Adaptopus

Perfect Fringe Comedy

Blown away!! You never know what you'll get at Fringe, and I knew nothing heading in to this one, but the quality was splendid and I was smiling and laughing the whole time. Hilarity at a debate prep session without getting heavy on politics. The jokes come quick and the actors were all on their game. We loved it!! It's such a masterful, funny show, and the ending was outstanding. So glad we stopped in!!

Entertaining AND funny. What more could you ask??

This show is fantastic!! If you have any sense of humor you will enjoy this show. Love that the female writer/director/producer created a show that entertains and prompts discussion, like great shows should. The cast was great, especially the 8-legged one! I liked this one so much I saw it twice, and laughed both times!

Great comedy with a larger than life performance

Adaptopus is an over the top comedy with big characters and lot of laughs. Kendra Yarke was a standout in the show with amazing comedic timing and a great dramatic performance. And Michael Salazar stole my heart and made me laugh from start to finish. A fun show definitely worth seeing!

Loved it!

This was an aamizngly well written, acted, and executed fringe show! Its such a light hearted piece that keeps you entertained the whole hour! The story is new a fresh and it kept me laughing!

Solid light comedy

Based on the description, I was hoping for a deeper dive into debate prep, and in fact, the octopus came as a surprise. Like other reviewers, the two tentacles (ouch) of the plot detracted from the overall show: the octopus part was a comedy and the debate part was drama (and, to me, most interesting). Acting was fine, script was a little stilted and unrealistic (even adjusting for the characters' personalities).

Adapto put this on your list!

A true gem of a show! Non-stop laughter is the vehicle that drives this incredibly witty and goofy play. The actors had great comedic timing and really knew how to ham it up with snarky retorts and clever looks. Immaculate writing, well acted, must see.

Something For Everyone!

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry…okay…maybe you won’t cry. But you will have a highly enjoyable (too short) 45 minutes of entertainment with witty characters and snappy dialogue. I loved it!

Politics without the politics

Interesting setting to be on the campaign trail with the volunteer staff. No great social comment here, but the acting was solid, some good laughs, a bit of silliness.

Very fun!

I had a great time at this play! While the humor was immediately enjoyable, there were also interesting points raised about changing the system from within and the flaws of a charisma-based system of government. The writer and actors succeed in presenting these ideas earnestly without being self-serious or preachy. Well done!

100% delightful!

I was almost constantly giggling or laughing throughout this show! Lots of quick jokes and references for theatre nerds and unique characters that all brought different energies to the show! Pietz found a cast perfect for these characters and let them be absurd and have fun on stage. This was the most I've laughed during a show in a long time!

Am I missing something?

I really wanted to like this show. It had an original idea and the cast seemed to be enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, they were limited by a lackluster script that created large areas of dead space. The entire first half-hour of the show could be cut. Though there were moments of humor, the rest was tedious dialog that made it easy to zone out for periods of time. The plot went in different directions, and there was no real payout at the end. The blocking also left the audience to see the character’s backs for much of the show. There’s a lot of potential here, but it’s not ready yet.

10/Tentacles

Laugh out loud lighthearted comedy with a political bent! Must see!

Loved it!!!

This was a fun, fast-paced show. I was actually a little leary because I'm so tired of politics. It turns out that politics were mainly a frame on which to hang a hilarious story. All of the characters were great, and the writing was really fun! I recommend sitting in front, as it was a little hard to hear some of the lines, and you really don't want to miss out on any of the fun!

Don't worry, the octopus is fine

Amusing sort of workplace drama, really captured the frustration of underappreciated (and undercompensated) volunteers in a way that was both relatable and larger than life. Packed with details that had me "a-ha!"ing at the end. Great performances by all!

A witty delight!

We giggled our way through the entire show! Very creative writing combined with a stellar cast made for such an enjoyable show! Would highly recommend everyone go see this asap!

Did Jabobey win the primary election?

I ended up being glad I made a last-minute split-second decision to see Adaptopus. It is good to read a bit of info on this show page first. At the beginning I was slightly lost, as most of the characters did not really introduce themselves at the start. But then I caught on pretty quickly, realizing that it was a team helping a senator prep for a candidate forum. And then it captivated me at the end, as someone who organizes candidate forums for a living. One thing that I am curious about is that this page does not tag the show with political content. Someone who is looking for political content could relate to the show, though it was more about character than specific issues. It is interesting to incorporate an Octopus into the plot, I kept wondering when it would make an appearance! The image of an Octopus is often used as a political symbol representing evil that has tentacles in many places- often used to depict the Koch network. So I was curious if that metaphor would be of use? There were a few points when it was funny and I recall the audience chuckling. I have always been wondering how a dog I used to take care of would react if he saw an octopus crawling around. That would be a funny scene. The end left me hanging on what would happen in a sequel.

Clever & Funny

Genuinely funny. Great writing & delivery. Leaning forward to catch the next phrase & joke.

Octopus clickbait

This review is from seeing show #4. In one sentence: a literal mixed story with a couple moments of silliness and seriousness. In three sentences: I got a few chuckles from this hour long show. Outside of two or three Fringers playing their assigned archetypes well, this show needed to develop either, not both, of the focuses it markets. The choice to see is yours, but unless you might have served part-time on a political campaign, I'm not sure you’ll leave satisfied.

Quippy masterpiece

Fast paced dialogue and a set of characters that you could only previously daydream about interacting with each other—it’s got just enough politics to groan at and a whole lot more to laugh at

not my jam

to me, the acting was stiff, the story wasn’t funny, or serious. i’m not sure if i missed something, or if this is too above my head

Can't Miss Comedy

This show has everything that's most delightful about MN Fringe: fast-paced jokes, rollercoaster plot, hilarious performances, and a gosh-darn octopus. Sidesplitting laughs from start to finish in a tightly written show. Definite must-see on your Fringe schedule!

Simply A Delight

This is probably the most polished show I've seen this whole fringe. Every actor was on point, the casting was superb, everyone on that stage had me convinced of their convictions and motivations. Brad Krieger was especially a stand out for me. This quippy little comedy has so much going for it, but the icing on the cake comes at the end. I won't spoil it, but it involves an octopus!

5/5 Octopi

Adaptopus by Christine Pietz Stoffel is a fanstastic way to spend an hour of your time. Christine has crafted a hilarious script with distinct characters and laugh out loud moments. Tinka was commanding as The Senator. Jonathan Fondell, Michael Salazar, and Brad Krieger had standout performances to me, although the entire cast impressed me, worked together well, and made me laugh big-time. I could’ve watched this show for hours and hours!

Will Suck You In

Hilarious, fast-paced and sharp witted. This squishy play kept me laughing the whole time. Would 100% see it again.

Susan Collins Does Debate Prep & Meets An Octopus

Behind the scenes look at candidate debate prep where the participants see the candidate is flawed.eanwhile, an octopus is on the loose. Fun and fast pace. You get a version of the octopus too.

Interesting concept, slow pacing

I liked how unique this show idea was, but once the real action started, a half hour had already passed. All of the exposition was delivered so slowly. I would have enjoyed it a lot more had the pacing quipped along a lot faster and there had been more meat to the debate portion of the plot. I think more of the jokes would have landed if the cues had been tighter as well. Both Kendra and Michael understood the pacing however, and had great comedic timing.

I'd give it 6/5 Kitties if they'd let me!

Absolutely hilarious performance! The entire cast did a fantastic job and I don't think I went more than 60 seconds between laughs the entire time! So many good quips, great overall storyline, kudos to the entire cast and director!

Missed Opportunity

This political satire wasn't quite sharp enough or paced swiftly enough to come together. I was hoping for a more extreme absurdist turn that didn't quite materialize. And sometimes the humor felt like it was punching down.