TAC Review

The Travelling Art Circus presents Gone Fishing
Reviewed by Tracy Doyle and Rex Winsome

This review was hastily conducted after a long day of Ultimate Frisbee, vegan gyros from Comet, and a nowhere near long enough nap. It's pretty ooobbbbviiious...

R: Okay

T: Well we just saw Traveling Art Circus’ two part show but we don’t have – oh my god it’s time to wake up- we don’t have the program so… the first show was called… uh…

R: The Miss Adventures-

T: The Life and Times of Mr. Crinklebine.

R: Of Mr. Crinklebine. And second was: To Kill a Roommate.

T: Alright, so, overall, so... it was at the Miramar and overall it was a- what has anyone else said to you?

R: Mediocre.

T: It was a mediocre experience. Well, the experience itself was alright, because we went with a group of people and- Miramar is a decent place to go. Though it is smelly and… But, okay so the Miss Adventures of Mr. Crinklebine I think it was a clever idea. I really liked the- and I really liked the split screen- using the stage.

R: because that stage is so long… but the lighting was terrible.

T: The lighting was very bad. I didn’t- Mr. Crinklebine didn’t have any light on him.

R: Yeah, and everyone else had flat light from a- one single instrument, which is probably because they didn’t bother to change the hang that was there, or they didn’t have a lighting designer, or they weren’t allowed to touch anything. But anyways, the lighting was terrible.

T: And they didn’t have- I think they- they didn’t have like, a rehearsal in the space, even. I think.

R: That’s ridiculous.

T: that sucks. Either they had one or they didn’t have any. But, anyway… So, yeah- lighting was bad. Um… their set changes were pretty fast though- but even they- okay- besides that- the play itself.

R: Uh. The first thing- the first thing was the band was really mediocre.

T: they were mediocre, but they weren’t BAD.

R: But it was-

T: Tim enjoyed them.

R: fucking dull.

T: yeah it was- wasn’t anything exciting. But maybe you don’t wanna have- the band that detracts from- I mean if they were TOO good. I mean, if they were good, would you have thought that the play sucked more, or…

R: Hmm…

T: I don’t know- I guess they- they were appropriate for the show.

R: Yeah. The whole thing is just a wash of…

T: and it’s way overpriced. Well, not really. I mean, even just- because they charge more than we like to charge anyway and then…

R: well, yeah, but they had to rent the Miramar-

T: yeah. Which is why they had to charge ten dollars, and I mean- like the 24 hour show was ten dollars, too.

R: but the 24 hour show was much better.

T: but it could’ve been bad, you don’t know. I think that they should- I know there’s already a billion groups at the pharmacy, but- and that’s another issue of, not having-

R: They had more people than the pharmacy can hold.

T: I know they did.

R: It was partially because they did two shows and it was partially because they… um…

T: know a lot of people?

R: they’re kinda chachi. Um…

T: Did you say chachi?

R: Yeah, they seem kind of chachi to me.

T: Chachi means having friends?

R: Nnnno. Chachi’s have like-

T: You have friends.

R: yeah, but they aren’t chachis.

T: They’re not chachis

R: They- they have a little-

T: Oh my god, this is ridiculous.

R: I don’t know.

T: anyway, yes, they had a lot of people there, which is awesome. Uh… and a lot of people who don’t go to theatre, so that’s cool.

R: Yes. It is, but at the same time they aren’t giving those people a reason to go see more theatre. Because the show was sketch comedy

T: Yeah, hey shoulda been shorter sketches. I thought both- I thought the ideas behind both the shows were clever.

R: Yes.

T: were cleverer than a lot of stuff we’ve put on.

R: No.

T: They’re clever ideas-

R: Yes, but they-

T: Interesting.

R: they were- they were good for short sketches,

T: Yeah and I was like- wow here’s a clever idea, now lets run with it for waaay too long.

R: Yes.

T: and uh-

R: and there were a lot of missed opportunities. That’s what Kate said, that they coulda been a lot funnier- they coulda been a lot-

T: There was- some of the writing was really really funny, and the jokes- the- comedic timing was really piss poor, and I had a hard time hearing Mark- which was weird, because he has a lot of experience, and I was just like, “I can’t hear anything you say” and I was just like “wow”

R: There were a lot of people who were not projecting, y’know.

T: it’s a big-

R: it’s partially not being in the space.

T: yeah, it is a big- big-

R: It’s also not having a director means there’s no one in the audience to hear that they can’t be heard.

T: Oh, Oh my god. That show needed a director. The blocking- when the lesbian couple was like arguing and the one girl got up from the couch and moved downstage and then like one line later sat back on the couch and one line later went back to where she had been, and she argued with her back to her girlfriend the entire time, just like talking to the audience. It didn’t work at all, there was like no relationships between any of the characters.

R: Yes.

T: and that’s why it’s like sketch comedy, like it should just be a sketch, because you can’t-

R: Development.

T: IF you don’t CARE about anyone.

R: development. There wasn’t- yeah. It was an excuse for jokes; some of the jokes were good some were pretty bad. Um-

T: I think all the jokes would be better if the timing was better.

R: yes. Dan Grenda was the only one who seemed to have good timing; he’s got really good timing.

T: yeah… Uh.

R: Mark is very funny. There’s something about his delivery or whatever.

T: His face and his body are very expressive.

R: yeah.

T: But- well then, a lot of the people they used weren’t actors.

R: right.

T: and like were- without a-

R: without a director how do you do that? And the other thing is, if it’s sketch comedy- I don’t know to me sketch comedy should put up shows every month or every two months.

T: They’ve been doing more shows.

R: the last time I’ve seen them- it’s over a year.

T: That you’ve seen em-

R; I didn’t hear about any that I didn’t-

T: cuz I talked to some guy, I can’t remember his name hillishue? Maybe, Jason? Something something. I wasn’t even drunk yet. This was after at the Miramar. But he said he had seen them do that first piece, this was the third time he had seen it the Crinklebine one and it’s the third time with a whole new cast.

R: do they do shit at their house and not let everyone know, or… what?

T: I don’t know.

R: cuz I would think that they would let us know- Ces would let us know, if it was public-

T: I don’t know. Yeah, so I was like “well, that’s weird” and that- I really don’t like- why are you beating a dead fucking horse? Like, you already did this? This is the third time you’ve gone and done it?

R: Yeah.

T: it’s not WORTHY of doing more than once. It’s- in my opinion- the script isn’t even-

R: especially if the first two times you did it you ought to have heard things about it and it should be better than this and-

T: yeah. I think that’s a major problem with them, I think- that- I mean I enjoyed going to the show and I enjoy their enthusiasm, whatever, but like- they need to rehearse and they need- they need like a director or something they’re all kind of a happy go lucky bunch

R; yeah

T: and I think they need someone who can- get them to work on something, cuz… I don’t know, like I wanna support what they’re doing but-

R: they- I don’t know if that’s what they need. I don’t know if they- what they want out of this thing, and it doesn’t seem like they want anything more than what they’re getting out of what they’re doing, which is a hobby.

T: mumbles incoherently.

R: I mean, they don’t need to do good shows if they’re not trying to do good shows.

T: Mm-hm.

R: I’m sure they’re trying to do good shows, I don’t know. Doesn’t seem like they mind that much.

T: Ahhh… the second one… the second one I was disappointed in the roommate, cuz I’ve had worse roommates, I feel.

R: yeah.

T: but that’s because they were real people. She wasn’t funny and she wasn’t disgusting and she wasn’t… I don’t know.

R: And she- well she, she just fucked his life up and it’s like… if she had been his roommate for two weeks and fucked his life up in those two weeks, okay, but it seems like none of the characters were aware of who she is and yet she’s living with him for a long time- the whole set up didn’t work.

T: yeah. Yeah. I don’t know- they just- that play woulda been better if there woulda been more… any relationships between the characters. The relationships weren’t- were definitely not there.

R: Yeah.

T: I mean, whenever people were on stage together they were staring in different directions and
not even talking to each other. Uh, and I really hate all the singing.

R: yes. Every time they burst into song I was like “oh, don’t. Please don’t.”

T: because- there was like one- one of the lesbian girls could sing- it’s not like none of em was like you were REALLY cringing but none were really good and the songs were really really really really bad. And like- I don’t know if they were like, trying to be bad cuz they’re like musical songs, but none of them were even catchy and it’s like- if you did one bad song, I could see it as a joke- but it’s just not funny anymore if-

R: and the ridiculously amount of set up for an obsolete pop culture reference: running with the devil- was just, absurd. It was funny because, like, I can’t believe they’re even going through with this, old song-

T: I thought that was fun. Of course I think Ces is a good actor so-

R: Ces is a good actor.

T: well- what was- what was bad about that is that I didn’t actually hear him say jog, cuz he like didn’t enunciate that word, so he like- he was like, lets jog or something, but I didn’t hear him say jog, I didn’t know what he said so I was like “what are they doing?”

R: but it’s like- when I heard the song start, I was like, “wait, what is this? Oh, oh I get it.” And then- y’know they went through the first verse of the song, and then the chorus came on and then “okay, the joke’s done, we can turn it off”

T: Although I kinda appreciate that they go so far with it. Like, cuz that has something too.

R: Uh huh maybe they should’ve developed a little something more with it then, I don’t know. Um…

T: See, that’s the thing, I can think of little moments that I liked- I thought the two guys in the bar, were, really funny.

R: Yes.

T: but that other guy, who was at the bar with him was one of the guys who hadn’t ever been and actor and who had been really really really sucked into it, but I thought he was good. When I was watchin him. But… umm… yeah… show was all- and it wasn’t the worst show I’ve seen.

R: No.

T: But…

R: there’s really not much to say about it, though.

T: No.

R: I mean it’s- it’s not theatre, it’s sketch comedy and it’s a different thing.

T: Yeah, that’s true. Okay… well. That’s nice.

R: wait, let me think… no I guess I got nothing else to say.

T: Okay. Bye.