Friday, August 11, 2006

MN Fringe Blog: Kill the Robot

Kill the Robot
Monday, August 7, 2006 at 12:20 AM
Filed under kids fringe

After Illinois Jane the two of us headed to the Rarig. There weren't any official kids fringe shows playing that we haven't already seen. But I wanted to check on "Kill the Robot". It is a show created by Stages Theatre Company's conservatory program (high schoolers). The boy asked the women selling tickets if it was for kids. They both said yes. So we bought our tickets and grabbed 2 seats near the back.

Well, the show was too intense for my 8 year old. He actually followed the story quite well and it really spooked him. Twice I asked him if he wanted to leave and he said no, but when the teens came out wearing surgical masks he said "I don't like this". We left. I think it was about 29 minutes into the show.

I know quite a few 8 year olds, and I don't think any of them could have made it to the end of this show. This is not a flaw with the show; on the contrary, Kill the Robots strength is that it addresses grown-up fears of the future. I wouldn't recommend "The Adventures of Gallant Lad" to a 15 year old either.

The basic plot line is that some very serious high school seniors from 2047 take a time machine 30 years into the very bleak future. They speak in very stylized cadences and move very deliberately. As they are continuosly "upgraded" with better parts and hardware they become less human. With the exception of their robot classmate Digit they behave with increasing cruelty towards each other. I wish I could have seen the whole show myself; I feel like I can't fairly review it because I never saw the culmination of the show.

I will say this however-ratings are very subjective. It is an art, not a science. But just because a show doesn't have language or nudity doesn't make it "kid friendly". While in line for Cinderella, someone actually handed us a card for "The 9-1-1" tapes saying it was was "family friendly". I haven't seen it but I think it is safe to assume that the content of the show is not appropriate for all.

I am getting so sleepy. I will confess that we skipped the 4:00 spot so that we could settle the boys with a sitter and see some grown-up shows. So, my husband and I traded in dragons, pirates, and robots for Darth Vader and the Queen of Hearts. More on that tomorrow. We will be back to fringeing on Saturday.

—Wendy Gennaula

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Posted August 7, 2006 at 9:20 AM by Jon Ferguson
Hi Wendy, I am sorry you had to leave. I knew exactly who you guys were yesterday... I was sitting quite near you. And your son was such a delight to have in the audience... he seemed to be be loving it and laughing alot (near the beginning of the show that is). I did see you leave and knew that it wasn't a pee break. The show does shift when they arrive in the future... it gets kind of dark. I was sorry to see you go. I would however recommend that you bring your children to see my next play at Stages Theatre in Hopkins... I'm directing "Junie B. Jones & A Little Monkey Business". (I'm auditioning the kids today actually.) My last show at Stages "Niss Nelson is Missing" turned out to be real quirky fun... your son seemed to like the style of play and comedy in "Kill The Robot". I think he might really enjoy Junie B. and I promise, it won't be scary at all. Again, I understand your reason for leaving. Thank you for you comments, JON
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