Minnesota Fringe Festival

Minnie and Max are recently divorced. They find each other immediately through an online dating service, and find they are a nearly perfect match in terms of age, children, style, interests and love for the band Superman Curl.

Minnie can't believe her luck.

Max doesn't believe in luck.

When Professor Pigg endorses the scientific, unemotional approach to dating described in the book "33 Dates," Max convinces Minnie that they won't be able to find love until they've each had at least 32 more dates.

Based on true stories from the humor blog "Minneshorts," "33 Dates" follows Max and Minnie as they endure a series of dates with ridiculous and unforgettable characters from around the Twin Cities: Hunks with Harleys. Hotties with Hounds. He-Men who Hunt. Cougars in Crocs. The Asstastrophe. The Model.

Featuring original music by the band Superman Curl, this show is more than a romantic comedy. It's a hilarious performance blog that goes to...ELEVEN.



The Minnebarista Production Company is thrilled to premiere "33 Dates" at the Minneapolis Fringe Festival!

Minnebarista is a new production group hand-selected from diverse Twin Cities' talent, including founder Jacquie Dutton and a growing collection of incredibly talented 30-, 40- and 50-something singles she met through Meetups, dating sites, Facebook, and Improv classes at the Brave New Instutute. In "33 Dates," group members present their most hysterical, bizarre, and unbelievable anecdotes from real-life dating experiences.

The cast

Mazy Dehkordi
Role: Boy Toy, Asstastrophe
Mazyar H. Dehkordi is a University of Minnesota student majoring in English, and trying to find a footing in the improv acting community. Calm and mellow at all times, he lets loose on the stage and blows minds. He used to be part of his high school's theater community, acting in plays as well as working behind scenes, and he's even written and directed, and also acted in, his own 5-minute play.

He hopes everyone enjoys the show, and recommends the audience coming in drunk, just in the very slim chance that the play isn't that good. However, you won't need to worry, because the show will blow your mind.

Jacquie Dutton
Role: Producer, Writer, Minnie
When Jaq isn't being Minnie on stage, she's Minnebarista in real life, hoping that by being a humor writer, an improv comedy student and a punk-loving rocker mom, Woodbury will get more cool cred. This is Minnebarista's - and Jaq's - first production. But you'd never know it. The group that pulled this together is Crackerjaq. They're COCKY and FUNNY, too. (Wink.)

Jaq would like to thank her "American Idol" game and her Wii for all of the vocal training for this show. And also her very, very bad dates. Especially the guy who talked about his best friend, the coroner, and described how bodies get compressed in plane crashes.

Jenna Forcey
Role: Krista
Jenna is very excited to experience the Fringe Festival and Minnebarista as a part of her return to the stage after an almost three-year hiatus while adjusting to an exciting life in Minneapolis. Most previous roles have been either at her hometown community theatre back in Rice Lake, Wisconsin or at Concordia College (Moorhead, MN). Her favorite role? Jane in 'Dentity Crisis by Christopher Durang (what a crazy, quirky little show!).

Jenna is looking forward to appearing as the snarky, but loveable Krista the barista.

Jason Ho
Role: Cameraman
Take a little Chinese, sprinkle on a pinch of Irish and German--mix well, and you get filmmaker Jason Ho. Well, sorta. Most people think he's Japanese and he's never really explored his Irish and German side. Jason worked as a director for TV shows, TV commercials and music videos in Japan before entering Columbia College Chicago grad school for directing and writing. After one year of study he took a leave of absence to pursue freelance directing in Minneapolis where he currently teaches video production at the Art Institutes International college and makes quirky little films on the side. He loves directing, writing and being a cameraman and wants to work with local people. Oh, he also works as a part-time DJ at a roller skating rink.

Fred Hundt
Role: Professor Robert V. Pigg
Fred was typecast in the role of Professor Pigg, as he likes to read about generalized Lotka-Volterra systems for "fun." A Northern California native, Fred played with the second-loudest band in San Francisco in the '60s. His early acting experience consisted of presenting fictional stories in response to enquiries by law-enforcement officers. Fred plays bass and keyboards, and has recorded an album of original songs. He is in his 12th year of reading Finnegans Wake. Fred consults with companies and non-profits on marketing topics. He lives in Marine on St. Croix, MN, where he operates "Fred's Pretty Good Weather," the community's unofficial meteorological source.

Ruth Hunter
Role: Writer, No-tivational Speaker, Motormouth
Ruth is not a creative type. Despite this, she ventured out and started an improv class, where she met Jacquie, the Producer of 33 dates. Jaq invited her to join the group and do a little writing and a little acting.

Ruth is hoping to leverage her 14 years in the financial services industry in this production, although she's not sure how it's at all relevant.

Soren Jensen
Role: Co-Producer, A&R Exec, Bad Date
Soren has certainly had his share of bad dates, though he's coy when asked if he ever WAS one. A longtime fan of local music who moved to the Twin Cities because of his love for Trip Shakespeare, Soren is thrilled that his favorite garage popsters, Superman Curl, are featured in the play.

Kris Lange
Role: Co-Producer, Writer, Extra
Kris graduated with an Dairy Science degree from the University of Minnesota, which makes her totally unqualified to write a play for Fringe Festival. She is a recovering journalist after six years of enslavement as a newspaper editor. She now works in the exciting field of Technical Writing.

The 33 Dates producer stalked her on Facebook and eventually convinced Kris to be her "Friend" and help co-author for Fringe. With no play experience other than a butterfly in a fifth grade play and the complicated role as a chicken a few years later, Kris leapt with enthusiasm at the thought of writing a play... Kris is an avid collector of online dating experiences.

Carrie Nelson
Role: The Model
"Although this is Carrie's first theatre experience, she brings to the cast a wealth of credentials: she's a single who's survived many, many bad dates; has 13 years' experience in charming potential creative agency clients in Minneapolis; and has 'acted' among the raging egos on the D.C. political stage in her previous life. Carrie is excited to be participating in "33 Dates!"

Joel Reiss
Role: Music Director, Bad Date
Superman Curl? That's Joel's band! All the music in "33 Dates" is original work of Minneapolis-based Superman Curl, who collaborated with composer Paul Strebe to arrange and record the 33 Dates theme song. Joel is very excited to bring Superman Curl's music to the theater world!

Paul Strebe
Role: Composer, Writer
Paul was the co-author of Minneshorts, the blog that inspired "33 Dates," and he is the inspiration for the character of Max. In addition to being a clever comedy writer, Paul is a talented composer and musician and he wrote the score and lyrics for the "33 Dates" theme song.

Timothy Swanstrom-Stage
Role: Bart Metrosexual Gay Bartender
Host for Freedom Affairs on www.cepiaclub.com under Pikzl TV.

Account Manager with Best Buy for Business, commercial/education/government/non-profit sales. If anyone wants to know more about this absolutely exciting division of Best Buy, let's talk! www.bbfb.com 612-292-0407

SpiceMaster/ owner of PWAJDEURCORN the tastiest popcorn spice, that is the Universal Spice of Life. ~ www.pjcspice.biz ~

Singer/Songwriter for past and present musical bands; Illusion, Oyster Salad, Arcasm, Tripd ofthe Tongue, and my life long "band" ~ Hypnoxious www.myspace.com/hypnoxious

I work in promotions, productions, audio engineering producing, Commercial Sales, Set up, Strike, Front Man, kit and hand drummer, guitarist, Bassist, but mostly Vocal abstract musical expressionisms.

I'm an outrageous character at times who believes in and agrees with Shakespeare in his observation; Life is but a stage, we are all merely players!

Whatever I do in life; I see life, as an ongoing improv...

Camille Benoit
Role: Dog-Ma, Bedazzled
Camille’s big role came in Star Wars. It was her 8th grade class version of it, but her portrayal of a member of the cantina band received accolades from all corners of the gym. Camille was once a waitress as well, which, as anyone knows, qualifies her as an actress. She’s hilarious as DogMa. You’ll agree. We just hope she’s really acting.

Kelvin Hatle
Role: Max
Okay, so Kelvin is too shy to put up a bio, we guess. So we'll do it for him. Kelvin ROCKS! He's the most experienced comic actor in the whole production, yet the most mellow guy at rehearsal. Kelvin has trained with Stevie Ray and at Brave New Workshop, has performed many times at Fringe--with some great reviews, we add--and can be seen frequently sidled up with a Scrimshaw, performing a Six-Ring or dead-panning After the Party. We knew Kelvin was perfect because when he showed up to audition, he was dressed so similarly to Jaq that it kinda freaked her out...in a good way!

Kirk Marschel
Role: Production Manager
Jaq and Marc met Kirk hanging around a Fringe Speakeasy and immediately adopted him as their son. Kirk's a complete theater dude, hanging around with the artsy types at Hamline, where he is studying set design, among other things.

Michael Nissen
Role: Video Director
Michael directed our AMAZING video trailer! He's an award-winning local filmmaker and we're damn lucky to have him on our team.

Amanda Schanus
Role: Choreographer
If you can direct a group of 60+ people to simultaneously follow dance moves without hurting themselves or crashing into one another in a group fitness setting, you can choreograph dance scenes for a play...or so is the theory behind bringing Amanda in as lead choreographer for 33 dates.

Amanda has 6 years of exeprience as a certified group fitness instructor specializing in a variety of formats, including several types of dance aerobics, and a long history of exploration in different styles of dance.

If the storyline hasn't enticed you into seeing this show, the dance scenes should. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and maybe a little of both at once if you are a professional dancer.

Marc Weber
Role: Director, Writer, Foreign Man, Snakes Guy, Pansexual Narrator, Inappropriately Dressed Guy
Marc is a long-forgotten standup comedian and barely published author who is being allowed to direct -- so long as he doesn't get too ironic or postmodern about the whole affair. Unable to grasp the implications of live performance, he still thinks most of this can be fixed in post-production. Marc has a degree in mathematics from Augsburg College, is a certified Java programmer, and has toiled for years in Lotus Notes development. He consumes excessive amounts of coffee and lives in Minnetonka with his cat, Milton.

Minnebarista

33 Dates

Sun., Aug. 2 @ 1:00 p.m.
Thu., Aug. 6 @ 5:30 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 7 @ 4:00 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 8 @ 5:30 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 9 @ 2:30 p.m.

Warning! Adult language

Venue Mixed Blood Theatre
For ages 16+
Created by Jacquie Dutton
genres Musical theater, Comedy
subjects Relationships
features World premiere, Regional premiere (Minneapolis-St. Paul), Original script/choreography, Original music, First-time Minnesota Fringe Festival producer

Overall rating

User reviews

Fun and Funny
by Guy Bock Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Really fun show even for us old married guys. Very skillfully presented. I wondered how the cast would get all 66 dates (33 per protagonist) presented in the limited time without feeling very rushed. The show's solution was creative, interesting and unrushed.

Entertaining and Fun
by Diona Sommario Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This play was fun to see! It's plot contains experiences that are relatable to anyone who has dated in the last several years! The acting and musical performances were outstanding. As a Fringe virgin, 33 Dates has inspired me to see future Fringe shows!

33 Dates
by justy veenbaas Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Loved the show and the characters. Very fresh and fun to watch.

Wicked Funny & Great music
by Ameetav Nangrani Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Lot of fun. Very funny. Anyone who has done online dating can relate to it. Very well choreographed and sequenced. I would go again and see it.

Minnie and Max rocked!!
by Norm Johnson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A great show especially for those 40 somethings that find themselves suddenly single. Very funny and very accurate. "Dead up tight suburbanite couples Need not apply"

Hilarious & great music
by harriet reiss Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
We just loved 33 Dates. Very funny, timely, great music and choreography. The acting was excellent.

Very entertaining!
by Josh Berman Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
What fun! Great vignettes about the sometime painful, sometimes entertaining, sometimes successful online dating experience. The actors handled the quick character & costume changes with aplomb and put a lot of heart into the roles - not surprising, as I found out after the show that many of the dates were based on their personal experiences - LOL!

Great
by Brandon Parks Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I love this, simply brilliant.

I think almost anyone could relate.

Five kitties.

Funny, Funny, Funny
by Jon Hanson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This was a great show, was close to home in so many ways. Very well done - the timing and energy was great. Can't wait to see what comes of this production in the future.

Very funny!
by Laurie Anderson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I really enjoyed 33 Dates. It was a well-written play about real dating situations. The actors gave honest and funny performances. This play is a delight.

Wonderful!
by Sasha Mayer Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
High energy cast, with great one liners and many, many laughs. See this show and you are sure to have a great time!

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH NOT TO BE MISSED!
by Paula Turenne Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
33 DATES is a candid, raw and uncut view into the dating world of the divorced and over 40. Clever use of a song and dance routine creates the ability to glimpse into many more of the "33 DATES" than time would other wise allow. Go prepared to LAUGH and relate, especially at the "Conversationalist" scene. 33 DATES is a must see, guaranteed to make you reminisce, groan or cringe in review of your own dating history!

funny familiar memories
by sally newbury Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
33 Dates has great music, great writing and we-can-all-relate jokes about the worst of dates. The actors could skip the singing solos but the chorus was good. Nice set design and in a great theatre! An extra bonus, go home with a Superman Curl sampler CD. How fun was that!

33 Dates
by Krestin Datko Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This show was excellent! Really shows what life can be like in a humorous way. The cast really worked the roles.

Enjoyable
by Valerie Vigdahl Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I can relate to online dating mishaps - and this production has the cream of the crop! Luckily they are funny when they happen to someone else ... but you still cringe a bit at a few of them. Definitely an entertaining show!

Spectacular
by Ash Hart Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This show really has some spunk, and was hilarious. The cast really seem to give it their all, and is one of the best shows I've seen all Fringe Festival this year. Even though it's a new Company, they exceed at the level of a veteran Fringe group. A definite go see.

Really good, but...
by Jack Eberts Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Just not enough weird symbolism and cryptic references to make it as a true Fringe play, but it's "fun" and "entertaining." BTW, If you add 33 + 33 you get ahhh... (calculate, calculate...) 66! That's more than half way to pure evil. That CAN'T be accidental.

Hilarious
by Lance Driscoll Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
It was hilarious lol and
lol profound. It was travesty on internet dating that will stick with me for years. Then to finish with the thought that if someone can put a smile on your face why count to 33, you may of just found the one your looking for. HaHAHA GGGGGreat

33 Dates
by Sandy Sem Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
"33 Dates" is playing at the Mixed Blood theater. A new crew put this together it was very funny--especially if you can relate to the dating scene in your 40's! Quick-paced, witty lines, and a few original songs. Some "mature" content ;) It's playing Th-Sunday this week. Highly recommended!

True Dating Stories?!
by Laura Peters Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
What stays with me is not only how fun and funny this show was, but that these bad dates were true, the duet was written by the "real" Max, and the cast is made up of the very people who experienced these dates. I can't wait for the movie version!

Glad I saw this!
by Nick Hedison Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
"33 Dates" crams a ton of funny material into a romantic comedy about online dating. (And we can all relate to that, right?) It moves along at a brisk pace with some unexpected twists (!) and nice underlying drama. The performances, staging, etc. are a little uneven, but the high energy and consistent comedy make up for that. (This is Fringe, after all.) If you come to "33 Dates" expecting polished, arty theater, then yes, you might be disappointed. But if you come for a fun comedy that doesn't pretend to be anything else, you might find yourself having a great time!

Very fun
by Kath Lenk Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Lots of laughs...you'll laugh even more if you have ever tried Internet dating.

...be prepared to laugh!
by Erica Davis Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This little jewel provides a quick glimpse into the perilous world of 40+ dating, which (let's face it) can be Twighlight Zone-ish. The creative team behind this play appears to understand that wholeheartedly. The "musical" aspect of the show needs a little polishing but for a first effort I think the play is very worthwhile. Sit & be entertained, be prepared to laugh!

We've all been there!
by Larisa Vishkovetsky Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This is a fun and light-hearted comedy that sometimes hits much too close to home. The play is well written and you will undoubtedly recognize one or more of the characters if you've ever tried online dating. So, if you're able to laugh at yourself, as well as others, this is a Fringe must see!

Excellent show
by Jake Shamus Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The play was great. Well balanced and funny. Spending time with the cast at The Joint afterward was great too!

My dating life EXACTLY!
by Tom Miller Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This was SPOT on! Crafters with Crocs? CHECK! Boring and Brainy? CHECK! Desperate Ex-Housewives? Hotties with Hounds? Check, check! I totally loved the bit about the Model, too. Awesome!

Funny!
by Ron Kasel Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
You can tell that the writers and performers have had lots of dating experience. They do a great job of capturing the funny, odd, awkward and enjoyable moments of dating in the internet age. If you've done any internet dating you'll like this performance!!!

HILARIOUS!
by Jenny Lundholm Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This is one of the best Fringe shows I have ever seen--so entertaining. I never knew what a Pansexual or an Asstastrophe was before I saw this! If you are looking for yet another version of Shakespeare or some adaptation of a popular movie, go elsewhere. This show is all fresh, original and funny.

Disappointing
by Russ Scott Follow this reviewer
Rating 1 kitty
I was very excited to catch this show and unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. While the script did have some funny moments, adding one “musical” number to the show was unnecessary. Not only did it seem out of place, but the vocals were barely audible over the music.

While Kelvin Hatle was the most believable actor on stage, he seemed a little out of place with the other inexperienced cast members.

Overall, I think the show has the potential to be great if the acting improved and the one vocal number was removed. It definitely has potential! One more thing to consider… cast bows should be short and sweet.

A Crowd Pleaser
by Adam Powell Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I wasn't sure what to expect of a virgin performance starring the actual couple that the story is based on, but I was happily surprised. This could have easily gotten bogged down in the grind of one bad date after another, but they did a nice job of mixing things up and moving the story along. I can see why some felt the musical/dance numbers seemed a little out of place, but I thought they added nice spice and if you like catchy garage rock you might find yourself as take in by the music as by the theatrics.

I wanted to like it...
by Sarah Holmberg Follow this reviewer
Rating 1 kitty
And maybe if I had followed the blog it was based on, I'd get more of the in-jokes, but as it was, the script was in need of some editing. There was some really good potential, but the material just didn't deliver.

I liked the music by Superman Curl, but was confused by the random musical number. The actors all seemed to be enjoying themselves, but many of them were still struggling with lines or blocking (a few "wow, I really hate waiting for my date" moments). The curtain call was also obnoxiously long.

A Cute Show That Shouldn't Be a Musical
by Aurora Krajnikconde Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Cute and funny at times. Kelvin Hatle was excellent while most other actors were inexperienced. It would be much better if they took out the one random song that they sang and the horrible dance number at the end (nothing against the actual songs, it just seemed out of place). The bows were way too slow; hustle up people! Some awkward staging, but mostly an enjoyable hour.

Great Fun
by Don Nelson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
33 Dates is a wonderous ride through today's dating scene and the trials of both men and women. The show is full of laughs and the audience on Sunday really enjoyed the enthusiasm of the cast.

Painfully hilariously relevant
by Krista Moore Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
As a online dater, I found the writing of this to be spectacular, with just the right amount of raunch and smulch thrown in.

Painfully Disappointing
by Justin Alexander Follow this reviewer
Rating 1 kitty
The script for 33 Dates has a lot of raw potential, but it desperately needs heavy revision before being ready for an audience. The jokes are unfocused and the punchlines are often delivered two or three times (apparently under the misguided belief that if a joke is funny once, it'll be even funnier if you repeat it three times in rapid succession and with minor variation).

The script is not helped by the cast's mediocre and uncertain performances. Nor the awkward and poorly paced staging.

And then there's the single, painfully off-key and largely inaudible "song oddly jammed into the middle of the show.

This would be a 0 kitty review, but the raw comedic potential of the script does occasionally gel into a handful of hearty laughs.

In many ways this is a frustrating production, because the potential for something funny and memorable can be seen strewn across the bloated carcass which has instead been presented on the Mixed Blood stage.

One to see!!
by Roy Turenne Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
33 Dates is a wonderfully humorous (and accurate) view of dating for adults. A spot-on view of what dating is for the 30 to 40 somethings' of today. I felt the show was a great blend of sarcasm, parody, and satire all used to look at the trials and tribulations of "getting out there and dating" today.

love at first sight
by barb hurley Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
outstanding writing, superb acting and original music from superman curl, plus the cast is having just as much fun as the audience....
from black mambas to dalmatians with nannies,anybody who's ever gone on a date will relate to max and minnie as they try to make a twins cities love connection. put 33 Dates on your "must see" list!

Opening Performance without the Hiccups!
by Lainie Amos Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Minnebarista's trial and tribulations of dating in the Twin Cities is a marvelous and snarky look at what online dating matched with statistics can do to one's delicate chi.

I caught the premier just a few hours ago and laughed the entire time. [Of course if you are a red shirt from Eagan this play might hit a sore spot.] But what could have entered into overly sarcastic and bitter view of the harsh reality that we don't realize never did and left all of those who have survived a failed relationship with the hope that someone out there will realize in the madness of online dating what a rare and unique jewel we really are.

So Impressed!
by Cindy Glewwe Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This was awesome! Hilarious, and sweet and sarcastic at the same time. Anyone who has tried the online dating scene will see themselves in more than one of the "dates" I am sure!

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