I
t probably says something regarding American postsecondary education that Eric Jaffe interviewed 65 men about their college experiences and failed to come up with a single fascinating anecdote for his Fringe show.
Throughout the hour, Jaffe makes vague reference to the research project he was working on (presumably this show), but he never goes into much detail regarding his intended goals. That’s a pity, because the five minutes near the end when he breaks down some subject statistics are the most engaging section.
Mostly, this show is a hazy whistle-stop tour of goofy classes, drinking, partying, and changing majors. Nothing is wildly funny, but the material generates a decent baseline level of chuckles. Along the way, Jaffe impersonates a half-dozen alumni buds (mostly frat bros with names like Mules and The Sponge) and, while his imitations seem credible, they’re never in service of anything compelling.
At one point, he concludes a reminiscence by grinning impishly and saying, “That was a interesting interview.”
All evidence to the contrary, I guess.
Remaining performances at Studio 16 on September 9 (2:50 p.m.), 12 (9 p.m.), 14 (5 p.m.), 15 (4:45 p.m.) > David Johnston
This is a guest review
David Johnston is a Vancouver-based actor, aerialist, and writer, not in that order. He recently hailed from the Edmonton Fringe, where he saw many excellent shows and also ate a green onion cake. The green onion cake got three-and-a-half stars. David is a recent graduate of Studio 58, and is currently writing a script about reviews, so this should be a rather meta experience. He’s delighted to join FRESH SHEET for the Vancouver Fringe.
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