schedule
Joseph Scrimshaw Productions
Tragedy of You
Fri., Jul. 31 @ 8:30 p.m.
[A] Sat., Aug. 1 @ 2:30 p.m.
Mon., Aug. 3 @ 5:30 p.m.
Wed., Aug. 5 @ 10:00 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 8 @ 10:00 p.m.
KEY:
[S]=ASL interpreted
[A]=Audio described
Warning! Adult language
Venue U of M Rarig Center Thrust
For ages 12+
Created by Joseph Scrimshaw/Dennis Curley
Web site http://josephscrimshaw.com
genres Comedy
features Audience participation, Original script/choreography, Original music
Overall rating
User reviews
Pure Scrimshaw.
by Susan Roberts Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Been a fan of his work for many years - this was a great example! Random audience member assists with suggestions - Scrimshaw weaves the suggestions into a pre-fabricated outline - and puts on a wonderful one-man show (piano players was great too - but he didn't contribute as much to the story - he contributed to in-between act pauses). Engaging and great fun!
Shakespeare with a bit of reality
by Norm Johnson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Very strong performance despite a less than stellar sugestions. Joe Scrimshaw holds the audience with a great mix of his interpretations of a sheakspearian tradgety.
Only thing I would suggest improve it is to add a few more audience suggestions into the show. once again Joseph Scrimshaw delivers again.
Amazing!
by Doug Johnson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this show. It was clever, well done, the works--you can tell that this guy knows a lot about Shakespeare! I saw it twice and, for those of you who gave it less kitties than it deserves because you thought the audience member was a plant, I can assure you that they were not planted. A must see!
To improv or not to improv. . .
by Cody Stewart Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
8-8-09 @ 10 pm
Rarig Thrust Theater
Joseph Scrimshaw is one talented man. Utilizing the Shakespearean formula, the paper mad lib game, and improvisation, he is able to spin a tale based off of an audience member's life. And he spins the whole tale himself with just a musical accompanist for interludes. While entertaining, I felt myself bored in Act IV (go figure) and while this show was a cool party trick and takes a ton of talent, I felt the gimmick didn't hold up for me personally. 3 out of 5.
Quite A Feat
by Sid Solomon Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Joseph Scrimshaw is to be commended for the skill with which he has crafted The Tragedy of You. Part loosely written mad lib, part off-the-cuff improv, he crafts a 5 act Shakespearean-style play based on the life of a randomly chosen audience member. It was a performance of sheer stamina and will, and he had the audience laughing
Clever!
by Laurie Swenson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
What a great and challenging premise, and what a great performance! It's fun to compare the version I saw (Jen) with those that others saw.
quite bearable
by michael freiert Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
a scripted improv one man show joseph did an impressive job of managing a slightly awkward audience member and turning his notes into a coherent if absurd show. sadly it lacks his typically rich prose, save for the scripted iambic bits.
really, go see this, but don't expect the depth of textual bibliowit we're come to expect from him.
MUST SEE!
by David McKay Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Joseph Scrimshaw usually has the best show at fringe and this year is no exception. You don't need to be any kind of expert in Shakespeare to enjoy how he mixes classical story elements with the true lives of an audience volunteer.
I suggest you go more than once to enjoy the different hilarious tragedies that are created.
Joseph Scrimshaw = Theatrical Genius
by Anthony Sandusky Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Joseph Scrimshaw is brilliant & entertaining! I only have two criticisms...first, I would've liked to have seen Joseph in some sort of "Shakespearean Attire", as opposed to a suit & tie. It would just seem a little more fitting to me...and second, is that I wasn't the person chosen to have the play centered around, but after seeing the great performance he put on, I guess I can let that one slide ;)
Thumbs up for Joel too
by Liz Floyd Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Joel Zumach was a brave volunteer that had his tradgedy improved the night I went. As Joseph was gathering details about Joel you could see him salivating on how juicy the details were going to fit in. That was funny and great to see.
Observe a Master at his Craft
by Eric Meininger Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I am in awe of the Scrimshaws. This show represents real development from the days of the drunken Look Ma, No Pants theater days, but you enjoy it just the same. Joseph was masterful in interviewing a member of the audience and creating a show a la Shakespeare in Theater Land (although that came from the audience, so if you see it a different night, I'm sure the setting will be different).
Witty, expressive, emotive and talented. Joseph wisely sidestepped the interviewee's answer that he considered his Aspbergers a character flaw, and coached an answer out that honored his dignity and kept the show on track.
See this show and see a truly talented performer of the Twin Cities scene.
Tenderly Skewering Wit
by Geek Grrrl Librarian Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Taking the tropes of Elizabethan drama and improving a story based on cues given by a random audience member is ballsy. Scrimshaw pulled it off with wonderful panache. I was there the night he chose Joel, an endearingly vulnerable muse. Scrimshaw managed to treat his source of inspiration with a tender respect while at the same time mining Joel's revelations for comedy gold. A marvelous balancing act indeed.
Mad-Lib Theater
by Mike Lewis Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This is an interesting concept - have an audience member decide the characters and plot by answering some questions and the plot ensues from there. The only reason why I am not giving this 5 stars is because at the showing I was at, the audience participant wasn't very much into it, leaving the early part of the show feeling dull. If you've got a seed who's into it and ready to have fun, I bet this would be one of the best shows out there!
Go See? For the Scrimshaw-y Goodness.
by Nick Decker Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Joseph Scrimshaw works wonders with his scripted shows, so I was curious to check out his Mad Lib-esque Tragedy of You. While not as tightly constructed, his improvised drama entertained nonetheless.
Scrimshaw invites an audience volunteer to provide personal details about his/her life, and as they answer questions for his fill-in-the-blank whiteboard, Scrimshaw studies the mannerisms of his subject. When he's gotten all the details he needs, he begins a loosely described five-act Shakespearean tragedy, humorously skewering the Bard along with his audience volunteer. Don't expect iambic pentameter throughout, but do appreciate the jokes made of the literary devices. Dennis Curley accompanies Scrimshaw on the piano, providing amusing interludes between acts. And the inclusion of a bear was nice.
The Comedy of Tragedy
by Hazen Markoe Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Joseph Scrimshaw once again delights the audience with this delightfully comic show imported from his run at the Bryant Lake Bowl earlier this year. Using nothing than just the answers from a random member of the audience, Scrimshaw weaves a hilariously comic tale of the person's "tragic" story. Complete with death, sword fights and Shakespearean ham acting, Scrimshaw's show is ably abetted by the music of Dennis Curley. Because of the nature of this production, no two shows are ever quite the same. Highly recommended.
Toooooo Funnny
by Anon Review Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Great show, i would like to see another performance to see how it is shaken up.
Great!
by Jeff A. Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I don't know how someone could give this less than five kitties. What more do Fringe audiences want? A chocolate covered orgasm? Picky, picky.
Scrimshaw delivers
by Raka Mitra Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
As usual, this Scrimshaw show is a hoot. Definitely worth seeing.
Improv Gold
by Brian Watson-Jones Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Had the chance to see this at the BLB a couple months back, which gave a lovely opportunity to contrast how the show changes with different volunteers. And what makes this show great isn't just the scripting, or the unintentional gold that the audience participant provides, but the world that grows up around the dozen questions asked. In The Tragedy of Bob, Bob provided the wonderful Historic Preservationland, but Scrimshaw had all of thirty seconds to provide its hermetically-sealed details, and terrible enemies Kids on Field Trips. And those little details are what made the second viewing as enjoyable as the first. Highly recommended!
Will's Secrets Revealed
by Lynn Cross Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
As an English major, I took a full year of Shakespeare – early, middle, and late. I was in awe the whole time. Never knew how he did it until now! He had a recipe book! Except Scrimshaw is a master chef and so I guess I won’t be trying this at home after all.
Scrimshaw shines!
by Julie S. Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
You can't go wrong with Joseph Scrimshaw! His talents never cease to amaze me.
It's a different show every time!
by Matlisa Semrad Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
See them all. Clever, witty and violent - who could ask for more? It's also educational, Joe gives a lesson about Shakespearan plot structure before each act. Sit in the front row and be part of the action or even better, put your name in the fate bucket.
A Comical Tragedy
by Justin Alexander Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Scrimshaw's improv work is exceptionally funny and his dissection of Elizabethan tragedy successfully walks the tricky tightrope between erudition and hilarity.
Here's the long and the short of it: Do you like Shakespeare? Do you like to laugh?
Then you'll like Tragedy of You.
Brilliant Comedy
by William Beeman Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Joseph Scrimshaw once again proves his comic genius in this inspired show. Choosing an audience member's name out of a bucket, he concocts a full five-act Shakespearean tragedy from the details provided by the patron. On Monday he luckily chose celebrated architect Robert (Bob) Mack of the firm of Mack and McDonald, award winning historical preservationists. Scrimshaw's Shakespearean landscape became "Historic Preservation Land" with Mack depicted as the monarch ruling over his hermetically sealed, temperature controlled kingdom where the enemies are school children on excursion, always touching things with their greasy hands. Some of the framework of the narration is a set piece, but no one can predict the humor derived from the information of the moment. At one point Scrimshaw stopped a bullet speeding toward him by writing a quick grant application to the bullet petitioning that he (Scrimshaw as Mack) be declared an historic artifact. Yes he CAN make this up. Hilarious. Scrimshaw is a treasure. We are lucky to have him among us. Every show will be different. You should try to see at least one of them.
Shakespeare, joyfully decoded
by Florence Brammer Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This show was so much fun to watch as sheer entertainment, and I even learned a lot from it, too (as I also did from Scrimshaw's Macbeth in the 2007 Fringe). One reviewer wonders if the person chosen from the audience is a plant -- I really don't think s/he is. I just think Scrimshaw is that quick-witted and observant.
Loved it!
by Kristi Lawless Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
How does he come up with this stuff? This was a lot of fun. Educational too.
A must see!
by Melanie Thome Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
After being introduced to Scrimshaw last year at fringe I was hooked. This show has a lot of imagination an ingenuity with involving an audience member and their answers to almost Mad Lib type questions. My friend and I laughed the whole time. I am suggesting it to my other friends that haven't seen it yet.
Fun
by Carin Bratlie Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Quick wit is important for fringey goodness like this, and Fringe Royalty Scrimshaw has it. His tale was woven tightly and kept folks laughing for much of the time. Totally worth seeing.
I didn't need all five acts, but maybe that's my modern audience peeking through.
One of the best I've seen
by Rob Callahan Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Sets the stage and tells the Shakespeare-inspired story of a fantasy world based on the life of a random audience member. Lampooning every trope in The Complete Works, Fringe Veteran Scrimshaw keeps the audience engaged and laughing as the tumultuous treachery and tragedy of [you]land unfold over five acts. Part Mad-Libs. Part Which Way Books. All entertainment.
very fun
by William Hollerich Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I really liked the idea of this show, and I think that made me want to like it a lot already. Regardless, Joseph Scrimshaw has a good reputation for a reason. He's a virtuoso writer, improviser, and entertainer. It had been a long time since I'd laughed as much as I did Friday night.
Very entertaining
by Lee Gehrke Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Joe Scrimshaw does a fine job of improv (around a core story) based on an audience member's answers to a few "simple questions" about themselves. I actually sat next to Cole (see below) while her foibles were skewered by Scrimshaw onstage. The show will vary depending on the audience participant selected, so hope for a real bizzarro. (No, Cole, I didn't mean to imply....)
Joe Scrimshaw tried to kill my mother.
by Cole Sarar Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Usually, when you put your name on a slip of paper for "audience participation", it involves something ridiculous but fairly minor like, pretending to be a tree on stage for five minutes, or shouting out a location for the sketch to take place.
I really should have read the show's description. The things that tumble out of one's mouth when they are unprepared for the questions at hand.
I had a blast watching the tragedy of me enfold, and am now going to actually *read* the descriptions of the shows I'm going to before I show up. Perhaps my fatal flaw is really that I jump willingly into situations that will end up awkward, slightly embarrassing, highly entertaining, and very funny. But mark my words, Mr. Scrimshaw. One does not threaten my mother. I'll have my revenge.
(Scrimshaw does a fantastic job making improv and audience participation into a new beast. I have a hard time actually reviewing this show, but I had a really good time. Scrimshaw also does a lovely job mocking the Shakespearean drama.)
finally got to see it & now i want more
by Rachel Flynn Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
smartly written, cleanly executed, impressively performed, great fun for the audience -- whether you are very familiar with Shakespeare's tragedies or not -- and i want to see more. to be more specific, i want to see it again and have my name drawn... so many tragic flaws to choose from :-)
Hysterical Tragedy
by Nanette Stearns Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Very funny - mixes the best of Shakespeare with spot-on impov.
awesome long form improv
by Devin Nordson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Joe Scrimshaw creates a 5 act Shakespearean tragedy based on a random person in the audience. How could that not be awesome?
It was funny, entertaining, and I learned more about Shakespeare. Strongly recommended.
Brilliant
by David Trudeau Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Once again Joseph Scrimshaw's brilliant structured improv, razor wit, and physical ability keeps us all laughing and laughing and laughing. I want to see it again. More!
Doesn't Measure Up
by Joshua Abell Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This just doesn't measure up to the rest of Joseph's work. It was fascinating to watch him work the details of a random member of the audience into the five act Shakespearean tragedy, but by midway through the third act, I was over it.
Joseph said that modern audiences often dislike the fourth act of the standard tragedy, and I was no exception with his version.
Fortunately the fifth act was entertaining and I felt he finished strong. I look forward to seeing more Scrimshaw - and I'm not just talking about whalebone carvings!
funny bits
by brenda atkins Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
overall i thought it was pretty good. improvisation is really hard and he did a good job of it. however, i'm not a huge shakespear fan nor did i really spend much time laughing, but what do i know? everyone else seems to like it!
His Best Since "Die, Clown, Die"
by Ben San Del Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I've seen all of Joseph's Fringe shows starting in 2006 with Die, Clown, Die. I liked his other efforts in between, but this is the first one I've loved since that 2006 show. I've seen it twice (once at the Bryant Lake Bowl), and was impressed both times at the quick wit, clever structure and committed delivery. For full disclosure, Joseph and I are both part of the Rockstar Storytellers group, so I may be biased.
Improvisation Oh Yea!
by David Otto Simanek Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This mystery is in the style of Joseph. He has his character choices down, hits them right on, and takes us on a glorious ride of mayhem! Monty Python, the Bard, and well, Scrimshaw!
Don't miss this show
by Darlene Lewis Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I'm glad I got to see the first show because this could be a sell out. Joseph Scrimshaw still one of my favorite story tellers and Fringe performer
Quick and witty
by Tim Wick Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I saw this show when Joseph produced it at the Bryant Lake Bowl earlier this year. He has done very good work tightening up the show and making it move a little more quickly. His ability to quickly weave the ideas from an audience member into his show was impressive and the overall experience was filled with laughs.
That's why they call him the king
by Sharon Kahn Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Of comedy, as well as Baseballtopia. Joe Scrimshaw is brilliant, as always. We saw "The Tragedy of Steve" (every performance is a different show, of course). We laughed and laughed, and marveled at his ability to even REMEMBER all of Steve's interview answers, much less weave them into the play's complicated structure on the fly. Get in line early - this one's gonna be another sell-out. FYI, the 12+ rating is for the occasional casual f-word and a few of the clown's jokes (which would probably fly over the heads of younger kids anyway). I wouldn't hesitate to bring tweens. They might not get the Shakespeare and theatrical in-jokes, but they'll love it for the physical comedy, mocking wit, and Joe's amazing ability to perform leaps, double-takes and somersaults while talking non-stop.
Hilarious in spots
by Heather Kilgore Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
We had great fun, and were most impressed by the use of the audience members' contribution. The kids (11 and 14) note that Joseph Scrimshaw must have a "fast mind" to keep up, and this grown-up heartily agrees. Well worth the price of admission. Thanks!
great improv, very funny
by Robyn Hendrix Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Another very enjoyable scrimshaw show. The first Scrimshaw show I ever saw, Die Clowns Die, is still my favorite but this comes in second. It's great how he manages to make fun of theater while performing it, including jokes about the fringe itself. Plus, since he is basing his story roughly on Hamlet, he creates a miniature play within a play with the jester character doing a performance based on one of the other characters. Very clever! Job well done. The next day I found myself imagining what kind of story he would have made if I had been the participating audience member.
Tragedy + Scrimshaw = Comedy
by Kathy Douglass Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I am a little suspect of the audience plant, but who cares if it was staged, it worked. Supposedly each show will be different with a different set of circumstances being set up by a radomly drawn audience member. I am anxious to talk to others who went to a different performance than I to see how this works. If it was truly random, then this was even more impressive that I think it was.
Joe stages a complete 5 act Shakespearesque tragedy, based on the life of said audience member, done in 50 minutes. Very original, very clever, very well done.
If audience members had been able to shout out the situations and thus proved they were truly random, I would have given it 5 kitties.
Don't miss
by Jim Howitt Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Great parody, fantastic improv. Don't miss it if you love Shakespeare, of if you hate Shakespeare.
Scrimshaw delivers in a new genre
by Pat Lindgren Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Scrimshaw always delivers great entertainment at the Fringe and lately he has been stretching into different formats (children's plays and now improv) and it has been successful. Absolutely loved his deconstruction of the structure of Shakespeare plays. Hilarious and too true.
THE MASTER
by Mark Long Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Joe Scrimshaw once again shows why he is a master storyteller. He is so quick and clever on the fly, but it seems that less than half of the show has a script. I'm certain you could see all five performances and see five fairly unique, but very funny shows.
Extremely Talented
by Susan C (formerly H) Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The best show we saw tonight and some of Joe's best work. You don't need any advanced course work to follow the Shakespeare references, if you know there is verse and death, you should be set.
The live music worked very well.
more laughs than King Lear
by Dan Pinkerton Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I loved the idea and Joe is always funny. The prologue and interaction with the "mark" were hysterical, and I laughed loud and often, particularly at Mannyo's insult shtick. And yet, from such a great premise (and whacked-out genius), I expected more. I wanted more iambic pentameter in the piece. Nothing says "I'm improvising an Elizabethan tragedy" like verse. (Also, where was the skull, dude? Bait & switch!)
Despite quibbles, I'd still say it's a show most people will enjoy. Bonus points for the debonair Mr. Curley and his songlets!
Good times
by Damon Runnals Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Improv is hard. I know as we are doing an improv show in this fringe. Joe does a phenomenal job weaving impriv and his story together on the stage. The format is very fun to watch play out. Filled with theatrical reference and satire and balanced with common foolery. This is a show to definitely see this year.
Other shows like this
© 2009 Minnesota Fringe Festival. All rights reserved.
