2026 Audience Reviews

Company: John Ervin
Show: Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre

Fine line tragicomic as killers debate on TV.

Well worth the ticket and time at MN Fringe is Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead; produced, written and directed by John Ervin and playing on the Rarig Stoll Thrust stage, with performances remaining. This stunning and pithy script poses a mock TV debate between two life-incarcerated serial killers to convince the viewers of whom claims the title of "Worst serial killer", (or, basically, whom is the 'best'.) The production makes use of sparse props and set as a moderator sits between the two killers who stand at simple podia (all right, podiums) to deliver their debate points and rebuttals. The lighting in the space generally can't go wrong, it's so appealing a theater, and lighting in this play is no exception. As the lights come up, accompanying music by The Rolling Stones sets the tone, the lyrics being pertinent to the concept. The sound in the space is very good, and there is no problem hearing all of the lines and music, even if your ears are worn and experienced. Whereas so many Fringe productions hold action, character, or situations as their prow, this show, as with many of John Ervin's brilliant creations, uses incredibly deft language and verbiage as the foil. Ervin allows each killer character to describe, very proudly, their own proclivities, preferences, and pleasures by which they commit their dastardly deeds with "conviction". The prisoners are portrayed dynamically by John Clarkin and Christopher DeVann, both of whom maintain sharp but whimsical adversarial claw-branding at each other as they vie for their coveted "Worst" title. The moderator of the debate is cleverly but subtly played by Minnesotan-and-Texan Monique Swanson, who in well-timed rhythm has to present a tough and officious command of the situation in order to keep the killers from crossing the stage and killing each other, whether physically or rhetorically. However, through these interventions, her portrayals never lack the appropriate amount of veiled humor. John Ervin's direction serves to efficiently maintain a precarious seesaw balance between the comic and tragic, as each killer describes very serious and potentially uncomfortable acts and tastes, and yet we are at all times aware that the situations hold a certain satirical and fantastic identity. SEE THE PLAY in order to determine who you yourself would award "Worst Serial Killer", and enjoy a short and unique conjectural look into how we as a society now have no limits to what we will propose and view in our screen-driven world, wherein the beginning and end of "who is shooting who" becomes increasingly vague as we all point cameras at each other 24/7.