Review: LOVE IS BLIND - MINNESOTA FRINGE EDITION at Strike Theatre

I do enjoy reality TV, but when it comes to Love Is Blind, I’ve only watched the Minnesota season. So I knew all about the pods, the engagements, the weddings, and the drama going into Improvised Love Is Blind — Minnesota Fringe Edition at Strike Theater.

Presented by DallaDanna Productions and directed by Michael DallaValle and Danna Sheridan, the show takes the Love Is Blind format and turns it into a completely improvised dating experiment. There is a basic structure based on the series, but everything that happens along the way is made up on the spot, meaning no two performances will ever be the same.

DallaValle and Sheridan also perform alongside Robbie Darling, Lisa Fulton, Derek Landseidel, and Olivia Wulf. The cast works incredibly well together, especially when it comes to taking a random detail and running with it. The characters and their backgrounds can get pretty ridiculous, and watching those details continue to pop up throughout the show was one of my favorite parts.

The audience also gets to be involved, offering suggestions that become part of the performance. You never know what the cast is going to be given or what direction it will take the story. Watching everyone think on their feet and somehow bring things together is a big part of the fun.

The wedding portion at the end was especially entertaining. The vows and the final yes-or-no decisions are chosen separately, which can lead to some hilarious combinations. You might hear incredibly sweet and sincere vows only for someone to suddenly say no at the altar. It doesn’t always line up perfectly with the relationship you just watched unfold, but that unpredictability is also part of the fun of improv.

Having watched the Minnesota season of Love Is Blind, I enjoyed recognizing the different parts of the show and seeing how they were recreated onstage. There are plenty of little things for Love Is Blind viewers to appreciate, but you don’t have to be familiar with the Netflix series to understand what is happening.

Improvised Love Is Blind — Minnesota Fringe Edition is funny, unpredictable, and a great use of the Love Is Blind concept. The cast fully commits to whatever gets thrown their way, and the audience gets to watch relationships form, fall apart, and occasionally make it all the way to the altar.

Is love actually blind? I still don’t know, but it turns out it makes for some pretty great improv.