The Very Model of a Modern Monster Scientist

Go See This Show!

Rev. Matt is always delightful, but having Elora along for the ride made it so much better! This show was so much fun.

Two-Headed Monster Science!

Matthew Kessen's beloved Fringe staple gets a magnificent upgrade in the lab with the addition of Elora Riley as his new assistant. This new two-headed monster version is a charming and savvy evolution, lending an old Hollywood-style comedic banter along with the obvious nod to the episodic partnership tropes of modern science fiction television icons Mulder & Scully. Its a wonderful, comedic, and charming new monster science pairing and I hope it continues for many new adventures. Enjoy!

The Backstory We All Deserved

As a long-time fan of Rev. Matt's Monster Science, I was thrilled when he took on an assistant a couple Fringe's back. Now we have the origin story, and who doesn't love a good origin story! Definitely put this on your calendar.

Not interested in monsters? No problem.

We've been Fringe attendees for many years, and have always bypassed Rev Matt thinking we are 'just not interested in monsters.' His reviews have been consistently great, so we made an exception this year. We enjoyed ourselves, and found this to be sort of a 'two-headed monster:' the first part about types of monsters and their origin stories, and the second part about Elora. We got a kick over the monster types, and found some parts of the second part dragged (Sasquatch, for example).

Rev. Matt & Elora in top form

This show is selling out because it takes the Monster Science format and expands it, gaining more humor in the process. The focus is on Rev. Matt's frequent assistant, Elora Riley, and her meteoric rise to the height of Field Researcher at the Institute for Monster Science. The comedy sketches (written by the two of them) are every bit as laugh out loud funny as the slide show portions, and Riley has dry wit and comic timing to match Rev. Matt's -- and that's saying a lot. I advise you to make a reservation. You DON'T want to miss it.

Sketches and Monsters Hurrah!

Monsters and tight commentary on our work lives, what's not to love. Matt and Elora have great chemistry and timing. Plenty of laughs.

Like 2 Monster Science Books for the price of one!

The Character of Elora Riley was an amazing addition. I look forward to seeing what's next for Her in future shows

Expanding the Monster Science Universe!

I'm a long-time fan of Reverend Matt. His show has always been both informative and hilarious - you can see the depth of his research even while you're chuckling at the jokes. He also brings an immense amount of humanity and heart to each show. It's clear he sees monsters as a way of understanding the human impulses that drive us to create them. This show adds another dimension. You get the same monster science you know and love, but with a new origin story for Elora Riley. She brings a new voice to the show and new energy, with a gung-ho enthusiasm that balances Matt's professorial vibe. I love the idea of fleshing out the world of Rev. Matt's Monster Science, and this is a great combination of storytelling and lecture. We laughed! We were charmed! We'll go again!

Fun, Interactive, Surprises

This is everything you have come to expect from Rev Matt. Facts, slides, dry humor. Loved the audience participation. Rev Matt had us chanting in unison, cheering for the monsters. Elora as the job seeker gave the show a storyline that is a welcome addition to the Monster Science lecture format. So glad this was my first Fringe show this year. Thanks, Matt and Elora!

Always amazing

I have seen the good Reverend many times at ConVergence and he never fails to put on a great show. If you have not seen a show from Matt before he combines actually teaching about some cool and obscure monsters with moments of genuine hilarity. Elora's addition helped bring out other topics and perspectives that I had not seen Matt explore before and it really helped the overall show. Even if you have seen other shows from Matt, I would highly encourage you to check this out. Highest recommendation

Very Entertaining

Reverend Matt is a hilarious staple of the varied and vast Twin Cities' Academic-Lecture-Come-Comedy scene. How does he do it? Well, as we find out, with assistance! Meet Elora, his more than capable research agent. Part lecture, part sketch, all comedy. This is a very fun show. A must-see for all Monster Science fans.

Can't Miss Humor

Rev. Matt is always fun, but her turns the humor up to new levels and Elora Riley as his assistant plays off him beautifully. Easy, breezy humor woth a little bit of a bite. Go See this show.

Awesome References

Fifty percent of this show was a comedic lecture on both well known and relatively unknown monsters on their origins and meaning - including references spanning from the most recent Marvel movie, to ancient folklore. The other fifty percent of the show was an interwoven story of two monster-enthusiasts that poked fun at modern working culture and added a lot of heart to the production. If you like superheroes, folklore, feminism or The Office you will probably enjoy this!

Fun Show

Don't overthink it. Just relax - hard to do on the seats offered! H Light fun, drama free. Hated the seats in theater. Loved the performance.

A MUST-SEE

I'd heard about this show through word-of-mouth, and I'm so so glad I gave it a shot. I find more deadpan humor is hard to land, but Rev. Matt is like a king of deadpan. The slides were a great touch, the writing was absolutely lovely & made you feel very safe as an audience member...telling Medusa's true story from a feminist perspective made you know you were in a good environment with honest storytellers. Loved the way Elora & Rev. Matt interacted, they bounced very well between playing the "straight man" archetype and getting to be the comedic focus for the scene. Seriously, done super well & made me want to see these actors in the rest of their shows. They are just that good. If you don't make it to this one, you're missing out.

Despite Return of Elora, Reverend Matt Fell Flat

Oh my, I'm the kitty-buster for this show. I feel sorry to report that the Friday night late show simply came up short for my wife and I this year. Heck, we've seen the Dinosaur show, and my wife always chuckles over the Count Chocula skit. But, despite the beautiful and engaging Elora Riley's return with her origin story, the overall Matt material (with the exception of the Medusa story) fell flat for us, this Fringe. We did laugh in spots, mind you, but the deadpan humor didn't have the same engagement for us. Now, if Rev. Matt and Field Agent Elora do make the tribute show to my childhood hometown, with "Field Agent Elora Riley and the Lizard People of Coon Rapids," I'll see if I can persuade my wife to give it another try!