Theatre Sat Oct 17 2009

Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School @ Gorilla Tango Theatre

Robot vs. Dinosaur, a writer-centric improv ensemble that originated in New York and was brought to Chicago in 2007, is enjoying a run of their show: Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School, at Gorilla Tango Theatre. A series of sketches loosely based around a preschool classroom, the show opens strong but loses focus. The premise of a school as a reference point seemed unnecessary, and even the best sketches ran too long, losing steam before they ended.

Some genuinely funny moments were had, but if this show were a national holiday it would be Canada Day, not the 4th of July - no fireworks but plenty of sparklers, and a few standout roman candles in the forms of Erin Morrill, Andrew Kraft, and Anthony Ellison, who came across like younger versions of Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell and Bill Murray.

Ellison was a great choice for the opening sequence, but we didn't see him again until the last sketch, which is a shame. Morrill and Kraft's portrayals were consistently strong, and the cleverly written songs marked high points in the show.

Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School is playing Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm through November 21st at the Gorilla Tango Theatre, tickets are $15. For information about Robot vs. Dinosaur's weekly comedy writing group visit Robot vs. Dinosaur. For information and tickets to Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School call 773.598.4549 or visit Gorilla Tango Theatre.

— J.H. Palmer / Comments (0)