My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: Fringe Fun!

My Dad’s Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry is the perfect Fringe Festival Fare. Clocking in at right about an hour, this is an immensely entertaining journey through the recollections of Katherine Heller about her father, a middling famous author, scientist and lousy father.

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The show’s scientific theme is derived from the author / performer’s father’s occupation as a teacher of science. Ms. Heller manages an audio visual tour of her history as if performing a lecture, and the simple effects are entertaining without being overdone.

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The show is helped by the fact that Ms. Heller’s father is oddly crazy. There is no inappropriate touching, or sexual tension. In England he would be regarded as an eccentric, which is much more entertaining from a distance than within your own family.
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Directed by Nell Balaban, the proceedings move along nicely, being occasionally touching without venturing into the maudlin. Ms. Heller makes a wise choice to put a bit of distance between herself and the subject. We all have stories of childhood that can be both humorous and horrifying, depending on our viewpoint. Ms. Heller chooses the humor in her own life and shares it with the audience.
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Ms. Heller is a participant in the on-going ensemble show “Naked in a Fishbowl” – which I have highly recommended in the past. This NY Fringe venture is a welcome addition to her body of work.
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My Dad’s Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry

Cast: Katharine Heller
Director: Nell Balaban
Fringe NYC: Dixon Place,

Remaining Shows: 8/20: 6:15, 8/25: 4:15, 8/27: 9:00

tickets
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Rating: Well Worth the Money
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What works: The Slow Reveal of Ms. Heller’s Father’s Oddnes

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What doesn't work: It is a lightweight piece, but everything in it works
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What you get to brag about to your friends: It’s the Fringe, It’s fun and you get some great stories.
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