Fringe Show Reviews

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Bungalow

Written by: Vern Thiessen

Presented by: Death & Taxes Theatre / New York City

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07/15/2010 7:40 PM | Comments: 0

Former Winnipeg dramatist Vern Thiessen is trying to sell his parents’ home, but he’s an emotional salesman. Every room in the North Kildonan bungalow brings back memories of growing up in the house where he learned to shave, was read creepy children’s books in German and hid dirty magazines from his parents.

The makeshift theatre on the fifth floor of the Artspace building is set up with lamps, an old television and a desk, while free cookies and juice complete the illusion that the 45-minute drama is an open house for prospective buyers. The home’s amenities are explained among nostalgic flashbacks (with slides and videos helping complete the picture) of surviving the 1960s and ’70s.

The Governor General’s Award-winning playwright is a natural storyteller who perfectly expresses teenage feelings of frustration, anxiety and nervousness. The show is apparently a work in progress, but what more is there to say? The asking price is right for this Bungalow.

— Rob Williams

From the official Fringe Festival program:

Baby teeth. A hockey card. A faded photo from Grade 9 grad. A man searches for the secret buried in the backyard of his family bungalow.

A moving and mysterious tale from the award-winning author of Einstein’s Gift, Lenin’s Embalmers, Vimy and Apple.

www.vernthiessen.com

Warnings: Subject Matter, Language,
RECOMMENDED: Mature Audience

45 min

Rory Runnells Studio (Venue 22), to July 25

Tickets: $10
Under 12 not admitted.

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