Fringe 2026 Review - Latin Papi - Joyful, Sexy Dance Show - 5 stars

Review on the fly:
#mnfringe show 4: Latin Papi: beauty, grace, athleticism, sensuality of the human body on full display in this playful, flirty, often funny dance showcase from Gabriel Mata and Armani Rey Colon; saving one last punch for the end, of course; it's not hot in here, it's them; treat yourself - 5 stars

Dance shows at the Fringe are always a fun challenge - trying to convey the impact of movement in words.  Plus, Gabriel Mata always creates shows where there are other layers beneath the movement or comical dialogue.  So there’s a lot to unpack, as usual, with his latest show “Latin Papi” a series of duets created with his fellow dancer in the show, Armani Rey Colon (and together the two of them recently founded the new Washington, DC dance company Cuerpo x Cuervo, presenting this show).

Mata and Colon don’t speak themselves until the show is over (as Gabriel joked to the opening night crowd, “The show only runs for 46 minutes so that means I get to talk for 14.”). The two performers move wordlessly through the space to the sounds of Latin, club, techno and electronic music, accompanied periodically throughout by a voiceover from Mata, which is where a lot of the comedy in the evening comes from.  Introducing the concept of the show at the beginning, and then extrapolating in greater detail about the variety of Papis later on, Mata keeps the spirt of the show playful and inviting.

“Relax.  Your husband doesn’t need to know.”

Also playful and inviting, the flirtiness of the two dancers, both with the audience and one another.  There is an undercurrent between them throughout the show, at times competitive, at times alluring, at times intimate and supportive.  Mata and Colon play off one another well.

“All that denim.”

It’s a very extroverted show, almost exhibitionist.  The dancer characters - and they are characters, not the dancers themselves - want the audience to look at them, when they’re moving, when they’re dressing or undressing.  There’s also an evocative use of color and light and shadow in the different dance sections of the performance (shout-out to the Fringe techs making the most of the shared light plot to give the show a distinctive visual look).  The light and dark plays over the sometimes sparkling and colorful costumes, as well as over the lines of muscle in the performers’ bodies.

“Are you ready for the ride?”

Mata mentioned in the brief remarks to the audience at the end of the show that he’s been able through his performances in the Fringe across these last several years to more confidently explore and connect with his culture, and celebrate being a brown body moving in this space.  That philosophy is evident in every minute of the show, including its arresting final sequence.

Because it’s a Gabriel Mata show (now equally a Mata and Colon show, however), they were of course going to leave us with something to ponder.  So after over half an hour of joyful, uninhibited, athletic dance, bodies filling the space with swoops and dives and bodies colliding and entwining without apology, just when you think this might just be a happy uncomplicated show from start to finish, the music shifts and becomes a bit more ominous.  Mata and Colon strip down to their dance belts in a way that suddenly isn’t sexual or inviting (or even perhaps consensual), but heads down, almost in shame or wanting to avoid being fully seen.  They collect the clothes that have been scattered around the space over the course of the show and its many sultry costume changes, then finally face not the audience but each another, and find a way even in this darker circumstance to connect and support one another. Even in a grim moment, there is hope.  Given the general climate these days for queer bodies, and bodies not perceived as white, those last moments of “Latin Papi” are a lot to consider.

If you want a joyful dance show, if you want a sexy dance show, if you want a dance show that makes you think, Mata and Colon have a great Fringe show for you in “Latin Papi.”  See the show and have some fun.

5 Stars, Very Highly Recommended

 

You can find reviews of other shows in these links to my listings of 5 and 4.5 Star Shows (VERY Highly Recommended) and 4 and 3.5 Star Shows (Highly Recommended). Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival.

 

  

Fringe 2026 Review - Stage Presents - A Comedic Storyteller Meets His Own Challenge - 4.5 Stars

Review on the fly:
#mnfringe show 2 - Stage Presents - Wells Farnham takes the stage and doesn't let it go for 3 manic comedic stories that are real stemwinders and a 4th that is *so* close to sticking the landing; challenging himself on several fronts and upping his game in the process; great fun - 4.5 stars

Wells Farnham chose to challenge himself on a number of fronts for his new solo show “Stage Presents,” and even though he didn’t really need to, one can’t help but appreciate the effort involved.  Farnham’s work really did fall into the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” category.  Well-written solo shows that are also funny and (dare I use the word?) poignant are in short supply and Wells’ show last year “I Have Griefances” was all three.  Solo shows that are well-performed are also rare, and Farnham had that down as well.

“Speaking of farts…”

But the idea that it is somehow “more professional” to fully memorize one’s script rather than perform with a script on a music stand as reminder and backup is belied by a long tradition of storytellers in the Fringe doing the latter.  I’ll admit the first time I saw it back in the day, it took some getting used to.  But I’m long past being hung up on that.  So, Farnham didn’t need to memorize his show this time, but he did, and it came off without a hitch.  Now, did this allow him to also be more expansive in this use of the space and move around a lot more than he has in the past?  Yes, so I can see the bonuses involved in not tying yourself to a single position and a script outside the one in your head.

“Doing a proper theater show is doing something that scares the shit out of me.”

A bare stage is a common Fringe environment, often because artists only get ten minutes to load in and then later load out their show, so elaborate sets (or any sets at all) are a challenge folks often don’t want to add onto their checklist.  Last time, bare stage it was.  This time, Wells had enormous cardboard boxes painted as if they’d been colorfully gift-wrapped.  This pile of “stage presents” served as both a backdrop, and a place to obscure the items for the performer’s closing stunt, so it was a good use of the convention, not merely decorative.

“Turns out, cartwheels are a perishable skillset.”

Last time, Farnham had a singular story (his extended family’s darkly comic recurrent encounters with various forms of cancer in a very compressed period of time) with a lot of related tangents as each family member’s illness and treatment progressed.  This year, it’s a set of four stories - a workplace accident I won’t spoil, the perils of trying to date someone who has, shall we say, friends who aren’t entirely human; the challenge of watching someone else’s kid if you’ve inconveniently just gotten high right before being asked, and the significance of a bootleg recording of a Crowded House cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Born on the Bayou.”  These stories don’t seem to have much in common with one another, but Farnham does have them connecting and building on one another until almost the very end of the show.

“I recently forgot how to spell the word ‘upon’.”

The very end is related to the last way in which Wells is setting an additional challenge for himself, and while I don’t want to spoil it, I do also want to give him credit for the attempt.  I’ll just say that I know from personal experience that there are few things more terrifying than trying to sing and play a musical instrument onstage when it isn’t something that is second nature and comes easily to you.  (I have spectacularly f**ked that up myself in recent, painful, memory.)  The fact that Wells tackles this challenge and is able to pull it off, even in the moments when the instrument is not exactly cooperating, was very impressive to me.

“75 percent of my plan was unaccounted for.”

The thing I don’t think quite works is the use of the song “Born on the Bayou.”  The song is clearly very significant to Farnham, and he tries to convey that in the context of the story.  But it doesn’t quite land.  And the song is a strange choice at the moment in the play when you’re trying to tie the whole of the performance together.  Even though the performance of the song is the last metaphorical cliff for the artist to jump off of in this show, it doesn’t feel like a climax in the same way the end to the other stories do.  Almost as if the segments might work better in a different order?

“Writing, editing, revising… writing, editing, revising…”

But they aren’t my stories, so what do I know?  I admire the degree of difficulty that Wells threw down for himself here, to push his storytelling and stagecraft to another level.  And I think he’s largely been successful at meeting those additional challenges he set up.  It is hard to top the storytelling goldmine of a fractious family’s encounters with the healthcare system and mortality that he had last year.  The first three stories are all solid and very funny.  And the last one wasn’t bad, it just left me scratching my head a bit.  Three quarters of a great show is a lot more than most folks in the Fringe can pull off, so if you want some laughs and a tale well told, you should check out “Stage Presents.”

4.5 Stars, Very Highly Recommended

 

You can find reviews of other shows in these links to my listings of 5 and 4.5 Star Shows (VERY Highly Recommended) and 4 and 3.5 Star Shows (Highly Recommended). Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival.

 

  

Fringe 2026 Review - Sound and Noise and Bodies - Breathtaking Comedy and Music - 5 stars

Review on the fly:
#mnfringe show 3: Sound and Noise and Bodies: still trying to wrap my brain around this must see show from Jen Scott; remarkable writing; gentle jovial delivery of life events and insights that are often devastating; original ukulele song lyrics with equal punch; the message, "humans, am I right?" - 5 stars

One sign of a really great show sometimes is that it leaves me at a loss for words for how to coherently talk about it to other people and somehow convey to them just how amazing that show was.  Jen Scott’s new solo show “Sound and Noise and Bodies” is one of those great shows.  

“I am my deaf, French husband.”

Right after the show was over, walking over to the next venue to catch the final show for the evening, I was talking to a fellow audience member who had also just seen it, and then later waiting in line for the next show I was chatting to a couple of people about it and again finding it very hard to easily summarize its many virtues.  In fact, we got off on a tangent because I mentioned original songs on the ukulele and one of the people thought I’d just seen the other ukulele show.  (Ukuleles and all sorts of other musical instruments, plus anger about the state of society right now, manifesting around a number of issues, seem to be two common themes in the festival this year - and it was only opening night Thursday at the time)

“Traveling before children - there was still time to get lost.”

Perhaps the central thing that makes this show so great is that Jen Scott is the only artist who could pull it off.  It is uniquely personal to her as a human, and also as a performer.  Her style of performance is so easygoing and welcoming that it makes some of the more harrowing turns in her story easier for an audience to engage with.  She’s made her peace with these things that happened, and so we’ll also be OK.  There’s a looseness to the whole performance but it’s not because of a lack of precision.  There’s a script on the stand for reference, with which Jen will occasionally check in, just to be sure she’s still on track (most of the time she is, and when she isn’t, well, it’s easy enough to loop that tangent right back into the main story).

“This instrument annoys fascists, and honestly, everyone else.”

The precision of the script, the turns of phrase, the use of language, and the ways of describing things that are unimaginable as commonplace, the whole thing’s just breathtaking.  It is funny from pretty much start to finish, but it can also just be heartbreaking in a way that would be unbearable, if Jen hadn’t already borne it and processed it for us, and offered away to move on in a song lyric, or dialogue that often seems akin to poetry.  Also this may be the only script I’ve ever encountered that references Pythagorus, Anne Hathaway, 10,000 Maniacs, Shiva, and Keppler all in the same show.

“The world sings with him in it.”

There’s also a reveling in the chaos of live theater.  Jen makes great use of the space, and makes sure to play to all sides of the audience in the round.  This also means that there’s an ongoing game of “where will my light be for this next musical number” and much comedic hay is made of the fact that the performer nearly always guesses wrong.  The thing that makes it funnier is that it feels like an unplanned bit.  There is genuine suspense as to what light’s gonna come up where throughout.  That’s not a ding on the tech person in the booth, they’re a great partner in helping get the show from beginning to end. Shout-out as well to director Levi Weinhagen for the assistance he provided in giving Scott an outside eye to help her craft this story into a Fringe-sized presentation.

“You would take a bullet for your child, which is American for ‘I love you.’”

Scott from the opening lines harkens back to our human ancestors on this planet ten or even hundreds of thousands of years ago.  These are people we still study and learn about today, even though they’re long since returned to the dirt.  Nothing is really lost.  No one is really gone.  Things may be sad or unfortunate  or unfair, but you can also look at them as ridiculous or just… well… part of life.  And life is long.  And life is short.  Better to laugh and sing than cry.  Better to forgive, when you can, rather than wallow in resentment.

“Fingers that can reach and octave, and pick up a squirrel.”

Jen is often soft-spoken but that gets the audience to just lean in a little more.  She still fills the space with her performance.  I don’t want to spoil the personal details related to Scott’s husband and children which play such a key role in the comedy and the melancholy of it all.  “Sound and Noise and Bodies” is just one of those things you need to be present for.  It’s a remarkable show about just a sliver of Scott’s remarkable life, and it really brought me up short and got me thinking about my own.  Just one of many great gifts an artist can give their audience.

5 Stars, Very Highly Recommended

 

You can find reviews of other shows in these links to my listings of 5 and 4.5 Star Shows (VERY Highly Recommended) and 4 and 3.5 Star Shows (Highly Recommended). Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival.

 

  

 

 

Fringe 2026 Review - Small Minded - What Are You Laughing At? - 5 Stars

Review on the fly:
#mnfringe show 1 - Small Minded - brilliant mix of clowning, comedy, singing and serious acting, backed by impressive production values that entertains at the same time it lets the audience sit with the discomfort of exoticizing/laughing at little people performing for their amusement - 5 stars

Tyler West’s new show “Small Minded” is such a remarkable collage of so many different talent sets that one marvels that he can cram it all into one show without it seeming either rushed or overstuffed.  And yet he does.  I couldn’t even fit them all into the mini-review I posted on social media.  In addition to clowning, comedy, singing and serious acting, there’s also mime and magic and juggling and puppetry and stand-up comedy.  There are multiple extremely colorful costume changes, interactions with complex sound cues, and a full-on extended homage to the Bob Dylan “Subterranean Homesick Blues” music video (the one where he shuffles through an enormous set of cue cards with key words from the song lyrics).  So add song writing and prop comedy to the talent list then as well.  You want to see someone do a one-handed cartwheel, or swallow an entire balloon?  Tyler can also do that.

“While other performers had a mask they can take off at the end of the day, I’m left with my differences.”

Tyler uses snippets of his own personal story of building a career in show business as launching points into different segments demonstrating his art. His childhood fascination with Cirque Du Soleil launches him into a sequence of juggling, which starts simple (even though it also often involves his feet) and gets increasingly complex from there.  His encounters with educational and training mentors, both those that supported him and those that blocked him, lead to moments such as performing the Edmund soliloquy (“now, gods, stand up for bastards!”) from Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and later creating a mime version of the downfall of Humpty Dumpty.

“Was that a dwarf dream inside a dwarf dream?”

Attempts to include stories of significant little people from history also lead to unexpected entertainments, like an extended sequence where he enacts the police clowning antics of Tom Thumb from P.T. Barnum’s traveling circus, complete with hat, whistle, spongy billy club, and audience participation ranging from insisting a person keep their hands up at all times, to escorting a person out of the theater (they’re allowed back in, don’t worry), and deputizing one lucky audience member to accompany him on his appointed rounds, which can include anything from dancing to a trip to the urinal (We got a bonus clown at the opening performance as last year’s visiting clown, Richie Whitehead of the hit show “The Wickie,” happened to be passing through town on his way home from a gig up in the Saint Cloud area, so he thought he’d catch some Fringe - he was deputized to work with Tom Thumb, of course, and both clowns had a lot of fun playing together.)

“That would be a lot for our audiences to wrap their heads around.”

There’s an intriguing extended nightmare sequence, building off an earlier recounting of being typecast in roles traditionally assigned to little people, involving everything from Pinocchio to the Ewoks to the Munchkins to Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs to the Oompa Loompas.  And of course, the long shadow cast by Deter Pinklage (letters swapped in order not to incur celebrity wrath). Tyler escapes one casting nightmare only to be confronted by the next.  This is also a good spot to shout out the co-writer and director of the show Cleo DeOrio, who helped Tyler craft his personal story and many talents into a performance that has a clear beginning, middle and end (even if, as an audience, we have no earthly idea what's going to happen next, these two collaborators do, and it all ties together nicely in the end because of their joint efforts on the piece.)

“You don’t need an analyst to know which way the wind blows.”

There is also a recurring through line to the show, resurfacing the idea that here we are, an audience, laughing at a little person, or sexualizing a little person, so what does that say about us, and at the same time, the performer is often inviting this kind of attention, wanting to make us laugh, wanting us to look at their body.  There isn’t an answer to that question, the performer just lets the audience sit with the discomfort of it here and there, before moving on to the next thing, but it’s a thought we take out with us at the end.

“So I guess I’m part of the problem.”

“Small Minded” is enormously entertaining, and really impossible to summarize.  You should experience it for yourself.  I’m very glad Tyler’s back visiting our Fringe again, and that he brought another amusing show that also makes us think (and re-think what we might consider empathy).

5 Stars, Very Highly Recommended

 

You can find reviews of other shows in these links to my listings of 5 and 4.5 Star Shows (VERY Highly Recommended) and 4 and 3.5 Star Shows (Highly Recommended). Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival.

 

 

Fringe 2026 - 5 and 4.5 Star Shows I’ve Seen: VERY Highly Recommended

Here’s a list of the best shows I’ve seen in this year’s festival - 5 and 4-1/2 star shows, Very Highly Recommended (alphabetical by show title)

5-Star Shows

Latin Papi

#mnfringe show 4: Latin Papi: beauty, grace, athleticism, sensuality of the human body on full display in this playful, flirty, often funny dance showcase from Gabriel Mata and Armani Rey Colon; saving one last punch for the end, of course; it's not hot in here, it's them; treat yourself - 5 stars

Full review here 

Returning Favorite write-up on this show here.

Small Minded 

#mnfringe show 1 - Small Minded - brilliant mix of clowning, comedy, singing and serious acting, backed by impressive production values that entertains at the same time it lets the audience sit with the discomfort of exoticizing/laughing at little people performing for their amusement - 5 stars

Full review here 

Returning Favorite write-up on this show here. 

 

Sound and Noise and Bodies 

#mnfringe show 3: Sound and Noise and Bodies: still trying to wrap my brain around this must see show from Jen Scott; remarkable writing; gentle jovial delivery of life events and insights that are often devastating; original ukulele song lyrics with equal punch; the message, "humans, am I right?" - 5 stars

Full review here 

Returning Favorite write-up on this show here.

4.5 Star Shows 

Stage Presents 

#mnfringe show 2 - Stage Presents - Wells Farnham takes the stage and doesn't let it go for 3 manic comedic stories that are real stemwinders and a 4th that is *so* close to sticking the landing; challenging himself on several fronts and upping his game in the process; great fun - 4.5 stars

Full review here 

Top 10 List write-up here (#1) 

 

#mfringe show 5: Who Am I, Again? - compelling solo show offering insight into life after traumatic brain injury, presented by a survivor, sharing both his own story and those of others he’s encountered in his recovery journey; his teenage dream of being an artist happening after all - 4.5 stars

My Top 10 List write-up on this show 

 

 

 

Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival.

 

  

Fringe 2026 - 4 and 3.5 Star Shows I’ve Seen: Highly Recommended

Here’s a list of other really good shows I’ve seen in this year’s festival - 4 and 3-1/2 star shows, Highly Recommended (alphabetical by show title)

4-Star Shows

#mfringe show 6: Glengarry Glen Elvis: quite literally an Elvis impersonator inserting his act (songs and all) into a refashioned MN-based version of the Mamet play; if you like either of those things or the mash-up idea, you'll enjoy this; audience was more into the goofy fun than I was - 4 stars

My Returning Favorite write-up on this show 

 

#mfringe show 8: Good Vibrations: just as deeply weird and queer as I was expecting; audience enjoyed it more than I did; playful, ramshackle execution of an alternate universe slice of Beach Boys music history; one of the better executed Fringe musicals I've seen; still pondering - 4 stars

My Top 10 List write-up on this show 

 

#mfringe show 7: the statue of liberty is nora in a doll’s house by henrik ibsen: again, exactly what the title says; audience around me enthusiastically losing their minds over the show; I'm the outlier; stellar production values and acting but... why change the ending? still pondering - 4 stars

My Returning Favorite write-up on this show  

 

3.5 Star Shows

(none yet)

 

Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival.

 

 

Fringe 2026 - Day 2 in Brief

Friday, August 7, 2026

#mfringe show 5: Who Am I, Again? - compelling solo show offering insight into life after traumatic brain injury, presented by a survivor, sharing both his own story and those of others he’s encountered in his recovery journey; his teenage dream of being an artist happening after all - 4.5 stars

My Top 10 List write-up on this show

 

 

#mfringe show 6: Glengarry Glen Elvis: quite literally an Elvis impersonator inserting his act (songs and all) into a refashioned MN-based version of the Mamet play; if you like either of those things or the mash-up idea, you'll enjoy this; audience was more into the goofy fun than I was - 4 stars

My Returning Favorites write-up on this show

 

 

#mnfringe thoughts: normally I write these mini-reviews on the fly between shows but I find I'm spending a lot more time this year talking to folks in line or filing into the theater about shows they've seen, which is nice and more sociable, but is causing delays in posting I'm still getting used to

#mnringe thoughts: got overconfident, didn't look at my schedule last night and ended up at the wrong venue in the middle of my fringing; thankfully it was just Southern vs. Rarig so I had time to get to the right place but... too many variables to keep in my head apparently :)

#mfringe show 7: the statue of liberty is nora in a doll’s house by henrik ibsen: again, exactly what the title says; audience around me enthusiastically losing their minds over the show; I'm the outlier; stellar production values and acting but... why change the ending? still pondering - 4 stars

My Returning Favorites write-up on this show
 
 

#mfringe show 8: Good Vibrations: just as deeply weird and queer as I was expecting; audience enjoyed it more than I did; playful, ramshackle execution of an alternate universe slice of Beach Boys music history; one of the better executed Fringe musicals I've seen; still pondering - 4 stars

My Top 10 List write-up on this show 

 

 

 

Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival.

 

  

Fringe 2026 - Day 1 in Brief

Thursday, August 6, 2026 - Opening Night of Fringe

#mnfringe show 1 - Small Minded - brilliant mix of clowning, comedy, singing and serious acting, backed by impressive production values that entertains at the same time it lets the audience sit with the discomfort of exoticizing/laughing at little people performing for their amusement - 5 stars

 

#mnfringe show 2 - Stage Presents - Wells Farnham takes the stage and doesn't let it go for 3 manic comedic stories that are real stemwinders and a 4th that is *so* close to sticking the landing; challenging himself on several fronts and upping his game in the process; great fun - 4.5 stars

Passing by Dawn Bentley in transit between #mnfringe shows 2 and 3 last night, she said "It's gonna be a great festival" I nodded, smiled and said, "Yes, it is" - all night ran into people who'd all seen wildly different things, no one saw a bad show; the artists are on fire this year; also, angry

 

#mnfringe show 3: Sound and Noise and Bodies: still trying to wrap my brain around this must see show from Jen Scott; remarkable writing; gentle jovial delivery of life events and insights that are often devastating; original ukulele song lyrics with equal punch; the message, "humans, am I right?" - 5 stars

 

 

#mnfringe show 4: Latin Papi: beauty, grace, athleticism, sensuality of the human body on full display in this playful, flirty, often funny dance showcase from Gabriel Mata and Armani Rey Colon; saving one last punch for the end, of course; it's not hot in here, it's them; treat yourself - 5 stars

 

 

Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival.

 

  

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites from Years Past

Here's a list of links to all the posts about returning favorites in the 2026 Minnesota Fringe Festival (alphabetical by show title):

After the End - One T Productions (Scot Froelich, Sheree Froelich)

Following a devastating global pandemic, Jeff is left to fend for himself. Twelve years later, he’s built a farm, a solar array, and – to pass the time - a hobby of playing guitar for the audience in his head. 

 

Apologies for the Late Reply - Ben San Del

Stand-up comedy about salvaging sanity in our age of crazy presented by four-time Minnesota Fringe encore winning producer and Acme Comedy Co.'s Funniest Person in the Twin Cities title holder Ben San Del. 

 

 

Bay Creek - Derek Lee Miller

Four generations of smugglers from the river bottoms of Pike County, IL deal with their legacy of violence and crime, and the terrifying entity they accidentally smuggled over the veil from the other side.

 

 

 

Be Not Afraid - Third Space Theater (Alex Church)

2012. A struggling farm in a northwestern North Dakota town transformed by the oil boom is given a warning. A savior is coming.

 

 

Buckeroohaiku's Reverse Armando - Button Productions (Ryan Klima)

True stories. Masterful improvisation. Kate Button spills the stories, while the Twin Cities top improvisors weave them into comedy gold! Brace yourself for an evening of raw, unfiltered hilarity!

 

 

Bury The Leads - Special When Lit (Nissa Nordland, Sam Landman)

Meet Clyde & Faye, two character actors navigating an industry of auditions, rejections, bit parts and false starts. Sometimes funny, sometimes melancholy, it's improv so grounded, it seems scripted.

 

 

Casa Bde-Maka-Ska - Snikt! Bamf! Thwip!

Everyone comes to Rick's. Even in the middle of a hostile occupation. Even in a world where lovers who have been torn apart by circumstance can bond over some well chosen Prince music. 

 

 

A Confluence of Magical Arseholes - The Winding Sheet Outfit 

The feckin' story and singy-song of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. There be the famous supper club for some bored c*nts and dilettantes, and this be that time W. B. Yeats kicked Aleister Crowley's arse. 

 

 

 

Cyrano - Small Waves

A queer heroic comedy in five acts. The story you never knew you already know, like you've never seen it before. An adaptation of Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac."

 

 

 

 

 

Doozy - Dolly Who (Destiny Davison)

A good friend never forgets. Too bad, Dolly did. But no worries, it's her day off! No agenda, no script, no work...and all the time in the world for a little sweet, sweet revenge.

 

 

 

An Earth Goddess (Preah Mae Thorani) - Narate Keys

An Earth Goddess (Preah Mae Thorani) is a musical that explores Khmer culture during the Angkorian era, where King Jayavarman VII (1181–1218) reigned with queen Jayarajadevi, Indradevi as his consort. 

 

Empty Nest - Zabel Weinhagen 

Through a mix of sharp stories, absurd sketches, and knowing winks at the audience, Empty Nest dives into life’s big transitions — aging, shifting identities, long-term partnership — and finds the humor in the awkward, poignant, and downright ridiculous moments along the way. 

FAST Death of a Salesman - an alleged Theatre Company (Jake Mierva)

Dr. Duke Didier is putting on a production of Death of a Salesman, in order to prove to his nephew that the play is still relevant in 2026. Too bad his nephew, Braedyn, couldn't give a shit. 

 

 

Fighting Unicorns - Angela Fox Productions

A girl and her unicorn sidekick go on a hero’s journey through a fantastical world of puppets to find her lost story. A powerful show about healing and moving forward. Adventure, wonder, humor, heart. Part of the Social Butterfly Project. 120 min 

 

Foshay! You Know The Tower - Now Hear The Story - Trompe L'Oeil 

As of 1929 Wilbur Foshay was one of the richest men in the US, but the Great Depression had other plans for him. A well-loved 2023 musical that's the true story of a man who lost everything, but found himself. 

 

 

Glengarry Glen Elvis - Michael Shaeffer

Elvis Presley stirs up trouble at an unscrupulous real-estate agency. Jumpsuits jitter and F-bombs fly as a post-Vegas career suddenly involves the temptations of grand theft and a fever for the rock 'n' roll. 

 

 

I Will Become The Silver Surfer. I Will Protect You - Jake Mierva

Galactus has chosen Earth as his next target. But don't worry. I will stop him. I will save you all. I will become The Silver Surfer.

 

 

I'm Afraid, I Have To Leave - Joking Apart Theater

Time to leave, but your hosts have other plans. Sinister agenda? Hostage situation? Or just another visit with your folks? Minnesota Goodbye meets The Twilight Zone. Grab a snickerdoodle, it might be your last! 

 

 

 The Importance of Living - Mermaid Productions (Ariel Pinkerton, Tim Uren)

Samuel and Louise really know how to live; no morals, no regrets, no limits, no future. It's the night before their reckoning day and they've come to crack a bottle of wine, swap tales, and have a little fun.

 

 

Improvised Love Is Blind: Minnesota Fringe Edition - DallaDanna Productions

The improvised version of the hit Netflix dating show, Love Is Blind. All of the fun. None of the toxicity. 

 

 

 

Latin Papi - CuerpoxCuerpo - Gabriel Mata

Latin Papi is a bold, playful, and provocative contemporary dance performance blending sensual movement, voice, humor, and theatrical flair created by Armani Rey Colón and Gabriel Mata of CuerpoxCuerpo.

 

 

The Local Music Scene - JimJam Media (Philip Simondet)

Improv inspired by local music. Local musicians perform original songs live. Between songs the Local Music Scene cast improvise scenes inspired by the lyrics. LOCAL MUSIC; improvised SCENEs

   

 M - The World Crime League

A massive manhunt is underway in Berlin. Police have spent months searching for a prolific serial killer with no success. As fear and suspicion spread, the city’s criminal underground decides to take matters into their own hands and hunt the murderer themselves in this new adaptation of Fritz Lang’s classic film noir "M – Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder." 

  

 

More Better Stories - American School of Storytelling

Storytellers Jon Carlson, Vianna Isbister, Bernadine Joselyn, Hank Roubicek - each tell three times, and Erin Ferdinand, Kory May, Christopher Nelson, Laura Packer, and Anne Wiborg do "one off's" with stories for adults.

 

 

Muskie - New Endeavors

It's Fishing Opener on Lake Mille Lacs, but some of the residents of Garrison, Minnesota have started disappearing. Could it be the work of the terrifying, mythical Muskie? Find out in this Minnesota-based parody of "Jaws." 

 

 

Quadrilogy, a Sabathani Benefit Game Show Extravaganza! (Mahmoud Hakima)

A game show in three rounds with audience participation. Answer questions, build Lego, have fun, win prizes! A different theme every night. Artist proceeds go to benefit the Sabathani Community Center.

 

 

A Revolution Highly Favorable - Maximum Verbosity - phillip andrew bennett low

On the 250th anniversary of American Independence, listen to the words of those who were there! Adapting for the first time 18th-century combat medic, historian, and POW David Ramsay, this fully AI-illustrated show features a different collection of readings each night.

 

Road Trip! - Chris Davis

Too expensive to go on a road trip? Then join two improv comedians as they take a ROAD TRIP without ever leaving the theater! You don’t need to pitch in for gas, just pitch in suggestions for destinations and leave the “driving” and comedy to them. Where will there journey take them? That’s for you to know and us to find out!

Silent Movie! - The Improv Movement Project (Mark Benzel, Sean Dillon, Victoria Pyan)

What happens when you get a group of physical improvisers to make a movie – but without the sets, lights, costumes, props, crew, dialogue . . . or movie. A new genre-smashing cinematic epic each performance.

Small Minded - Tyler West

When Tyler was a little boy he wanted to grow up and be a clown. Come to find out it was a lot harder to achieve the former, than the latter. 'Small Minded' features magic, juggling, clowning, and much more! Is being a dwarf clown REALLY half the size, but double the fun? Or is Tyler West just Small Minded? Either way, this show features juggling, magic, Shakespeare, story-telling, and some Ha-Ha's! from the heart.

 

So Bright, The Night - Hey Rube!

So Bright the Night is a hard-boiled historical drama about the Mexican Repatriation of the 1930's. A woman boards a train in hopes to rescue her husband from deportation or worse. History is repeating itself. 

 

Soap Prov: Show of 10,000 Secrets (Jex Arzayus, Mahmoud Hakima)

An improvised soap opera inspired by audience suggestions. Our cast will create a show filled with your favorite soap opera tropes: steamy affairs, family betrayals, love triangles, seduction, and so much more!

 

Sound and Noise and Bodies - Octoberdandy Productions (Jen Scott)

Fringe veteran Jen Scott presents a one-person storytelling show, a music-show, a bit of a clown show, all about being human and maybe being heard.

 

 

the statue of liberty is nora in a doll's house by henrik ibsen - SUPERMOON (Caleb Matthew Byers, Claudia Errickson, Mads Plonski, Michael Torsch

The Statue of Liberty prepares for and performs Nora in A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. This performance is about doors, lies, and the morphed American definition/concept of liberty. It's an Americana kaleidoscopic ritual praying for a miracle.

 

Stories from the Trauma Dump (Jex Arzayus, Allison Broeren, Shanan Custer, Mahmoud Hakima, Rev. Matt Kessen, Nissa Nordland, Ariel Pinkerton, Duck Washington)

A collective storytelling show featuring local artists sharing humorous tales around mental health. Personal or fantastical, these stories aim to share experience and possibly find catharsis through comedy.

 

Tapeze: a la seconde - Twin Cities Trapeze

An joyful spectacle where every step defies gravity. A circus of rhythm and movement - join us where tap dancing meets the sky. 

 

 

Tech - Mike Fotis

This year's Fringe show opens tomorrow. The props are assembled. The actors have memorized (most of) their lines. The director has blocked the show. There’s only one thing left to do…TECH THE SHOW.

 

 

 

Underserved: Recipes for Resistance - Lady Z Productions

A baker racing against the clock to finish one final bake discovers that the most important ingredients aren't flour and butter—they're the stories that people refuse to let disappear. 

 

 

Watership Down - Melancholics Anonymous

Digger. Listener. Runner. A small band of rabbits embark on a perilous journey to find a new home in this adventurous folk musical adaption of the classic children’s novel. 

 

 

Witness Loudly - Kyle B. Dekker

Operation Metro Surge pitted armed ICE agents against the residents of Minnesota. Kyle B. Dekker recreates a live rapid response call on stage based on his own experiences as a constitutional observer, also  discussing the impact of the event on him and his neighbors. 

And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival as we ramp up toward the start of the Fringe on August 6th.