BULL"An American Story of Bullheadedness"

An original adaptation of Eugene Ionesco's absurdist classic Rhinoceros. A community of American citizens turn into Texas Longhorn Bulls. Created by Main Street School of Performing Arts and award winning theater-maker and director Jon Ferguson.

"I don't know... two bulls running through our town in the middle of the day? And on such a nice day as this. Oh this society! What ever will happen next!"

Director Jon Ferguson reconceptualizes Eugene Ionesco's 1959 absurdist classic, "Rhinoceros", in terms of today. As a town's citizens obsess about consumer goods, status, and security, they are transformed into a mindless herd of bulls, stylized hilariously by a bold acting ensemble. Pharmaceutical drug habits, gas-guzzling SUVs and gated communities have replaced human interconnection with a crude desperation for more, more, more! Parker Simensen's dynamic lead performance as Brian, a regular guy who defies the herd, is a kinetically tragicomic marvel."
- John Townsend, Star Tribune

"This show was so amazing in its first run, and I can't wait to see it again! We're lucky we have another chance! (This is the best high school show I have ever seen. Ever!)"
- Celia Forrest, Actor/Theater Educator

"To see one of his shows is to see beauty, humanity, and surprise; to be engaged, touched, and to leave the theater more fully yourself."
- The Rake Magazine 2008

"Jon Ferguson has put his stamp on impressionistic and richly emotive original works that draw upon movement and sound to project non-linear narratives..."
- Variety Magazine 2007

The cast

Emilia Aghamirzai
Role: Ms. Peterson, Eleanor
Emelia recently graduated from Mainstreet School of Performing Arts with a major in Theatre. She is also very excited to be back with the cast of "Bull" for the Fringe. She has had the great opportunity of working with such companies as: The Youth Performance Comapny, Stages Theatre Company, Bold Theater Company, Minnetonka Community Theatre and, of course, Mainstreet Theatre. She loves Harry Potter and creating at any chance. She will continue her theatre education in New York City this coming year!

Zac Christenson
Role: Eugene, Bricks
Zac is excited to reprise his roles as Bricks and Eugene. Zac is entering his freshmen year at Minnesota State University-Mankato, where he will major in Anthropology with a theater minor.

Jon Ferguson
Role: Director/co-creator
www.jonfergusontheater.com

Roni Goldstein
Role: Assistant Director/ Stage Manager
Roni is very happy to join Jon and the cast again for Bull's remounting. She is appearing in the adaptation of Kafka's Metamorphosis which is also in the Fringe Festival. In her spare time Roni enjoys selling knives and writing a play with some of her theatre friends on their regularly scheduled play dates. Roni would like to thank Jon Ferguson, Noah Bremer, and Galen Truer for all they have given her this year. William T. Leaf for pushing her to be better, her family, and her dog Bailey named after the alcoholic beverage.

Krista J. van Eps
Role: Co Writer and Dramaturge
Krista is ecstatic to be apart of Bull for it's remounting in the Fringe Festival. Krista is a long time lover of the Fringe and has dreamed for many moons to finally be apart of it. She has been seen and heard as Our Town's Emily Webb and very much enjoyed playing Sonny of Sonny and Cher in the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. She enjoys writing long scripts and playing with her theatre friends on their regularly scheduled play dates. She would to thank Jon, her family, Mr. William T. Leaf and her pet rat Iris who waits for her anxiously after every show.

Theo Langason
Role: John
Theo Langason is lover of local theatre, home cooked meals, romantic comedies, and Pat Benatar. Born and raised in Minneapolis, he is now earning a degree at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. Theo is thrilled to be returning to the Fringe this year. He was previously a Writer/Choreographer/Cast Member of Angst!: the New Teen Musical from the 2006 Fringe. Theo is young, heartache to heartache he stands, with no promises and no demands, love is a battlefield.

Taylor Marshall- Mierniki
Role: Dr. Shephard
Taylor is also a student at Main Street School of Performing Arts. She is very excited to rejoin the Bull cast for it's remounting in the Fringe Festival. Taylor loves long luxurious bubble baths, sun showers, and rainbows. She would like to thank MSSPA and her family for all their support. And her blind/diabetic dog Snuggles.

Rebekah Mogilevsky
Role: Coffee Chainer, Fire Brigade
Rebekah is appearing in two Fringe shows, in Bull aswell as an Adaptation of Kafka's Metamorphisis, a collaboration with Noah Bremer and Galen Truer of Live Action Set. She was in Blind playing a Mad blind women and Snapshots at Stages Theatre Company. Rebekah was also in Anne Frank at The Jewish Community Center and involved in many shows at Express Yourself Academy. She would like to thank her family and is very excited to be apart of this wonderful show!

Ingrid Oslund
Role: Ms. Hamm
Ingrid Oslund is very exited to be a part of the remounting of "Bull"! Since the first show she has done many productions such as "The Diary of Anne Frank", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", The Blind", "Swimming Up Current", and "The Grinch". She also is a vocalist. This is still one of Ingrid's favorite roles because she gets to spend most of her stage time in her underwear.

Maleah Otterson
Role: Coffee Chainer, Fire Brigade
Maleah is very excited to appear in Bull for it's second run. Some of her more recent performances have been The BBB Show at MSSPA, The Redeemer at Freshwater Church, and Kid City Puppet Show at Kid City Theater along with many others. "Friends are like bras: close to your heart and there for support".

Melissa Peterson
Role: Bree, Bull
Melissa Peterson will be a Senior at Main Street School of Performing Arts. She is excited to be back with the BULL cast and to be performing in the Fringe Festival. She enjoys Harry Potter, rainy days and being latina. Words to live by: Life is short and so am i.

Lizzie Rainville
Role: Waitress Kate
Lizzie is a senior at MSSPA. She has been in 8 shows at Stages Theatre Company. She would like to thank Jon, Family, And Friends for all there support throughout the years.

Parker Simensen
Role: Brian
Parker is very excited to be apart of the fringe festival for his first time. He most recently finished his last production of A Mid Summer Night's Dream as Nick Bottom. He looks forward to attending Loyola University of Chicago in the fall and spending his last week of summer at his cabin on lake Vermillion.

Eric Swanson
Role: Douglas
Eric recently graduated from Mainstreet School of the Performing Arts. He is very excited to join the cast of Bull for the Minnesota Fringe. He is also excited to be appearing in the adaptation of Kafka's Metamorphosis... which is conveniently located at the Theatre Garage as well. Eric enjoys all sorts of art, along with riding his beautiful bike and immersing himself in every kind of music he can get his hands on.

Jessica Zerby
Role: Delilah, scary Bull
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Jessica Zerby has recently graduated high school and plans on attending Harvard come fall. She has received a full scholarship from her close friend Oprah Winfrey. Jessica's hobbies include archery, , volunteering with infants with missing limbs, donating clothes to ]Plato's Closet, and playing with her pet koala Timothy. Jessica is also credited for one of the key patents for the Iphone, recusing baby seals, and is currently working on her own line of pet perfumes.

Showtimes

Fri., Aug. 1 @ 5:30 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 3 @ 5:30 p.m.
Wed., Aug. 6 @ 8:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 9 @ 5:30 p.m.
[A] Sun., Aug. 10 @ 4:00 p.m.

KEY:
[S]=ASL interpreted
[A]=Audio described

Show details

Venue: Minneapolis Theatre Garage

Duration: 60 minutes

For ages 12+

Created by Jon Ferguson & Chain Coffee Productions

Website: http://www.performing-arts-school.or...

Genres: Comedy, Audio described, Political, Drama

Warnings: Adult language

Overall rating

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User reviews

Funny and thought provoking!
by Laura Charles Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I could relate to many of the lines in the play. Crazy feelings I've had in my own life.

Excellent! Whimsical!
by Kevin Charles Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I had a lot of fun and laughter. I didn't want it to end. Great show!

hm...
by Cassidy Julius Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
I can't really decided how i felt about this show. It made me laugh, it made me think, but something felt a little off... i think the ending was drawn out way to long...

Well Worth Seeing
by Gail Rainville Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Great show last night, much better than opening night. There were lots of laughs with a responsive audience. The pace was good with the Brian/Delilah scene finally not dragging because of the addition of some much needed bulls. This is far superior to your average high school show due to MSSPA bringing in Jon Ferguson as the director. Well worth seeing for the laughs and message.

Enjoyed the show!
by Susan Roberts Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
High energy, cute costuming (I mean who doesn't love Texas longhorns?), and an interesting adaptation of Eugene Ionesco's absurdist classic "Rhinoceros." Ole!

A Must See
by Sue Newman Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Fantastic adaptation. Definitely worth seeing multiple times.

"Truffles!"
by Molly choate Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
When bull was performed for the first time it was in a larger space, with more set and more time for tweaking. when I saw it this time I was sad to see things cut out for time but it still had that lovely feeling that I get when ever I see one of Jon fergusons shows. the acting was great and all the characters had their own little thing to them that made them likable even as bulls. I must say truffles and her owner were great, along with the sexy sexy waitress! this show IS a must see!

Clever!
by Jenny Miller Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Very interesting show and cast, however the final scene could have been shortened.

Fun Show!
by Crystal Caves Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Moral of the story was great - "Keep your own Individuality, do not follow the herd!" Great acting by teens!

Not your average teen show
by Danielle Siver Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I was very impressed by these kids. So often, a show involving high school students can only be expected to get to a certain amateurish level, but this cast really pushed the envelope and went to some unexpectedly hilarious and poignant places. An interesting choice of script to adapt, the plot speaks to those few among us who refuse to conform in a world of violent consumerism and pressure to achieve a prescribed arbitrary level of success. A complex theme, to be sure, but this adapatation feels right at home being performed by this young and talented group of students.

Great message
by Mike Golds Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Nonconformists will not like this play. Great message about integrity... it is always harder to do the right thing, than to "follow" the herd.

Bull-rilliant
by Taylor Marshall-Miernicki Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I really enjoyed it! The story idea was great, and the characters were funny! A wonderful show done by suprising actors - teens! I highly recommend this show. Loved Dr. Shepard!!!!!

Funny
by Daniel Langer Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
This was a very funny show! It was a good way to spend an hour.

Rage, Rage against the dying og the ...
by Mac The Knife Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
It is a rare day that a show is as funny and as poignant as this riff on Rhinoceros. The talented cast and director have taken the American ideal and set it on its ear. Both Mr. Ferguson and the students of Main Street should be proud of their work. Kudos to the entire cast for a tight ensemble and a shout out to Parker Simensen and Zach Christenson for powerful performances.

Beware of Bovine
by Fringivitis Vulgaris Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
I really, really, _really_ wanted to like this show. Jon Ferguson was behind last year's splendid "Deep Boy". "Rhinoceros" has delighted me since high school. This seemed like a can't-fail combination. Alas, it didn't roar, just staggered along. The overacting can be forgiven. The frequent nods to contemporary cultural and issues were very nice. Bulls in high heels? Er, no. Also, it might be nice if they had some idea about what happens in cubicle jobs (again, youthful inexperience). This could have been tighter with fewer players and a bit more rehearsal. I was pleased to notice the appearance of Ionesco's book in the opening scene.

Jon does well by this show
by Jared Reise Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Very good use of clowning wth this anti-conformist adaptation. Kudos!

Fantastic!!!!
by Susie KMA Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Excellent show!

You Have To Fight For Happiness
by Dave Romm Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
Occasionally amusing with well-drawn characters but only an okay adaptation. The kids were good in the beginning but needed to be tighter throughout to pull it off. I saw the first show, so maybe they will. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Who Knew?
by scout peterson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This show i had the expectation of being a comedic peice directed by the very-talanted Jon Ferguson. It was not what i expected. It had a much more serious plot. There were many funny bits but some were very intense. The end, if you have seen it, is very mysterious. This is right up there with audish! You ought not miss this show!

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