set pieces, moving them around to represent boats or cliffs, climbing over, under, and through them. The fight scenes are well-choreographed and well-performed. The only problem with the show is that sometimes the laughter drowns out the lines. That's what they get for being so clever and funny.