“Mil Grus” — An Amazing Abyss of Artsy Abstract Absurdity

By Ernest Kearney — An Amazing Abyss of Artsy Abstract Absurdity *…

I ran into Mitchell Bisschop, (Pit Of Goblins writer/performer) on my way to see Mil Grus.

“Oh, joy!” he exclaimed – or words to that effect – when I told him where I was heading.

It seemed he had spoken to Mil Grus’ Director, Deans Evans, at numerous Fringe network events and on each occasion had asked him what the show was about.  Each time Evans had fallen into a rambling dissertation punctuated by grunts, tweets, bleats, barks and other assorted animal noises.

“Finally,” Mitchell rejoiced — or with an emotion to that effect — “you’ll be able to tell me what Mil Grus is about.”

Well Mitchell, I saw the show, and I can tell you that Mil Grus is about, “Caw, caw, moo, gobble, trill * writer's hand *, quack, hee-haw, hee-haw and dook-dook ** writer's hand **.”

Yes, I think that about covers it….

Okay, okay, I have no idea what the show is about – but it is utterly brilliant.

Now some are turned off at the mere mention of clowns.  I won’t try to explain this phenomenon. Maybe as a child, their mother mistakenly read Stephen King’s It to them thinking it was a bed-time story—who knows.

But it would be foolish to deny yourself the pleasure of Mil Grus because your mother never picked up a New York Book Review.

You won’t find 40 Bozo/Chuckles clone clowns tumbling out of a polka-dotted mini-VW or a bunch of pie-throwing shenanigans – this is a bunch of existentialists throwing shenanigans (God!  Critics live to write lines like that!!)

The five misshapened, blue and red clad zombies of zaniness Helene Udy, Grayson Morris, Jeremy Sapp, Jenson Lavellee and Isaac Kessler babbling a stream of silly non-sequesters wander about the stage like misplaced aliens in our strange universe — or maybe we’re the misplaced aliens in theirs, it’s hard to say.

And it is hard to say exactly what they are: Entertaining, funny and absolutely perplexing. Well, yeah….

The only two things I walked out of the McCadden Theatre certain of was that Evans and his Ensemble will long be remembered by their thoroughly satisfied if totally perplexed audiences and that Mil Grus is not to be missed.

Now, maybe they’re not your cup of  buffoonery, but then maybe you’re a Godless Blue Kool-Aid guzzling Trumpard who watches too much Fox News; however for my money Mil Grus earns The Tvolution’s first HFF 2019

Platinum Medal

“Mil Grus” Tvolution’s Platinum Award

Platinum Medal!

(Hey Mitchell, did I mention they were “dook-dook?”)

For Complete Fringe Information Go To: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/

For Show Information Go To: http://hff19.org/5840

♦     ♦     ♦

*  That Allows the Article’s Author An Avalanche of Awful Alliteration

* writer's hand * Raccoons

** writer's hand ** Ferrets


 

Written by

An award-winning L.A. playwright and rabble-rouser of note who has hoisted glasses with Orson Welles, been arrested on three continents and once beat up Charlie Manson. His first play, "Among the Vipers" was a semi-finalist in the Julie Harris Playwriting Competition and was featured in the Carnegie-Mellon Showcase of New Plays. It was produced at the NPT Theater in Ashland, Oregon and Los Angeles’ celebrated Odyssey Ensemble Theatre. His following play, “The Little Boy Who Loved Monsters” was produced at The Hollywood Actors Theater, where he earned praise from the Los Angeles Times for his “…inordinately creative writing.” The play went on to numerous other productions including Berlin’s The Black Theatre under the direction of Rainer Fassbinder who wrote in his program notes of Kearney, “He is a skilled playwright, but more importantly he is a dangerous one.” Ernest Kearney has worked as literary manager or as dramaturge for among others The Hudson Theater Guild, Nova Diem and the Odyssey Ensemble Theatre, where he still serves on the play selection committee. He has been the recipient of two Dramalogue Awards and a finalist or semi-finalist, three times, in the Julie Harris Playwriting Competition. His work has been performed by Michael Dunn, Sandra Tsing Loh, Jack Colvin and Billy Bob Thornton, and to date, either as playwright or director, he has upwards of a hundred and thirty productions under his belt, including a few at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater as puppeteer. Kearney remains focused on his writing, as well as living happily ever after with his lovely wife Marlene. His stage reviews and social essays can be found at TheTVolution.com and workingauthor.com. Follow him on Facebook.

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