Minnesota Fringe Festival

Come see one of Canada's top spoken word artists at work;
Long distance relationships, juggling; hospital visits, phone sex, and nursery rhymes- Chris Masson delivers the goods on all of these complex and riveting issues with his rowdy, dynamic, hilarious blend of performance poetry and storytelling. This play has all the meat, drama and comedy of a well written Oscar winning movie without all the For Your Consideration propaganda.

Here are some audience reviews from our Montreal preview:

"Awesome! Loved it! So sweet & entertaining and what language!!!"

"At a loss of words ... touched me so deeply"

"We were transfixed, what a wonderful storyteller."

"Amazing show!"

The cast

Danielle-Ariel Caddell-Malenfant
Role: Producer/Stage Manager
Danielle is excited to be back in Minneapolis after having such an awesome time stage Managing 'How Does a Drug Deal Become a Decent 3rd Date' last year at the fringe.
By trade Danielle is a stage manager and graduate of the technical side of John Abbott Professional Theater Program. This is her first play as producer but luckily not her last.
Selected credits include: ASM for Inifitheatre's 'Blessed Are They', Stage Manager for the McGill Savoy Society's 'The Mikado', and Producer for 'Several Scenes Involving a Decomposing Corpse'.

Chris Masson
Role: Writer/Performer
Chris is a writer, actor, and the current head coordinator for the Montreal Throw Poetry Collective. In 2008 he produced their first live album. Combining his theatre training with his love of poetry, Chris's performance poetry swaggers its way between belligerence and humility, sincerity and satire, pathos and punch lines. In 2007, With Words Press published his first book of poetry, Pants with Pockets. He cut his teeth on the Montreal performance scene with Gravy Bath Productions, performing in plays like This Table, In the Shade, Coriolanus, and Oedipus Rex before working as an associate producer with the company until it closed down in 2006.Chris has since worked in film and TV, and has been seen performing in schools across Quebec with Geordie productions.

The Nanny Bumpkin Presents

Pathos, Punchlines & Painkillers

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

Warning! Adult language

Venue Bryant-Lake Bowl
Created by Chris Masson
From Montreal, Canada
genres Spoken word, Comedy
subjects Relationships, Political
features Regional premiere (Minneapolis-St. Paul), Original script/choreography, First-time Minnesota Fringe Festival producer, Equity cast members

Overall rating

User reviews

Nice storytelling
by Laurie Swenson Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
The storytelling is my favorite part of this show. I was on the edge of my seat.

Talented
by Amer Azar Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Great writing and performance!
we were captivated from the begining, we laughed and cried, we were angry and happy..the show is a must see.

Chris is Cool
by Bradley Shuester Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
amazing show, very well done, I ALMOST had a tear in my eye, and emotional ride with Chris and Nora. A true story, and a brilliant performance by Chris Masson. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Cry and laugh and be touched
by Bryan Alston Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
a very memorable show, Chris kept audiences captivated. I have been to many fringe festivals and this is by far one of the best shows I have seen ever. A definate must see this year at the Fringe Festival.

A truly gifted storyteller
by Katie Knutson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This show is well-crafted, combining poetry and story, humor and heartache, and a lot of love. I cried tears of sadness and of joy. I don't want to give too much away, because this show really will surprise you...

Chris does a great job of relating to the audience, letting us know that, yes, this does sound crazy, but we still decided to try it anyway...

Beware the word "not." He will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, but there are times when he sets up an ideal world, and then says "NOT," and tells what really happened. I stopped trusting him when something good happened because I was waiting for the "not." When you see it (and you should be lining up to see it), try to forgive this and trust him, because it's worth it.

This is an excellent show - one of the best of this year's Fringe!

I cried so sweetly
by matthew vaky Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Just go see it.

I was holding back tears of joy!
by Michael Sauve Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
It is so inspiring to see such a talented man so dedicated to his craft. His story will make you laugh, cry, and want to call your loved ones and recount the tale!

Pathos,Punchlines,and Painkillers
by John Armstrong Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I have seen several solo shows over the last 8 years of Fringing, but this is one of the best. Chris is an outstanding performer who weaves poetry and autobiographical storytelling to deliver a funny,poignant and entertaining show. You will laugh,Get choked up a bit and think about the issues he raises which come from a heartfelt personal place.
Highly Recommeded!

One of the top...
by Anya Kremenetsky Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Captivating - from beginning to end. Honest. Clever. This is a performer who will make you FEEL, keep you LISTENING for the full hour without ever checking your watch, and have you leaving the theater with at least a few things to ponder. Highly worthwhile.

simply wonderful
by vickijoan keck Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Being a storyteller myself, I see a lot of the solo shows at the fringe, and admit to falling asleep often, or simply zoning out. This performer will keep you listening from beginning to end. I was expecting interesting slam poetry but got so much more - a simply fantastic and almost unbelievable story about love literally conquering all. Do yourself a favor and see it!

slam-dunk
by Roger Kuhns Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
The weave in Chris' fast paced journey is all the more moving because it is true. Lot's of emotional tugs, some uncomfortable - but that's what he was experiencing; it works well. I really liked the performance, his delivery, and the slam poetry approach. Good stuff.

Human Stuff, Great Stuff
by Larry Ripp Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Like they say This is what the Fringe is all about. A HUGE talent! Moving and marvelous! I don't know where to begin so I won't. Please just go see this show. It's right at the top of the best. Believe me.

AMAZING SHOW
by Anon Review Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Chris has a unique ability to make you laugh cry and emote everything in between. AMAZING story teller, captivating, and a beautiful love story. A FRINGE MUST SEE!

Well spent hour...
by Kathleen Johnson Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
A wonderful storyteller and wordsmith building unique structures and images - thank you, Chris Masson, for putting this show together.

A must see Fringe show!
by Eric Meininger Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I saw a lot of great theater yesterday, but Chris' show was the most captivating. He spoke non-stop for an hour (a feat in and of itself) and I was captivated. A very emotive actor, Chris tells the story of a long distance relationship in poetry, expression and movement. Don't miss this opportunity to see this talented performer!

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