Fringe 2024 - Day 11 In Brief

The day in Threads

Started and ended the Fringe day with my pal Denzel Belin - first as an interview guest at his show Minnesota Tonight, and in the last slot watching him with the entire Blackout Improv ensemble saying an energetic goodbye to Fringe for the year with a lot of great improv comedy. In between, I got a couple of new traveling one-woman shows, and two stand-up shows - one a repeat and the other an unexpectedly intimate set for just six people. It took the whole festival but as of today I actually did manage to see all the shows in my Top 20 list this year (the scheduling puzzle doesn’t always shake out that way, so that was a fine goal to hit). Rounded out the night at the Golden Lanyard Awards portion of the closing night party at Can Can Wonderland. Damn good festival this year.  Many thanks to all the artists, tech, staff and volunteers who made it all possible.

Random thread: Another brief pause in mnfringe coverage this morning while I do a little more prep work for those auditions for my play "Spellbound"... :) - the audition notice is now live on Minnesota Playlist - come join us!

Random thread: And now I have to finish preparing myself to be a guest at the mnfringe 1pm showing of Minnesota Tonight :)

Threads review, mnfringe show 50, MN Tonight: this time from behind the curtain as an interview guest; trivia: I took Mom’s red portfolio on stage with me, just in case I needed to refer to my notes, so a little bit of Beverlee hit the stage as well this afternoon; fun way to start the final day of Fringe; now it’s back into the audience for me :) (my full review)

Threads review, mnfringe show 51, Heart Ripped Out Twice and So Can You: holy sh*t, the turn this thing takes 3/4s of the way through is brilliant; you think you have it figured out early on, but then it turns into something so much more beautiful than you imagined; wow - 5 stars (my Fringe Top 20 write-up)

Threads review, mnfringe show 52, The Princess Strikes Back: One Woman’s Search for the Space Cowboy of Her Dreams; title really covers the territory; girl who grew up on Han Solo in Star Wars becomes working actress still searching for someone worthwhile with whom to share her independent life - 4 stars

Threads review, mnfringe show 53, Least Likely to Succeed: Tales from a Midwestern Homeschooler; I was in the neighborhood and felt like some stand-up comedy; the crowd was livelier and the set was tighter this time around; enjoyed it even more than I did the first time :) still 5 stars (my full review)

Threads review, mnfringe show 54, An Honest* History of Bullshit; this was Paco’s extra slot picked up from an act that left the fest early; only 6 of us turned up so it was an intimate affair, we all moved close to the stage, he ditched the mic, learned all our names, and gave us the set that way instead - 5 stars

Threads review, mnfringe show 55, Blackout Improv Does Something!!! my friend Denzel was in the ensemble tonight so it was a great excuse for a return trip to see Blackout do another set; in fact, it felt like the ENTIRE Blackout ensemble was there, the stage was full to bursting with talented improvisors and the energy in the room was off the chart; an ideal way to end my Fringe show schedule; now (and always) 5 stars (my full review)

Random thread: mnfringe closing night party: glad I chose to wear my War Horse T-shirt today because I got to hang out with the Horse/Dies Fringe show crew at the party, and watch them take home two Golden Lanyard Awards; also saw the first male Beverlee Award winner chosen, Andrew Troth; it was fun to see so many deserving shows and people recognized (in a festival with just as many other shows one could give awards to as well - just a really lovely 11 days). Thanks to all who made it possible!

 

 

Here's some handy links to coverage of shows I've seen in the Fringe this year getting 5 and 4.5 Stars (Very Highly Recommended), 4 and 3.5 Stars (Highly Recommended) as well as the shows ranking 3 stars or less; also links to this year's Top 10 list and Top 11-20 list, also a full list of all returning favorites to this year's Fringe, plus a link to ALL the 2024 Minnesota Fringe Festival coverage.

While I have your attention, please VOTE :) 

Minnesota is currently in the early voting period for our Congressional and local primaries (I had the U.S. Senate, Congress, and the Minneapolis school board on my ballot) - final day to vote in the primary is Tuesday, August 13th, but you don't have to wait until Fringe is over, go vote right now :)

Early voting for the Presidential Election itself in Minnesota starts on Friday, September 20th. We're lucky to have a lot of time to get our voices heard, so cast your vote, and then make sure everyone you know and love is registered and gets to the polls to vote. Election Day, your final date to vote, is Tuesday, November 5th.

As a queer playwright and theater maker, I want a government that's compassionate and competent enough to keep us all safe and healthy, keep theaters open and running, and personally, I'd just like to be legal myself and keep the weirdos out of government and out of my personal business (and the things I post on this blog, for instance). We all have our reasons, so let's make sure we get the leaders we need and deserve, and get our friends, family and co-workers to raise their voices, too.

Find where to vote and what's on your ballot (with links to candidate websites) and other resources at the Minnesota Secretary of State's website.

For other resources on how to register, volunteer or donate, locally or nationally, check out Vote Save America.

Vote.  Raise your voice. We're not going back.