Chart Toppers of 1349! is Tim Ereneta, a California based storyteller. No technical elements to speak of , no set besides a ladder back chair and a human skull – just Mr. Ereneta in a primary colored velvet jerkin. And he told us stories – stories about princes and kings, wizards in iron castles, a woman who marries a snake, and a giant turnip. These stories are framed by the fictional “ Annual Story Tellers Conference of 1349”, and while many of the evening’s laughs came from these segues and transitions, it is in the stories themselves that Ereneta really shines. Some of the stories- especially the shorter ones – fall flat or don’t seem to end, but Ereneta is always engaging and a few of the longer stories are very compelling.
Chart Toppers of 1349! is interesting, fun, and I have certainly never seen anything like it at Fringe. However, it’s not for everyone; Ereneta is really just a storyteller telling folk tales, which is great if that is your particular cup of tea. I can say (and I do mean this as a compliment) that I feel as if I have been to the best school assembly of my entire life.
See It: You are in the mood to try something new. You love humor about the plague and the papacy.
Skip It: You want to see a “ real play”. You insist on spectacle, multiple actors, and plot.
Chart Toppers of 1349
Written and performed by Tim Ereneta
Reviewed by Jessica Pearson
Running time: 1 hour
Read all the reviews and check out the full Capital Fringe schedule here.
Did you see the show? What did you think?
Saw this on Friday night. It was very good. We do like listening to story tellers and this was just what we expected. The stories have more meaning if you realize they are political parables for the times. So for two history majors this show was quite enjoyable.
Very watchable and intriguing. The storyteller was both a character (what makes someone able to tell stories) and the teller of stories very different then the simple, less bloody ones of today. A well-paced enjoyable show, worth going to for the laughs and the stories.