Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Special When Lit - Bury The Leads

This is another one of those “two favorite artists in one” kind of production situations at the Fringe.

First there’s Special When Lit, Nissa Nordland’s entity for producing the shows she creates.

And the other half of this improv duo for "Bury The Leads" is Sam Landman, who was memorable as Colonel Sanders in Special When Lit’s “Finger Lickin’ Good” when they landed on my pre-Fringe Top 10 List in 2022.

But Sam was also on a pre-Fringe Top 10 List himself back in 2010 with his hilariously inappropriate comedy “A Sad Carousel” which spawned an equally amusing sequel last year, “A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheberg.”

Meanwhile last year, Special When Lit took a break from the horror genre to revisit Nissa’s teenage years in high school, which I guess is another kind of horror for some of us, but she naturally created a very weird and funny show  called “Fangs and Bangs (and Sangs)” revisiting her journals and sexy vampire fan fiction writing from the time, with music numbers and special guests to help her do “dramatic” readings.  Great fun.

Nissa and Sam have been working on this new long-form improv concept over the past year but I haven’t yet had a chance to catch it in action, so I’m very happy they’re bringing it to the Fringe so I can finally get my butt in the theater to see it.

Bury The Leads

Description: 
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.
Venue - Mixed Blood
Content Warnings - Adult language, Crude Humor, Sexual content
Genre and Content - Comedy, Drama, Improv, Audience Participation
Ages 16 and Up

The press packet has some great detail about the genesis of the project:

“Two character actors navigating the business of show and life in a unique long form improv format. 

It all started with an unsuccessful film audition. Afterwards, Sam & Nissa commiserated about being consistently cast in character roles. So, they developed an improv set that focused on them as the leads, despite not being traditional leading actors. While this show leans into the ridiculous aspects of show business, audiences say that there’s a relatable quality of striving to be the main character yet never achieving it. If that sounds melancholy, that’s why this structured, long form improv is unique. It’s not always meant to be comedic in the same way life isn’t meant to be.”

And as usual both artists’ bios are informative as well as entertaining to read:

"Nissa Nordland
Faye/Co-creator/Producer
Nissa Nordland (she/her) is an actor, writer, improviser, producer and musician in the Twin Cities. She is the Artistic Director of Twin Cities Horror Festival; founder of Special When Lit; company member of Theatre Pro Rata; member of the Playwright's Cabal, alum mainstage cast member/writer of the Brave New Workshop and co-creator of improv duo Bury The Leads. She's received honors from the Atlanta Fringe Festival for Writing and has been a Finalist for the McKnight Fellowship in Playwrighting (2023, 2024 & 2026). Nissa is represented by Ruggiero Models and Talent as on-camera talent. Her recent Minnesota Fringe credits include: Xena & Gabrielle Smash the Patriarchy (writer/Gabrielle), Finger Lickin' Good (co-writer/chicken ensemble/producer), Stabby Stab Stab (writer/co-producer/Morgan), and Fangs and Bangs (& Sangs) (writer/producer/performer). In the acting world, Nissa has been compared to lots of redheads, including Alyson Hannigan, Lucille Ball, Jessica Chastain, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) and the nude oracle from 300. Nissa thinks Anne Hathaway is overrated. 100%. You can’t convince her otherwise. She's not sorry. You hate her now. Don’t debate her at Fringe Central tonight. Nissa can also be seen in the August 6th performance of Stories From the Trauma Dump.

Sam Landman
Clyde/Co-Creator
Sam’s one of those annoying performers who bops between “legitimate” theater and improvisational “make-‘em-ups.” He’s acted with many companies over the years, including Yellow Tree Theatre, History Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Sandbox Theatre, Theatre Pro Rata, plus a bunch of other theaters with the word “theatre” in them. On the improv side, he’s been cast in the long-running, two-act show, Family Dinner for several holiday seasons, first at HUGE, then at the Brave New Workshop. Sam has also been in a few improv shows at Strike Theater, specifically “Holiday Office Party” and “Wish You Were Here,” a show about grief. All of these acting experiences have prepared him to create (and perform in) an improv format like Bury The Leads. Actors he’s usually compared to are Richard Dreyfuss, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Wilford Brimley, and the kid from “A Christmas Story.” In terms of an overrated actor, he’s sticking with his stock answer: Sinbad.”

It sounds like this is just the kind of real, human comedy I’m going to enjoy, so I’m very much looking forward to it.

 

 

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - The Improv Movement Project - Silent Movie!

The Improv Movement Project (all movement, no words) was created by Mark Benzel and Sean Dillon

Benzel was in the previously mentioned “Clown Funeral” last year, while Dillon was in my pre-Fringe Top 10 last year presenting another improvisational concept alongside Michael DallaValle in “Final Dress.”

Victoria Pyan is another a member of the IMP ensemble, and her theater company Little Lifeboats was in my pre-Fringe Top 10 back in 2015.

The IMP cast of improvisers also includes John Hilsen (Music Director and Musican providing the musical accompaniment to the proceedings) and Mandi Bedbury, Rachel Buhman, Evie Digirolamo, Elizabeth Dunn, Luke Fanning, Gregory Parks, and Erin Sheppard.

My response to their 2024 show “Collidescope” was “super inventive improv with no words, just musical accompaniment; very physical group of improvisors; extremely amusing, even if there were a handful of times I had no idea what was going on :) - 4.5 stars”

So the idea of a silent movie framework is pretty much perfect for these folks.  

Silent Movie! in Actual 3-D
Description:
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.
Venue - Barker Center
Content Warnings - Gun/Weapon Usage, Violence
Genre and Content - Clowning, Improv, Comedy, Drama, Original Music, Physical Theater, Non-Verbal
Ages 7 to 11 and Up

The press packet materials provide a bit more information:

“A new/spontaneous/physical/speechless "cinematic" journey created live on stage each performance.

The award-winning Improv Movement Project's company of clowns, dancers, mimes, acrobats, improvisers, and movement-theater mavens is turning its eyes toward the movies! Starting from a randomly-selected mash-up of genres, they'll use their bodies to give us everything we love about the cinema: The epic stories! The jaw-dropping action! Even the inspired camera work! It's all improvised -- created collaboratively in real time -- without a single spoken word, and set to a musical score created at the very same time!”

Their More Information tab on the show page also has some helpful background about who they are:

“The Improv Movement Project was founded by Sean Dillon and Mark Benzel in 2023, on the conviction that bodies — all bodies— are capable of beautiful, profound, hilarious communication that too often gets drowned out on stage by the primacy of the spoken word. So we've made it our mission to help the Twin Cities theater and improv scenes become more body-centric through performing and teaching word-free improvisation. We are joined in this work by a standing, moving, expanding company of artists drawn from a variety of performance disciplines — among them improv, dance, mime, clown, acrobatics, aerial silks, and devised physical theater.

Our inaugural production Collidescope was a last-minute add and a Golden Lanyard winner at the 2024 Minnesota Fringe Festival, declared "Fringey AF." We collaborated with Strike Theater on The Walls in the 2025 Twin Cities Horror Festival, and have enjoyed performing at a variety of venues across the Twin Cities and beyond.”

I’m super curious to see how this concept plays out.

 

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Octoberdandy Productions - Sound and Noise and Bodies

Octoberdandy Productions is Jen Scott, and last year she landed on my pre-Fringe Top 20 list by gathering a handful of her clowning, improv comedy friends and together they created “Clown Funeral,” which is exactly what the title says, a funeral for a clown, attended by clowns.  If you had the pleasure of seeing it, as I did, then you know how delightfully odd it was.  If you didn’t see it, you really can’t imagine just how strange the ceremony was.  My 5-star online mini-review barely scratches the surface but it gives you a taste:

“red noses for all! 4 distinctive clowns, a lecturing banana, a dolly cart that is also Dolly Parton, a corpse with a surprise, a reading of a will as insult comedy, audience singalongs, the most amusing funeral I've had the pleasure to attend (HONK!); 5 stars”

This year, Jen returns to the venue of Theatre in the Round with a multi-disciplinary solo show called “Sound and Noise and Bodies” and it may have more genre tags in its description that it does details about the show itself :)

Description: 
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.
Venue - Theatre in the Round (TRP)
Content Warnings - Adult Language, Other Divisive Content
Genre and Content - Clowning, Comedy, Drama, Improv, Original Music, Solo Show, Spoken Word, Storytelling, Audience Participation, Historical Content
Ages 12 to 15 and Up

Fear not, there’s a bit more detail on the show in the press packet for clues:

“Local performer, producer, musician and Fringe veteran Jen Scott has been creating work in the Twin Cities for over 25 years. She's worked in improv, interactive theater, scripted theater, children's theater, informal science education, and writes a song a week under the 'band' name Penny and the Bandits. In 2011, she married, and was lucky enough to start a family, with a deaf French scientist... and what does that mean? 

Jen jumps from autobiographical stories to characters to original music, puzzling around what it means to be heard, seen, and hopefully understood. Sound and Noise and Bodies is at times funny, sweet, sad, heartfelt, and dumb in the best way.”

That’s really all I need to know.  I’m there.

If you need further convincing, here’s Jen’s bio, and that of her director Levi Weinhagen, another regular on pre-Fringe Top 10 lists of the past - who of course has his own separate show, which is mentioned here and I’ll get to in another post :)

“Jen Scott
Creator, Writer, Songwriter
Jen Scott (she/her) is a Twin Cities based theater maker and teaching artist. She's worked as an actor, improviser, performer, playwright, director, storyteller, talk show host, producer, and musician. She's taught theater and art making for a long time, and has a special love for the Twin Cities improvised theater scene. She’s a COMPAS teaching artist, has been an artist-in-residence at Pillsbury House + Theater, and also has taught for HUGE Theater, Children’s Theatre Company, Park Square Theatre, the Brave New Workshop, and others. She performs regularly around the Cities, from everything to storytelling shows to improv shows to dressed as a giant penguin for Art Shanties. You can also catch Jen and her millions of 2 minute songs at pennyandthebandits.com. Jen also produces Bring Your Kids, a comedy variety show for kids and their grown ups. All of this and more can be found at octoberdandy.com.

Levi Weinhagen
Director
Levi is a longtime theater maker, comedy writer, improviser, performer, producer, and teaching artist. He’s a Brave New Workshop alum and co-founder of Comedy Suitcase, a Twin Cities-based theater company dedicated to making smart, emotionally grounded comedy for audiences of all ages.  Over the years, Levi's created original theatrical work, podcasts, essays, workshops, and performances that explore identity, relationships, parenting, justice, vulnerability, aging, masculinity, and the absurdity of being human. His work has ranged from performances for preschool audiences to facilitation with educators, community organizations, and leaders.  Levi has a show in the Fringe! He and his wife, Laura Zabel, created Empty Nest, a live comedy show about marriage, parenting, identity shifts, aging, and transition — an attempt to find humor and tenderness inside major life changes.”

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Mike Fotis - Tech

Speaking of improvisation, here’s yet another great reason to get out to Strike Theater and see a show this Fringe season (I’ve already covered two other, very different, great reasons to go, and this show just adds to the pile of great stuff we have in store at Strike)

Once again, as with last Fringe’s 5-star improvised one-act comedy Rec League, and 2024’s Camp Out, and 2023’s The Windblown Cheeks of Lovers, Mike Fotis has gathered a crew of the very best improv comedians - Rita Boersma, Amber Bjork, Shanan Custer, Tim Hellendrung, Anna Hickey Fotis, Nels Lennes, Jim Robinson, James Rone (and Mike Fotis himself, of course).  With Mike directing, the group has been playing around with yet another concept for an improvised one-act, this time diving into the bowels of the theatrical creation process itself.

As the show image says: Tech: The Show Opens Tomorrow - It’s Not Looking Good.

Description: 
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.
Venue - Strike Theater
Content Warnings - Adult Language
Genre and Content - Comedy, Improv
Ages 16 and Up

Some further amusing context from their show page:

“What happens when everything you're working on falls apart? Does it even matter? What keeps us creating art as we move through adulthood? ....It's sure as fuck not the money.  An improvised one act devised to feel like a documentary live on stage.”

Theater people will probably laugh the loudest, but I know next to nothing about baseball, camping or creating a television miniseries and I laughed my butt off at Fotis’ last three shows listed above.  I’m expecting everyone will get plenty of guffaws out of this Fringe show, whether you’ve ever set foot onstage or backstage or not.

Very much looking forward to it.  There are few sure things at a Fringe, but a Mike Fotis show has to be on that short list.  Fotis has been too prolific an artist for anyone to have caught every single thing he’s ever done on stage, but from a few years before Mike landed on my pre-Fringe Top 10 list back in 2007, I’ve tried to catch as many Mike Fotis productions as I can, because I need the laughs, and I appreciate his jaundiced eye for the absurdities of life, and his open heart toward the flawed human beings we all are, just trying to get to the other side of whatever we’re currently stuck in the middle of.

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Mahmoud Hakima (3 of 3) - Soap Prov: Show of 10,000 Secrets

Post #1 was about Mahmoud Hakima as producer

Post #2 was about Mahmoud Hakima as storyteller.

And the last of this little trilogy of posts is about Mahmoud Hakima as an improviser.

This Fringe show is also the return of last year’s pre-Fringe Top 10 artist Jex Arzayus, this time unscripted rather than scripted.

Soap Prov: Show of 10,000 Secrets

Description: 
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!
Venue - Rarig Xperimental
Content Warnings - Adult Language, Sexual Content
Genre and Content - Comedy, Drama, Improv, Physical Theater, Audience Participation, LGBTQIA+ Content
Ages 16 and Up

I have seen a Soap Prov outing before, during the closing weeks of HUGE theater as a venue in Uptown (RIP)

The group also has a trailer of the concept for a sampling of the kind of thing they’re up to:


Mahmoud is part of the troupe in this go-round, along with Jex, Rachel Buhman, Alexis Camille, Wesley Erickson, Laura Hild, Ora Hues, Simone LeClaire, Danielle Lynch, and Robby Miller.

While I also enjoy the fun of soap opera seriously, it is also quite easy to lampoon, so the Soap Prov improvisers have a lot of fertile ground to till here.  I’m curious to see what they’re up to this time, and whether we get a sprawling soap opera across all five performances, or a self-contained melodrama in each one.  Either way, should be amusing.

 

 

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Mahmoud Hakima (2 of 3) - Stories From the Trauma Dump

Post #1 was about Mahmoud Hakima as producer

This post is about Mahmoud Hakima as storyteller, and part of an all-star line-up of storytellers to boot.

Phoenix Theater this year is once again a venue for independent Fringe producers but they have a unifying theme. 

“Effecting Social Metamorphosis



This production is a part of the Social Butterfly Project, an IP collaborative promoting Mental Health Awareness.


Working within the framework of the MN Fringe Festival, August 6-16, 2026, Social Butterfly Project aims to connect audiences to a variety of mental health experiences, both on and off the stage. With the help of Fringe Producers and Mental Health organizations, we look to build an environment that engages visitors emotionally, providing experiences to include shows, activities, resources, and support, in order to encourage new perspectives, grow empathy, and provide awareness and support on mental health issues.



Mission statement: The Social Butterfly Project believes that art encourages empathy and empathy encourages change. Our mission is to engage audiences with diverse voices on a variety of social topics, using theater as a catalyst to inspire new perspectives and transform the world.”

For this entry, host Jena Young, under the banner of 7 Stories Tall, has assembled quite the team of rotating storytellers:

Stories from the Trauma Dump (A Comedic Take On Mental Health) – 7 Stories Tall
Description
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.
Venue – Phoenix Theater
Content Warnings – Abuse/Physical Violence, Adult Language, Crude Humor, Drug Content, Mental Illness, Sexual Content, Suicidal Ideation/Self-Harm, Violence, Other Divisive Content
Genre and Content – Comedy, Spoken Word, Storytelling
Ages 18 and Up Only

“7 Stories Tall is very excited to produce Stories From the Trauma Dump. Each show will feature a handful of storytellers, hosted by Jena Young. Each show has a different mix of storytellers, and times can rage anywhere from 50-60 minutes. 



Content Warning: Each show is likely to contain difficult and possibly triggering topics including abuse and/or violence of various kinds and degrees. We urge each individual to gage their own needs. You are welcome to leave and re-enter; we ask that you be mindful of other in the audience as you are able.”

You can see the full day to day lineup on the More Information tab of their show page, but honestly, you could pick any day’s lineup and random and get a fantastic roster of storytellers, including Mahmoud Hakima, of course, but also:

Jex Arzayus (about to be name-checked in the 3rd Mahmoud Hakima-related post coming up, and a returning favorite from my pre-Fringe Top 10 list just last year)

Allison Broeren (already name-checked in a post for another show this Fringe as a returning favorite)

Shanan Custer (another returnee from pre-Fringe Top 10 Lists past, this time 2014, guaranteed laughs and heart no matter what she’s doing or who she’s collaborating with, which I have gone on about at length year after year after year)

Rev. Matt Kessen (the monster scientist who never fails to be erudite, sardonic, and dryly hilarious, part of my pre-Fringe Top Ten list in 2023)

Nissa Nordland (about to be name-checked in an upcoming returning favorites post for the Fringe this year, another pre-Fringe Top 10 entry for 2022 through their horror/comedy group Special When Lit)

Ariel Pinkerton (also already name-checked in a post for another show this Fringe as a returning favorite)

Duck Washington (also already name-checked in a post for another show this Fringe as a returning favorite)

And that’s just the people I know in this roster of storytelling heavyweights.  There’s also Houa Moua and 
Rian Vellichor.

Given this cast of characters, it seems impossible there’s going to be anything but great performances, no matter which day and time you choose.  A great reason to get out to the Phoenix, perhaps more than once this Fringe just for this show alone, much less all the other shows on the schedule for this venue.

 

 

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Mahmoud Hakima (1 of 3) - Quadrilogy: A Sabathani Benefit Game Show Extravaganza!

Fringe is the time of year many artists decide to run themselves completely into the ground for 11 days by not just doing one show and seeing as many other shows as they can and hanging out with their fellow artists at the end of the night.  No, some artists don’t content themselves with just one show, they do at least two, maybe three, and hence there’s a lot of overlap and it’s hard to assign a show to any one person because often, as in the case of a number of posts I’ve done already, there’s just a lot of crossover.

For example, Mahmoud Hakima.  I was first introduced to his work as a storyteller back in 2009 with his solo show “Two Bowls of Cereal and Some Bacon” (which he recently remounted to stellar effect in 2024’s Fringe), and so in 2010 he was on my pre-Fringe Top 10 list with his next solo show “Can Michael Come Out and Play?”

But Mahmoud is also an improv comedian, so he’s been in countless improv shows as well (so many in and out of the Fringe that it was possible for anyone to catch them all, if they wanted to see anything else.)

So this Fringe we have Mahmoud the producer, and Mahmoud the storyteller, and Mahmoud the improviser.

Producing under the name The House in the Woods, we have a game show fundraiser for a good cause

Quadrilogy: a Sabathani Benefit Game Show Extravaganza!

Description
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.
Venue – Theatre in the Round (TRP)
Content Warnings – Loud Noises
Genre and Content – Comedy, Audience Participation
Ages 7 to 11 and Up

(Side note: I had a play reading done as a fundraiser for the Minnesota AIDS Project quite literally three decades ago now, and it was held at the Sabathani Center.  It was nice to see the Center’s name pop up again unexpectedly at this year’s Fringe.)

Four audience volunteer to be each night’s winner, each performance has a different theme, and there’s additional fun promised for the rest of the audience as well.

About Sabathani:

“Our artist proceeds for this show will be donated to the Sabathani Community Center. Located in the heart of South Minneapolis, Sabathani provides assistance for fifty-thousand local residents every year. That’s nearly an eighth of the population of Minneapolis! From helping new americans find sustainable jobs, to providing maternal health care resources, to running violence prevention programs, and coordinating events with an emphasis on fostering community and education, Sabathani is a shining example of the connection and togetherness that makes Minneapolis, the Twin Cities, and the state of Minnesota such a special place. We could not be more thrilled to support such a wonderful organization in their mission. A very special thanks must be given to Scott Redd, CEO of Sabathani, and Sherri Green, Sabathani’s Director of Critical Services, for giving us the go ahead to do this silly show for them. If you would like to donate further to Sabathani, you can click the “tip artist” icon on our show page to be taken directly to the donation page of their website, or you can follow the link here.”

About the Game Show:

“Quadrilogy is a game show where four players from the audience will compete in three games for a chance to win a grand prize. Each performance will be centered around a different theme celebrating the Twin Cities and the performing arts:
 
Thursday August 6 at 10 pm - MN History and Folklore
Sunday August 9 at 7 pm - MN Sports
Tuesday August 11 at 5:30 pm - Shakespeare
Friday August 14 at 8:30 pm - Musical Theatre
Sunday August 16 at 2:30 pm - MN Fringe Festival 2026
 
But it’s not all just fun and games…well, actually, it is. I mean, it is a game show after all. But to get things back on track, we’ll also be having a lot of surprises and silliness in store for the audience. And the best part is that our artist proceeds for this show will be going to benefit the Sabathani Community Center in South Minneapolis! Audiences for this show can expect to have a good time for a good cause.”

How is the game played?

“Four players from the audience will advance through a series of three elimination style rounds.

Round #1: Storytime!
The first game is a test of memory. The host will read a story related to that night’s theme, and the players will then be quizzed on the details of the story that they just heard. The first three players to answer four questions correctly will proceed to the next round.

Round #2: Legorama!
For this game, the three players will be given a prompt from which to construct a scene out of Lego. Once their building time is up, each player will be given the spotlight to show off their Lego creation to the audience. The audience will then vote to decide which two players will then advance to the final round.

Round #3: Trivia Lightning!
The two remaining players will then be quizzed one at a time in a game of rapid fire trivia. Each contestant will be given one minute to see how many questions they are able to answer correctly. Once both contestants have played, the player with the most corresct answers will be crowned the winner for the night.
 
One more thing!
Earlier I mentioned that each of our performances will be centered around a specific theme. While our structure and rules for each performance will stay the same, the content of each show will be determined by the theme listed for that particular day. So for example if you are interested in playing and you also happen to be an expert on Shakespeare, or someone who loves Minnesota Sports, check out our show schedule to see what topic you think will give you the best shot at winning.”

Did you say prizes were involved?

“So much cool stuff! We are putting together a grand prize package for our final contestant each night containing the following items:
2 Passes to the MN Children’s Museum courtesy of Mahmoud Hakima
2 Passes to the MN Science Museum
2 Passes to the American Swedish Institute
1 $25.00 Gift Card to Pizza Luce
1 $20.00 Gift Card to the Namaste Café
1 Chai Growler courtesy of the Namaste Café
…And even more!

In addition to these fabulous prizes, we are also still reaching out to different local groups around the Twin Cities to make our prize package for each night even more spectacular, so keep an eye on this space in the weeks to come for more updates. 

We will also have consolation prizes awarded to each player, including candy and passes to other Fringe shows, so no one playing will be going home empty handed. To each and every one who has been able to donate to our prize pool so far, we wish to extend a warm and heartfelt thanks for making this show possible.”

Change of pace show raising money for a good cause?  I’m in.