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Show reviews by Jeff Crooks
Dream Time Down Under
Reviewing Dream Time Down Under by Jeff Crooks
Rating: 5 kitties
Not at all limited by the 1 hour time restraint at the Fringe Fest at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Dr. Kuhns monologue of his travels and geological work in Australia is at once compelling, image-evoking, and educational.
Rogerâs incidental descriptions of the terrain and people while guiding the listener through his tale of the outback bring a full feature film into the mindâs eye of the audience. His self-effacing nature carries over into his individual vignettes, for example in the description of personal learning processes while being instructed by the seasoned outback frontiersmen on the doâs and donâts of poisonous snakes and spiders encountered in oneâs living quarters.
Throughout an evenly paced and fully populated story, Roger aptly plays the roles in the first person of the principle characters of interest, and even describes their interactions with lesser characters in a way that indicates his closeness to all of them as the real people that he knows and has an obvious love and respect for. His facility on the diggery-doo, guitar, and with vocalizations in singing and a well set-in Aussie accent lend color and variety to a difficult format, that in itâs final message tells the true meaning behind making the whole story known: that we are all citizens of the world and there is a reason for our encounters with everyone we meet, no matter who or where, only that some are more significant than others.
Dr. Kuhns clearly sees himself as an instrument among an orchestra of humanity
whose part is to fulfill his role as an ensemble player rather than a soloist, only to step out in an occasional cameo to express his appreciation for life, and those who have helped him live it so fully.
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