The Camp Out

Funny, naturalistic, and quite Minnesotan

I enjoyed my time with the campout. There's a nice physical set with real tents and all the improvisors are naturalistic performers but still really funny. They're quite cozy and comfortable together up there on stage. Since they don't take any suggestions from the audience or explain how the show works or anything, you kinda have to take their word on it all being made up. I thought they improvised the story line about the dead friend, but then later they brought out a tin of ashes, so at least that part was clearly planned. That left me feeling a little cheated I guess.

Sad, Thoughtful, Realistic, Fer Cute Gen Xers

Sad, thoughtful, realistic, fer cute gen Xers grieve, f*** (off stage), and laugh. Yes, there's quite a few who's sleeping with whom bits, with a bit of off stage sex, and some frank discussions of body parts. Lots of improv is wild, surreal, bigger than life. This is a heartwarming show that feels almost a bit too real. As a forty something year old I kinda love that a show can feel this Minnesotan, this quiet, and hold this much. I enjoyed this. I'd like more shows that are not riotous laughs with no emotional core, and what I loved about this show was that the emotional core was nerdy, awkward and unapologetically forty-something.

Big chill + camping - music + jokes

Everyone in it is crazy good at this.

Going to see it again

The show's page and the beginning of the show said it was improvised, but then I saw a fantastic show that must have been scripted. Nope! The actors' relationships and back stories will change each performance, and they decide those just before the show. Incredible. This will be one of my rare "see it again" shows in Fringe!

It's almost unfair how good they are at this

Long-form improv is really hard to do. You might come into it thinking, "Why is that so hard? Don't you just do your regular improv routine, but do it for longer?" No. No, you do not. That's a great way way to push your audience's patience to the breaking point. Long form improv is an entirely different beast, and when it's really good the audience can forget that what they're watching is being made up on the spot.

Mike Fotis has assembled a supergroup of some of the best local improv artists the Twin Cities has to offer, and, yes, they are in that "so good you forget it's not a regular play" category. Of course, the show itself is going to be different every night, so it's pointless for me to tell you what happened when I watched it. Le me just say that "The Camp Out", while very funny, is also incredibly poignant and sincere. Fotis' show (much like his other long-form show outside of Fringe, "Wish Your Were Here") is interested in exploring grounded characters at vulnerable moments in their lives, where the sadness and joy of life meet.

On even an off night of this show, it will be highly entertaining; and if you wind up in a performance where the cast is really on their game, you might even find it profound.

Laughs, tears and heart!!

I haven't teared up in an improv show this much before! Such a great first fringe show for me this year!

“That’s not the brag you think it is”

Sucker for slice of life improv. Sucker for messy relationships that dont need clean resolutions. Sucker for cute set design. First time i cried on Sunday!

A skillful melding of poignancy and improv

This cast is so incredibly adept at this, it's easy to forget it's improv. A tender and sweet story about the complicated poignancy and fragility of friendship. A gorgeous set as well!

So This One Time, When We Went Camping...

While I appreciated the talents of the performers in their abilities to interact and be creative, the show I saw on 8/4 did not seem to work. Without much context at the beginning, I felt like I was jumping in on a show in the second act and had missed out on what was going on. The moments when they did catch on and established some witty back-and-forth repartee helped the story move along, but too many silent moments and waiting for someone else to speak slowed down the pace of the piece, letting the illusion slip somewhat into "what do we do now?" territory. I liked their usage of the space, bringing the performance into the aisles, but during some of those moments the actors on stage continued with the scene, and at other times they were silent. Overall, more context in the beginning would really help the audience follow along better.

Too Real without Real Drama

The show felt like real life but without enough drama or comedy to justify a show. The ensemble is excellent performers who play well off each other and inhabit their characters completely. I felt sorry for the character of Christine, not because she was dead and the reason this group of friends had gathered for a camping trip, but because the improv group didn't give the audience enough of a reason to care that she was dead. There were some good laughs and poignant moments, but not enough of either to make the show more than a well drawn realistic portrayal of some 40-year-olds camping.

Talented actors, but a bit of a mess

I’ve seen several of these actors do short-form improv, so I know they are excellent. This show was very uneven (as any improv can be on a given night, I realize) and the cast didn’t seem to communicate well with each other. Several scenes were dead-end and no one would sweep them. They also seemed to oscillate between raunchy sex scenes and deeply sad, heartfelt moments in a disjointed way. All the ingredients are there, but it needs serious work or more deliberate scene breaks.

In Awe!

This group of performers are master improvisers. I loved this show so much, and as an improviser myself, I was blown over by the show. I had to take a moment after the show to just let it sink in what I had just seen. Truly incredible. (When can I play with you?)

re-calibration should have been earlier

Saw this one because I had seen previous plays that Heather Meyer is in. one line stood out to me, it was when a man said 'we should re-calibrate why we are here'. this should have been said much earlier. the troupe tried to be funny at first, then switch to being serious and speak about the death of their friend, and it is hard to pull off doing both. pick one or the other, is what I say. I was on board with the serious part, as the passing of a friend is relatable. but too much of the comedy part didn't land with me, aside from Heather who is good at being dour, and the one called Anton who wore a white shirt with a kitten on it. those two didn't have as many lines as others did, proof of how 'less is more' is often true.

Top Tier Improv

I loved this show. I LOVE when improv can be funny and sad at the same time. The moments of quiet and stillness did not slow the show down. Every performer was amazing. Highly suggested!

So funny & bittersweet!

What a lovely, funny show done by a lovely, funny set of improvisers. I very well might see it again. Brian would’ve loved it.

Well Done

This show demonstrates that improv doesn't just have to be boner jokes and cheap laughs. It can allow time for building and emotion. It was hard to believe that the show was improvised entirely, though, maybe it wasn't (structurally). The show had depth that I appreciated and it was sweet in a way that we don't often get to see with improv.

Great group of improv performers

Tremendous Grounded Improv in the Great Outdoors

Over the last few years at Strike Theater Fotis & Co. have been producing a great melancholy, down-to-Earth Improv show called “Wish You Here” and “The Camp Out” successfully brings those elements to the Big Fringe stage. This the most props I’ve ever seen in an Improv show; the cast could go realistically go camping for a few days with just what they brought on stage. When the lights dim and night falls, the actors put on jackets because it’s getting “colder.” There are some very funny moments but the show also is great at keeping the audience invested in the various character dynamics and the deceased “Brian” (one major difference between Wish You Were Here is that the deceased isn’t portrayed by an actor). Improv often has an uphill climb at Fringe, but “The Campout” really shows what the genre is capable of when the stars are out.

camping

This is a really lovely show about friendship, specifically being a reminder that friendships end, whether by drifting apart in life or inevitably, death. That makes it sound like it's not a very fun show, but it is! These are all really good improvisers and even though the core of the show is grieving, it's really delightful watching old friends catch up with each other. There's a sense of urgency about everyone sharing their feelings because they see each other less than they used to, which leads to some pretty funny moments. This probably sounds corny but it made me appreciate sitting next to my friends in the audience and hearing them laugh.