These “characters” traffic in stereotypes of women, Russians, eccentric people, but are too silly and amateur to be offensive. The male lead, Dakota Nickels, takes up too much time on stage and the conceit of a group of characters inhabiting one actor is a good premise wasted. The locally produced comedy is supposed to be about auditions, but it’s really a poorly done high school play. It supposedly comes down to stage needs, but it hurts to see masterpieces turn folks away, while this local dud plays to a nearly empty MTC Warehouse. It’s a mystery how venues are assigned at the fringe. It’s a thinker by two pros that will leave you feeling much like the title. Between the broader story of their friendship and its eventual breakdown are sketches from the multiverse involving online dating, Shakespeare, stoned thoughts and the creation of an excellent Tik Tok video. The actors are perfectly in tune with each other whether they are dancing, lip-syncing or shooting off rapid-fire banter as they explore their new space and deal with the realities of living in isolation from the world. The Winnipeggers have been working together for years, and it shows.
Where? They don’t know, but they know they are all alone in the universe in this one-hour show that combines surrealist escapism with deft physical comedy. If a friendship falls apart in the Twilight Zone, is there anyone there to hear it?Īnd if there is such a thing as a metaphysical comedy, Winnipeggers Sydney Hayduk and Lindsay Johnson have discovered it.