"Swords & Sorcery" by the Bearded Company at Theatre in the Round

One of the most popular longtime Minnesota Fringe shows is playing at Theatre in the Round this season (and just announced - next season too). The Bearded Company's improv show Swords & Sorcery is always a fun time, even if you're not into D&D. In fact, everything I know about the game known as Dungeons and Dragons (which I still don't understand) I've learned from Bearded Co over the last nine years. This "campaign" (as they call it) runs in rep with The Hobbit this weekend only, with four shows of a continuing story that began last night. You definitely don't need to see all of the shows, or have any familiarity with this group or even D&D, to enjoy an episode of Swords & Sorcery, but you can also go back multiple times to continue the fun, and see a completely new story created before your eyes. And there are two opportunities to see both The Hobbit and Swords & Sorcery on the same day - Friday night back-to-back, and Sunday with a dinner break at one of the many nearby restaurants in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. So if you're visiting Middle Earth this weekend, stick around for more fantasy fun. And if you don't have tickets for the virtually sold-out The Hobbit, it's definitely worth going to TRP to enjoy a little improv (click here for info and tickets).

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2022: "Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign"

Day: 5

Show: 18

Title: Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign

Category: COMEDY / IMPROV / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

By: The Bearded Company

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: A completely improvised fantasy tale using elements of Dungeons and Dragons (familiarity not required).

Highlights: I don't know anything about D&D, but I love what this crew does with it (I suspect that any real game wouldn't be as fun as this). I first saw this show back in the 2017 Fringe, and then again in 2018. In the last few years the Bearded Company has come out with a podcast with a similar concept, called Break the Dice, which is entertaining to listen to, but I forgot how much fun it is to watch them do their thing in person. The physicality of the improvised story adds a whole new element, as they twist their bodies to embody various creatures, and enact slow-mo fight scenes. The premise is fairly simple: guided by game master Allen Voigt, a rotating cast of improvisors (Maria Bartholdi, Laura Berger, MJ Marsh, Tyler Michaels King, Tyler Mills, Joe Rapp, Chris Rodriguez, and Lucas Vonasek) tell a story of druids, elves, dwarves, and other magical creatures. They explore and fight, occasionally asking Allen to roll the dice to determine the success of a move they want to make, whether it's persuade someone, or slash at them with a dagger. Musician Jack Barrett provides a score and soundscape so seamless and appropriate it's hard to believe it's improvised, while Ryan Klima provides sound and lighting effects to add to the story. After many years of experience, this team has become experts at this unique form of storytelling, seeming to read each other's minds as they create a story on the fly. The only bad thing about the show is that it's one continuing story, so we're left with a cliffhanger at the end of the show, which makes me want to go back and see it again!

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2018: "Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign"

Day: 7

Show: 24

Title: Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign

Category: Comedy / Improv / Audience Participation

By: The Bearded Company

Created by: The Bearded Company

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: An improvised fantasy play based on the rules of Dungeons and Dragons.

Highlights: It's the same show as last year, but different. First of all, the Bearded Men have rebranded to the Bearded Company, because they now have some Bearded Ladies in their midst (Maria Bartholdi and Meghan Wolff), which is nice to see. Secondly, it's improv, so it's different every night, even if some of the characters are the same (which I don't know for sure, maybe that's different every night too). Dungeon Master Allen Voigt sets the stage and rolls the dice to determine how strong a requested move (kick, punch, sword strike) is. The improvises (also including Joe Rapp, Lucas Vonasek, MJ Marsh, Tyler Michaels, and Tyler Mills) create specific characters (spoiler alert: not all survive) and scenarios, all involving quests and demons to fight, while Jack Barrett improvises the always appropriate musical accompaniment on keyboard. This show is simply fun, although not so simple for the improvisers to come up with funny dialogue and cool moves on the spot. And improvised choreography has to be extra hard, but they still make it look cool (and safe). If you like improv, fantasy, D&D (confession: I only know what that is from watching Freaks and Geeks and Stranger Things), and fake sword-fighting, check out one of their two remaining shows.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Fringe Festival 2017: "Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign"

Day: 11

Show: 48

Title: Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign

Category: Comedy

By: Bearded Men Improv

Created by: Bearded Men Improv

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: An improvised journey into a fantasy world of knights, dragons, and demons.

Highlights: I've never played it, but I'm pretty sure watching this show is like watching a bunch of guys play Dungeons and Dragons while acting out everything. In the show, the "Dungeon Master" Allen Voigt calls out the action and rolls a 20-sided dice to determine the strength of the blows, as the ensemble (Joe Rapp, Lucas Vonasek, MJ Marsh, Tyler Michaels, and Tyler Mills) fight their way through the fantasy world, going on quests and defending themselves against monsters. It's all pretty silly, but great fun to watch. The performers are the most earnest knights and monsters you've ever seen, especially when they fail. Bearded Men Improv performs regularly at HUGE Theater, and will be doing a Wild West show in the fall.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.