Fringe Festival "Myths and Bricks" review by WatchNSee

Can't Beat 'Em, Watch 'Em Anyway

Rating: 3

If You Can't Beat 'em Join 'em/ The Myths and Bricks Project

KC Fringe Festival

The Journeymen Theatre Company's presentations of "The Myth and Brick Report" and "If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em" was an experience I'm still trying to process. While the actors in each story shared with the audience a peek of the human psyche, the presentation itself was plagued with tech problems that kept distracting me. I also want to apologize to the performers for not listing your names here, but without a program I have no idea who you are, sorry.

The first story "The Myth and Brick Report" had a man sharing a deep and heart to heart conversation, the type of talk shared between lovers and soul mates ... with a brick. Could this be symbol of how sometimes a relationship is like talking to a brick wall? Could it be relating the struggle of man's fear of expressing himself to a partner? Could it be a fetishist confronting his darkest desires? Or could it be a nutter talking to a brick? To this reviewer, I had fun just watching him work through his process, which was real and heartfelt, making me wish the brick wasn't so cold and hard toward him. The premise was interesting and the actor gave us a performance that was memorable, but the presentation still was hurt by the technical bugs.

The next story given us "If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em" took the exploration motif to the psycho/social trek of the story's characters Lewis and Clark, as they explore drug interactions, community issues, family matters, and what this costs us as a society. This sometimes absurd and sometimes profound piece flowed into subjects and thought groups much like sand in a drainpipe when the actors were on a roll; the sand pours and fills the space, but after awhile too much slows it down. Personally, a little social commentary goes a long way. This story was a little too much making the story drag on longer than I think it should have. The actors did their parts well with high energy and grand presentation, but I still felt it was too much. Maybe the medicated world has made me "normal like the rest of us", but at times I found myself not listening to the message but distracted by the actors romping on stage or the tech issues.

read the review at KC Stage