Rogue review: With relatable characters and an Animal Crossing setting, ‘Cabin 12’ is a show to watch
By Juana Lozano
The concept: With songs and skits, writer/director Aurelia Grierson’s “Cabin 12” uses the world of the popular video game Animal Crossing as a virtual setting to portray a group of teenage Girl Scouts camping.
The high points: In this virtual show, you get lots of laughs and surprising moments. In their voiceovers, the actors do a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. My favorite part in the show is when a character named Shell recites a poem. There is a voiceover of the poem, and while Shell was speaking, they also show her reciting her poem in the messages as dialogue in Animal Crossing. It is a nice visual element moment to see. I can tell a lot of time and dedication went into making the transition from live interactive performance to pre-recorded digital showing. I enjoyed seeing a story take place in Animal Crossing, which made the story more realistic in a camp-like setting. And I enjoyed that in each skit, scenery and props from Animal Crossing helped bring life to the story.
The not so high points: This production is not meant for young children. Even if the story is taking place in Animal Crossing, there is explicit language, “adult” topics, and DRAMA.
The takeaway: Grierson creatively structures the story around girls who are still trying to find and accept themselves. Each skit teaches communication skills and skills about being a Girl Scout. The story is well-written, and the transition to Animal Crossing for a virtual event was an excellent choice to still have a camp-like scenery.
The details: 7 p.m. Friday, March 12, at fresnoroguefestival.com. Tickets are by donation.
Juana Lozano is a Fresno State student majoring in anthropology. She wrote this article for Donald Munro’s media-writing class.
The Munro Review has no paywall but is financially supported by readers who believe in its non-profit mission of bringing professional arts journalism to the central San Joaquin Valley. You can help by signing up for a monthly recurring paid membership or make a one-time donation of as little as $3. All memberships and donations are tax-deductible.
