schedule
Traudtrikt Productions
Murder on the Mighty Mississippi
Thu., Jul. 30 @ 8:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 1 @ 5:30 p.m.
Tue., Aug. 4 @ 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 7 @ 8:30 p.m.
[A] Sun., Aug. 9 @ 4:00 p.m.
KEY:
[S]=ASL interpreted
[A]=Audio described
Warning! Violence, Adult language, Loud noises/gunshots
Venue U of M Rarig Center Proscenium
For ages 18+
Written by Brent Latchaw
genres Comedy, Drama
subjects Relationships
features World premiere, Regional premiere (Minneapolis-St. Paul), Original script/choreography
Overall rating
User reviews
what?
by sasha andreev Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
The Playwright seems to love beverages, because there were a lot of them in this play. A lot of ordering and drinking. I also found interesting the continuing characters lives outside the scene, being the "acting" of ordering drinks in the dark part of the stage. Entertaining. But for the wrong reasons.
Dont have a Clue
by Linda Sidwell Follow this reviewer
Rating 1 kitty
The story line was not very creative. It was like watching some people play the game clue live. Some of the actors were quite good
Great show
by Shelli Johnson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The show was great, very funny and it kept moving. A diamond in the rough ;-)
Only sex. . and that's it?
by Cody Stewart Follow this reviewer
Rating 1 kitty
8-4-09 @ 7:00pm
Rarig Proscenium
A murder mystery gone horribly wrong. Actors didn't know their lines, the pacing was off, and the performance was like something out of 'Waiting for Guffman'. With that said, I laughed at the wrong times and was entertained by things that I don't think were supposed to be funny. The cast put forth an effort in these silly shenanighans that ensued in this who-dunnit-cliche. I rate it a 1 out of 5.
Enjoyed it
by Jerry Jacoby Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Murder on the Mighty Mississippi is a murder mystery with love, jealousy, office politics, gossip, lust, humor, and a paternity issue all packed into one hour. The audience and cast have to figure out who is doing what to whom. The only thing we know for sure is that Wendy (Hayley Saccomano) is a very friendly intern. Linda Hayen is perfect as Madeline, the gossip, and the other cast members also do a fine job. The play had a few uneven spots but overall it is great fun.
Good effort.
by Teresa Weber Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Murder on the Mighty Mississippi gives actors, writers, directors and producers the opportunity to present an original play. More polish in acting and writing is needed, but the effort should not be overlooked because it is a good example of the fringe - giving potential artists the opportunity to take a chance and improve through doing. I give them credit for the effort. The highlight of the play is Wendy - her character is delightful and provided many laughs as the character moves along in the play. Good effort. It is worth seeing for an evening of fun.
They Tried.
by Ellen Jordano Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
You can tell a lot of work went in to the show, but the story wasn't very good. Eva and Hayley were the best.
Enjoyable
by Brianna Lentz Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I thoroughly enjoyed Murder on the Mighty Mississippi. The story was sparked with moments of humor which kept it interesting. The characters were fun to watch. I especially enjoyed the character of Wendy. She was consistent throughout with her over the top reaction to all the events, but in a perky enjoyable funny sense. I also thought the actor who played Marcus was very good. In the beginning when he was talking to Wendy he seemed to have real sense of acting, looking at her and not over acting. I think he has a good stage presence. This play is worth a look!
CAN'T MISS COMEDY
by Giuliano Porrumba Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The energy of the cast was positively infectious. All audience members seemed very attuned with the impeccable comedic timing of the actors. An individual performance I particularly enjoyed was David Durkee's character, "Leonard," who is a riot with his exquisite mastering of the nerdy "type." Hayley Saccomano was another interesting actress to watch, as she made bold choices with a fun sense of comedic timing. Overall, excellent cast and a fun story. This original is one you shouldn't miss!
Theater was climate-controlled
by Shari Brandhoy Follow this reviewer
Rating 1 kitty
The acting and writing was out of control.
Uninspired acting, weak script sink ship
by Hazen Markoe Follow this reviewer
Rating 0 kitties
Murder mysteries, despite the rather dark aspects of the subject, most often work best when there's a sure sense of purpose and character...with an added dash of light wit thrown in for a touch of humor. This muddled trek down the Mississippi fails on all levels. The acting ranges from so over-the-top as to be almost unintelligible to being merely bland. Much of the fault can be laid at the feet of both script and direction, which seemed to give the performers really nothing to do but act horny, bicker and shout at each other. The script was also wildly inconsistent...even to the pojnt of having a really suspicious character revealed as the sleuth with absolutely NO explanation for her previous actions. I ended up agreeing with one character towards the end of the play when he declared that he thought the cruise would never end. That makes two of us!!! Not recommended.
Non-Mighty Mississippi
by William Casey Follow this reviewer
Rating 1 kitty
Well-intentioned, this combination farce & murder mystery lies as flat as a crepe from beginning to end (at 0:59 on the clock). Not a solid story and the acting needs improvement.
fun for all
by Laura and Bernie Rose Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
The cast really makes these cooky characters come to life, lots of fun if you don't take it too seriously, and an enjoyable chain of events. Not bad for an original play, a good find.
Agatha Christiesque
by judy Welter Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Good story line, wonderful direction, great production! Pump it up for five kitties.
Mostly misfires
by Sharon Kahn Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
The concept sounded promising, but it just didn't work. Mystery was not believable, should have been played lightly and quickly so the audience didn't have time to think it through. Unfortunately, the cast was simply too big to keep track of and the acting was, to put it charitably, uneven. There were many opening-night gaffes, such as the perplexing moment where a character appeared to be felled by an unexpected phone call (oops, wrong sound effect!). The production mistakes and muffed lines may smooth out as the run continues, but I don't think this production is going to rise above mediocre.
I did like the actors that played the murder victim, the murderer, and the giggling ingenue (the CHARACTER was extremely irritating, but the actress had a lot of sparkle).
Interesting whodunit
by Ken Moreland Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Not side splitting laughs, but fun to watch. Cast became more at ease after initial opening night jitters. I never knew local newscasters had such active sex lives. Enjoyed the bathroom shenanigans and beer gags.
oh, dear
by Karen Cooper Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
CJ Johnson seemed the most comfortable performer on stage, being natural and watchable even when he had no lines. And Hayley Saccoman had some engaging moments, too. Many of the other cast members seemed a little wooden, and the story was too busy.
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