I took Jay Gabler and Rachel Reiva‘s word for it and saw BLOODYMERRYJAMMYPARTY when I could. Instead of putting it off until the end of the week, I went to the Cowles Center on Monday night at 10 pm (in my jammies) to see what the buzz was all about.
Set in the early 1970’s in Peach Lake, Minn. when women were just granted equal rights, a group of grade-school girls gather for a slumber party. What takes place is the typical mixed with the atypical antics. Heidi Arneson’s script captures pre-teen angst, hopes, and fears. Switching from poetry to prose to song, the hour-long show moves quickly and never bores (and reminds me how happy I am to be well past my teenage years).
I talked to Director Adam Arnold from blank slate theatre about a year ago when it was announced the end to their mainstage productions after Spring Awkaening. Not being the kind of theater to shy away from real teen issues, BLOODYMERRYJAMMYPARTY fits blank slate theatre’s repertoire nicely. And the young cast, it must be said, is astounding. Teenagers playing teenagers make the hard-hitting moments that much more real. So I’ll chime in on the already-acclaimed Fringe show: Go out of your way to see BLOODYMERRYJAMMYPARTY.
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