Fringe review: ‘Intimate and Appropriate’ aims to offend, but with no insightful payoff

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Intimate and confusing is Paul Thomas’s “Intimate and Appropriate.” Although Thomas is occasionally funny with skilled voice acting and frequent five-second ‘commercial breaks,’ the entire performance begs the question, “Is this offensive?” But it’s unclear who’s being made fun of, and what exactly the audience is supposed to be laughing at. Is it cleverly disguised social commentary on cultural awareness — or another dig at Gen Z? It’s hard to tell whether Thomas is trying to bring people together or push them apart. Maybe somewhere within that confusion is the genius of his humor — but, in this show, it feels like his downfall.

Presented by Paul Thomas; 7 p.m. Aug. 6, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 8, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 10

Still trying to decide what to see? Check out all our Fringe reviews at twincities.com/tag/fringe-festival, with each show rated on a scale of Must See, Worth Considering, Could Be Worse or You Can Skip.

The Minnesota Fringe Festival is presenting more than 100 hourlong stage acts from Aug. 1–11 around Minneapolis. Visit MinnesotaFringe.org for ticket and show information.

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