Fringe 2018 - Day 1 - Thursday 8/2 - Tweet Overview

5:30pm - Not Fair, My Lady - Colleen Somerville Productions - Mixed Blood Theater

tweet review - #mnfringe 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


7pm - Itchy Tingles - Heidi Arneson - Rarig Xperimental Theater

tweet review - #mnfringe 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

8:30pm - Fringe Orphans 4: Back In The Habit - Navel Gaze Productions - Theatre In The Round Players (TRP)

tweet review - #mnfringe 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


10pm - Dreaming - Gabriel Mata/Movements - Southern Theater

tweet review - #mnfringe show 4 - Dreaming - @GabrielMata91 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

Side Note: To my fellow audience members on day 1 - please relax.  If you're this tense and frantic the whole festival, you're never going to make it.  Every year, the entire theater community gets collective amnesia about day 1.  It's always like this on day 1.  Everyone's learning a new system.  It changes every year, here and there around the edges - the system and the venues and the people.  Most of the people serving you are volunteering out of the goodness of their hearts and a love for theater.  Cut them a break.  Stop grumbling.  It's just theater.  Nobody's going to die.  (In fact, a beloved member of the local theater community actually did die yesterday, of cancer, so - perspective, please.  We're not in Iraq or Afghanistan or Syria.  You're in line to see a show.  You'll be fine.)  The show needs to start on time but they will not start without you, they will not lock you out.  If you're at the theater and it's the venue's delay that's keeping you from a seat, they'll get you in.  When you're genuinely late because of your own doing, then you're screwed, not before.  It's fine.  You will all get to see a nice show.  This is supposed to be fun.  Enjoy yourselves.  Stop stressing.  Relax.  Many thanks to all the staff and volunteers who got the whole festival rolling last night.  I hope we weren't too beastly to you.

Here's some handy links to my full Top 10, Top 11-20 and Returning Favorites lists.