Playing Dead

Emotionally Engaging Theater

The three actors produced convincing, raw, emotional interactions in this very perceptive, well-written play. Recommended for audiences interested in powerful acting.

I laughed, I cried. Loved it!

Funerals are hard and everyone processes in their own way. The show is relatable on a lot of levels. The dialogue is fun, the brief appearances of Lady MacBeth is hilarious. The actors captured their characters really well.

Superbly acted

All three of the actors gave top notch performances! I also loved the exploration of complex family dynamics. I was never rooting for just one person, as I felt they all had a compelling point of view.

Powerful Story Telling

I thought the acting in this show was phenomenal from start to finish. Everything in the show had its place for why it was there and done the way it was. I was laughing and was brought to tears by its powerful acting and dialogue. This show is a must-see!

Very Well Done

It is always a pleasant surprise to run across an original script that is a solid one-act at Fringe Festival. This is one of those. Well-directed, and all three performers are great, although the older sister did, at times, talk way too fast for me to discern what she was saying. Definitely worth your time to check out this show.

A thoughtful look at difficult family dynamics

This is a heartfelt play about the impact of a grandmother's death on her daughter and granddaughters. This script would be better served in a longer-length play, but it was thoughtful and touching. I would have liked to see more modulation of the dialogue and dynamics. I found the poignancy of the text to sometimes be lost in the yelling.

A Play That Pulls You In

I was involved in this family from the first moment the mother crossed the stage bearing the urn of her mother's ashes. Although the decedent never makes an appearance, we learn much about her through the clever device of one of the granddaughter's taking on her personality and physical presence as the stress of the impending funeral service works its way through the preexisting conflicts of the survivors. Each of the characters must work to to attempt to resolve these conflicts with each other and with their memories of the departed grandmother. All three actors worked wonderfully with one another and it was amazing to learn that this was the playwright's first production.

The complete package

Three strong and talented actors make this play a pleasure! The dialogue is well written and well produced. The play seems ready. Unlike some fringe productions, this one doesn't have the feeling of a work in progress. It is the playwright's first effort, and she hit a home run. I was immersed from beginning to end.

Four generations of women with three actors.

Laura Carlson was brilliant as the younger daughter, her acting roles, and the embodiment of her grandmother. The desire for closeness and distance from her older sister was very realistic. And the mother stuck between caring about and for her mother, soon after her father had died was understandably very stressful and was handled quite differently by each daughter. This story of four generations of women, played by three talented actors, closes Sunday at 8:30. Add this to your final day if possible.

A loving look at a difficult subject

Well-crafted and beautifully acted, this is definitely one you should add to your schedule. I have been all of these characters at different tough times in my life. (Well... Maybe not to certain extremes that you'll see once you buy your ticket and head over to Mixed Blood!!)

Outstanding show!

This show was thought provoking while providing a greatly entertaining work of theatre. The cast chemistry was outstanding.

Solid Show

Well written and insightful. The acting was strong. Even the set exceed the average Fringe stage setting. Dead can unite or divide family members. This show clearly displays the extreme impact of unclosed conflicts. Recommended you consider this one.

Still weeping

This show was beautiful. For a fringe production, the characters and story were so fleshed out and clear. All the actors were phenomenal. I laughed with my full chest and cried with my full heart. A beautiful beautiful production.

A Good Time!

“Playing Dead” has a clever concept that makes space to explore some complicated and difficult family dynamics. I do think it would be better served without Fringe time constraints, to allow the discomforts to linger, but all things considered well done! It still landed on beats that will hit you in the heart strings, allowed each character to have a full arc, and certainly gave plenty of laughs as well. I in particular want to shout out Laura Carlson as Katja for the high energy she brought to each “role” she took on.

Ready for prime time!

This was an excellent production of a well-developed storyline with good character development. The actors were excellent and engaging. The production (set, lights, music) was appropriate. The story is compelling, interesting, funny, and very thoughtful. In different ways it touches many of our own lives and families. I only hope this was a "test" of the script, and that Kari will expand it into a full-length production. For obvious reasons it was cut to Fringe size. But there is more than enough character development and plot line that could make a full length play. There were a few moments that I felt we were getting the edited version. I look forward to the whole prime time show!

Didn't get it