"Invasion of the Minnesota Normals" Now Playing at the Lounge Theatre in Los Angeles, CA

What is normal? If I had to define the term, I would say it includes anything accepted by the majority of people within a society. You play by the rules, you stay within the lines, you're normal. If enough people participate in it, it's normal. These parameters bend and stretch over time but they are continually agreed upon. For instance today we do not allow smoking in bars, yet 50 years ago you could light up in the emergency room of a hospital. It's strange to think of, right? Times change, norms change. And we all just kind of go along with it.

I began to deliberate on this particular subject after catching a recent performance of "Invasion of the Minnesota Normals" at the Lounge Theatre in Los
Angeles. The story concerns several midwestern couples living in suburban Chicago during the 1950's. The production is a classic
period piece, capturing the essence of the upper middle class society of that era. At the center of the plot is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
Inventory test. Used by large companies as a means of analyzing employees and new hires, it was basically a series of random personal questions. As the characters reveal more about themselves through the test, all preconceived notions about who is "normal" get thrown out the window.

At a little over an hour, "Invasion of The Minnesota Normals" is a bite sized treat. Funny, thought provoking, wonderfully acted and directed, this production comes with my highest of recommendations.