Minnesota Fringe Festival

schedule

One man show, comedic/dramatic performance monologue about a journey through Australia, working as a geologist, sitting in Aboriginal dream circles. An adventure of realization.

Roger J Kuhns

Dream Time Down Under

[A] Thu., Jul. 30 @ 7:00 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 2 @ 1:00 p.m.
Wed., Aug. 5 @ 10:00 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 8 @ 5:30 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 9 @ 2:30 p.m.

KEY:
[S]=ASL interpreted
[A]=Audio described

Venue Augsburg Studio
From Philadelphia, PA

Overall rating

User reviews

Living the Dream ...
by Jody Ouradnik Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Oh, yes ... this was the perfect way to end a frenetic Saturday afternoon!

The stories were both entertaining and poignant, a reminder that we have but a short time on this Earth, and need to enjoy it to the fullest, while at the same time, revere and take care of what we've been given. The device of shifting back and forth in time worked well.

Slow down folks! There's more to life than making money ...

I hope to see much more of Roger's work in the future!

Sweet and heartfelt
by Florence Brammer Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Kuhns presents material that is obviously very close to his heart in an earnest and affectionate delivery.

Want to go tomorrow
by neal gruber Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
great fun and moving experience.

Nice travelogue
by August Berkshire Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
A mostly interesting story about a guy's adventures in Australia. Not a must-see but it could pleasantly pass the time.

My FAVORITE this Fringe
by Patricia Mack Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
It is the Second Fringe Saturday and having seen about 12 shows..well--we are on our 3rd punch card-- this is my favorite. It moves well but is not frantic. The stories are good for art lovers, bureaucrats, travelers...for most of us. And I liked having Roger greet us as we left. The venue is small so go early.

Reviewing Dream Time Down Under
by Jeff Crooks Follow this reviewer
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.
Roger’s incidental descriptions of the terrain and people while guiding the listener through his tale of the outback bring a full feature film into the mind’s 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 do’s and don’ts of poisonous snakes and spiders encountered in one’s 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 it’s 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.

Dream Time Down Under
by Alice Livingston Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Charming monologue. Funny, different, thought provoking. Good entertainment without being "naughty". I found myself thinking about it days later.

A whiff of Outback smoke
by Roberta Parker Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Well-crafted, skillfully interwoven stories -- some hilarious, others poignant -- that transported me instantly to the Outback. I would've happily stayed longer around the campfire in the company of these characters and this storyteller.

Felt a connection
by Joan Steurer Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Kuhns' strong portrayal of the people and events from his adventures in Australia brought a great mix of humor, joy, tears, and a sense of wonder to the audience. I could feel a connection to the real-life people and the places in these tales.

I didn't like it
by Donovan Walker Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
There ARE good bits. The concept has potential, and the overall plot, while predictable is enjoyable... but it didn't pull together enough at the end, and the 'engage the audience' mechanisms felt trite.

Totally Lovely
by Sigal Shoham Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Really sweet to watch...Felt like I was there in Australia with him. Good stories, jokes and rich characters.

"Fresh off the Roo bar"
by Dave Romm Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Interesting stories about looking for gold in the Australian outback and the friends he makes, and what happens to some of them. The guitar songs were okay, but I would have liked more didgeridoo. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Longer reviews with pictures at Baron Dave's LiveJournal and snarky comments on Facebook.