Stop Talking is based on the popular British game "Just a Minute."  The rules are simple:  Players are given a minute to talk about a topic of the host's choosing.  They are not permitted to repeat anything but short, common words such as if, and, but, this, etc.  They are also not permitted to deviate from the topic or hesitate while they are speaking.

If a player breaks the rules, other players may challenge them.  A challenge stops the clock and the host determines if the challenge is successful or not.  If it is successful, the challenger takes over the topic with the time remaining on the clock and it the game begins anew!

It all sounds very simple.  Until you actually start playing.  Then it gets very difficult, and very silly.

Come join us for a show that isn't about anything important.  All we can promise is a whole lot of funny people trying their best to win a very "impressive" trophy.

Performers scheduled to appear at each show are:

Sunday, August 5th: 

Host: Tim Wick

Timekeeper: Patricia Wick

Players: Sharon Stiteler, Matt Allex, Laszlo Nemesi, Nick Glover, Molly Glover & Dawn Krosnowski

Tuesday, August 7th: 

Host: Joseph Scrimshaw

Timekeeper: Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw 

Players: Tim Wick, Sharon Stiteler, Kelvin Hatle, Jerry Belich, Windy Bowlsby and Laszlo Nemesi

Thursday, August 9th: 

Host: Tim Wick

Timekeeper: Patricia Wick 

Players: Bill Stiteler, Chrys Vanderkamp, Bill Young, Aric McKewn, Eric Knight and Dawn Krosnowski

Friday, August 10th: 

Host: Tim Wick

Timekeeper: Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw

Players: Joseph Scrimshaw, Jena Young, Kelvin Hatle, Jen Scott, Jerry Belich, Windy Bowlsby and Mike Fotis

Sunday, August 12th: 

Host: Joseph Scrimshaw

Timekeeper: Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw

Players: Bill Stiteler, Tim Wick, Matt Allex, Courtney McLean, Bill Young and Windy Bowlsby

Presented as a joint production by Rooftop Theatre Company and Fearless Comedy Productions

Cast + crew

Tim Wick
Role: Player/Host
Tim has played and hosted this game before. He's also co-wrote and is appearing in The Complete Works of William Shatner (abridged) He is the artistic director of Fearless Comedy Productions.

Joseph Scrimshaw
Role: Player/Host
Long time Fringe favorite Joseph Scrimshaw presents Nightmare Without Pants at this year's Fringe Festival. He is the Creative Director of Joking Envelope.

Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw
Role: Timekeeper
Sara is appearing in her production of Happy Hour at this year's Fringe. She is managing director of Joking Envelope.

Bill Stiteler
Role: Player
Bill is the co-writer of The Complete Works of William Shatner (abridged). He is also the co-founder of Theatre Arlo.

Courtney McLean
Role: Player
Courney also appears in The Love Show with her band, The Durty Curls.

Sharon Stiteler
Role: Player
Sharon is best known as the Birdchick. You can read her blog at www.birdchick.com.

Patricia Wick
Role: Timekeeper
Patricia has been married to Tim Wick for a very long time. That ought to count for an awful lot.

Matt Allex
Role: Player
Matt is a core cast member of Vilification Tenis and a founding member of Fearless Comedy Productions.

Jena Young
Role: Player
Jena is busy at this year's fringe! She is in a short work as part of Fringe Orphans and is Fight Director for On the Differences Between Two Ladies and the Resolution Therof. She is also a member of the Vilfication Tennis Cast and a founding member of Fearless Comedy Productions.

Kelvin Hatle
Role: Player
Kelvin is presenting the show Someone is Wrong in the Internet at this year's Fringe Festival.

Chrys Vanderkamp
Role: Player
Vilification Tennis cast member and a founding member of Fearless Comedy Productions.

Bill Young
Role: Player
Bill blogs at youngnotions.com and performs stand up comedy all over the Twin Cities.

Jen Scott
Role: Player
Jen Scott works as an actress, improviser and teacher in the Twin Cities - - recent credits include "Star Trek: The Next Improvisation" at HUGE Theater, "Girls Only! The Secret Comedy of Women" at Hennepin Theater Trust, and also work at the Red Eye Theater, Actors Theater of Minnesota, the Science Museum of Minnesota and others. She sometimes produces things and sometimes writes things and just likes doing things - check out octoberdandy.com for details and pictures of said things!

She will also be appearing in Big Thinkers, Serious Issues, Improv Comedy at this year's Fringe.

Jerry Belich
Role: Player
Jerry will be presenting "Matlock: The One Man Show" as part of the Fringe Orphans

Windy Bowlsby
Role: Player
Windy will be appearing as Captain James T. Kirk in The Complete Works of William Shatner (abridged). She is also the creator/choreographer of BOOGIEography.

Laszlo Nemesi
Role: Player
Laszlo is a member of the Transylvania Television troupe.

Aric McKewn
Role: Player
Aric is a member of the Mustache Rangers. He is appearing in Billy Beechwood and the Mountain of Terror at this year's Fringe.

Nick Glover
Role: Player
Nick is a member of the Vilification Tennis cast and a founding member of Fearless Comedy Productions.

Molly Glover
Role: Player
Molly is a member of the Vilification Tennis cast and a founding member of Fearless Comedy Productions.

Eric Knight
Role: Player
Eric is a member of the Vilification Tennis Cast and a founding member of Fearless Comedy Productions.

Dawn Krosnowski
Role: Player
Dawn is appearing in Steampunk Apocalypse at this year's Fringe Festival.

Bob Alberti
Role: Player
Vilification Tennis cast member and a founding member of Fearless Comedy Productions.

Mike Fotis
Role: Player
Mike is the taller member of the comedy duo Ferrari McSpeedy. He is appearing in Billy Beechwood and the Mountain of Terror at the 2012 Fringe.

Write a review

You will be able to write a review for this show during the festival.

User reviews

Fun, fun, fun.
by Eric Salo
Rating 4 stars
Great improv. I was laughing almost constantly.

Refreshingly Fringey
by Publius McGee
Rating 4 stars
Fast-paced, witty, trending toward the nerdy. This was a very interesting concept and the cast was skilled at both verbal and physical comedy. To some extent, it felt casual of the sort of a group of friends riffing on each other - if you know these people personally, it's probably a lot funnier than if you don't. The addition of Mike Fotis was inspired, and the hour was up all too quickly.

Game show starring Fringe luminaries?
by Cato Brutus
Rating 4 stars
So yeah, it's just a Who's Line is It Anyway?-style game show, but it's with some of Fringe's most consistently funny guys and gals. Bonus star for the inclusion of Mike Fotis, who was totally unfamiliar with the rules and disruptive in the most hilarious way possible.

Sad that Jen Scott didn't make it though.

Laughed myself dizzy
by Jenna Papke
Rating 5 stars
This was hilarious. End of story.

Fun improv show
by luann monahan
Rating 4 stars
This is a tough one for me to review objectively. I went to high school with Tim and worked at the Renaissance festival with him and a few others from the cast. So, while I enjoyed the banter and antics, I could see others in the audience didn't appreciate the humor the same way. If you like improv shows, you'll like this one - just keep an open mind.

A parlor game turned into a Fringe show
by Roy Close
Rating 3 stars
No script, just improv, and everybody has a good time. There were six players (drawn from the list you'll find under "Cast and Crew") at the Thursday performance; you'll encounter other players at later performances. Not exactly what Thespis had in mind, but as Vladimir says, "It'll pass the time."

STOP! START!
by David Rust
Rating 3 stars
"Stop Talking" is a game. The players are challenged to start talking on a certain topic and not hesitate, go into lists, or repeat words. The first player is tasked to start talking for 60 seconds while the others keep tabs on what is being said ready to shout "Stop Talking" when a violations happens. If the challenge is accurate a point is given to the challenger and they proceed with the remaining time. If the challenge is not valid, the interrupted player is awarded a point and continues. Whoever is speaking when time expires gets a point.

Some folk may not like the game show aspects which made the time seem to speed by. When time is always on your mind (as you zip from one Fringe show to another) it can make the show feel too short.

Witty Banter and... ?
by Adrianna Kristenzie
Rating 4 stars
Scrimshaw is a funny and wonderful host. The banter was witty and fun. But I thought the actual game was boring. I would have liked to watch these same actors play something else. I was looking for something more but to be fair, that may be because these actors have raised the bar in the past.

Good fun!
by Andrew Troth
Rating 4 stars
A wonderfully entertaining hour of silliness.

Hilarious
by Kelly Rosenthal
Rating 5 stars
Very funny game-based improv show. Definitely recommended.

great show!
by Abby Norling-Ruggles
Rating 5 stars
This is a really enjoyable format and everyone in the cast was able to make their bits funny.

Game show fun
by Florence Brammer
Rating 3 stars
I love game shows, especially ones that are word-based. This is a really fun hour of improvised, game-show fun, with just the right mix of actually playing the game and being off-task.

Great Improv!
by Claire Alexander
Rating 5 stars
Improv is a great fit for Fringe: minimal staging, right to the action. Tim Wick and his rotating cast of characters do really funny stuff, and this was no exception. Great show guys!

Try this game at your next party
by Mariellen Jacobson
Rating 3 stars
Ya know, I might just introduce this game at the next party I have.  But I get to be the game master!  Different players and topics for each performance at The Fringe, but the rules are the same: one player is given a topic, a 1-minute timer is set, and they start talking.  If they break one of the rules they can be silenced by one of the other players, and hilarity ensues.  Go to the show to learn the rules and experience the hilarity, or just come to my party!

I haven't laughed so hard in forever!
by Chris Gennaula
Rating 5 stars
I laughed at this show harder than I have laughed in years--and I laugh A LOT!!!! An improv game with different contestants for each performance. The game is simple: talk about something for 60 seconds without repeating words or pausing or whatever other rule the host can come up with or will allow.

Fun.
by Sheila McMahon
Rating 4 stars
I haven't seen this improv game before. I laughed a lot... Of course you won't see the same show as me cuz it's improv, but it's fun.

This Was Great
by Donovan Walker
Rating 4 stars
Unscripted, with snarky contestants and a judge who's sense of fairness has more to do with fun and wit than rules, this show is a must see.