Minnesota Fringe Festival

schedule

It's a play about love. And kicking puppies.

The cast

Paris Kelvakis
Role: Drew the Little Brother, Bobby the Douchebag, Love Interest, Dad
Paris has performed in the Fringe three times now, in addition to being part of the creative team behind last year's "This Play is Trash." He fell into the cast of "Puppies" through crazy random happenstance and has enjoyed the crazy random hijinks that have ensued.

Amber Preston
Role: Vera the Mom, Liz the Best Friend, Cupid
Amber Preston is one classy broad. She's too short to be a Rockette and there are already too many Vegas showgirls named Amber, so here she is deep in the heart of the Fringe Festival. This is Amber's first time performing in the Fringe. She has performed at comedy clubs and other venues throughout the Midwest. In 2005 she was a semi-finalist in ACME Comedy Company's "Funniest Person in the Twin Cities" contest, was a top-5 finalist in the Carnival Comedy Challenge in 2006 & 2008, and was most recently a regional finalist in the Rooftopcomedy.com College Comedy Competition. She's thrilled to be a part of "I'd Kick Puppies For You" but would prefer to kick a cat.

Rebecca Sandell
Role: Ophelia
Rebecca usually likes to quote the prose of Vanilla Ice in her bios. Unfortunately, Mr. Ice has failed to provide her with any material for a good many years so she will have to wing it:

In addition to writing, directing, and acting in "Puppies" Rebecca works in an office with computers. When Rebecca is not writing, directing, and acting in "Puppies" or working in an office with computers, she continues her hunt for the elusive Dr. Thought.

Now don't you wish Ice was back?

Dr. Thought

I'd Kick Puppies for You

Thu., Jul. 30 @ 10:00 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 1 @ 10:00 p.m.
Wed., Aug. 5 @ 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 7 @ 5:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 8 @ 1:00 p.m.

Warning! Adult language

Venue Playwrights' Center
For ages 13+
Written by Rebecca Sandell
genres Comedy, Drama
subjects Family, Relationships
features Original script/choreography

Overall rating

User reviews

Fun, fun, fun ...
by Laurie Swenson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This was a lot of fun and came together well. Amber was such a delightfully awful mom, I can almost forgive her for wanting to kick kitties. My favorite part of Becca's performance was her facial expressions. Paris gave great performances in his varied roles.

outstanding script
by michael freiert Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Really this is a marvelous piece of text that's handsomely crafted. Characters are discrete and well defined with great devolopment. Unfortunately the author is not nearly as strong an actor and is far outclassed by her cast.
It felt as if props were added a bit agressively and were used far more than necessary to add the key bits to the script that they occasionally wonderfully did.

Great script
by Justin Alexander Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
I found the script for I'd Kill Puppies for You to be surprisingly sophisticated, nuanced, and clever (with the exception of the beach scene, which inexplicably repeats the same 15 second joke for 2-3 minutes while laughter turns to tittering turns to awkward silence).

Unfortunately, the script is not as fully realized in the production as it might have been. While there are well staged moments and some commendable performances, there also untraversible tracts of unpolished awkwardness.

Special note must be made, however, of the finest G-rated metaphor for sexual relations I have ever seen on the stage. I tip my hat to it.

So so.
by re gurgitate Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
For me the show started out really slow and with a bit of character confusion, but eventually made it's way up to a slow jog. Standout acting by Amber Preston, who actually seemed to inhabit the characters rather than saying their words. Average fringe fare.

charming, worth going
by joe fringegoer Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
i enjoyed the production, the cast did a great job. it was a believeable and charming storyline into one woman's/girl's experience and carried off well. only thing i didnt like was the use of f*** language which i thought was unnecessary. other than that, 4 kitties for a charming, funny and down-to-earth production.

Just like the real thing (love, I mean)
by Jeff Reiland Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
There are some shows that just make you laugh. There are some that are touching and raw. This one, remarkably, is both. Right in the middle of a deep belly laugh, a huge emotional moment would catch me off guard. Wow, I guess it really is a metaphor for love...GREAT show!

Pretty dang good
by Christian Carter Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
The script is funny, and cute, and the actors are pretty dang good. The only thing that I didn't like about this show was the pacing. We had short scenes followed by not-short-enough scene changes. Every once and a while a longer, serious scene would come along, and it would feel too long compared to the pacing of the rest of the show.

This isn't too distracting though, and the poignant writing really shines through. Definitely worth making your way to.

clever script
by barb sandell Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Enjoyable experience following the story through. Charming humor. Knowing Becca--she would never ever kick a puppy.

Captivating
by Jen Audburn Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A great mix of humor and drama. Took me back, reminiscing on times in my own childhood. Very well written and the actors and actresses give a great deliverance. Its realistic and funny- definitely worth going to see

Brilliant in every element
by Kelly Glader Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Everything about this play is done well. The writing, the acting, and even the soundtrack. And not only is it well executed: it is enjoyable, heart-felt, and real all at the same time. You'll leave the show with a warmth in your heart and a pain in your cheeks from laughing. Who'd wanna pass that up? Worth your money and an hour of your life, and then some.

A Fringe MUST!
by Mark Siska Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The title set me slightly off originally, but dang. I loved this show. I loved how human this show was. So wonderful to see in the Fringe. Funny, yet Human.

perfect fringe show
by Kirsten Stephens Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Wonderful little gem. Funny and touching vignettes from one girls life that we can all identify with. Even the kicking puppies bit.

I'd kick puppies for you
by sharon Lynch Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I think this writer has a promising future. The actors had a firm sense of the characters they played which kept it real. A combination of humor and pain experienced in living a full life.

Sweet
by Eric Meininger Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Tender show about relationships and growing up. Really enjoyed the collection of vignettes. Some worked better than others, but overall well done. Paris does a nice job switching between multiple male characters, but it sometimes takes a moment to decide if he's the brother, the lover or the father.
You won't regret the hour. See this one.

Hour well spent
by David Anderson Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Insightful and sensitive with an infusion of humor. Everyone will find something meaningful in this show. An exceptional writer.

Sweet show not to be missed
by matthew vaky Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This show was clever and funny, but most of all sweet. I know that might chase some of you away, you cynical fringers you, but you should see it. A series of short vignettes tied together by the characters in them and the theme of love, this is a diamond in the rough. Obviously some scenes work better than others, but (and I know I'm going to sound like an old softie but...)the whole evening (uh, hour) was so enjoyable that you really should see it. Don't let the flash of Fringe favorites like Lick and David Mann make you miss this one.

Short, Sweet, Funny, Touching
by Ben San Del Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Short and sweet, funny and touching. A rare examination of love that doesn't get pretentious. I'm bias because my sister-in-law wrote the play and stars in it. But it is a good show and certainly something to make it out for.

Title is misleading...
by Bam Spastic Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I was caught off guard by the depth of this…play, I guess you’d call it. I don’t know. It functioned like sketch comedy with all the little scenes. But there was so much more heart to it. Some of the scenes had me laughing my ass off and others had me tearing up. Regardless of the scene, I felt such a connection. I could find myself in every single scene. This show is so much more than the title gives it credit for.

Funny and Touching
by Vincent Galante Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
It’s only the first day of the Fringe but I’m certain this will make it into my top five. It’s a funny and touching sketch dramady that goes through the life of Ophelia and her encounters with various forms of love. It’s a fast paced enjoyable 45 minutes that I can’t recommend highly enough.

Great Show
by Matt Sandell Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I’m a bit bias being that my wife wrote and starred in this play but I’d have to say that the hundreds of hours put into the show really paid off. The cast is great; Rebecca plays the straight laced Ophelia who just can’t get a handle on love. Paris’ ability to switch between characters is very impressive and Amber brings the energetic spark that keeps the play funny and fun in even the darkest moments. It’s a great show; make sure to put it in your schedule.