New Kid on the Block

Playwright John Patrick Daly has his heart in the right place, and one senses he truly is concerned about the homeless people of L.A.

New Kid on the Block is 30 minutes of meaningful comedy. It starts out very light-hearted and seemingly superficially silly and takes you through a journey of educational exploration with some seriously touching moments. While some of the educational facts on homelessness do seem a bit rushed and surface (but hey, it's a 30-minute show), the message does resonate at the climax of the show. The characters are well-cast and well-played, which is saying quite a bit as each actor (except for the lead) fulfills several roles in the show (keep an eye out for Steve--he's my fave! ^.~). Overall, an enjoyably sweet show that is very present-day appropriate and leaves the audience with something to think about.

A brilliantly unique and hilarious way of looking at a well known Los Angeles difficulty, homelessness. Well written, emotional and delightfully executed!

An original look into the millennial mindset of social influencers and real-world issues. Kid on the block explores a young man who wants to see what it would be like to live on the street for a week and he live streams his whole experience; as he encounters challenges his viewership rises. This half hour Comedy felt like a crazy episode of a sitcom with all your favorite characters! The actors were amazing and funny and lovable. I especially enjoyed the diverse color-blind casting. I left with a lot of questions which I feel is one of the intentions with this show, ask questions. How is this homeless epidemic happening to all of these individuals? What can we do to help? Let us not make assumptions about everyone on the street, they each have their own story. These thoughts and questions breed positive change. Go check it out!

Love it! The pacing impressed me; there was a great flow to the writing and direction. It was a wonderful presentation which it never left us behind, but still managed to throw some surprises at us. The script is tight and does an amazing job of nailing down a message without preaching and is very, very funny. Wonderful casting too. You can see the bond the cast has not only among each other but to the material. Well done! It's very difficult to be funny about such a serious issue, but this show nails it at every level. This is one of the best scripted shows I've seen in a long time. I'll be back on the 23rd!

The show was well directed, and the good set design added a lot to the play. Good acting and well written show. The moment Nicholas got affected by the incidence was VERY well played. There was no boring moment. This is a must see show! I was expecting to see a light comedy show, but It was funny and deep at the same time. The dramatic scene was well acted by two characters. It got me really emotional and imagined how hard to live on the street.

This play needs to be filmed as a three camera sit com! Brilliant Characters and Writing. Amazing Actors. The play starts as the audience is loading in, fantastic planning. The bucket joke was a surprise! Touching moments as well as the laugh out loud humor.

Overall, a poignant comedy about the forgotten people we see every day, and look past. Also a biting satire about the nature of sudden internet fame, and its ultimate lack of value. The characters are well drawn and well acted. We relate to and care about them very quickly, which is not easy to accomplish in a 30 minute play. A minor quibble: I'm not sure it makes sense from a storytelling point of view for both of the lead character's siblings be unemployed. Having one of them be unemployed serves to make the point that homelessness is largely a matter of unfortunate circumstance. But not sure it makes the point more to have both of them in the same situation.

WHAT I LIKED New Kid On The Block makes you look at homelessness in a different light. An actor tries being homeless for a week, not for the right reasons but to gain “likes” or “followers” on social media. He befriends a homeless guy who teaches him about living on the streets and introduces him to his other homeless friends. Hilarious bit with a bucket (won't go into details, just make sure you haven't eaten right before the show), the emotional disconnection of passerby's and followers on social media and the inevitable tragic ending that snaps him back to reality. MY OVERALL IMPRESSION I was immersed into a street sidewalk the moment I found a seat to watch the show which is part of the charm of New Kid On The Block: homeless person roaming around the stage, begging audience for money, a couple sitting on their cell phones ignoring them, pedestrians walking by… By the time the show begins, I felt I was familiar with this story, as an Angeleno who sees this scene almost everywhere and have debated whether or not help a homeless person or simply pretend they're invisible.

WHAT I LIKED I loved the character relationships and watching everyone grow through the main characters decisions. Well written and poignant. MY OVERALL IMPRESSION So clever and insightful – a great look into the homeless issue in our country, tied with the social media issue in our country. Very funny, yet also touching.

“New Kid on the Block” took a problem that is challenging this city and the country, and approached it with respectful humor. The cast was sharp, and at 30 minutes, it's a great and quick Fringe show to attend. The movement and stage direction, as well as the flow of characters kept things interesting and kept your head on a swivel. Very enjoyable to see these actors take turns at multiple roles.

The acting was superb, the nature of the blocking was really interesting and the more I thought about it the more I liked what they did with it. Definitely well written. A fun light show about homelessness and the exploitive nature of social media. Sometimes funny, sometimes poignant. This show hits a lot of good notes.