Single White Fringe Geek

Wednesday, August 05, 2026

Fringe 2026 Top 11-20 - #20 - Davi Gray - This Body, This Fruit

This Body, This Fruit

Description:
This Body, This Fruit is a solo performance in 3 acts: a narrative journey built from poetry bringing the audience into, through, & out of the rage, sorrow, despair, revelation, awakening, & joy of transness.
Venue – Mixed Blood
Content Warnings – Adult Language, Flashing Lights, Loud Noises, Sexual Content, Suicidal Ideation/Self-Harm
Genre and Content – LGBTQIA+ Content, Solo Show, Spoken Word, Drama, Storytelling, Religious Content
Ages 12 to 15 and Up

This one’s an even more last minute addition, replacing another dropout, than either the puppet show or the ukulele gal I’ve previously written up.

Scheduling alert, they also have the very first slot on the festival schedule on Thursday, 8/6 at 5:30pn, so they could use an audience to kick off the Fringe with. It’s also one of the BFF performances, so Bring A Friend to Fringe while you’re at it :) After that, they’ve got a Friday show, and then nothing until their final three performances all on closing weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

And it’s not just recency bias or the idea of a shiny new object appearing in the listings. I am once again immediately drawn to the queerness and poetry of it all.

Davi Gray just got done presenting this show last month at Phoenix Theater, and now it’s crossing town to the Mixed Blood stage for the Fringe.

The More Information tab thankfully has some additional information to go on (as well as a voluminous listing of their countless audience reviews from the Phoenix run, which you can read for yourself if you like, I won’t copy and paste them all here :) - suffice it to say they are all quite glowing, which bodes well):

“A one-person show in three acts, “This Body, This Fruit” is a singular journey through gender transition / revelation. Deeply emotional and personal yet inclusive, the play wrestles with bodily and spiritual questions faced by every human, while embracing transgender lives in all their complexity, sorrow, and joy. The work engages viewers and asks them questions about their own lives, whatever their gender(s), as it moves through the prismatic doors of a lifelong pilgrimage toward the self.

My name is Davi Gray, and my pronouns are she and they. I'm a trans nonbinary woman, and I'm a poet and performer, and I've brought all these things together to build one small world for you to journey through for just under an hour. I hope you haven't already run away at the word "poet" - I know many, maybe most, people have ideas about poetry that may be carried over from bad high school experiences, or an accidental too-slow reading of rhymed couplets about different shades of green beneath flickering lights surrounded by shelves of slightly dusty books, but that is not the poetry I bring here.

It's easy for me to say nice things about my show - I'm the writer, after all - and I don't want you to be afraid of my built-in bias. (If I didn't love this show, I wouldn't be performing it!)”

Gray’s bio provides illumination on the piece from a different angle:

“Davi Gray (she/they) is a queer, trans, nonbinary poet, writer, performer, multihyphenate artist, activist, and abolitionist. They live in Bde Óta Othúŋwe (Minneapolis) on unceded Dakhóta lands, where she works through the ReEntry Lab to connect writers and other artists leaving incarceration with literary and arts communities ready to receive them. Davi has work published in Poetry, Water~Stone Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Rogue Agent, and elsewhere, and can often be found performing around the Twin Cities. Her first poetry collection, This Body, This Fruit, will be published by Trio House Press in February 2027. You can find more on Davi and her work, including publications and upcoming events, at DaviGray.com.”

In the current societal climate it takes even more fortitude to put yourself out there that it might have even a year or so ago, so if a trans artist is taking the stage, I want to be supportive. And last minute additions to the festival need more of a boost than most, so they get the #20 slot this year.

Interested in hearing about other artists I recommend based on past outings in the Fringe? 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 as we ramp up toward the start of the Fringe on August 6th.

Fringe 2026 Top 10 - #10 - Little Apple Theatre Company - The Importance of Being Eternal

The Importance of Being Eternal

Description
A vampire take on The Importance of Being Earnest, that swaps cucumber sandwiches for a 1750 vintage Bellini Rosso Tavola Torciglioni. There’s blood; everyone’s horny. An Immortal Comedy for Lifeless People.
Venue – Open Eye Theatre
Content Warnings – Blood, Flashing Lights, Gun/Weapon Usage, Loud Noises, Violence
Genre and Content – Comedy, Literary Adaptation
Ages 16 and Up

There’s not a lot of information on their show page on the Fringe site other than the basics.

The press packet materials had a tiny bit more:

“We're dishing out a main course of typical Victorian yearning with a side of blood ritual. Expect a fresh (s)take on a beloved comedy so raw it's bloody. Perfect for fans of all things farcical, fang-ical, and Fringe-ical. A vampire spin on The Importance of Being Earnest, that swaps cucumber sandwiches for a 1750 vintage Bellini Rosso Tavola Torciglioni. There’s blood; everyone’s hot. An Immortal Comedy for Lifeless People.”

They do have an Instagram account with the tag line “theater that is weird and substantial to the core” (yes, that's an apple joke)

There are a couple of photos on the upcoming Fringe outing, but most of the account is about the show they literally just did, closing this past weekend (just missed it), a queer take on Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (which I know sounds redundant, but the original is, despite its author, very heterosexual, whereas this recent production apparently was very much not).

Little Apple Theatre Company is a brand new group. They don’t specifically identify as a queer theater company, though they’re pretty queer coming out of the gate with Earnest.

And now they’re doing the Oscar Wilde play again, but this time with a vampire twist.

They’re have a very busy summer of comedy.

I’m curious to see what they’re about.

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Melancholics Anonymous - Watership Down

Melancholics Anonymous is on a roll, both in the Fringe community and throughout the rest of the year producing theater (The Last Menagerie and Worm Teeth) and new play readings as well, so they hardly need any help from me. (I was late to the game, after all, since they didn’t pop up on a pre-Fringe Top 10 list for me until just last year :)

What do you do to follow up the award-winning hit Fringe show, Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA?

Well, naturally, you take a nearly 500-page dystopian novel published in 1972 about a group of rabbits, plagued by horrific visions of the future, who go on a quest to find a new, safer home (the animated film adaptation of which traumatized a whole generation of children) and turn it into a musical.

(Hey, it’s a show full of rabbits’ feet, most of which are still actually attached to the characters of living rabbits, so this show is probably the luckiest one in the Fringe.)

Watership Down

Description:
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.
Venue - Rarig Thrust
Content Warnings - Violence
Genre and Content - Drama, Musical Theater, Original Music, Puppetry, Physical Theater, Storytelling, Kid Friendly, Ltierary Adaptation
Ages 7 to 11 and Up

The trailer is, unsurprisingly, a knock-out.

You now know the vibe of the show you’re in for.

Frankly, I’m fascinated with how the adaptation plays out in a compressed Fringe time slot. Melancholics has worked wonders before, cramming more content into an hour than other Fringe shows dare to try, and this is clearly a labor of love like all their quirky, often dark, comedies are, so I’m fully expecting them to pull this off in fine style. The core company members and the outside artists they bring in on each project always seem to collaborate well together which is an impressive way to show how a company can share and expand its vision.

The press packet materials add a bit more detail:

“Rabbits go on a quest for survival in this new folk musical adaption of a classic children’s novel.

After eight consecutive years at Minnesota Fringe, local company Melancholics Anonymous (Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA, A Girl Scout’s Guide to Exorcism) returns with the first-ever musical adaptation of Richard Adams’s beloved novel Watership Down, with original folk music by Bee Davis. Developed under special arrangement with the Adams Estate, this bold world premiere follows Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, and their fellow rabbits as they fight to find and forge a new home in this classic tale of resilience, courage, and community.”

The More Information tab on their show page has a bit more still:

“‘All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you... Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.’

From the company that brought you Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA and A Girl Scout’s Guide to Exorcism comes a new, daring folk musical adaption of Richard Adams’s classic, best-selling novel, Watership Down.

Adapted for the stage by Rachel Ropella and Timothy Kelly, with original music and lyrics by Bee Davis. This stage adaptation is presented by special arrangement with Watership Down Enterprises Limited.

Melancholics Anonymous, winner of seven MN Fringe awards (including three Audience Pick awards), is thrilled to return for their 8th year in a row! Established at St. Olaf College in 2019 and now based in the Twin Cities, Melancholics is an independent theater company dedicated to creating eccentric original works and championing new play development."

Tuesday, August 04, 2026

Fringe 2026 Top 11-20 - #19 - Local 574 - Hell on Wheels: The Winter Strike of 1934

Hell on Wheels: The Winter Strike of 1934

Description
The true story of the families and truckers in Minneapolis who organized in order to survive the Great Depression. This first strike of 1934 led to the transformation of the North Star State.
Venue – Barker Center
Content Warnings – Adult Language, Loud Noises, Mental Illness, Violence, Other Divisive Content
Genre and Content – Comedy, Drama, Physical Theater, Historical Content, Political Content, Religious Content, Audience Participation
Ages 12 to 15 and Up

Some of you already know this, but for those I haven’t told yet, I was part of organizing a new union at the Guthrie Theater, representing the front-facing staff of Box Office, Guest Services, Housekeeping and Ushers, and was part of the team that sat across the table from management for the 15 months it took to negotiate the first contract, which went into effect this past April 20th (because IATSE Local 13 has a sense of humor). I also sort of stumbled sideways into being a union steward for my department.

All of which is to say, I will likely be a sucker for union stories for the rest of my life.

Also, the press packet materials for this one include the alternate synopsis of:

“Minnesotans banding together to fight their oppressors in the bleak mid-winter.”

Hmmm, where have I encountered that situation before… sounds familiar but I can’t quite place it? :)

This show covers the first of three strikes in the year 1934, the Winter Strike that started it all.

The More Information tab on the show page for this one is crammed full of fun stuff:

“There were three Minneapolis strikes in 1934. By August 2nd, Governor Floyd Olson had ordered the National Guard to raid both the Teamsters’ and the wealthy owners’ Citizens Alliance strike headquarters, arresting the leaders of both sides of the class conflict. Two strikers had been shot and killed in cold blood by the police a week before. They were already calling it Bloody Friday, and had no idea that it would continue to be commemorated 92 years later at the very spot.

By the third Summer Strike, an all out war broke out across Minneapolis that changed the social fabric and identity of Minnesota. Before that, all the truckers in the Spring Strike took on the powerful Citizens Alliance directly for the first time, and held their ground.

None of it was possible without the Coal Drivers’ Strike in the Winter of 1934 first. By building a small movement in the rank and file coal drivers, the radical Dunne brothers were able to chart a path towards an industrial union that led the Midwest through the rest of the Great Depression.”

The glossary included there contains the definition:

“Scab - someone who crosses a picket line and works during a strike. Don’t be a scab.”

As well as some new information that I probably should have been able to figure out for myself if I’d stopped to think for a minute:

“Teamster - a worker, usually in a union, involved in transport of any kind, originally referencing a “team” of horses.”

There will, of course, be music, which you can catch snippets of on the company’s Instagram page here.

The Director and Playwright/Dramaturg’s notes also intrigue me:

Director, Libby Wasylik - The stories we tell matter. They build our broader narratives, develop our beliefs and ultimately shape our behavior. This story invites us to question hierarchy. It encourages us to expand our definition of us and narrow our definition of them. Most of all this story demands that we accept the limits of self reliance. As Marvel says, “we must seek each other to find ourselves.

Playwright/Dramaturg, Theo Barb - It is difficult to think about the world like it’s 1934. Much is familiar, but other parts are so deeply changed. Minneapolis was less than one hundred years old in the 1930s, a time of disaster. This was also fertile ground to organize the masses of people required to keep the system running. We still benefit from the bravery of those who survived the Great Depression. This speaks to the fluid nature of our present moment, as we collectively write the first draft of history.

And I appreciate a theater company with a clear, specific mission statement:

“Local 574 is a company of artists committed to telling stories of radical struggle in Minnesota. They believe in theatrical work rooted in economic justice, historical optimism, and universal equality for all.”

So, naturally, in solidarity, I feel drawn to be in the audience of this one.

Fringe 2026 Top 10 - #9 - Lethan Candlish - Who Am I, Again?

Who Am I, Again?

Description
One man's journey to discover identity after trauma, as told by brain injury survivor and master storyteller Lethan Candlish. Sharing a common journey of recovery from multiple perspectives.
Venue – Mixed Blood
Content Warnings – Adult Language, Drug Content, Mental Illness, Suicidal Ideation/Self-Harm, No Late Seating Allowed
Genre and Content – Solo Show, Drama, Spoken Word, Storytelling, Audience Participation
Ages 16 and Up

This show grabbed me almost immediately as being a very compelling idea. And the more I researched it, the more compelling it became.

Heads up on the scheduling with this one. The guy is front loaded opening weekend (Friday, Sunday) and then just weeknights (Monday, Wednesday), and doesn’t have anything scheduled for closing weekend (last show’s on Thursday, 8/13). So catch him early and spread the word.

The press packet materials expand on the synopsis:

“Who Am I, Again? – One Man’s journey to discover identity after trauma. A verbal collage of stories about surviving Traumatic Brain Injury from multiple perspectives – survivors, friends, family. Told by Brain Injury survivor and master storyteller Lethan Candlish, this piece explores a common journey of surviving trauma, navigating loneliness, and finding strength in community.”

The video trailer gives you a taste of the show as well:

Lethan’s bio lays out pretty much everything you need to know:

“Lethan Candlish is a storyteller, author, and Brain Injury survivor, bringing his experiential insight and expertise to share the story of self-acceptance and self-appreciation after brain trauma. Whilst in the maze of recovery after his Traumatic Brain Injury, Lethan discovered his unique voice in storytelling and eventually earned a graduate degree in the art from East Tennessee State University. His thesis project, "Who Am I, Again? a verbal collage of stories about Brain Injury" has been appreciated at select events throughout the country, including performances at The International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, TN; the Lab Theater at Bloomsburg University, PA; keynote speaker at the Wisconsin Brain Injury Alliance annual conference, and as the initiating project for TBIvoices - performing at the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI.

This work eventually inspired his book "Who Am I, Now? Using Storytelling to Accept and Appreciate Self-Identity after Brain Injury" - this book of well-researched inspirational philosophy has been appreciated by survivors and medical professionals around the world.

In 2012, Lethan took a break from his focus on storytelling and began to work as an English and Drama teacher in both South Korea and China. He has had the privilege and the pleasure of living in multiple cities in both countries and is currently finishing his contract as a drama teacher in the Foreign Studies department at Beijing Public School No.80. While his time abroad has been exquisite and life-changing, he feels it is time to return to the United States and renew his focus on establishing a career in Brain Injury Activism.

[Blogger note - this is the artist mentioned earlier in the post about the clowns from Berlin who’s coming from a bit further away - Beijing to Minneapolis is a heck of a commute.]

Lethan's most current project is a film adaptation of his storytelling piece - this is "Telling: the film (www.tellingthefilm.com)" and is being directed by Nathan Williams. The film is a new way of looking at Lethan's established performance by adding a full cast of talented actors and using innovative techniques to traverse the line between film and live performance. This is a film about the importance of Telling Your Story. If you would like to learn more and perhaps be a part of this film project, please speak with Lethan after the performance.”

There’s also more insight on his personal website, as well as the site for the film (warning there for recovery photos that go with the story of his 1999 car accident and the journey afterward, and a concept trailer for the film that takes some sharp turns of its own - which is why I’m not posting it here.)

If you need further convincing, there’s words of praise from other Fringes, doctors and brain injury survivors on the More Information tab for the show.

Really went down the rabbit hole on this one, which is normally a good sign.

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Twin Cities Trapeze - Tapeze - a la seconde

Every year when I draft up a Top 20 list, inevitably I miss a couple. Last year, Tapeze was one of them.

But here they are again, with a second show built off the same concept - combining tap dancers and trapeze artists in the same show.

Tapeze - a la seconde

Description:
An joyful spectacle where every step defies gravity. A circus of rhythm and movement - join us where tap dancing meets the sky.
Venue - Southern Theater
Content Warnings - None
Genre and Content - Dance, Physical Theater, Kid Friendly, Non-Verbal
Ages 7 to 11 and Up

They also threw in a mime while they were at it. Fringe (and Twin Cities theater community in general) veteran performer Kirsten Stephens has been added to this year’s ensemble, which just makes this whole thing even more intriguing.

The show’s More Information tab on the Fringe site has an additional pitch for us:

“Tap plus Trapeze = Tapeze!
Building on last year's successful Fringe Run, Tapeze is back with a bigger rig, bigger feels, and similar shenanigans.
Do you like Flight? Do you like Rhythm? Tapeze is for you!”

Big rigs, feels and shenanigans. There you have it.

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.

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

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.

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.

Fringe 2026 - Top 11 to 20

Here's a list of links to the full write-ups on each of my pre-Fringe Top 11 to 20 list for the 2026 Minnesota Fringe Festival:

11 - The Quiet Piggy - Dawn Bentley

Minnesota Fringe Executive Director and theatre virgin Dawn Bentley makes her first (and only?) fringe show. A personal, political, and playful storytelling experience fantasizing about how IT finally happens.

12 - Maniac - Todd Sullivan

A solo clown show loosely inspired by history's most intelligent serial killer — blending masks, movement, lo-fi origami, and absurd logic into a lunatic tribunal of comedy, tenderness, and chaos.

13 - Don't Be Scared - Band Practice

Two zombified post-war corporate professionals attempt to run a workshop with the audience on how to face your fears. Outside, the darkness is creeping in threatening to end the show and maybe their friendship.

14 - A Real Piece of Work - Moral of the Story

When a bumbling community theater group rehearses for their production of Hamlet, one actor tries to help them get their act together. This ensemble comedy is a love letter to community theater.

15 - Pistachio's Playhouse - Samuel Karie

When the host of the beloved children’s show Pistachio’s Playhouse experiences a sudden tragedy, she has to try and keep the Playhouse from closing while maintaining her sanity in front of an impressionable audience.

16 - The Choose Your Own Adventures of Turtle Boy - Tiger Love Studios LLC

A one-person puppet show with call and response/audience participation. The bashful but rowdy Turtle Boy leads you through an action movie of your own making. John Wick meets Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Karate Kid meets Mr. Rogers.

17 - That Was Shakespeare: A Revue - The Redmond Players (aka Technically Thespians)

Connie thinks Shakespeare belongs in the past. Her uncle Ford knows better. A whirlwind tour through comedy, tragedy, and romance reveals the Bard's words may be closer to home than she thinks.

18 - Therapist Zero - be-Creative (Brian Leonard)

Therapist Zero is a darkly funny solo show about a father trying to help his brilliant but struggling daughter, only to run headfirst into a maze of psychiatrists, broken systems, and his own past.

19 - Hell on Wheels: The Winter Strike of 1934 - Local 574

The true story of the families and truckers in Minneapolis who organized in order to survive the Great Depression. This first strike of 1934 led to the transformation of the North Star State.

20 -

And here's a list to similar posts with links to the Top 10 entries on this year's list, as well as a post with links to all the blog posts on returning favorites coming back to this year's festival.