Anna rates it:
What do you get when you combine a talented group of actors, hermeneutics, diagrammed sentences, and thought-provoking deconstructionist dialogue? Aside from an entertaining and smart fifty minutes of theatre, you get a piece that actually delivers what it promises — an exploration of the individual’s relationship with language, and all the semantics, miscommunication, and mistakes that can be made along the way.
The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over the Lazy Dogs is divided into thirteen scenes, each exploring certain aspects of its title: inflection, copyright, definition, disclaimer, translations, errata, grammar, interpretation, message, semiotics, afterward, linguistics, and epilogue. These succinct titles outline the structure of the play; what keeps this from being droll, and believe you me, I can understand if someone had a few…reservations about being entertained by a scene called “grammar”, is the happy combination of the script’s genuine wit and intelligence coupled with the dynamic performances of the actors and fantastic direction. Director Kerri Rambow has taken a challenging script that others may have over-intellectualized, or found themselves caught up in the heady flow of its writing style, and breathed humor into it at every turn. The play begins with Stage Directions (Carlos Bustamente) amicably reading the stage directions, and from there on out the meta-tone of the piece is established, along with the quirky humor that is omnipresent throughout.
One of the highlights of the show was when, with the help of a graph (and honestly, who doesn’t enjoy a good projection of a flow chart or diagrammed sentences? If such a person exists, I sure as shoots don’t want to meet them…), the actors outlined “change,” and the multi-step approach to how one deals with change. Sardonic and hilarious, exchanges such as these offered not only entertainment, as they were genuinely funny in their own right, but incite and commentary on many issues that we, as a nation struggling with socialization reform and economic crisis, face.
The acting was phenomenal and cohesive; there was a palpable camaraderie from the actors that created a wonderful dynamic on stage. That plus their talent was enough to leave even the most grammarian-incredulous audience member entertained. Quick Brown Fox… was smart, funny, and edgy–truly a delight.
The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over the Lazy Dogs 
Written by Michael Merino
Directed by Kerri Rambow
Reviewed by Anna Brungardt
Just wondering — why was this play was excluded from the “Favorite Fringe Play” poll being conducted by the DC Theater Scene website?
I saw “Quick Brown Fox” during it’s first week run, and it was brilliant. The cast was excellent and delivered the insightful, comic lines with precision. Many of the plays I have seen at the fringe over the years tend to be extended comedy sketches with no larger point. This year’s offerings included old fringe standards (Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern”), left-overs from London/New York (Kane’s “Psychosis 4.48”) and a quaint operetta by Gilbert & Sullivan. Not very fringey and not really relevant to DC, the nation’s capitol, the seat of political discourse.
“Quick Brown Fox” is a smart and topical play that deals with very important issues of our time: how language is manipulated by politicians and how facts are misrepresented by the media. During the performance, I found myself listening very closely to decipher what is being said and determine what is not being said. The production underscores the important responsibility of being a skeptical yet informed citizen.
I would like to see the play again and tried to recommend it to friends, but all the performances were sold out. Kudos to the cast and crew for a thought-provoking and entertaining evening of theater.
I too would give this show a 5! The entire production, from script to blocking to acting to projections, was so well assembled and directed. And while the script posed many challenges (it’s language based, and gets much of its humor from playing with language), the action was clear, the actors specific, and the pacing excellent. The show delivers in both the comedy and the something-to-think-about realm.
Great show. Talented cast. Amazing script. Intelligent and fun and exciting. I would definitely give it a 5.
This is an EXCELLENT show with a talented cast lead by an excellent director. I really liked this work. I would rate it as a 5.