That Was Shakespeare: A Revue
Description:
Connie thinks Shakespeare belongs in the past. Her uncle Ford knows better. A whirlwind tour through comedy, tragedy, and romance reveals the Bard's words may be closer to home than she thinks.
Venue – Rarig Kilburn Theatre
Content Warnings – Abuse/Physical Violence, Flashing Lights, Gun/Weapon Usage, Loud Noises, Violence
Genre and Content – Comedy, Drama, Puppetry, Kid Friendly, Shakespearian Elements
Ages 12 to 15 and Up
OK, this theater company’s website is the kind of rabbit hole I could go down and dig around in for a while so I need to stop myself and just write something, since there’s still quite a bit of Fringe ground to cover before opening night of the festival on Thursday.
Here’s the short version from their press packet materials (before I went further researching on the internet):
“A reluctant teen meets Shakespeare the hard way: one iconic scene at a time.
The Redmond Players (aka Technically Thespians), a Seattle-based volunteer troupe of software engineers and tech workers now in its second year, makes its Fringe debut with That Was Shakespeare. Created entirely after hours between full-time jobs, the original production grew from a simple problem: the troupe wanted to stage something ambitious, but had no budget or licensing money. Co-writers Lauren Go and Jake Mattinson turned to Shakespeare’s public-domain works instead, building an original narrator-led comedy that offers modern skeptics a fast-paced crash course to the Bard.”
The More Information tab on their show page on the Fringe site says:
“Technically Thespians is a collective of tech professionals from the Greater Seattle area who share a passion for making theater. We strive to provide a space for artistic expression and collaboration, bringing together diverse talents to create compelling theatrical experiences.”
Then it made the mistake of giving me multiple links to check out and so, of course, I did.
For some reason, their LinkedIn page came up for me in Hebrew, so I skipped past that for now until I can figure out what’s wrong with my LinkedIn settings :)
But the posts on their Instagram and Facebook profiles are kind of abdorable.
Their website has an alternate synopsis for their traveling show…
"Shakespeare, from A to Gen Z."
“Sixteen-year-old Connie thinks Shakespeare belongs in the past. Her Shakespeare-obsessed Uncle Ford knows better — and drags her through the Bard's greatest hits to prove it. Comedy, tragedy, romance, and every everyday phrase Shakespeare snuck into your vocabulary without you noticing.
We're packing up our inaugural production and bringing it from Seattle to the Minnesota Fringe Festival — half the length, twice the pace, reworked for a tight traveling ensemble. Connie resists. Ford persists. You decide who wins.”
The history of the troupe for some reason just fascinated me, because this is apparently the second iteration of this idea:
“A COLLECTIVE OF TECH PROFESSIONALS UNITED BY A LOVE OF MAKING THEATRE AND QUESTIONABLE CALENDAR DECISIONS.
Technically Thespians is a 501 c3 nonprofit theater troupe made up of tech professionals who somehow decided that after a full day of technical problem-solving, the best way to scratch that creative itch was to make theatre together. We’re a community built on collaboration, creativity, and the belief that telling stories makes us better humans — at work and beyond. We bring engineers, designers, PMs, and everyone in between into the joyful chaos of creation, one post-work rehearsal at a time.
The original Microsoft Theater Troupe made its mark in the 1990s, creating a vibrant arts community on campus for nearly a decade before logistical challenges brought that era to a close in the early 2000s. Their legacy left a meaningful footprint — a reminder that theatre and tech folks have always mixed better than people think.
In Fall 2024, a new group of employees — inspired by that earlier chapter but not directly connected to it — began gathering for table reads, casual meetups, and a renewed sense that theatre after work could (and should) exist again. That momentum led to our first full production in October 2025, That Was Shakespeare: A Revue, an original show that sold out multiple performances, powered a successful GIVE campaign, and brought together a passionate, tight-knit ensemble eager to keep creating.
Technically Thespians honor the legacy of the original troupe as this revival begins its own story — a new community, a new generation of theatre-makers, and a second act we’re just beginning to build.”
And their Cast and Crew tab on the Fringe site is sprinkled with phrases such as:
“Varika is the friend pulling everyone onto the dance floor and travel-enthusiast, so she's excited and grateful to perform at Fringe. She's been going around saying, "We are on tour, people!"
“This marks her 3rd production with the Redmond Players (aka Technically Thespians), where she has grown from an emergency costume maker into the troupe's Prop and Costume Master.”
“His most controversial opinions are that cats are better than dogs and that IPAs are the Jello fruit cake of beer.”
“If you see the scamp, feel free to ask him about anything and everything! “
“Here she plays Beatrice and Macduff — one who fights with words, one who fights with everything else.”
“Though her character Connie may make fun of theater nerds, Tina the actress unabashedly identifies as one.”
“Now, she’s stepping out from backstage and into the spotlight at Minnesota Fringe… because theater kids never really leave the stage.”
I’ll be honest, I’m just going purely on vibes here, but all of the above really makes me want to give this show a shot.
Interested in hearing about other artists I recommend based on past outings in the Fringe? Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival as we ramp up toward the start of the Fringe on August 6th.
