What I liked
The opening of this show is pure gold. The first 30 minutes are a spot-on parody of what one-person shows can be for creator, tech crew and audience at a Fringe show. It was hard to hear what Ritchey was saying because the audience was roaring laughter continuously.
The dynamic between Travis and his Stage Manager was a joy to behold, especially when the interactions got either heated or cynical. It was as though this show was channeling moments every creator has had trying to get something worthwhile put into the world.
What I didn't like
The narrative of the latter part of the show hit a few bumps for me that were unclear. There was a transition from tech rehearsal to actual performance that happened so fast that I didn’t realize that was what had happened for a few minutes—which then made me unclear why new beats/stories were happening in sequence without any further interruption from the SM. This may seem like a small thing (and it perhaps is), but it happened SO quickly that I worry that others even less versed in Fringe experiences might miss it as well.
I also wonder if this show will play as well to audiences that aren’t so familiar with actually CREATING a Fringe show. That’s the danger, always, of doing a sort of ‘insiders-view’ show in any entertainment genre. What makes enormous sense to those of us who have put together a show may not be as clear to someone who is an audience member but has never done the actual creative process in Fringe. I don’t think of this as a downside, particularly, but it may limit the show’s reach somewhat—although I know Ritchey has thought about this as well.
My overall impression
A very smart parody of the one-man show, Ritchey shows his talent in creation and characterization in surprising and engaging ways.
