FRINGE REVIEW: Jeff Coon and Ben Dibble Must Die

POSTED: Friday, September 7, 2012, 2:05 PM

Every year, there's hundreds and hundreds of performances at the Philly Fringe and Live Arts Festival, and unless it's one of the big shows, it's sometimes hard to tell what you're going to get. Here at Critical Mass we're sending writers to as many shows as we possibly can for 75 pocket-sized reviews over the course of the fest. Check back in with us at On The Fringe every day for real talk on what these things actually are!

SHOW: Jeff Coon and Ben Dibble Must Die

GROUP: Los Jarochos

GENRE: Theater

ATTENDED: Wed., Sept. 5, 8:30 p.m.

CLOSES: Mon., Sept. 10

BRIEF SELF-DESCRIPTION: A tale of murder, revenge and musical theater. Join the bloodthirsty quest of Greg and Mike, two actors hungry for fame and fortune in a mid-level regional market. With the help of Bechtel, psychotic theater buff and freelance assassin, they’ll either take over Philadelphia theater or die trying.

WE THINK: The title's in-joke alone makes this a must-see for those familiar with the Philadelphia theater scene, and it doesn't disappoint when dishing up affectionate satire. Roommate actors Michael Doherty and Greg Nix audition fruitlessly in a town ruled by Coon and Dibble, then enlist an assassin (Alex Bechtel) to eliminate the competition. Amy Dugas Brown's clever production falters in self-indulgence, particularly in an extended dream sequence and a long training montage, but the brilliant silliness — climaxing in an all-too-possible Walnut Street Theatre musical version of Rain Man — makes this Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tale soar.

—Mark Cofta

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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