The Man Who Sold the World

Rating:

Company: David Ortolano

Genre: Play - Dramedy

Venue: 2- MTC Up The Alley

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You'll find this show in your Fringe program under the titleBurning Man Who Sold the World. And while it's a surprisingly timely piece, it feels like it needs more than a title change to make its message sing.

• Winnipeg Fringe 2017: read our reviews

This curious solo show by Colorado's DavidOrtolano(with music by Kendall Perry) is a dream-like stream of consciousness exploration of corruption and how bad leaders come to power. While it may sound like a post-Trump play,Ortolanosayshe actually wrote it back in 2002 (with some modifications after the latest election in his home country).

And certainly, that's all richterritory. But the meandering piece takes a lot of trippy detours and gets bogged down in philosophical platitudes about reality and truth worth exploring in an "alternative facts" world, but not explored deeply enough in the sometimes rambling monologue.

It feels like there's the start of a really interesting piece here, but right now, it wanders too much to sell me on it.- Joff Schmidt

Ortolanois an earnest, sincere and likable performer, and thosewho like their Fringe very trippy indeed might enjoy this. But while it feels like there's the start of a really interesting piecehere, right now, it wanders too much to sell me on it.