Ice Fishing Play playbill. Photo By Ben Carpenter

People wearing flannel jackets, talking with thick midwestern accents and drinking beer while they're fishing out on the ice. What sounds like a typical winter day in Minnesota are actually themes of the UMD Theater Department’s latest production, The Ice Fishing Play.

From the imagination of Minnesota native Kevin Kling, The Ice Fishing Play features a parade of colorful characters who visit Ron, a taciturn fisherman determined to hunker down in his ice house and finally catch an elusive fish while a blizzard rages outside. As the radio cycles through school closures the audience comes to realize how great the stakes really are for Ron.

I attended the play on its opening night Friday, March 7. As usual, I was impressed by the creativity of the set and props used in the play. It felt like I was really looking at the inside of a typical fishing shack that one could easily find on one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes.

I really enjoyed that the play included original songs by students John Toven (Ron) and Tanner Dorschner (Paul). It really goes to show the versatile talents of these students.

One aspect of that play that I liked was two of the cast members acting out a live radio show called “The Tim and Paul Show” on “KUMD-Radio” in the corner of the theater that Ron was listening to on his radio in his fishing shack. At the same time, other cast members were walking around the stage as they announced school closures due to a blizzard.

Irene (left) and Ron (right) performing an original song in Ron's fishing shack. Photo By UMD Theater and Dance Instagram

My favorite character in the show was Duff, played by Trey Duncanson. His accent was the most prominent of all the cast, though it seemed to fluctuate sometimes. His character resembled Jim Carrey if he was playing a stereotypical Minnesotan.

A small, but noteworthy, character was Brother Francis, played by Jack Nitti. The character had good, yet subtle, comedic timing with their remarks to other characters, along with their body language and facial expressions.

I was a bit lost at some points with where the plot was heading and the timeline of the story. There was a minor plot point involving a person who was on the run after killing a family. I speculated throughout the play that maybe it was Ron since he wanted to be left alone in his ice shack.

The characters that came to visit him, including his brother Duff, his wife Irene, his friend Junior and the Bible goers Brother Francis and Shumway, were they all just figments of his imagination? I started to understand that they were people from the past that he was still “haunted” by during his loneliness.

Ben Carpenter is the writer behind Ben There, Done That — a column dedicated to reviewing fine art shows at UMD and around Duluth.

I enjoyed all the references to Minnesota towns and lakes that the characters said. The overall childish, body humor used throughout the play really reminded me of the humor that midwestern men seem to have. Definitely sounded like real Minnesotan fishermen.

One element that really made it seem like the play was taking place in a fishing shack out on a lake was the continuous background noise of wind and the creaking boards of a wooden fish house.

Overall, it was a cute play that dealt with a deeper message of loneliness and isolation. As much as I enjoyed the Minnesota aesthetics of the costumes and props, along with the themes of the play, I felt a little unsatisfied with the ending as the overall story seemed to plateau.

Might not have been my favorite show the Theater Department has put on, but I still recommend going to see it when you get back from spring break as it will be showing March 18-23.

I applaud all the actors, technicians, production staff, stagehands and everyone involved with this play. For information about their final spring production, Cabaret, check the season schedule on their website.

The Ice Fishing Play: Ben There, Done That