Monday, July 03, 2023

Fringe 2023 - Returning Favorites - Ghoulish Delights


5 Prisoners

This sci-fi/horror anthology features five short scenes about unexpected spaces that confine unexpected prisoners, written by Pat Harrigan, John Heimbuch, Ariel Pinkerton, Tim Uren, and Duck Washington.

Venue: Southern Theater
Tagged for: Drama, Horror, Sci Fi
Content Warnings: gun/weapon usage, loud noises, violence

OK, right there you’ve got Duck Washington (previously posted about), Tim Uren (the head of Ghoulish Delights, who was #9 in my pre-Fringe Top 10 way back in the early days of this blog in 2004); Ariel Pinkerton (also part of the Ghoulish Delights team, but she’s also linked up with two other producing teams for this Fringe with Mermaid Productions [#4 in the Top 10 in 2015] and Fortune’s Fool Theatre [#19 in the Top 20 in 2011], so, phew, we’ll get to those as well); and John Heimbuch of Walking Shadow fame (#7 in the Top 10 also way back in 2005).  No disrespect to Pat Harrigan, I clearly just haven’t caught up with you yet.  This show will fix that.

The stories of the 5 Prisoners are:

Suit the Action, by John Heimbuch
When a renowned actress is arrested for performing in drag, the decision to fight for her principles could cost her everything.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving, by Ariel Pinkerton
Poverty changes us... Cassie, behind on bills, turns to plasma donations to make ends meet. But as she gives more and more, what else is draining away?

Random Number Generator, by Tim Uren
Prisoner #63217822 has been chosen for a bizarre medical experiment. His thoughts have been pushed beyond the veil, outside normal time and causation.

Untitled, by Pat Harrigan
The interrogation of political prisoners yields no results, and someone is sent to find out why. But in this dark, anonymous room, mindless brutality and heartless bureaucracy find common ground.

Moonbase IV, by Duck Washington
After surrendering to extra terrestrial forces in the far reaches of the solar system, an Earthling fighter pilot finds himself imprisoned on a moonbase in the Rylosian system. What he encounters upon his arrival is nowhere near what he anticipated.

Just sign me up.  I’m there.

(After all, one my previous reviews is quoted on their show page.  I should probably listen to myself.)


Here's some handy links to this year's Top 10, and Top 11-20 Lists, plus the full list of all returning favorites at this year's Fringe, plus a link to all the 2023 Minnesota Fringe Festival coverage

 

 

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