White Noise by Mike Kolloen and All Choked Up by Mic Weinblatt.

Minnesota Fringe Festival
Minneapolis Community College - Whitney Mainstage

August 3 - 12, 2001

All Choked Up is a brief farce which begins with a man sobbing over a coffin. Is he bereaved? Why, no! He's a hit man and the man he was hired to hit died of natural causes, thus doing away with the need for a hit and whacking our hero's fee (got that?). Can he settle the score? How will his mob Ma react when she discovers her son lost out? Will the undertaker get the two of them out before the memorial service? They've got 10 minutes to get it all sorted out.

The main feature, White Noise, is a potent criticism of the media's casual portrayal of violence. After settling back and chuckling at All Choked Up, you find yourself taking a second look at what you just laughed at. White Noise centers on a boy left with the family TV as surrogate babysitter. The action begins when the boy shoots his father's gun and kills his brother, thinking it's just fun and games. With snapshots, sound bytes and a succession of characters, Theatre Pro Rata poses the question: can a boy raised on TV split reality and fantasy? Parents conceive children - they don't conceive killers.

All Choked Up Cast:

Andrea Guilford
Mic Weinblatt
Joseph Papke

White Noise Cast:

Joe Spielman
Rachel Evenson
Joseph Papke

Production Staff:

Director - Carin Bratlie