59 Minutes 'Til the End

A 58 minute show that knows we all die a little every day. Laugh, cry and sing (optional, very optional) to the stories and songs of one man's deaths and rebirths. It's the feel good funeral of August.

What goes into a good funeral? A country song - you got it! The best and worst ways to die - you got it! Corey Feldmen - for sure. Zombies - absolutely. Okay, no Zombies were actually harmed in the production, but they do get referenced. And the deceased, wondering just what the heck is going on.


If you aren't a myspace person, I also have some video on youtube: http://youtube.com/user/urbangorilla71

The cast

Steve Anderson
Role: the deceased
Steven Benjamin Anderson (May 5, 1971 - 59 minutes from now) wanted to be an artist. He wasn't married, didn't have any children, wasn't tenured at the college were he taught, never sold a painting in his life, nor did he amaze people with a never-say-die attitude nor boundless energy. He did do a show in this year's Spirit in the House Festival, Worst Parent Ever, and a few others over the years, but let's face it - his name is probably new to you. And now he's gone.

Evan Blattner
Role: Drummer
Evan has been performing as a musician and dancer for years -- all leading to his big break in The 2008 Minneapolis Fringe Fest! Catch this star and count your blessings!!!

Les Harrison
Role: Guitarist
Les Harrison is a parent, educator, and musician who lives in Minneapolis. His musical skills have been sharpened and expanded with many illustrious, yet unheard of, bands in the Midwest. Les has shared his singing, songwriting, and guitar playing abilities with bands such as Armies of One, Catch 22, Lester River, The John Douglas Band, Minus The Man Who, and his own project Don't Let That Horse.

Chris Oveson
Role: Drummer
C.M. Oveson is a quirky man who struggles to eke out a living helping others. He is currently existing in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities and planning to migrate to south western Wisconsin for the fall and winter. The pursuits of creating visual arts and producing written words have left him to exclaim, “Life is what happens while you’re making plans.” …and so we dance.

Showtimes

Thu., Jul. 31 @ 7:00 p.m.
[A] Sat., Aug. 2 @ 5:30 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 3 @ 8:30 p.m.
Thu., Aug. 7 @ 10:00 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 9 @ 1:00 p.m.

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

Show details

Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Duration: 60 minutes

For ages 15+

Written by Steve Anderson

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

Genres: Musical theatre, Spoken Word, Comedy, Audio described

Overall rating

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User reviews

What would you do
by Ted W Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
59 M.T.t.E. is a show that will make you laugh, feel sorry for Steve and make you look at your own miserable lives! What would you do if you realized you only had 59 minutes left? Probably a lot of the same things, realizing that there was much more you should have done...so wake up and do it now before it's over, and start by seeing this show. Weird, funny, intellectual, along with some sweet tunes. Nice work boys!

Audience on edge, too
by Jon Skaalen Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
The question: how to portray a man who's not sure if he's alive or dead or in limbo. Lots of opportunities for fun -- many of which were explored creatively in this show. But the choice to portray it as an exceptionally nervous and perturbed person with feet that are constantly (and I mean constantly) moving, was distracting for me. Plant your feet now & then, please. Blend the songs into the work a bit more artfully, rather than stop, start, stop, start. A good idea that needs a bit more polish.

A for Effort
by Erica Mauter Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
My girlfriend, in trying to explain Fringe to a friend of hers, said that sometimes there's bad content with great acting and sometimes there's great content with bad acting. This was an example with the latter. I really wanted to like this show. It's a decent concept: guy realizes he's at his own funeral and then goes through a whole series of "how did I get here?" and "am I okay with this?" questions. There were some pretty good one-liners ("This is not Como Zoo!"). I actually found Steve himself to be distracting. I'd probably be really freaked if I somehow found myself consciously attending my own funeral, but there's gotta be a better way to convey that than by panting, slapping yourself in the forehead, and constant shuffling. For 49 minutes. I wanted to yell at him to please stand still for a minute. This show was so close, but not quite there for me. See it if you've got a time slot to kill.

Hilarious
by Lydia Harrison Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Great show - very funny, witty, clever. Steve's got a good sense of humor. The music was awesome. A definite must see.

Thinking about it a day later
by Donna Koren Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Why do obituaries read like a list of accomplishments? Degrees and jobs, years of marriage and number of descendents. Is a longer list better? In "59 Minutes..," Steve Anderson, with back-up from his talented musician-ushers, makes his way from anguishing over what he should have accomplished to how he wants to live in the last aching minutes of his life. With the observations and delivery of good stand-up comedy and applause-worthy music, the show does not beat you over the head with your own inevitable death. Still, I left keenly aware of it; and moments of scents, sights, sounds, tastes and touch were more vibrant, even today.

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