FRINGE: Ruh-Roh! is More Than It Seems
It's a campy mystery with an ironic sensibility featuring realism and audience participation and if that's not enough to get you in the door, I don't know what is.
This triumphant trio takes this trilogy to the top in this year’s Fringe production, “Ruh-Roh!” Trey Tatum, one of the area’s best - and most underutilized playwrights - along with his directing partner, Bridget Leak, understand one another so well that their theatrical pieces scream “cohesion.” Add in their frequent collaborator, actress Jordan Trovillion, and we’ve had Fringe masterpieces year after year.
This year is another home run, as Tatum somehow knows how to balance ridiculous comedy with authentic pathos. One of the ways he does this is through audience participation - if you’re up close or on an aisle, you might get asked to read from an index card. (Loudly, please, because Queen City Flash loves their audiences and leaves the air conditioning on!). If you’re really lucky, you might even get pulled up on stage or asked to hold a prop. It’s silliness, and the audience I was with rolled with laughter - until it was time to empathize with the more dramatic moments in the story.
Said story is that of a sixteen-year-old teen detective named Nolan and her dog Casper, solving drug trafficking cases, which makes sense when you learn about her mother’s drug addiction. See, Nolan knows more about methadone clinics than any kid should have to know due to her family trauma; hidden in this over-the-top comedy is a cautionary tale grounded in tragedy.
It’s funny, but it’s also moving. Add in some inventive special effects, and it’s a genius piece of theatre. Definitely a must-see production!
RUH-ROH! runs again:
Saturday, June 10th at 4:15 PM
Friday, June 16th at 8:45 PM
Tickets and more information can be found here.