The Cody Rivers Show Presents: Right Back Where We Finished presents one of the most classic challenges inherent in writing performance art reviews: how to give an overview and an opinion without spoiling all the surprises contained within.
Mike Mathieu and Andrew Connor’s two-man show starts with an explanation of the rules of rugby that is hilarious, complicated and… eerily accurate. As a rugby player myself, I was sinking down in my seat a little, thinking, “Busted.” (It really is a fun game! I promise!)
That moves into a choreographed dance routine to facts presented by kids just back from the science museum to a visit from code standards and regulation enforcement to an observation of a landscape to a conversation thought cup phones connected by string to stories from a pair of old, lifelong friends to a piece where the characters are hand motions in front of dark robes to a Southern couple on the porch to ping pong to a race between babydolls to a few I probably missed because I was trying to scribble in the dark while laughing at the same time.
Woven throughout each piece was clever wordplay combined with creative use of props and unconventional ways to breathe life into characters. It’s no coincidence that the funniest bits were also the most improvised. I’m still thinking about Cody Rivers, five days later.
And while I was still in my seat, I couldn’t stop thinking that they wouldn’t get away with these antics if they weren’t so darn cute, but… so what? They’re cute. They’re funny. You get way more than you $10 worth. Go see it.
