theasylogo
BLOG

Hey '90s Kids, You're Old

Written and Directed By Taryn Parrish
Produced by Hole Punch Productions
Part of the 2015 Frigid New York Festival

Off Off Broadway, Sketch Comedy 
Runs through 3.1.15
Kraine Theatre, 85 East 4th Street

 

by Linda Buchwald on 2.24.15

Hey '90s Kids, You're OldAlexander Steele Zonjic and Isabel Kanaan. Photo by Arthur Poirier.

 

BOTTOM LINE: If you miss playing the board game Trouble and find yourself constantly quoting Home Alone and Clueless, this show is for you.

It's hard to go on the internet these days without seeing headlines like "How To Tell You're A '90s Kid" or "The Best Forgotten Shows of 1996." It makes sense that '90s nostalgia is everywhere. Those of us who were kids and teenagers at that time are getting into our thirties now; we're entering real adulthood and getting older can be scary. There's something comforting about reminiscing. And that's what Hey '90s Kids, You're Old is built on. As the pre-show music played theme songs from shows like Family Matters and Boy Meets World, I immediately felt comforted. I was even happy to hear the annoying Home Improvement tune, thinking to myself, "When was the last time I heard that?"

Hey '90s Kids, You're Old is a series of sketches. The most fun are about actual '90s characters like Carmen Sandiego and Ms. Frizzle living in today's world. But some of the sketches, about people who have trouble letting go of that time period, have a larger message. It's ok to miss the '90s, but don't miss out on your life because you are too stuck in the past.

The cast—Alan Bee, Marc Hallworth, Hana Holubec, Isabel Kanaan, Simon Lee, and Alexander Steele Zonjic—are all skilled at comedy and '90s dancing (there's a sketch which features all the dance crazes of the period). You may find yourself wanting to dance along by the end, or at the very least go home and make a '90s playlist.

(Hey '90s Kids, You're Old plays at the Kraine Theater, 85 East 4th Street, through March 1, 2015. Remaining performances are Wednesday February 25 at 10:30PM, Friday February 27 at 8:30PM, and Sunday, March 1 at 12:10 PM. Tickets are $16 and are available at www.horsetrade.info.)