Review: blink blink blink (Wildside)

Let Sarah Tonin grab your fears by the balls.
It displays the aplomb that Fringe-style performances can develop with time and repetition. 
by Nanette Soucy

The plucky motivational speaker's book, Skin the Bunny: An Aggressive Approach to Reclaiming Your Life is condensed for your edification into an animated workshop, presented in an exceptionally catered Hotel Conference Room near you, on the occasion of the Centaur's 15th annual WildSide Festival.

The Sunday Read: Kirsten Rasmussen on Blink Blink Blink (WildSide)

Blink Blink Blink.

My initial idea was to have a motivational speaker commit suicide on stage during her speech...hard to sell as a comedy.

by Kirsten Rasmussen

I had been for a while musing over a show about a self-help guru. I have admittedly in my life time read a few of those self help, guide to success sort of books. Blegh!  That’s what I feel about them now, blegh! Because at one point or another I realized that I had squandered a pretty penny and a lot of time reading these books. And had they really helped me? I don’t think so!  I mean, I could have been bettering my mind, reading deep into the sordid history of Canada, and instead I had wasted all this time reading about how Eckhart Tolle found enlightenment by living on a park bench for a year.

Review: blink blink blink (Fringe 2011)

Reviewed by Émilie Charlebois

I was already a fan of Kirsten Rasmussen after having seen her at last year’s Fringe festival in You & Me and Me & You and I am now contemplating following her so I can gather things she’s touched and build a shrine to her awesomeness in my bedroom. blink blink blink is (to borrow a line from the show) “Fucking Fantastic” (the adjective may have been amazing, I apologize if that is the case). And I don’t think I am the only one to think so. Every seat in the Freestanding Room was taken (there is an obvious pun to make here, but I shall resist) and the entire audience was in stitches. Laughter is meant to be shared and Rasmussen is a giver! Not a single piece of comedic material went without genuine giggles, guffaws or snorts. Rasmussen’s timing is unreal as she seamlessly allternates between characters (some of them adorable bunnies) and parallel storylines at an incredible pace, without ever missing a beat. As self-help guru Sara Tonin Rasmussen engages with her audience and reveals her character’s inner demons without getting too heavy or suddenly corrupting the play’s comedic value, by “getting real”. Sara Tonin’s darker moments were totally in keeping with her personality and rather than bum me out, they made me care about her. blink blink blink is smart, original, hilarious and touching. Kirsten Rasmussen’s star power is mind-blowing.

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