| Minneapolis, MN Fringe Festival 2009 Dream Time Down Under Reviews Overall Rating: 4 1/2 Kitties My FAVORITE this Fringe by Patricia Mack 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..." Dream Time Down Under by Alice Livingston Rating 5 kitties "Charming monologue. Funny, different, thought provoking. Good entertainment without being "naughty". I found myself thinking about it days later." Sweet and heartfelt by Florence Brammer Rating 4 kitties "Kuhns presents material that is obviously very close to his heart in an earnest and affectionate delivery." A whiff of Outback smoke by Roberta Parker 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 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." Totally Lovely by Sigal Shoham Rating 4 kitties "Really sweet to watch...Felt like I was there in Australia with him. Good stories, jokes and rich characters." Definitely Try the Outback Lasagna by Johanna Lewis Rating 4 kitties "The show is a collage of recollections from down-under that nicely blend humor, poetry, dangerous critters and philosophy. Kuhn's delivery is genial and relaxed, understated but definitely not boring. If the lasagna doesn't tempt you, try the roo-stew fresh off the roo-bar." A Shockwave Radio Theater Review. 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. 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." |
