Boys Don't Make Passes at Girls Who Wear Glasses

A Pioneer Press MUST SEE!
"Some of these yarns are side-splittingly funny... some are squirmingly familiar... and some border on the emotionally painful. Lund and Bidgood are so unselfconscious and so endearing, though, that this sometimes very personal evening never cloys and never clings."

City Pages agrees!
"...an hour of nonstop, hilariously self-aware riffs on the tribulations of growing up nerd... The material is fantastic, the delivery polished -- it's a must-see."

Tape up your glasses and grab your pocket protectors, Minnesota! Embrace your inner dork with Laura Bidgood and Curt Lund, the geeks behind Fringe hits "Take a Left at the Giant Cow" and "Two Queers and a Chubby". This comedy storytelling dorkfest promises to tickle you with real life observations from the geek perspective, and fog up your glasses with torrid tales of nerd romance. Wait, did we say torrid? We meant awkward, embarrassing and unrequited.



Twin Cities GLBT magazine Lavender calls Laura and Curt a "zany pair". They spin gold from the straw of their awkward childhoods and the road to adulthood that is sometimes painful, usually embarrassing, but always laugh-out-loud funny... and yup, still awkward.

"Storytelling at its finest... a thinking man's Will & Grace. Funny, honest and proof that the art of storytelling is not dead... a must for those who enjoy spoken word." (Los Angeles playwright Tony Figueroa)

L'etoile Magazine declared Laura and Curt's work an "uber-hit". The sentiment has been echoed in media from the Star Tribune ("extremely enjoyable") and Pioneer Press ("terrific tales") to Minnesota Monthly ("smart... a Fringe favorite") and The Rake ("a Fringe hit... hilarious"; one of five 2007 pre-fest Must Sees), plus audience members too:

"Witty, poignant tales of growing up awkwardly next to the norm... immensely funny."

"Wonderfully relevant and irreverent. Everyone can identify with this material... the comic timing was often brilliant. One of the best I've seen this Fringe."

"I love their low-key, smart, 'This American Life' vibe... this one is way up on my list."

The cast

Laura Bidgood
Role: Writer and performer
"Brilliant and gorgeous and funny without ceasing." (Matthew Everett, Twin Cities playwright and Fringe blogger)
A director, stage manager, musician and spoken word artist, Laura has showcased her artistic talents in numerous theatres and groups around the Twin Cities including Minnesota Public Radio, The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, Lyric Arts, Chameleon Theatre Circle, Morris Park Players, Bloomington Civic Theatre and the Dakota Valley Symphony, in addition to performing at open mics around town and, really, in front of any crowd she can find.

Curt Lund
Role: Writer and performer
Celebrating his tenth, count 'em TENTH Minnesota Fringe, Curt is pleased as punch to be performing once again with Laura and the Rockstar Storytellers. His literary experiments have been seen/heard on/at Minnesota Public Radio's "In The Loop", McSweeney's, KFAI Radio, The Loft Literary Center, Northstar Storytelling League and Tellebration, Fray Day, and more cabarets, open mics, coffee houses, colleges and rooftops than you can shake a stick at. Curt has performed across the upper Midwest and as far away as Las Vegas, Chicago and Vermillion, South Dakota! When not busy listening to himself talk, Curt is marketing manager at a non-profit arts center and a tour guide at the Walker.

Showtimes

Thu., Jul. 31 @ 5:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 2 @ 8:30 p.m.
[S] Tue., Aug. 5 @ 10:00 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 8 @ 4:00 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 10 @ 7:00 p.m.

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

Show details

Venue: U of M Rarig Center Arena

Duration: 60 minutes

For ages 13+

Created by Laura Bidgood and Curt Lund

Website: http://www.myspace.com/curtandlaura

Genres: Queer Content, Spoken Word, Comedy, ASL interpreted

Warnings: Adult language

Overall rating

Write a review

You must be logged in to review shows.

User reviews

4 your eyes only
by dixie treichel Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A great show by Lund and Bidgood-the dynamic duo. They really complement each other beautifully with comedic timing and storytelling style. Gay and straight relationships have their share of ups-downs and nerds. Well written and performed. Watch for them performing around the Twin Cities. Not to be missed-A must see.

Nerds Rule!
by Erin McCullough Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
"Boys Don't Make Passes" kept us laughing from the beginning to the end. Great delivery of material, super stories and jokes, and a great flow that never loses the audience. We loved the nerd love :-)

I adore Curt and Laura.
by Erica Mauter Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I just do. If you've seen them before, you know what to expect. Their storytelling is autobiographical, often self-effacing, and totally clever geek humor. I just want to pinch their cheeks when I see them.

Don't pass up these glasses!
by Cody Stewart Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
As far as spoken word goes, this piece was superb. The personal stories of Laura Bidgood and Curt Lund were original in the way they were told and definetely connected to much of the audience. Curt and Laura are great storytellers in the way they meld their words to achieve certain -mostly comedic with a touch of "awwww"- reactions. If you are looking for a play, do not see this piece. This is story-telling at it's finest, and along with listening, an audience member must have patience since movement is very minimal. I give it a 4 out of 5 as I feel the piece maybe could have been tightened up a bit although was nearly there.

I love nerds!
by Rinnie Menzhuber Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
And I love me some Laura and Curt! The nearly sold out audience seemed to agree as well. Their stories were filled with relatable, hysterical and sometimes brutal moments of honesty. Having seen Laura and Curt perform numerous times before, I was happy to see their chemistry together was still going strong. Their support of each other and enjoyment at what they were doing was clearly visible throughout the performance. They seem to connect so genuinely to the stories they are telling and the audience they are relating them to. A funny, nerdy and utterly delightful show!

So-so
by The Grump Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
It had it moments but overall this show was not my favorite. Great voices and range but I found myself rarely raised above a chuckle or two.

Funny and sweet
by Dorothy Goldie Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Great writing, great timing and delivery and sweet content that speaks to those very human moments we all share. Who among us hasn't waged a silent war against someone for putting the toilet paper roll on incorrectly? This intelligent and gentle humor deserved a show time NOT past my bedtime, but it was worth staying up for.

Not bad Not terrific
by Ronald Ostrow Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Entertaining but not overwhelming for us. Presentation is static. A well worn premise executed with some skill, and it does move along.

I love "nerds" in love....
by Greg Geiger Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I've got my glasses on! I laughted so hard - and still repeating the lines... and the laughts continue. I have always enjoyed Curt and Laura's coming of age stories. And yes TP does go over, never under - if you don't understand this see the show!

So glad I saw the show
by Melissa Beukema Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
I enjoyed the show and it definitely got me laughing. Like others have mentioned, there were a few points where it should have been smoother and better rehearsed. Worth seeing.

NERDS OF THE WORLD UNITE!
by Eric Herr Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
OK, I went to this show because Curt Lund is a fab guy! This show lept straight to the top of my favorite fringe shows of...ever! The comedic timing of both Curt and Laura is just so perfect. Honestly, my boyfriend, sister and I were uncontrollably laughing the entire show. Coming from a former nerd to gay boy I saw my experiences re-told through Mr. Lund. Dates with...girls??, a bad experience with a halloween costume in the form of a traffic light(Curt...you'll have to ask!) and yeah, uhm, I get International Male because of the clothes!

Hilarious!
by Kara Garbe Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I loved Curt & Laura at their show last year and wasn't disappointed. Funny and poignant - they are great storytellers with fantastic chemistry on the stage! My favorite Fringe show this year!

Nerdlicious
by Willow Bousu Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I am a big fan of Curt and Laura, but this year's show is a stand out for me, due to the nerd theme. Nerds shall inherit the earth, and I want these two to lead us there!
Not only is this show hilarious, but there are also plently of touching moments that we can all relate to. Laura and Curt each bring their own unique styles to the table, and I loved every minute of it!

Really Great!
by Liz Floyd Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Don't sit in the back.

Wonderful
by Chris Anderson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
These two are great, funny, charming a great duo a show NOT TO MISS.

Are We Still in Love?
by Richard Shields Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
One thing these two performers are excellent at is making characters and scenes come to life. Both can convey a point of view by bring a scene back to life by reflecting upon it.

After going to this year's show, I find myself asking if my own love is waning for the performers. True, you moved me in the past, certainly enough to bring me back wanting more this year. Yet after seeing this year piece I am not feeling the love. For whatever reason I left this year's show feeling I had seen it before.

Very Fun
by Ernest Edwards Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This duo has done it again. They are very fun, and have some very clever dialogue and and stories you can relate to. Which makes it even funnier. If you're the mood for a great evening and a good laugh, this is the show.

One Kitty Shy of Perfection
by Ben Thietje Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I was happy to let this show break my 2008 Fringe maidenhead. It was funny, entertaining, insightful, and gay. All the best things.

See it - funny!
by Renee Ladd Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
As always, Curt and Laura are very funny and relatable.

Charming!
by Tim Voss Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Laura and Curt deliver a series of charming and funny coming of age stories. Both Laura and Curt did a fine job of playing off each other, though I found Curt to be more polished. Laura kept flubbing her script, but it wasn't a big problem. Alas, their show is pretty static, and that makes the Rarig Arena the wrong venue for them. Worthwhile.

Storyteller Extraordinaires!
by Claire Avitabile Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
"Two Queers and a Chubby" was the first MN Fringe show I saw by these guys right after I moved to Mpls several years back... and I continue to and feel I will forever remain a fan. "...Glasses" was charming, funning, and so well spoken. Thank you for entertaining me yet again, and kicking off my 2008 Fringe experience with a delightful show!

Good but not as good as last year
by Marcia Avner Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Nice touches: staging with glasses
The "nerd" theme holds throughout and makes for fine transitions
Last year's production was more nuanced and while this was quite good, it wasn't as strong as the production in '07

Nerdilicious!
by Bill Stiteler Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Curt and Laura take us on a trip down Nerd Lane, with detours for bad breakups, first eyeglasses, and, of course, mail fraud.

There were some verbal stumbles on opening night, but they didn't seriously impair the storytelling ability of these two. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll think "seriously? You broke up over *that*?"

NERDSSSSS!!!!!!
by Gary Dietze Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
There are some very funny bits(the stand out for me being the spelling quiz), and some heartfelt moments. I see these two writers trying to bring the serious a bit more this year, and it was nice to see that layer. I would agree with a couple of the other reviews that it was a little uneven opening night, but I think that was opening night jitters and expect this show to have a wonderful run.
Highly entertaining. I laughed quite a bit, and on a side note I saw a woman who was almost in tears a number of times she was laughing so hard.
Recommended.
And I'll have to keep an eye out for weird mail. :)

A great start to the 2008 Fringe
by Florence Brammer Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
These Fringe favorites have put together another great hour of storytelling. The material is personal without being self-indulgent and resonates with the audience without lapsing into cliche. The staging sometimes felt a bit static in this venue, but it was a great start to this year's Fringe and is sure to be another hit for this appealing duo.

Keep it coming...
by Jeffrey McCants Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The last time I had checked in on Laura and Curt was when the duo performed "Two Queers and a Chubby." Their hilarious stories of past relationships and dealing with social pressures due to appearance hasn't gotten old yet. This time, the focus is on being a nerd and how limiting their glasses have been over the course of their lives. And although there is a great deal of laughter to be had throughout, there is something very honest about their story telling. It's not about being an actor on a stage for an audience...at least it doesn't feel like it. It's more of a dialogue between performer and audience. If you ask me, we've all known Laura and Curt all of our lives and we're just having a good time at Rarig sharing stories...

Enjoyable
by Kristi Lawless Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I knew this was the right one to start my Fringing. Loved it!

Movin' on up.
by Derek Henderson Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
With all the hype surrounding their 2007 Fringe show, I was expecting a really funny act. What I got was a mostly funny act that could have been better rehearsed & reminded me too much of collegiate forensics. Nice script, nice try. There's always next year.

Users also scheduled