		Stetson Manifesto
		2007 SAN FRANCISCO FRINGE FESTIVAL AUDIENCE REVIEWS
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CLICK HERE FOR RECENT AUDIENCE REVIEWS CLICK ON PLAY FOR REVIEWS OF THAT PLAY & billions more 1 Quandary Place Abundance ADVENTURES OF A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER Barroom Philosophers Border Crossings The Children's Museum Class Notes Embarrassment & Death The Falls of Vincent Millay Found and Lost: Goals for 2002 Frisco Fred's Cabaret! Fuck You Cancer Great Hymn of Thanksgiving / Conversation Storm The Hasheesh Eater Heavy Metal Playground HER KIND: The Life & Poetry of Anne Sexton i hate my friends Jesus Rant Kiss My Booth Korean Badass Low Hanging Fruit Monkey Poet Stand-Up! Organic Boxed Chicken Stock parts is parts: Party of One RM3 The Sewers Shopping as a Spiritual Path Spotless Stetson Manifesto A Strange Black Passion Super Glossy! TeleMongol Terrible Voice Tesla's White Pigeon Turn of the Screw You Go First		Play: The Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Kelly 4 Stars I really enjoyed watching this production -a lot of great stuff packed into one act. There are three great characters - and I especially enjoyed Catfish and the actor's portrayal of him. There was some really funny stuff amid more serious and thought-provoking ideas. Loved the theatre itself. The Fringe staff was great. But the play is definitely worth checking out! Play: Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Patti 4 Stars I found this show to be intelligent, thoughtful, well-written, and highly entertaining. Joe Carrig gives an exceptional performance as Catfish, the cranky, drunken old-school cowboy who is out of his element in the brave new corporate world, and isn't willing to suffer it gladly. The other two actors give credible performances, but don't quite match Carrig's energy. Play: Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: m1ngle 5 Stars This play is extremely well-done. The writing is very tight and well-paced. I honestly didn't know what to expect going in and was all but blown away. The central character embodies his role in a way that is seldom seen these days outside of professional theatre companies. You could truly feel his frustration and alienation stuck in a world into which he cannot survive, yet determined not to give in. The two supporting actors also give outstanding performances. Faith Aeryn as Billie Joe embodies corporate arrogance and it's complete lack of respect for tradition. She plays this to the hilt by trying to bend Catfish to her will and make him give up his free-spirited ways. Her performance was subtle and human and gave me chills in its true representation of corporate culture. The actor playing Rory is caught in the middle of this fight, trying to appease both sides. He expertly shows the conflict between the corporarization of America and it's independent soul. Play: Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Ken Wakamatsu 4 Stars Strong dialogue and strong acting make for a great play. A little difficult to understand in the beginning, because I have little knowledge of cowboy terminology and cultural references such as the music, but the play gains strength as the characters develop. The act with all 3 actors on stage are the best, with tense but humorous dialogue that had the audience laughing. Definitely recommend catching the last show. Play: Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Diep 5 Stars I was smiling and giggling from the first few lines. Very well-written, natural dialogue, superb acting, especially from the Stetson man himself, and a timeless and timely message. Play: Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Tom 5 Stars Great reflection on the absurdity of our times. The actor for Catfish did a great job of reflecting the suffocation of tradition by political correctness, litigation, and corporate climbing in the modern world. Very thought-provoking and gotta love anything that includes "Mule Train" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Fun time! Play: Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Holly P 3 Stars Go see this play for the man that plays "Catfish." The show itself has a great message and I'm all for putting "The Man" down (even if the moral of the story is not in the People's favor), but I found the play to be lacking in a true commitment to its premise. Although the actor that played Catfish was most certainly extremely committed to his role and that is always wonderful to watch. I wish I could say the same about the other two actors Play: The Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Derek G. 5 Stars This well-paced show combines laugh-out-loud comedy, drama and choreography to tell the story of an self-styled cowboy ("Catfish") who is determined to fight against the corporation that has taken over the ranch where he works. Angered by absurd safety regulations, the encroachment on his livelihood by modern ranching technology and the gradual disappearance of his beloved cowboy culture, Catfish takes a stand against a force that he knows full well cannot be beaten. Joe Carrig delivers an exciting performance as the boisterously drunk, uncouth Catfish. Alternately charming and violently unpredictable , he is the very embodiment of youthful defiance against the Establishment. Play: Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Greg Horne 4 Stars I found this to be a solid production all around. The funny parts were funny, the serious aspects were involving, the direction was tight, the choreography was fun (yes, there is a dance number, of sorts), the lighting and sound effects were simple but effective. The lead actor brought his character vividly to life. I'd be interested to see what these guys do next. Play: The Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: J. Lee Vocque (Barroom Philosophers) 5 Stars I need to start by saying how close I am to this kind of story. My father is a farmer and one of the last real cowboys. So when seeing this show I was pulled into this show head first. I can understand why some people may not enjoy this story in the way I did, however they need to see this show for the message and story alone. This was a very well writen show with clear solid direction, I loved the use of space making us more a fly on the wall and less audience in seats. Well done folks! Play: The Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Jimmy McKenna 4 Stars A modern western piece that walks the fine line between comedy and tragedy. It's about the end of a way of life, with plenty of laughs along the way. The three leads give heartfelt performances that drew me in and kept me rapt for an hour that flies by. Play: The Stetson Manifesto Reviewer: Kathryn S. 4 Stars This seems to be the only good, solid drama at this year's Fringe Fest, which is a welcome change from all the one-man/woman shows about childhood and adult psychological trauma. Hamilton's story is beautiful and creepy. I have a hate-hate relationship with corporations, so I walked away from the play feeling dirty & just extremely sad. Catfish, the lead character, paints a gorgeous picture of how a cowboy lives on the ranch - trail-blazing, wrangling with tornadoes -- I got the sense that Catfish was the Last Real Cowboy Standing, in the midst of all those ranch cellphones. Joe Carrig, who plays the lead character, Catfish, is excellent. As his character is introduced on stage, it doesn't make any sense at all that Joe -- who doesn't "look" the part of a cowboy's cowboy -- would play Catfish. However, a couple of lines later, it becomes perfectly clear that Joe IS Catfish, through & through. When the GM-like character, Billy Sue, saunters onto stage, the mood immediately shifts to a cold, corporate atmosphere. Whenever Billy is dishing out her corporate talk to Catfish, it's. just. death. The mood shifts from a drunken, cowboy moment to an icy, non-emotional corporate one -- And then. I won't give away the ending. But then -- at the very end -- Billy Sue strips down her corporate facade and becomes even closer to Catfish than we would have ever imagined. Beautiful.