On Stage with Kevin Kling

by Kevin Kling

From 21A, the one-man show that launched a career and a whole new perspective on riding the bus, to a sneak peek at the new Minnesota Public Radio–sponsored Gulliver Unraveled, On Stage with Kevin Kling gives readers a behind-the-curtain view of one of Minnesota's most popular storytellers.

This collectible volume contains the full text of three of Kevin Kling's stage pieces—21A, Ice Fishing, and Scarecrow on Fire—as well as excerpts from Of Mirth and Mischief and Back Home. Previously unpublished poems, short pieces, and a conversation between the Fitzgerald eater's Tony Bol and the writer provide a window into Kling's creative and collaborative process.

Kevin Kling has been telling his off-kilter stories with humor, heart, and thoughtful philosophizing for over twenty years, and this book brings readers right on stage with the master.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2013

About the author

Kevin Kling is a well-known playwright and storyteller, and his commentaries can be heard on NPR’s All Things Considered. His plays and adaptations have been performed around the world. He lives in Minneapolis.

From the author's website.

Reviews

[Craig Helm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great synopsis of Kevin Kling’s work. It’s full of his humerus material that is so funny and thoughtful. It was a joy to read.

[Bill Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have liked his other books better. This is more biographical shall I say…or more informational about his works, especially plays and does include some of them. I generally like seeing the play performed more than I like reading it.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful collection of Kling’s plays, oral story telling, and poems, with bits of autobiography and wisdom tossed in.

[Robert Jersak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin Kling has been an inspirational voice in my life, and while he is quintessentially Minnesotan (he's from this clay, as he would say) like me, it saddens me how that label seems to reduce the complexity of his work in the eyes of an audience. Kevin is one of the great storytellers of the north, true, but he's also a brilliant poet, and an edgy modern playwright. That work is on display here, making it something to really cherish -- something that makes you feel like you've been invited into a small circle of people in his life, sharing in a full array of his inspirations.

Favorite Passage:
"Remember the rule: "If it hurts, you're doing fine, but if you start feeling good an' you're happy with yourself and your life seems nice and smooth, seek help immediately -- that's hypothermia talking, something is wrong and you don't have much time." (p. 84)