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Media Mentions |
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Wednesday, January 2nd 2008 |
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Let's face it—storytelling may be the primordial art form, born at the dawn of language. However, modern performance telling, with its small but dedicated, heavily middle-aged audience, has just never managed the same level of cool as rock 'n' roll. But this year, a group of 10 younger local performance artists banded together to take back some of the cultural cachet storytelling deserves. Optimistically calling themselves Rockstar Storytellers, they come to the stage from a multiplicity of backgrounds, from mime to radio monologue to traditional theater to slam poetry to competitive speech. Laden with Fringe Festival credentials, the cast promises to not just twiddle your emotional dial, but to take a monkey wrench to your presuppositions about what storytelling should be. Highlights include the evening's host, Allison Broeren, a standup comedian and co-Slam Master of the Minneapolis Poetry Slam, and philip low, a highly energetic and physical teller who's been known to take the stage wearing nothing but boxer shorts to illustrate the transformation of a character. — Ward Rubrecht |
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Monday, January 7th 2008 |
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We stayed on for the second installment of stories by the newly formed group Rockstar Storytellers, comprised of Fringe Festival favorites Allison Broeren, Allegra Lingo, Phillip Low, Curt Lund, Courtney McLean, Amy Salloway, Laura Bidgood, Mike Fotis, Dave Mondy and Rik Reppe. The night's theme was "Going Bald Under My Hat: Stories of Things We Hide." These are all fantastic, seasoned storytellers, and I can't really single any of them out for special praise – all really are very good. Laura Bidgood did a funny bit on body image – self-described as chubby, she talked about some ways she's tried to camouflage and address her weight. When hostess Allison Broeren announced that Amy Salloway was next up, I had a little panic – chances were quite good that Amy would follow Laura with a similar, size-related story (and why would I guess that, after her shows "Does This Monologue Make Me Look Fat?" and "Circumference"?). I could only imagine that this would be the solo performance equivalent to wearing the same dress to the prom. Good god. I feared storyteller smackdown, hair ripped out, layer after layer of clothing torn in the inevitable fray. Whew. Amy saved the day with a story about her multiple calls to the suicide hotline. (This piece was not her most comic -- but Amy had two brilliantly funny, accidentally dirty moments in her introduction. One involved a drooping microphone and the other the word "suckage." You had to be there.) Next show, all new material, February 1: "Tore My Heart Off My Sleeve: Stories of Lost Love" at 10 pm at BLB, featuring stories by Laura Bidgood, Allison Broeren, Mike Fotis, Phillip Low and Rik Reppe, hosted by Courtney McLean. Here's a convenient calendar showing all Rockstar upcoming appearances. Rock on!! |
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A month ago I attended the Rockstar Storytellers show “Undressed – Going Bald Under My Hat: Stories of Things We Hide,” at the Bryant Lake Bowl. I didn’t go to the performance to review it, so I won’t, formally. But I do feel compelled to let anyone who’s a local fan of spoken word know that if they miss out on this group’s performances, they’re cheating themselves. Rockstar Storytellers, recently founded by Fringe regulars Allegra Lingo and Phillip Low, are sort of a cream of the crop of young, up-and-coming storytellers from around the area –– Lingo, Low, Amy Salloway, Dave Mondy, Curt Lund, Laura Bidgood, Courtney McLean, Rik Reppe, Allison Boeren, and Mike Fotis. Perhaps what makes this group work so well is they’re hack-free. Not just anyone can sign up. They’re not an open-mic, but a group of storytellers who have shown loyalty to each other and, above all, great dedication to their craft. Salloway, presenting a touching and funny story of childhood loneliness and family strife, was the highlight of January’s show, though Mondy’s sardonic tale of a true-love relationship gone sour offered a raw punch that made his delivery feel the most naked (a definite plus for a show titled “Undressed”). Lund, Bidgood, and Lingo were reliably good, as well. Not all members perform each show. Their third performance, “Undressed – Tore My Heart Off My Sleeve,” is Friday, Feb. 1, 10 pm, at the Bryant Lake Bowl. Tickets $10, $8 with Fringe button. It will feature stories by Bidgood, Boeren, Reppe, Low, and Fotis. So if you’re shaky from Fringe Festival withdrawals, Rockstars’ monthly shows just may be your merciful fix. For more information about the group, go to rockstarstorytellers.com. They’re also on MySpace and Facebook. (I’m assuming you can figure out how to use those sites’ search engines to find them. If not, you’re an idiot.) That’s all for now. |