Historical drama ‘Tompkins Squares’ is stiff and underwhelming

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Come on, man. At last year’s Fringe, playwright Kevin Bowen brought us the exposition-stuffed, stiff and cliched historical drama “Gasthaus,” and this year, he brings us the exposition-stuffed, stiff and cliched historical drama “Tompkins Squares” — but this time, with Jacob Hellman’s distractingly cartoonish New York accent and some Russian and Yiddish words for good measure. The show’s description promises a chess-focused plot with high stakes the actual play never manages to reach and Soviet-era family secrets that, when revealed, are confusing and underwhelming. Actors Heidi Mintz and especially Jim Ahrens are standouts, but even their performances are put in check by the dramaturgically subpar script.

Presented by Trompe L’oeil at Rarig Kilburn Theatre; 7 p.m. Aug. 2, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 3, 10 p.m. Aug. 5, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 7, 1 p.m. Aug. 9

Still trying to decide what to see? Check out all the Pioneer Press 2025 Fringe reviews, with each show rated on a scale of Must See, Worth Considering, Could Be Worse or You Can Skip It.

The Minnesota Fringe Festival is presenting nearly 100 hourlong stage acts from July 31 through Aug. 10 around Minneapolis. Visit MinnesotaFringe.org for ticket and show information.

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Historical drama ‘Tompkins Squares’ is stiff and underwhelming