Photo by Brave New Workshop.
Here's the cartoon version of sketch-comedy major domo Dudley Riggs, founder of the Brave New Workshop: huge glasses on his prominent forehead and a dapper bowtie.
Well, it's hard to put on a forehead for an evening, but a cravat is a different story. On Saturday, St Paul's History Theatre looked like a confab of architects and legal eagles as a substantial portion of the men in the audience wore bowties. They did it in tribute to Riggs, a bowtie fan whose life was humorously sketched in "Dudley: Rigged for Laughter."
The show, by Dane Stauffer, John Sweeney and Caleb McEwen, who directed with Ron Peluso, was attended by academics from the University of Minnesota, where Riggs' wife, Pauline Boss, has taught. The audience included some bold-faced names, including Krista Tippett, host of the public radio program "Speaking of Faith," who came to support her neighbor; comedy writer and actor Pat Proft, who hosted pre-show dinner; and state Sen. Dick Cohen ("it's a super-busy campaign season but I couldn't miss it," he said).
But Sen. Al Franken, who early in his career wrote sketch comedy at Brave New Workshop, could not make it. He was tending to the nation's business.
