Theatre Review: Disturbingly Realistic

“Skillet Tag”, written by Pete Bakely; produced by Play On … Productions (part of the KC Fringe Festival): seen July 21, 2012

“Skillet Tag” is the ultimate team-building exercise – how to hide a body after involuntary manslaughter.

I write this review with the same reaction I had to The Office (both versions) – it hits a little too close to home for me to be truly entertained by it, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t necessarily good. From Matt Leonard’s boss that reminded me a little too much of a former boss (who yes, would blame me – the secretary – for when others made mistakes) to the buzzword bingo, the show was hit and miss throughout.

The two cops were probably the weakest of the actors, with Kenna Marie Hall starting off a little off the mark as Becky, playing it a little too over the top before the plot really ‘earned’ it. However, Aurelie Roque (Katie) and Matt Leonard were the strongest, managing to keep pulling the show back together.

The adult humor was probably the strongest part of the script, going way, way, WAY over the top and over the edge. However, the fight choreography comes a close second. As the plot progressed, the true manner of the team-building goal of ‘success’ quickly turns dark.

There was a good crowd at Sunday’s performance, so make sure to arrive early if you want to catch a game of “Skillet Tag”. It performs two more times during the 2012 Fringe, and tickets are $10. More information can be found at http://www.kcfringe.org/2012/artist.php?ID=67.

This review will (hopefully) be posted to the KC Stage review system. Agree or disagree? You can rate / review this show yourself (requires free registration) by going to fringe.kcstage.com (where every review gets you put into a drawing for prizes).