(To learn more about this show, please visit the show’s page here)

Performance 6/13/26 – Portland Stage Studio

Did you ever see the movie In and Out by Pixar? It’s the one where a teenage girl’s psyche is depicted as avatars in her head representing various emotions that help (or hinder) her navigation of the world. So take that concept and apply it a revolving committee of cyber body parts trying to help Joe, an unskilled and self destructive soldier, navigate a war if not in one piece then at least alive. Overall, this adaptation of the short story by Suzanne Palmer works in a theatrical setting, in no small part due to crisp performances and smart staging conventions.

At first I was worried about the construct of a seated committee carrying the story through clever quips and dialogue, which despite being well written and performed, might have grown stale in pretty short order. But the device of a screen behind the committee members depicting what Joe sees through projected line drawings and shadows gave enough of a window into Joe to take me out of the board room and into his life. I found myself caring what Joe was thinking and why, and whether the committee could find a way to influence the situation.

It’s turning out to be a strong Portfringe this year, and Thirty-Three Percent Joe is a strong contender to put on your Bingo card.

Submitted on 6/14/26 by Mark Shaughnessy, PF26 Independent Review Team