Show: 34
Category: Something Different
By: Keely Wolter
Created by: Keely Wolter
Location: walking tour starting at U of M Rarig Center
Summary: Two bright and spirited guides lead a small group of participants on a tour around the U of M West Bank neighborhood telling delightful stories.
Highlights: This charmingly original show, one of nine site-specific shows at the Fringe this year, is just as the title describes. Creator Keely Wolter is a disarming and engaging guide not just through the neighborhood but also her life, telling seemingly random and disconnected stories from her past. The stories range from silly to profound as she tells of anxiety, friendship, and dreams. Just when she gets to a particularly poignant point in a story, she lightly says "OK, let's go!" and it's on to the next memory. The soundtrack for this tour is a series of walking songs, from The Brady Bunch's "Sunshine Day" to "Walk Like A Man" and "These Boots Were Made for Walking." Director Rachel Petrie is an able and willing assistant (and I'm going to hold her to her promise to do her own memory tour next year). Each participant is given an official guidebook with photos related to the stories, in which they are encouraged to write down things that the stuff reminds them of, for the next holder of the guidebook to read. The tour is charming and engaging, encouraging participants to notice the beauty that's all around them, and is a nice chance to stretch the legs and enjoy the fresh air after a long week of Fringe-ing. I hope they continue this lovely tradition of the walking tour (see also last year's Into the Unreal City).