Still trying to figure out the best way to navigate social media platforms that are increasingly full of garbage. No longer using the site formerly known as Twitter, giving BlueSky a try (a lot fewer Nazis). So that’s where the posts on the fly during the festival will be posted (https://bsky.app/profile/matthewaeverett.bsky.social), and then I’ll gather them here at the end of each day for the snapshot of my daily festival travels from show to show, with longer reviews to follow.
MN Fringe show #39: Final Dress - Allison Vincent subbed in last minute as guest director, bringing that Transatlantic Love Affair physical theater vibe to Sean Dillon and Michael DallaValle’s fake final rehearsal before “opening” (it’s hard, but funny, faking a whole play from scratch :) - 4 stars
MN Fringe show #40: One Who Is Home - Irie Unity and Olivia Nelson create some sweet moments and lovely turns of phrase throughout; but we know something’s up at the start, so why keep it secret rather than using all that time to explore all the questions instead? 3 stars
MN Fringe show #41: Ping Prov - great mix of improvisers in this performance; their 3 sets were fun, and then they all went in hard on the Ping Prov of it all as a group with bizarre and entertaining results; they were sharp and on it the whole time, which is all you could ask - 5 stars
MN Fringe show #42: Trust Exercises/Exorcises: Phil Gonzales spins the wonder wheel of story options to expel toxic memories associated with the truly bonkers real life theater cult centered on his high school teacher (yikes); just as full of manic energy, humor and honesty as ever (wow) - 5 stars
Here’s some handy links to coverage of 5 Star and 4.5 Star Shows I've Seen (VERY Highly Recommend), 4 Star and 3.5 Star Shows I've Seen (Highly Recommended), Other Shows I've Seen (3 Stars or Less), as well as my Fringe Top 10, Top 11 to 20 and Returning Favorites lists for this year, and all the coverage of this year’s Minnesota Fringe Festival.
As I’m sure many artists are, I find myself struggling with the idea of
just “taking time off” (what a luxury) and submerging myself in a whole
lot of theater for 11 days while the world is on fire so… I’m going to
put some phrases and links down here (and at the end of each post going
forward) and if you find yourself compelled to explore one or more of
them, so much the better. There’s a lot going on, and it can be easy to
get overwhelmed and tune out, but as Congresswoman Sarah McBride
recently said, “If everybody shows a little courage, nobody needs to be a
hero.” I freely admit this list and these links are hardly
exhaustive. It's just something to get started. Do what you can, where
you can, however you can. Let’s help one another get through this.
Contacting your elected officials about the issues that matter to you (and protesting as necessary)
Starvation in the Gaza Strip
Immigration raids around the United States
Ukraine fighting off invasion by Russia
Trans rights
Climate change action
Housing shortage and the unhoused
Reproductive Rights
Voting rights, and running for office
The courts, from the Supreme Court on down to the local level
Don’t forget to laugh - even gallows humor is still humor
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