Fringe 2023 - Other Shows I've Seen

Here's a rundown of all the shows rating 3 Stars or less which I've seen so far in the Minnesota Fringe Festival this year.  I'd recommend seeing the 5 and 4.5 star shows, or the 4 or 3.5 star shows on my list first, but after you've hit all those, check and see if these shows sound like they might be your thing, even though they weren't for me:

3 Stars

Audacious Ignatius: Lost In Atlantis

tweet review - #mnfringe show 14 - Audacious Ignatius: Lost In Atlantis: big fan of performer/his solo show last year; this one feels a draft away from being done, can almost see the play it's trying to be; he's interested in the subject, not sure why I should be; but still good - 3 stars

Dock Work

tweet review - #mnfringe show 16 - Dock Work: dance/scripted/hard rock show work in progress about unions/organizing; each part OK but the 3 parts of the show don't really gel with each other so it doesn't really add up to a single cohesive show or message; lot of talent onstage - 3 stars

Jonah and Joanna...and the Great Big Fish

tweet review - #mnfringe show 34 - Jonah and Joanna...and the Great Big Fish - retelling of Jonah and the "whale" with significant mid-show detour into a tribute to all the MN sports teams(?); Cooney is an enthusiastic storyteller; could have used less sports, more theology - 3 stars

 

2.5 Stars

Choose Your Own Fringe Adventure

tweet review - #mnfringe show 45 - Choose Your Own Fringe Adventure: performers needed more time together to improv as a team before this; lot of floundering around inside the agreed upon plot points/audience choice moments; overall structure didn't lead to anything; puzzling - 2.5 stars

Primary

tweet review - #mnfringe show 19 - Primary: (oof) hard to say what went wrong here; words of the play seem smart/funny, though perhaps cramming too much in 1 hr?; acting, directing, staging all just feel off in execution; talent here, but not a lot of collaboration - 2.5 stars

 

 

Here's some handy links to a rundown of 5 and 4.5 Star shows I've seen this year, also the 4 and 3.5 Star shows, and the rest, plus this year's Top 10 list, and Top 11-20 List, and the full list of all returning favorites in the 2023 Fringe, plus a link to all the 2023 Minnesota Fringe Festival coverage.