Starved: The Astonishing True Story of the University of Minnesota Starvation Experiment
Written by Richard Chin
Produced by Pat O’Brien
As WWII ended, the Allies faced the task of caring for millions starving in Europe & Asia. The U of Mn. enlisted volunteers to study how to reintroduce the starving to food. First they had to starve themselves!
Venue: Augsburg MainStage
Tagged for: Drama, Storytelling, Historical Content, Political Content
Content Warnings: Abuse/Physical Violence, Blood, Suicidal Ideation/Self-Harm
Back when I was working with Workhouse Theatre on their new play reading series, this play “Starved” was submitted to us and we were all impressed with it and did a reading.
So it was nice to see this script resurface, even if it is in a compressed version for the Minnesota Fringe Festival, and there isn’t a lot of information on the Fringe show page to go by. Fascinating true story, based in Minnesota, about science using conscientious objectors to World War II in order to study the effects of starvation, to learn lessons to help refugees and concentration camp survivors. The dynamic between doctors and test subjects, and the ethical questions involved in something like this, are intriguing. And it looks like they have a good cast.
Sadly, the primary narrator for their preview doesn’t fully have their lines down yet, and ate up time the rest of the cast really needed at the end when they got cut off. Awkward moments like, “My name is… wait, don’t tell me…” They had notecards in their hands, too, so I was a little perplexed - use the cards, my friend.
Regardless of the sometimes wobbly presentation, it is a good script, worth checking out if the story interests you.
Here's some handy links to this year's Top 10 list and Top 11-20 List, plus the full list of all returning favorites at this year's Fringe, plus a link to all the 2023 Minnesota Fringe Festival coverage.
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