Bean vs. The Robots: Tour Pack

About Bean vs. The Robots

From Lemabean Productions, Bean vs. The Robots is a weird little comedy about grief, that just celebrated a World Premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and received a Bronze Award from the Fringe Theatre Awards.

Written and performed by Michelle “Midge” Lema.
Directed by Riley Rose Critchlow.
Co-Produced by Alison Zatta and Riley Rose Critchlow.

In Bean vs. The Robots, space travellers get to board Bean’s spaceship for exactly 60 minutes. Bean has been flying her spaceship for so long that she lost all of her memories from Earth. Except memories that involve The Robots. Bean will take the space travellers on a ride, perform her favorite songs for them, and maybe even cast them as characters. Space travellers will hear strange songs like "Space Travel Is Hard" and "Space Vampires Are Sad." But even Bean won’t be prepared for the memories that pop up along the way.

Bean vs. The Robots lives in the space between absurdist sci-fi imagination and genuine moments of grief, asking how time shapes the memories of the people we’ve lost.

About Midge Lema & Lemabean Productions

Michelle “Midge” Lema is a writer, performer, producer, on-camera host, and founder of Lemabean Productions. Lema earned a degree in Theatre at the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts, and spent a semester studying Shakespeare at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England.

Lema worked with Disney for over a decade, most recently as Manager of Creative Brand & Development, overseeing content development for Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Disney+ digital and social platforms. She was previously the editor and head writer for Disney News and Oh My Disney, as well as head writer and host of The Oh My Disney Show. She managed editorial calendars and writing staff, oversaw content strategy, and wrote countless articles and scripts. She also appeared on-camera interviewing Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel Studios talent at press events, red carpet premieres, in-studio interviews, and the Oscars. Lema and the team she worked with earned multiple Webby Awards and Shorty Awards.

Lema has written, directed, produced, and performed in numerous plays including productions in Los Angeles (REDCAT Theatre, Hollywood Fringe Festival, Open Fist Theatre), Scotland (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Germany (International Shakespeare Festival), and Australia (Fringe World Festival). She first performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a high school student. She later joined a professional theatre company, This Bridge Theatre, and performed in four shows in rotation at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, one of which she co-directed and one of which she co-wrote. In the Los Angeles theatre scene, Lema was a member of the Open Fist Theatre Company for many years, taking on numerous directing and performance roles, as well as serving as Fundraising Director.

Currently based in Los Angeles, Lema produces and hosts the ongoing live show Space Stories. Lema wrote and produced her first solo show, Bean, which was awarded Best of Hollywood Fringe and called one of the “top ten shows not to miss” at Fringe World Festival by the West Australian. Her newest solo show, Bean vs. The Robots, premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year and earned excellent audience and press reviews, as well as a Bronze Award from the Fringe Festival Awards.

Previous Touring Experience

Lemabean Productions originally toured Lema’s first solo show, Bean, throughout California in the United States and to Fringe World Festival in Perth, Australia. Lema also toured with several productions as a producer, performer, writer, and director in This Bridge Theatre Company, travelling to Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland and the International Shakespeare Festival in Germany.

Touring Goals

We are currently planning to tour Bean vs. The Robots in the US and UK, ideally in studio or black box venues. A venue with 50 seats is ideal, but the show has been performed in 35-seat, 50-seat, and 100-seat venues. We are also planning to produce the show at additional international Fringe Festivals throughout the year.

Reviews

Below are some reviews from Bean vs. The Robots at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe:

★★★★ “Lema is a fearless comic force… A stunningly original triumph… Wildly inventive… Profoundly moving” - Beyond the Curtain

★★★★ “The brilliance of the show is being on Bean’s spaceship one minute and being brought back down to earth the next” - One4Review
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SHOW “This is a gem of a fringe show, fun and mischievous, ably hosted by solo performer Midge Lema… Bean is a hero, a clown and a fellow on that journey” - FringeReview
“Wonderfully weird” - Theatre Village
“A fun and bonkers Fringe experience” - Jolien’s Theatre Diary
“Incredibly heartfelt, while still remaining beautifully silly” - Binge Fringe
“An imaginative and heartfelt piece of work” - Stand-Up UK

Audience Reactions

Below are some audience reviews from Bean vs. The Robots at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe:

“Stumbled into this as needed a show before catching train home and walked out feeling so magical and fuzzy inside. This show felt special, touching and all around gorgeously presented with a touch of silliness. Sounds odd but it’s the perfect show to wind-down to, let emotions out and go into the night ready for next day ahead.”
“Quirky, beautiful, absurd and not. A heartfelt journey through time and space and grief. The performance was stellar in every way.”
This show is delightful. The entrance is so wonderfully weird, I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a moment at the beginning where I thought, “what the f*** is this?” You quickly get the sense, however, that there is a more meaningful discussion simmering beneath the goofiness of Lema’s performance. That gentle bubble is the heart of the show."
“Exactly what the Fringe is about. Bonkers but beautiful poignant.”
“What a truly unique and ruminative show! It captures how complicated, disarming, and sometimes zany grief--both the remembering and the forgetting of grief--come out in odd, maybe even galactic ways... Music, light audience participation, and touching moments. Go if you're curious! Truly one of a kind show!”
“PLEASE GO SEE THIS SHOW. I will fail to explain to you how powerful this performance is. This woman is so powerfully nuanced and has the insane can’t-be-taught talent of making you not only believe but invest in every wonderfully weird moment of her journey, that she will shock you with how emotionally resonating she is. To watch someone be so perfectly make light of something so devastating is artistic perfection. I am in awe. 5,000,000 stars (after all, you’re in space).”
“At times incredibly funny and full of whimsy, only to tip into heartfelt loss so quickly it was dizzying. But then such is grief. This really was a brilliant little show (and I'm not just saying that just because I, like the rest of the audience, are in love with her now).”

Marketing

Our marketing for Bean vs. The Robots focuses on bold images of the character, often in front of a starry, void-like background. In the marketing materials, we aim to convey Bean’s isolation in space, as well as the whimsical nature of the show.

We always use the Bean vs. The Robots title treatment, created by graphic designer Iman Salehian. We also include detailed elements like Bean’s disco-ball spaceship, created by illustrator Kat Wong. These appear throughout marketing to convey a unified theme and consistent look. Our color palette for marketing materials, including the Bean vs. The Robots hats below, includes vintage-inspired yellow, green, orange, and brown.

Our target audience are theatre goers who are looking for a show that darts between comedy and grief, and who enjoy sci-fi and fantasy references, playful audience interaction, and a weird little experience.

Set Pieces

We travel with minimal set pieces, and will rent some equipment locally depending on technical requirements for the region. The set is as follows:

Keyboard
Keyboard stand
Keyboard bench
Small Amp
Mic stand + water bottle holder

Technical Requirements

Sound

Keyboard: Most of the sound from the show will come from the keyboard, which can either be plugged into a small amp, or into the venue sound system.
Mic: In some spaces, a mic might not be needed, but a wireless lav may need to be integrated into the sound system with the keyboard.
Sound Files: We typically have 3 to 5 pre-recorded sound cues based in QLab.

Lighting

The use of a general lighting grid will work for the show. We do love to play with color during specific songs, if possible.

Tech Rehearsal

A 2 to 3 hour tech rehearsal to set sound levels and program the above is ideal.

Load in / Load Out

A 15-minute load in/load out is ideal, but we are flexible.

Crew Requirements

We travel with an ideal crew of 2 to 3 people including the writer/performer. We will typically hire a board op locally.

Writer/Performer
Director
Producer
Board Op (can be hired locally)

More about Bean vs. The Robots here:

Contact

We’d love to hear from your venue! For inquiries, please contact midge@michellelema.com.