UNSCRIPTURED

Unscriptured is very…alright.

In it, Travis Bernhardt leads us through an improvised church service. When I was there, we worshipped crying alone, which was a terrific audience suggestion—as was the runner-up, disappointing your mother.

Bernhardt structures the improv with a number of formats: in the show I saw, he led the audience/congregation in a hymn, which we sang in two parts, he read from scripture—a poem an audience member found on their phone by googling, “crying alone poetry”—and so on. This might make the evening sound like it was more fun than it actually was.

As an audience member, I found that Unscriptured offered little risk or reward. Playing his own invented game, Berhnardt, who is undeniably smart and alert, was having a better time than I was.

At Carousel Theatre on September 6 (8 p.m.), 7 (6:15 p.m.), 8 (7:30 p.m.), 9 (1:30 p.m.), 11 (6:15 p.m.), 14 (8 p.m.), 15 (3:15 p.m.), and 16 (1:30 p.m.) Tickets > Colin Thomas(This review is based on a performance at the Victoria Fringe.)

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