Mime act "Waiting for Biffy" an opening night Fringe delight

Waiting for Biffy is not your stereotypical mime show. Performed with strong physical acumen by Kirsten Stephen, Dean Hatton, and Renee Howard at the Jungle Theater, there is not one white face or black beret to be found. On the contrary, there is plenty of color. And, a portable toilet that becomes a fourth character.

In a series of seven vignettes, the trio play on a string of human (and animal) idiosyncrasies. The show has the flavor of a silent movie. A titled placard on an easel announces each scene. An eclectic soundtrack underscores the show.

Stephen and Hatton have both studied with Marcel Marceau. Howard, who joins the pair, has trained and performed with Margolis Brown Company. An evening with these Fringe artists is an invitation to dance. Or, ride up and down an escalator. 

Humor and heart abound as love, life, death, and war, are explored in fascinating detail. Don’t look away, you just may miss a small surprise. In this show, those small surprises build. The story lines twist and turn, as nimble as the performers’ antics.

The scenes are all short and sweet. From the comic Romeo and Juliet death throes of frustrated lovers in “He loves me… not?” to the Jimi Hendrix induced Port-a-Potty fireworks of “Waiting For,” delightful and poignant revelations await.

With only a few simple props and costumes, Hatton, Howard, and Stephen transform into a kaleidoscope of characters.

Stephen alone takes on a dozen-some fluid characters in “The State Fair.” There is a harried mother, a swaggering boyfriend, a rotund gobbler of corn-on-the-cob, roller-coaster riders shocked out of their gabbing, and an entire high school band, to name a few. It is a virtuoso performance. Stephen’s portrayal is a bubbling celebration of community.

“In the Beginning” showcases the petite Howard. She is pleasing as a feathered fledgling on a precarious first flight.

In another solo scene, “TGIF,” Hatton, dressed in fatigues, dances a hilarious and ultimately deadly disco. How Hatton flips the coin between comedy and tragedy is concise and thought-provoking.

Four more performances remain of Waiting for Biffy at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, running August 5-15. For more information about this and 168 other shows, please visit www.fringefestival.org.