Sunday, August 12, 2018

Fringe 2018 - 5 Star Show Rundown


(Reminder: There are no encore slots this year for the best-selling show in each venue.  So there is no extra final chance to catch a popular show at the end of the Fringe schedule. Once they're gone, they're gone, so catch the good shows and/or shows you're really interested in before they disappear)

Abeyance - Tyler West - Strike Theater

show 30 - Abeyance - Tyler West's combination of mime, comedy, self-generated live sound FX, and interaction with audience members on and off stage is a delight - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 8:30pm)

Attention Seeker - That's Enough Drama - Southern Theater

tweet review - show 47 - Attention Seeker - was a fantastic way to end a long day of Fringing; enormously entertaining, high energy, as funny as he is awkward (which is to say, very); a jolt of comedy to recharge your theatergoing batteries - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - 8/12 7pm)

Couple Fight: The Musical - Weggel-Reed Productions - Rarig Thrust

show 28 - Couple Fight: The Musical - perfect show to be Mom's last for Fringe this year; ridiculous fights between couples who love each other, that this time around burst into song; easily my favorite version of Couple Fight so far - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 1pm)

Cyrano On The Moon - Red Dice Collective - Ritz Studio

tweet review - show 45 - Cyrano On The Moon - What a delightful way to bring Cyrano, Roxanne, and Christian back together again and give them all a strange but happy ending; don't know Cyrano de Bergerac? no worries, there's a dumb show recap at the top - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - 8/12 2:30pm)

Dangerous When Wet: Booze, Sex and My Mother - Jamie Brickhouse - Augsburg Studio

tweet review - #mnfringe show 16 - Dangerous When Wet: Booze, Sex and My Mother - @jamiebrickhouse weaves a tale you couldn't tell just anybody's mother, but my Mom and I both liked it a lot; Brickhouse spares neither his mother nor himself but it's a hell of a story - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 7pm)

Link to full "Dangerous When Wet" review

Dreaming - Gabriel Mata/Movements - Southern Theater

tweet review - show 4 - Dreaming - is so smart about how to put together a Fringe show, it's scary; stunning; darker than last year, but SO good, so meticulously laid out; may be not just the best dancer, but also one of the best performers; damn - 5 stars
tweet review - show 29 - Dreaming - yes, I went to see it a 2nd time; a Fringe show so good it lifted my spirits at the end of the day; in my opinion, one of the very best of the whole festival this year - 5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Dreaming" review

The Flashlight Zone: 20 Science Fiction Plays In One Hour - Flash Grenade Productions - TRP

tweet review - #mnfringe show 19 - The Flashlight Zone: 20 Sci-Fi Plays in One Hour (order chosen at random by audience) - figured I'd like it, pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it; someone asked Twilight Zone/Dark Mirror? I replied more Bradbury/Douglas Adams sci-fi - 5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Flashlight Zone" review

Fruit Flies Like A Banana - The Fourth Wall - Celtic Junction

tweet review - show 11 - Fruit Flies Like A Banana - adapt to the Family Fringe like the pros they are, even when kids rush the stage; a shame the amazing things they do won't be fully appreciated till the kids are older and realize how hard it is - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY), Sun 8/12 1:30pm)

Link to full "Fruit Flies" review


A Gertrude Stein Christmas - Theatre Unbound - Augsburg Mainstage

tweet review - #mnfringe show 17 - A Gertrude Stein Christmas - @TheatreUnbound's got a weird one here, but bless Stein's oddball little heart; strange dialogue interpreted as all-female holiday family tale dealing with dementia and introducing a new girlfriend to the clan - 5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Gertrude Stein Christmas" review


Gunplay - Tom Reed - Mixed Blood Theater

tweet review - show 9 - Gunplay - A sharp satirical musical with an ensemble full of great performers and a lot of laughs. If only the real gun lobbyists were as easy to defeat as the ones in this play - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 4pm)

Link to full "Gunplay" review




Illinois Boy Blues - Deacon Gamzee Productions - Augsburg Studio

show 27 - Illinois Boy Blues - the phrase master class is overused but actors take note, *this* is how you use the entire range of your voice to create characters, tell a story, and truly connect with your audience - wow - great solo performance - 5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Illinois Boy Blues" review



The Immaculate Big Bang - Bill Santiago - Strike Theater

show 32 - Immaculate Big Bang - gave his all despite a tiny crowd; neither cynical nor sentimental, despite content on young daughter and death of father; refreshingly smart, irreverent, very funny stand-up show mixing science/religion - 5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Immaculate Big Bang" review


A Justice League of Their Own - Mainly Me Productions - TRP

tweet review - show 8 - A Justice League of Their Own - Mom said “It’s almost like you have to see it more than once just to catch it all. You want to laugh but there’s so much in that show you’re afraid you’ll miss the next really funny thing” - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 5:30pm)




The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society vs. The Nazis - Rarig Thrust

tweet review - show 12 - The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society vs. The Nazis - 2 classic radio programs with Nazi villains being vanquished, lovingly recreated down to the performance style and sound FX; couldn't ask for a more fun time more perfectly executed - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 5:30pm)

Link to full "Mysterious Old Radio Society" review

Not Fair, My Lady - Colleen Somerville Productions - Mixed Blood Theater

tweet review - show #1 - Not Fair, My Lady - Perfect way to start our Fringe; the singing, the politics, the attitude, the swearing; listen to these women; could easily end up being one of the best things in the festival this year - 5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Not Fair, My Lady" review



Now We See It - Michael Rogers - Ritz Mainstage

tweet review - show 42 - Now We See It - took a while to finally see this one but it was worth the wait; the actual horror of childhood trauma gets channeled thru a demon pursuing a man into his own past to help his teenage self try to avoid the worst; great stuff - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 8:30pm)



A Part Of Me - Imagined Theatre - Southern

tweet review - show 36 - A Part Of Me - super solid musical in a Fringe-sized package; integrates then elevates music; book, lyrics and music really work together; impressive cast, strong voices; also about something (organ donation) w/out hitting you over the head - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 2:30pm)

Link to full "A Part of Me" review


Self-Titled Debut Album - Philip Simondet - Mixed Blood

tweet review - show 35 - Self-Titled Debut Album - such a deceptively simple gimmick: each song gives us character, plot, spotlights a different part of the band; the songs are so damn clever (and meta, but not annoying - bonus); delivers on its promise in a big way - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 1pm)

Link to full "Self-Titled Debut Album" review


Summers In Prague - Sidecar Theatre - Rarig Arena

tweet review - show 10 - Summers In Prague - Mom said "Wow. This is the best thing we've seen." A lovely, well-crafted new play about an unconventional romance given life by a great production team and two fantastic performances - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 7pm)

Link to full "Summers In Prague" review


The Things They Carried - Beardog Productions - Ritz Studio

tweet review - show 46 - The Things They Carried - Jim Stowell is a masterful storyteller, and this Fringe-sized excerpt from Tim O'Brien's classic Vietnam War story is a perfect fit for Stowell's powerful performing gifts - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - 8/12 4pm)




Walking While Black In Moscow - Les Kurkendaal - Ritz Studio

tweet review - show 7 - Walking While Black In Moscow - is back, having survived being both black and gay while visiting Russia (where it turns out he has roots); another surreal trip mined for another delightful Fringe adventure - 5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Walking While Black In Moscow" review


Whales - Hit The Lights! Theater Co. - Ritz Mainstage

tweet review -  show 22 - Whales - owned the whole Ritz Theatre space and the audience with shadow puppetry, punk rock sea shanty anthems, and a deconstruction of Moby Dick that was a hell of a lot of fun (doesn't sound like it should work, but it sure does) - 5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Whales" review


The Womyn’s Mysteries - See-Saw Theater Lab - Minnsky Theatre

tweet review -  show 23 - The Womyn's Mysteries - an unexpected winner; Mom said "I've got chills" when it was does; an all-female ensemble excavates and resurrects the stories of women in the origins of the Judeo-Christian tradition - 5 stars - (REMAINING SHOWS  (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 2:30pm)

Link to full "Womyn's Mysteries" review


Youngblood in the Desert/Gateway Drug - OverLaugh Productions - Rarig Arena

tweet review - show 33 - Youngblood In The Desert / The Gateway Drug - 2 actors, 2 one-act plays about 2 guys lost in the world who find each other (in a non-homoerotic sort of way) - once in the Crusades, once in small town America, both well-written and well-acted - 5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 4pm)



Here's some handy links to reviews of 4.5 Star Shows, 4 Star Shows, 3 Star Shows, and my full Top 10, Top 11-20 and Returning Favorites lists.

Fringe 2018 - 4.5 Star Show Rundown

(Reminder: There are no encore slots this year for the best-selling show in each venue.  So there is no extra final chance to catch a popular show at the end of the Fringe schedule. Once they're gone, they're gone, so catch the good shows and/or shows you're really interested in before they disappear)

The Idaho Action Jackson Playset - Brad Lawrence - Ritz Studio

tweet review - show 6 - The Idaho Jackson Action Playset - childhood traumas and adult-sized fears in Reagan era USA; comedy equals tragedy plus time; another solid, slightly manic, storytelling hour from - 4.5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Idaho Jackson Action Playset" review

Itchy Tingles - Heidi Arneson - Rarig Xperimental Theater

tweet review - show 2 - Itchy Tingles - quintessential Heidi Arneson; if you've never seen her, this is a perfect intro; if you have, the addition of the guitar player gives it a whole new feel; "old school" Fringiness; great having her back - 4.5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Itchy Tingles" review

Kaboom - Sheep Theater - Rarig Thrust

tweet review - #mnfringe show 18 - Kaboom - hats off to Sheep Theater for their latest lunatic farcical Fringe hit; allowed me to laugh (a lot) at something involving a president and nuclear war in a way I didn't think possible right now - 4.5 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Kaboom" review

Mrs. Wrights - Quasimondo Physical Theatre - Rarig X

tweet review - #mnfringe show 20 - Mrs. Wrights - 2 biographical dance pieces in 1 day; here, a graceful, athletic dancer channeling 3 wives, 1 mom, 1 mistress and Frank Lloyd Wright himself; visually sharp, factually a bit top-heavy, overall a success - 4.5 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 8:30pm)

Link to full "Mrs. Wrights" review


Here's some handy links to reviews of 5 Star Shows, 4 Star Shows, 3 Star Shows, and my full Top 10, Top 11-20 and Returning Favorites lists.


Fringe 2018 - 4 Star Show Rundown


(Reminder: There are no encore slots this year for the best-selling show in each venue.  So there is no extra final chance to catch a popular show at the end of the Fringe schedule. Once they're gone, they're gone, so catch the good shows and/or shows you're really interested in before they disappear)

Delightfully Rude - Elaine Orion - Ritz Studio

tweet review - show 5 - Delightfully Rude - Mom wasn't a fan, but I laughed out loud a lot (which I don't normally due in shows); guess we'll just agree to disagree on this one; your mileage may vary - 4 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 7pm)

Link to full "Delightfully Rude" review

Forsythian Dweller’s Club - Bittersweet Arts Co. - Rarig X

tweet review - show 25 - Forsythian Dweller's Club - an impressively elaborate shaggy dog story of hilariously scary circular logic in which a literary magazine's plans for expansion get way out of hand on a globally cultish scale - 4 stars (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 4pm)

Gay Hot American Summer - GIRL Theatre - Rarig Arena

tweet review - show 34 - Gay Hot American Summer - I wanted to like this one more than I ultimately did; it was certainly gay, well done, and awfully cute, but it kind of refused to end after it ran out of reasons to keep going - 4 stars - (CLOSED)

Geminae - Oncoming Productions - Southern Theater

tweet review - show 38 - Geminae - cool anti-gravity physical work; a stranded female astronaut running out of air; her sister down at mission control; a plot for revenge; creepy sci-fi horror - 4 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 1pm)

My 4 Bodies - Nightfox Stage Productions - Ritz Studio

tweet review - show 44 - My 4 Bodies - a writer/performer living with multiple sclerosis recounts her struggles to make peace with her body and herself - 4 stars - (CLOSED)

Night Sets Her Foot In Morocco - Minnesota SkyVault Theater - Rarig Arena

tweet review - #mnfringe show 14 - Night Sets Her Foot In Morocco - less music/more wacky antics in the audience than I was expecting, but still a heck of a lot of fun - 4 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Morocco" review

(a) Normal Theatre Play - Goof Goof - Strike Theater

tweet review - show 43 - (a) Normal Theatre Play - show's closed so it can now be revealed, this stage adaptation was not of Cars 3, but of A Christmas Carol (the horror!); Bob Dylan as Fezziwig, however, was inspired comic lunacy - 4 stars - (CLOSED)

Robert's Eternal Goldfish - Audacity Theatre Lab - Rarig X

tweet review - show 30 - Robert's Eternal Goldfish - a wannabe misanthrope reluctantly brought back into the flow of humanity by a supernatural goldfish; irascibly charming comic storytelling - 4 stars - (CLOSED)

Saint Ex - Spaceheater - Rarig Arena

tweet review - #mnfringe show 15 - Saint Ex - (still noodling over this one) - physical poem where dancer channels both an author/pilot and his wife - compelling visual images, puzzling out what it adds up to - 4 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Saint Ex" review

The Shrieking Harpies - Augsburg Studio

tweet review - show 26 - Shrieking Harpies - a fully improvised musical from a single word (this time, mortician) that even the improvisers admitted afterward was really weird; still, what they do is nothing short of amazing, and their voices are great - 4 stars (CLOSED)

Link to full "Shrieking Harpies" review

Still or I’ve Been Choreographed - Kevin Williamson + Company - Rarig X

tweet review - show 29 - Still, or I've Been Choreographed - Kevin Williamson's choreography/performance starts with almost with an absence of motion, making regular motion seem suddenly huge; intriguing exercise in focus, precision, and audience attention - 4 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Still or I've Been Choreographed" review

Vert-O-Graph - Marvel Ann Theatre - Rarig Thrust 

tweet review - show 13 - Vertograph - campy satire of mid-20th century suburban obsessions, pulled into another dimension and back again; rules were a little fuzzy, sometimes didn't know if I was supposed to be laughing WITH the gay characters or AT them - 4 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Vert-O-Graph" review


Here's some handy links to reviews of 5 Star Shows, 4.5 Star Shows, 3 Star Shows, and my full Top 10, Top 11-20 and Returning Favorites lists.





























Fringe 2018 - 3 Star Show Rundown


(Reminder: There are no encore slots this year for the best-selling show in each venue.  So there is no extra final chance to catch a popular show at the end of the Fringe schedule. Once they're gone, they're gone, so catch the good shows and/or shows you're really interested in before they disappear)

Fringe Orphans 4: Back in the Habit - Navel Gaze Productions - Theatre in the Round Players

tweet review - show 3 - Fringe Orphans 4 - be prepared for unicorn sex; be prepared to be asked to facilitate unicorn sex; and a 3-legged chair; and the feds cracking down on a girl's lemonade stand, and more - 3 stars - (CLOSED)

Link to full "Fringe Orphans" review

Home - Michael Venske - Strike Theater

tweet review - show 41 - Home - one-person show which was strangely unspecific about his time both in MN and in China; could've used more detail like that section of the old dining room wallpaper where the audience could feel the velvet - 3 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 5:30pm)

Theory of Relativity - Theory of Dance - Ritz Studio

show 31, part 2 - Theory of Relativity - the opening number was enchanting, then the rest of the show happened; nothing wrong with the dancers; unfortunate music choices; unfocused, repetitive choreography; weirdly passive use of audience participation - 3 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 1pm)

Link to full "Theory of Relativity" review

There Goes the Gayborhood - Libra Moon Productions - Strike Theater

tweet review -  show 21 - There Goes The Gayborhood - the script seems like it could be genuinely hilarious, and the cast seems like they could deliver a better show, they just really needed a stronger director for that show to happen - 3 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TODAY) - Sun 8/12 2:30pm)

Link to full "Gayborhood" review

Titus: Sweet Water, Silent Walks - The BAND Group - Rarig Thrust

tweet review - show 37 - Titus: Sweet Water, Silent Walks - strong aesthetic choices, but fair warning, they spend an awful lot of time beating, raping and maiming Lavinia, and then doing it all again in interpretive dance later so... there's that - 3 stars - (FINAL SHOW (TONIGHT) - Sun 8/12 8:30pm)

Writing Wrongs in a Sandcastle - Witchy Beach - Minnsky Theatre

tweet review -  show 24 - Writing Wrongs In A Sandcastle - well, it looked like they were having fun; the strange tale of a writer, an editor, a not quite shipwreck, and a handpuppet dolphin named Trixie with blond hair and pearls - 3 stars - (CLOSED)


Here's some handy links to reviews of 5 Star Shows, 4.5 Star Shows, 4 Star Shows, and my full Top 10, Top 11-20 and Returning Favorites lists.


Fringe 2018 - Day 10 - Sat 8/11 - Tweet Overview


1pm - Home - Michael Venske - Strike Theater

tweet review - show 41 - Home - one-person show which was strangely unspecific about his time both in MN and in China; could've used more detail like that section of the old dining room wallpaper where the audience could feel the velvet - 3 stars

2:30pm - Now We See It - Michael Rogers - Ritz Mainstage

tweet review - show 42 - Now We See It - took a while to finally see this one but it was worth the wait; the actual horror of childhood trauma gets channeled thru a demon pursuing a man into his own past to help his teenage self try to avoid the worst; great stuff - 5 stars

4pm - (a) Normal Theatre Play - Goof Goof - Strike Theater

tweet review - show 43 - (a) Normal Theatre Play - show's closed so it can now be revealed, this stage adaptation was not of Cars 3, but of A Christmas Carol (the horror!); Bob Dylan as Fezziwig, however, was inspired comic lunacy - 4 stars

5:30pm - My 4 Bodies - Nightfox Stage Productions - Ritz Studio

tweet review - show 44 - My 4 Bodies - a writer/performer living with multiple sclerosis recounts her struggles to make peace with her body and herself - 4 stars

7pm - Cyrano On The Moon - Red Dice Collective - Ritz Studio

tweet review - show 45 - Cyrano On The Moon - What a delightful way to bring Cyrano, Roxanne, and Christian back together again and give them all a strange but happy ending; don't know Cyrano de Bergerac? no worries, there's a dumb show recap at the top - 5 stars

8:30pm - The Things They Carried - Beardog Productions - Ritz Studio

tweet review - show 46 - The Things They Carried - Jim Stowell is a masterful storyteller, and this Fringe-sized excerpt from Tim O'Brien's classic Vietnam War story is a perfect fit for Stowell's powerful performing gifts - 5 stars

10pm - Attention Seeker - That's Enough Drama - Southern Theater

tweet review - show 47 - Attention Seeker - was a fantastic way to end a long day of Fringing; enormously entertaining, high energy, as funny as he is awkward (which is to say, very); a jolt of comedy to recharge your theatergoing batteries - 5 stars


Here's some handy links to reviews of 5 Star Shows, 4.5 Star Shows, 4 Star Shows, 3 Star Shows, and my full Top 10, Top 11-20 and Returning Favorites lists.