It's still early in the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, but "Memoir of a Mythomaniac: The True Story of a Compulsive Liar (or Tallulah Dies)" is destined to be one of the my favorite Fringe experiences of the year, despite the precious and rather long title.
"Memoir..." is part ensemble theater, part dance ensemble, both portions working together in to tell the story of a young woman trying to overcome her compulsive lying. The narrative is framed, more or less, by conversations with a therapist, who is trying to discover the root of the problem in order to find a cure. We get to the root as Tallulah (if that is indeed her real name) flashes back on her life, her loves and mostly her relationships with her family.
The production is the creation of Cara Harker, an assistant professor of dance at East Tennessee State University with a cast of current and former students there. The title character is played by Kelsey Danielle Mumpower, who makes Tallulah a perfectly charming little liar who sometimes lapses into Walter Mitty moments and has a hard time separating her imagination from her real live. Harker plays the mother, and one of the highlights of the evening is a beautiful duet between the two of them as the young one explores that relationship.
Bottom Line: Don't miss this one.
Remaining performances are 7 p.m. Saturday, 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. June 9, and 8:45 p.m. June 11.
Comments