One Last HUGE Wednesday 10/30/2024 at 7:30pm

Many a benediction has been written about the closing of HUGE improv theater at the end of this month - just two days away.  It’s been both gratifying and overwhelming to read the many testimonials spread all over social media these past several weeks - audience members reliving happy memories as they say farewell to another theater company (a regular occurrence since the pandemic hit four years ago); artists testifying to the home they found at HUGE and all the growing they did there as performers; improv comedy amateurs just learning the craft finding it hard to say goodbye to the sense of purpose and community they discovered at HUGE.  Like so many theaters, it was more than just a building, it was an ever-expanding network of artists and audiences that's going to keep spinning out through the Twin Cities for decades to come.

“She has a closet full of boyfriends.”

Around my two day jobs and work for Threshold Theater, I’ve grabbed as many different shows on the schedule as I could over the past two months. I was happy to see Star Trek: The Next Improvisation have a sold out final performance (even if that meant I didn’t get to see it), and I hung out to see the Twilight Zone improv and the Soap Prov (soap opera improv) after that on Saturday.  I managed to see the Sword & Sorcery improvised fantasy campaign, an outing for random acts in Improv-A-Go-Go, and the superhero improv of Ka-Bam at different points on the calendar as well. And every time I set foot in the place I got some merch, to throw HUGE some extra money and help clear the shelves (I ended up with three different T-shirts, a scarf and a mug at last count). I also bought two tickets to each of the last two shows I saw, because there were two other shows I wasn’t going to get to see because of my schedule, but they had the seats, so buying an extra ticket wasn’t going to keep anyone else out. (They could still use donations to help them close the books so, if you can afford to throw them a bit of extra money, please do.)

“No one’s chasing us - except for time.”

It’s cold comfort, but a comfort nonetheless that the last show on the HUGE improv theater stage will be another edition of HUGE Wednesdays.  I had the pleasure of seeing this line-up of improv groups for a HUGE Wednesday last month, and it was amazing.  A great way to go out, if out you must go.

“Our bodies are prepared for the rigors of art.  It may destroy you.”

HUGE Wednesdays offers a program of four different improv comedy acts - in this case all very different from one another.  There’s “Party Slice,” which is probably the most straightforward of the quartet - a group of friends doing long-form improv comedy launched by a couple of simple audience suggestions, largely based in reality (not a concept show built around sci fi or fantasy or pirates or superheroes or soap operas, etc.).  It’s intriguing to watch a group of people working together to create something that didn’t exist a minute ago, and flesh out a whole neighborhood of characters that keep looping back in on one another.

“I’ve been a ghost this whole time.”

There’s “Love’s Labors WON?” which is two guys in period garb pretending to be a pair of great actors with storied careers reminiscing about great stage, movie or TV work they did together or separately. It’s a great gimmick and the performers clearly have a good time riffing off of one another, creating fake additions to their resumes on the fly. The night I went they recalled scenes from a CB long-haul trucker movie they did together, which turned into a meditation on the meaning of existence and connection to other human beings in a solitary profession. There was also a biopic exploring the career of Vin Diesel which took a hard turn into psychological thriller territory. There was a gig doing motion capture for a Scooby Doo video game, as well as a fake commercial, and each of them got a closing monologue - again, all of this was conjured out of nothing.  Just two people riffing.

“Call me when you’re ready to get mauled.”

There’s also “A Sketch Show,” which is three improvisers who are also artists, creating elaborate drawings based off audience suggestion, and at the same time they provide all interested audience members with clipboards, paper and markers so that they, too, can create sketch art on the fly based on the unfolding story that everyone is making up together in real time. The trio’s personas are all an exaggerated affectation of a self-important artist, clearly making fun of the stereotype and not the audience that these “artists” pretend to be looking down on.  It’s quite amusing.

“I’ve developed an immunity to embalming fluid.”

Finally, the truly stunning comedy character work of Nels and Stacey, the duo behind “When Harold Met Sally” taking a chunk of the traditional three part “Harold” improv structure and using it as the foundation for the creation of a two-person relationship over time. Two characters meet on an awkward first date.  Then those same two characters are out on a date later in their relationship (an ax-throwing venue). And the final part is the two of them, many years later, sharing a home together.

“You’re not being set up to take the fall for anything.”

Honestly, as a playwright, I should feel somewhat threatened by improv this good because they make a script seem entirely unnecessary.  If two performers like these can create two fully formed human characters as they go, just exchanging lines of dialogue made up off the top of their head, and it’s actually very, very funny, and then it evolves, and then evolves again.  And you get a complete experience to two people’s lives that didn’t exist half an hour ago.  And it’s also genuinely sweet, and touching, even moving, without veering into melodrama or sentimentality?  Just grounded, detailed character work - out of thin air?  Hell, who needs playwrights?

“Don’t poke the bear unless you want to have sex with the bear.”

The final edition of HUGE Wednesdays is sure to be a great sampler of just some of the many things improv comedy can offer an audience.  It’s a fitting farewell to a significant chapter of Twin Cities theater.

HUGE improv theater is, for the moment, still at 2728 Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis, MN. (sigh)

(However, channel that sad feeling into something positive by seeing some of the other live performance that is very much continuing: the Minne-Melange variety show regularly hosts improv acts at venues around town like the Bryant Lake Bowl, the Queer and Funny Improv Festival is on this weekend (November 2nd and 3rd) at Red Eye Theater, Improv-A-Go-Go is transitioning over to its new venue at Strike Theater starting in 2025 (and hey, while you’re at it, just support Strike Theater in general). Also, support the Crane Theater, currently hosting the Twin Cities Horror Festival (running now, started last weekend and runs through November 3rd this weekend). Off the top of my head there’s also compelling shows currently running at Six Points Theater (Just For Us, through November 10th) and Mixed Blood Theater (The Ally, also running now through November 10th)

 

 

I’m A Queer Theater Artist

Reason I voted for Kamala Harris (3 of 3)

There’s a lot of reasons, but I’ll stick to the top three.

The most selfish of those reasons…

I own and regularly wear a T-shirt that says “Leave Trans Kids Alone You Absolute Freaks”

I am a gay man.

I am a queer playwright.

I am the literary director for Threshold Theater, regularly processing and reading the new plays of living LGBTQ+ playwrights which the company platforms in a New Play Reading Series, the 4Play With Threshold Theater productions of collections of short plays, and the upcoming world premiere production of my new script “Spellbound” in April 2025.

I would like to still be legal as a human being in April 2025.

I would like my work as an artist to still be legal in April 2025.

I would like Threshold Theater to still be legal in April 2025.

And I would like my trans friends, including the one who works with Threshold Theater as a Literary Associate, to get a friggin’ break, thank you very much.

One party at the city, state and federal level has a strange obsession with constantly freaking out over what mere existence of the LGBTQ+ community means for “traditional” gender and family roles.

The other party is headed by Kamal Harris and Tim Walz and Joe Biden.

So I voted for Kamala Harris because I want politicians to mind their own damn business.

I’ve lived and created art as an openly gay man for over 35 years.

There’s not a closet big enough to hold me anymore.

We’re not going back.

 

 

1 Million People Are Dead Who Didn’t Need To Be

Reason I voted for Kamala Harris (2 of 3)

There’s a lot of reasons, but I’ll stick to the top three.

I voted for competent government.

President Biden and Vice President Harris, just like President Obama before them, have spent the last four years cleaning up the mess the previous Republican administration left behind it.

They got shots in arms.

They got the country re-opened, back to school and back to business.

They got the economy on its feet in a way that no other country in the world managed to do.

The disgraced, twice impeached, 34 times convicted felon and former social media influencer who used to occupy the White House botched the response to the pandemic.  Because he didn’t care if anyone else other than him lived or died.

Yes, the pandemic would have been terrible regardless.

Yes, people would have died.

But here’s the thing - the medical experts and epidemiologists said that, even if we did everything perfectly, made all the right decisions, 200,000 people were going to die.

Those first 200,000 were baked in.  There was nothing we were going to be able to do to save them.

And at the time, people couldn’t wrap their heads around it.  That level of death was unthinkable.

200,000 dead bodies was the starting point.   That was the best case scenario.

Every death after that was a choice.

Rough estimate: 1,219,487 people died in the United States of America from the Covid-19 virus

That’s a rough estimate, and who knows how many decades it’s going to take investigators to get a real number, we may never know because - again - the former president didn’t care if anyone other than him lived or died, and he didn’t want people even being tested, much less have an accurate counting of the dead because he felt like it made him look bad.

And he’s right, it does make him look bad.

But more people are dead because of him, and the collection of self-centered morons who ran his government and, again, were thinking only of themselves.

Independent journalistic outfits had to track the dead for the first year of the pandemic because the government refused to.  The journalists only stopped their trackers when the Centers for Disease Control finally started doing its job, under the Biden/Harris administration.

On the flip side, more people are alive today in Minnesota because our governor (and now candidate for Vice President) Tim Walz was sensible and listened to the experts, and wasn’t intimidated by people squawking and doing dumb sh*t during a pandemic that put themselves and others at risk because they didn’t want to be inconvenienced.

And the former president was indulging them because it was an alternate reality he preferred to live in.

1,219,487

200,000

Over a million people are dead who didn’t need to be.

The economy tanked.

The theater industry was shuttered and is still barely hobbling along again now.

As someone who lived through the AIDS epidemic, with another president who didn’t care if I lived or died, I thank God every day that Dr. Fauci gutted it out and stayed in service during that first terrible year that got us to the vaccines.  He’s gotten me through lethal viruses now, bless him.

I know everyone is understandably traumatized by that year of isolation and death.

I had been traumatized just the year before by my mother’s death from a brain tumor - I was primed to understand grief as I was still (and am still) going through it.

Every one of those 1,219,487 people has someone in their life who cared about or even loved them, who misses them, who grieves them.  If they’re lucky, more than one someone.

The exponential blast radius of all that grief - I’m surprised the world is still spinning.

There is a special place in hell for everyone in the previous administration who thought of themselves rather than the common good during that crisis.

So, no.

You don’t get to be president again after you f**k up that royally.

You just don’t.

 

 

For My Goddaughter

Reason I voted for Kamala Harris (1 of 3)

There’s a lot of reasons, but I’ll stick to the top three.

My goddaughter Ursula is 15, so she’s still too young to vote.

So, in part, I voted for Kamala Harris for Ursula.  And her younger sister Esme as well.

Because I thought we were giving both those girls a female president back in 2016 with Hillary Clinton.
(And if the person who got the most votes was elected president, we would have, but the electoral college continues to taunt us.  Something else for the “to do” list.)

And now, thanks to the three Supreme Court seats (two of them stolen, you could argue) filled by the disgraced, twice impeached, 34 times convicted felon and former social media influencer who used to occupy the White House, Ursula has fewer rights over her own reproductive choices than her mother has had all her life.

Yes, she’s 15.

But it will come up, and sooner than either her parents or I are probably ready for.

And I’m not putting up with this Project 2025 nonsense.

In the event it becomes necessary, I will pay for a plane ticket to Minnesota for her and put her up in my house and accompany her to the appointments.  I know someone who works for Planned Parenthood.

But part of the reason I also voted for Amy Klobuchar for Senate, and Ilhan Omar for the House is that I want a President Harris to have a Congress that will work with her to restore women’s reproductive freedom.

Because, honestly, keep your regressive laws off my goddaughter’s body.

 

 

"Spellbound" previews and Threshold Theater cabaret/fundraiser this Monday 10/7

This coming Monday 10/7, Threshold Theater’s 4th annual Coming Out Day Cabaret & Fundraiser

Curious to see a scene from the upcoming world premiere production of my play “Spellbound”?

Interested to listen to me play guitar and sing the song from that same play “Spellbound”?

Well, you could see both those things, among other entertaining acts, this coming Monday, October 7th at the Black Hart of Saint Paul (1415 University Avenue West, Saint Paul, MN 55104) at Threshold Theater’s 4th Annual Coming Out Day Cabaret & Fundraiser.

Doors at 7pm, Entertainment and Silent Auction 7:30pm to 9pm

Tickets at the door on a sliding scale from $15 to $69
(yes, that’s a 69 joke - apologies or you’re welcome)

You can also bid online right now on the individual posts for the different auction items on Threshold Theater’s Facebook page

I’ve been so busy getting ready for this event that I failed to actually tell anyone about it until now - which is a challenge if you’d like people to show up and see it :)

Or perhaps just bid for auction items online, now or later.

We had a great audition process and have come up with a fantastic cast of performers for “Spellbound,” who will be announced at the event.

Also, you’ll get to see three of the cast members (and me reading stage directions) perform the opening scene from the play - which in my opinion is the funniest scene in the play and tells you everything you need to know about the kickoff for the plot.

And since the actors haven’t had a chance to learn the song yet (which is something later in the play), that duty falls to me for now (which is what most of my recent guitar lessons have been focused on).

The other entertainment at the cabaret includes:

A drag performance from Deb U Taunt (Timothy Kelly)

Improv comedy from No Fear ShakesQueer

Bingo

Outbidding your competitors on items at the silent auction
Auction items include

A gift card to Can Can Wonderland

A gift basket from Sociable Cider Works

Crochet Art by Julia Cosgrove

A growler from 56 Brewing

Photography by Nick Mrozek

Various flavors of Absolut Vodka donated by The Saloon

A picnic basket (including some tumbler glasses and more vodka)

Tickets to the following shows in the current Guthrie Theater season:
The Heart Sellers
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Mousetrap
The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Year
and Cabaret

Also tickets to the as yet unannounced first two selections in the 2025-2026 Guthrie Theater season (in September and October 2025)

And you can also bid to give me instructions on how to write a 10 minute play of your choosing.

You can get the bidding going in advance online by posting a comment with a bid on the item of your choosing on Threshold Theater's facebook page

If you can join us in person, we’d love to see you.

And if all you can do is bid online, that’s great, too.

And mark your calendars now for the full production of "Spellbound" next spring, April 18 to May 3, 2025 at the Phoenix Theater.

And now I’m going to go play the guitar some more…

 

 

Review - Lincoln’s Children - Fortune’s Fool Theatre - Funny, Smart, Fascinating Script, Great Cast - 4.5 stars

“Who we were is who we are.”

The world premiere of Chicago playwright Mike McGeever’s play Lincoln’s Children by Fortune’s Fool Theatre is, among many other things, about gatekeeping - who is allowed to tell what stories and in what way. So, let’s get through the gate I keep when writing reviews of other folks’ theater work right up front and get that out of the way: You should go see Lincoln’s Children (and don’t dawdle, because there’s less than 45 seats in the Crane Theater studio space and they are, quite deservedly, starting to fill up).  Lincoln’s Children is a funny, smart and fascinating script which really did (and I guess is still doing) a number on my brain, and it’s delivered by a great cast and production team. When you get a chance to be among the first people to see a really good new play like this, you should jump on it.  So if that’s all you really need to know, you can skip the rest of this review where I name names and tussle with the script a bit as I try to articulate just what the heck I think about the thing.  Just get your tickets quickly and go see it for yourself (maybe then you can help me solve some of the riddles I’m still trying to unpack).

“I thought you wanted me to argue with you.”
“Yes, but only the things that *I* want to argue about!”

Lincoln’s Children focuses on two writers, one with their career on the way up, and another with a career which may be on the way down. The play begins and ends with Chloe Waters (Kyra Richardson), which is key. Most plays would center the successful white male writer Montgomery Mathers (Jeremy Motz), and most audiences might lean toward following him, and watching the play through his eyes. But that would be a mistake, and it’s a mistake the script toys with in intriguing ways to subvert the viewers' expectations and keep them off balance.

“Sometimes, the way you dress…”

Mathers, a historian and author, hasn’t been able to duplicate the success of his first book about President Abraham Lincoln, with declining interest and declining sales for each new book ever since. Mathers’ agent Irma (Dawn Krosnowski) pushes him while trying to keep him from over-extending himself, personally or financially. Mathers’ more successful mentor Calhoun (Scott Gilbert), a Southerner who is no gentleman but still a very popular author himself, openly mocks Mathers’ flailing current attempt at a new take on Lincoln. Even Ethel (Winifred Froelich), the archivist in charge of the research library who fauns over Mathers whenever he visits, is in many ways just trying to prop up the author’s foundering ego so he doesn’t give up on his work entirely.

“Fine.  If forgiveness is that simple, I’m sorry, too.”

Mathers hiring Chloe, a brilliant black graduate student, to be his research assistant takes the play to another level. Because Chloe has a story of her own she wants to tell, and helping Mathers to research his book gives her access and opportunities to further follow her own quest. Chloe’s family tree includes another Chloe, Chloe Jackson (also Kyra Richardson), a slave who for a time was rented out by her Kentucky owner to work as a servant in Illinois for the household of Abraham Lincoln (Nicholas Nelson), then an up-and-coming congressman, and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln (Ariel Pinkerton). The oral history of present day Chloe’s family infers the potentially scandalous suggestion that perhaps Abraham Lincoln was father to one of her ancestors through relations with Chloe Jackson. Mathers tries to keep research for his own book on track, but Chloe’s line of research takes on a life of its own, with Mathers’ publisher expressing more interest in Chloe’s work than his.

“‘Relationships’ do not take that long.”

Director Duck Washington does a stellar job guiding this talented ensemble of actors through a thicket of thorny subject matter, personal interactions, power dynamics and awkward moments that would have the audience laughing one moment and gasping and recoiling the next. The intimate space really does put the audience up in the actors’ business and vice versa. While it’s not audience participation, the comfort of distance and a fourth wall is minimal here, as it should be. The ever-changing evaluation of who’s taking advantage of who (and why) doesn’t end with the reassurance of a final, definitive answer. The audience needs to take that, and many other questions, out the door with them after the play concludes.

“Why should she be nice?  I’m not nice.”

The playwright’s note in the program makes it clear that this isn’t a true story. However, the play itself asks us to buy into its reality, which is tricky when you’re dealing with characters who say they care about truth and history and facts - in something that is a piece of fiction. What are the scenes in the past, really? Where is this alternate timeline for Abraham Lincoln and Mary and Chloe stemming from? How seriously are we supposed to take these scenes and what happens in them? How much should we be investing in them? Are all of these questions that the play and production refuse to answer part of a deliberate strategy to knock the audience off balance and keep them there?  I honestly couldn’t tell you.  But it’s not a theatrical experience that most plays and productions put me in, so it was compelling to sit in all that for a couple of hours, stew in my feelings and realize I wasn’t going to get any assistance, I was just going to have figure out how I felt about it all on my own.  And I’m going to need more than 12 or 24 hours to find a way to articulate that, so here we are.

“That’s why I like history.  It never changes.”

And while I enjoyed all the characters and the inter-relationships past and present, Richardson and Motz are so good as Chloe and Mathers, and their characters are so rich and full of potential, I did find myself wondering a lot of the time, why isn’t it just these two people and no one else? Do we really need the other modern day characters, who, fun as they are, spend a lot of their time giving or setting up exposition we might just as easily get in other ways through the two primary characters and their interaction? Also, in addition to Mathers’ faltering career, we learn that he is also supposedly grieving the death of his wife of many years, but that seismic shift in his personal life and support system is left almost completely unexplored, to the point where it might as well never have been mentioned. And Chloe’s life outside of her research and literary quest is also a blank. I found myself wanting more depth in these characters, and more opportunity for these actors, than the play was willing to provide me as an audience member.

“My ex-husband - he washed the dishes, once, and you’d think he freed the slaves.”

Some design/production choices also left me scratching my head. This isn’t a reflection on the work of Christopher Goddard, the stage manager - they keep everything moving smoothly along throughout the night. Keven Lock’s set and Terri Ristow’s properties work do a great job of doing double duty for both the present and the past, and look great as well. But did so much time between scenes really need to be spent rotating the table a few inches to a foot in one direction or the other? In one sense, I do understand that, with the audience on three sides in the studio space, if things don’t shift somehow, some folks are only ever going to get to see the back of someone’s head. But director Washington and the actors were skillful at never staying still for too long in any one configuration, always keeping things moving. So I question the need for table shifting, when actors or chairs could be shifting instead.

“Neither of us can show how clever we are.”

The costumes designed by CJ Mantel also look wonderful, especially the period looks for some characters. But given the dual nature of the Chloe role, was it necessary to make 21st century Chloe’s look so completely and fully transform to 19th century Chloe that it required extensive costume changes which slowed the flow of the play? Could a partial change for the Chloe of the past, never entirely obscuring modern day Chloe from our view, have sped things along and not impaired the point of the play? The audience knows it’s the same actor, and this is theater, suspension of disbelief and all, motion picture verisimilitude isn’t entirely necessary. Also, the play is clearly drawing parallels between Chloe's service to the Lincolns and Chloe's work in service of Mathers, and the fact that in both situations, the men push the boundaries of what would be considered appropriate behavior.  It's part of the reason the play has the same actress in both roles. Some visual blending of the two women could still be in keeping with the themes and purpose of the play and this doubling choice by the playwright.

“[This wine] is just fine enough.  If it were any better, the master wouldn’t have given it to me.  If it were any worse, I wouldn’t have drunk it.”

Ariel Pinkerton’s lighting design makes the most of creating different worlds in the small stage area the production has to work with, and the light between scenes offers glimpses of characters crossing paths in changing the location that we might otherwise not be graced with, so that’s fun as well. Christy Johnson’s sound design has a pre-show/intermission/post-show set list I very much want to recreate and listen to again, and the sound cues creating the world of our two authors doing remote interviews for television are a nice touch. I’m not sure why the script asks for Mathers to be revisited with dialogue in voiceover from recent conversations.  Motz is a good actor - we realize he’s still carrying around the words of other characters in his head and that they might be influencing his actions going forward.  (In fact, the words were all still ringing in my ears as well because those other scenes happened at most 15 minutes ago.  I’m not sure why we need flashbacks in the text to things that happened in the same act.)

“It’s not stealing, it’s liberating.”

[Hey, why so picky, Everett? I thought you said this was a really good production of a really good new play.] It is, it is.  Nothing I just typed above undoes that.  The fact is, Fortune’s Fool Theatre’s production of Lincoln’s Children is operating at such a high level, it makes the little things pop out a bit more.  There is so much material I am not delving into or spoiling here.  I really just want as many people as possible to go see this new play and come up with their own answers - or have their own unanswered questions - about it.  This production is tackling race, gender, and American history, just for starters, all of which can be (and here, are) quite fraught. And yet it’s still engaging the audience in ways that allow them to laugh, or cause them to hold their breath in anticipation of that thing that may (or may not) happen, waiting to hear and see how a character onstage is going to react. Lincoln’s Children is the kind of thing live theater was invented to do.  So buy a ticket and go be in the same room with all these talented artists while they do their thing, and do it so well.

“I think they said my last book was the worst thing to happen to Lincoln since the assassination.”

Fortune’s Fool Theatre’s world premiere production of Lincoln’s Children runs now through September 22, 2024 in the studio space of Crane Theater (2303 Kennedy St. NE, Minneapolis 55413). Friday, Saturday and Monday performances are at 7:30pm, Sunday performances are at 2pm.

4.5 Stars - Very Highly Recommended

(photos by Scott Pakudaitis; top: Kyra Richardson as Chloe Jackson/Chloe Walters; middle, l-r, Jeremy Motz as Montgomery Mathers, Kyra Richardson as Chloe Jackson)

While I have your attention, please VOTE :)

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.

 

 

Seeking Writers and Actors for Biweekly Playwriting Group

September and the impending change of seasons means it's time to start meeting and germinating new plays again.

Want to give yourself a deadline for playwriting on a regular basis? 
Want to help develop new plays and read new work?  

We might have a writing group for you.

This is a playwriting group that meets biweekly on Mondays, ongoing now, starting up again next Monday 9/9 and continuing through May of 2025, before our next summer break begins.

During the beginning of the pandemic, we shifted to an online platform to continue meeting.  We've moved into a hybrid format these past couple of years, those comfortable with meeting in person gathering in one another’s homes, and those who prefer or need to remain online joining the rest through our online meeting room.  (We've learned to roll with technical difficulties :)

As seasons change, we go looking for new blood to join those already in the group, since both actors and writers tend to get busy in cycles sometimes and we like to have a regular core of people to keep the meetings well-attended and useful.

Material to be read could be scenes, could be an act, could be an entire draft of a whole play. We also throw out a writing challenge, just in case people want to sharpen their teeth (or pencils, or keyboards?) on something random, or use it to help jumpstart them past writer's block.

We invite actor friends in to help us read (hence the call for actors as well as writers). All are welcome to offer constructive feedback - it's neither supposed to be a lovefest nor a feeding frenzy. We're here to get better, but also to support one another. The idea is to get better collectively, rather than at one another's expense. It's not a place for fragile egos or manufactured personal drama (drama on the page only, please).

Monday Group Manifesto

Six Things We Consider Important About The Group and How It Runs

-Monday Group will invite actors to attend meetings and read most roles. Matthew will be the point dude for inviting actors, but all members should feel free to invite actors if they want someone specific to read.

-Monday Group is and will remain a group of playwrights. While the focus is on writing plays, members may bring any work that can be performed. Long pieces of prose are not appropriate.

-Monday Group members will aim to bring work to every meeting they can attend. Group members who are not pursuing individual projects can do a writing challenge, designed by the host of the next meeting. Group members are, however, not to waste any time beating themselves up if they cannot always meet this goal.

-Monday Group will hold to the Roundtable guidelines for feedback, by beginning the discussion with positive remarks and moving on to offer constructive, specific criticism.

-Monday Group will recruit new members on a mentor system. If you have a candidate for a new group member, after ascertaining the candidate's interest, check in with the group about the person. If the group agrees, bring the new person to a meeting and be willing to serve as their guide.

-Monday Group is about supporting each other in our growth as writers. We want to be, and recruit, writers who can learn from each other's work, and who do work that is inspiring.

So if you’re interested in sitting in on a meeting to see if it's the kind of thing that could help your own creative process, reach out to Matthew online (blog, facebook, Threads, instagram, etc.) or via matthewaeverett268 AT gmail DOT com

 

 

Fringe 2024 - Golden Lanyard Awards, plus more Fringe in the Near Future

The Minnesota Fringe Festival shared a press release about last night’s end of festival Golden Lanyard Awards, plus information on additional opportunities to see Fringe shows again, five live encore performances at the Phipps in Hudson, WI later this week (Wednesday through Sunday 8/14 to 8/18) and access to video recordings of select shows as part of the Fringe Hangover for 11 days next month (9/12 to 9/22).

The awards provide an overview of a wider range of shows than I was able to see (though I did see quite a few of the names on this list, which is more than I often do :)

Here’s the press release with commentary and informational links from me:

2024 Minnesota Fringe Festival
Golden Lanyard Award Winners, Encore Performances at the Phipps, and the Fringe Hangover

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Minnesota Fringe recently completed its 31st annual festival featuring local, national, and international artists in over 500 performances and filling more than 20,000 seats at a variety of theaters throughout the city August 1-11. The closing night party at Can Can Wonderland in St. Paul opened with a rousing speech from Representative Ilhan Omar from Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives promising in advance of the August 13th primary to “always fight to provide investments to help artists in our community thrive.”

Awards were given to 30 notable festival participants, including a patron and theater technician:

Audience-driven Awards

Spirit of the Fringe:
The "Fringiest" production who made the boldest choices, took the most risks, or took audiences on an adventure
"A First-Class Comedic Revue... Featuring the Reanimated Corpse of a Wright Brother" by an alleged Theatre Company

(alleged Theatre Company was in my Fringe Top 20 back in 2019, but didn’t get a chance to do a returning favorite write-up on pre-Fringe this year - not a lot of down time from the two day jobs in July so I only got to write about 16 of the 33 returning artists who’d been on one of my previous Top 20 lists - you’ll see this is a theme below - also the scheduling puzzle didn’t line up for me and I didn’t get a chance to see the show - but maybe it’s in the Fringe Hangover and I can catch it online next month.  We shall see.)

Audience Picks:
Audience favorite productions
"The Dumb Waiter" by Jackdonkey Productions
(Here’s another former Top 20 list returnee, from 2023, which I didn’t get to write up pre-Fringe, or see during the festival.)

"Beanie Baby Divorce Play" by Melancholics Anonymous
(Melancholics Anonymous has been on a roll with sold-out Fringe shows the past few years.  So sold-out that I and many others couldn’t get in. I’ll keep an eye out to see if they’re part of the Fringe Hangover videos next month. The stage manager on the production, Maren Findlay, is one of the Literary Associates I work with at Threshold Theater.  And another Threshold Literary Associate, Kate Cosgrove, was in the Melancholics’ production earlier this year which I did see - 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche.)

"A First-Class Comedic Revue... Featuring the Reanimated Corpse of a Wright Brother" by an alleged Theatre Company
(See prior note under Spirit of the Fringe section.)

Venue Picks:
The top selling production at each Fringe-managed venue.
(I’m shuffling these between those I got a chance to see and those I didn’t.)

Shows I didn’t get to see:
"Hugo and Maeve Join A Cult!" by Alex Stokes / Sky Blue Productions at Bryant Lake Bowl
"Last Pitch Effort" by Sara McCabe at HUGE Improv Theater
"The Life Robotic" by Playabunga Productions at Mixed Blood Theatre (featuring a Fringe returning favorite I did get a chance to write about, Michael Rogers, as the Robot)

Shows I got to see:

"Interstella 5555: A Daft Punk Discovery" by Funk Haus Theater at Barbara Barker Center for Dance (a 5-star show I saw on Fringe Day 6)
"5 x 5" by Transatlantic Love Affair at Open Eye Theatre (a 5-star show I saw on Fringe Day 5)
"A Horse Walks Out Onto the Stage and Dies" by Theatre On The Rocks at Phoenix Theater (a 5-star favorite of mine I reviewed, and saw three times)
"All the Hullabaloo" by Corpus Dance Works at Southern Theater (another 5-star favorite of mine I reviewed, and saw twice)

"Love Lies a Bleeding" by Vee Signorelli at Strike Theater (a 5-star show I saw on Fringe Day 9)
"Yo-Ho-Hum: A Pirate's Midlife Crisis" by Hey Rube! at Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) (a 5-star show I saw on Fringe Day 10)
 
Fringe with Benefits Member Pick:
A special selected by Fringe with Benefits members
"Daddy Issues" by Pretend Productions (a 5-star show I saw on Fringe Day 7)

Artist-driven Awards

Artist Picks:
Artist selected production showcasing artistic achievement
"5 x 5" by Transatlantic Love Affair (noted above in the Venue awards list)
"As Above, So Below" by Michael Rogers (a 5-star show I reviewed, the second this year from returning Fringe favorite Michael Rogers, already part of the Venue awards list above for his other show The Life Robotic)

"Good Ones" by Shambles Theatre Company (here’s yet another returning favorite I didn’t have the chance to write up pre-Fringe, different company name but many of the artists involved in this one presented 2023’s “A Jingle Jangle Morning”)

Underdog Award:
First time producer at Minnesota Fringe taking bold risks.
"A Horse Walks Out Onto the Stage and Dies" by Theatre On The Rocks (noted above in the Venue awards list)

Staff-driven Awards
(Again shuffled by me into groups of shows I got a chance to see or didn’t get a chance to see.)

Shows I didn’t get to see:
"The Greenhouse" by Eye of Jupiter Theatre
"VILE" by Francesca Montanile Lyons

Shows I got to see:
"Welcome To The Food Chain" by Beta Fish Productions (a 4-star show I saw on Fringe Day 8)

"A Number" by W.A.S. Productions (a 5-star show I reviewed)
"The Light Bringer" by Light Bringer Productions (a 4.5-star show I saw on Fringe Day 3)

But Wait There's More
(Again shuffled by me into groups of shows I got a chance to see or didn’t get a chance to see.)

Shows I didn’t get to see:

“Tragedy of Maila Kami" by Majhuwa Bagar Jana Kala Manch (Fringe-spiration)
"Seance Sisters" by Rebecca Wickert (Technical Magic) (Because this was tagged as a touring show, I didn’t make the connection that the Anna Sullivan in the cast was the same Anna Sullivan in Threshold Theater’s production of "4Play With Threshold Theater" this past spring. Sorry to have missed it.)
"Holy O" by Lauren Hance of Out of Mind Productions (Triple Threat)

Shows I got to see:
"Close Call: A How-Not-To Guide to Being a POS" by Navel Gaze Productions (Sign of the Times) (a 5-star show I saw on Fringe Day 5)
"IMP presents Collidescope" by The Improv Movement Project (Fringey AF) (a 4.5-star show I saw on Fringe Day 10)

Special Awards

The Beverlee Award honors the legacy of Beverlee Everett, mother of theater reviewer and playwright Matthew Everett. Each summer, Beverlee made the trip from Pennsylvania to Minnesota to tenaciously "Fringe-binge" with Matthew. Beverlee was a warm and wonderful presence to all who knew her. Our Fringe flame burns darker in her absence.
Andrew Troth
(Our first male Beverlee Award winner :)

The Bryon Award honors the legacy of long-time Fringe Festival Theater Technician, Bryon Gunsch. As the Technical Director of the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater for over 20 years, Bryon was an essential member of their team as well as ours. This award will be bestowed on the Festival Tech who demonstrates Bryon's abundant creativity and resourceful ability to make theater magic with humble resources. The stage lights are dimmer in his absence.
Andy Tollin

“The Minnesota Fringe Festival is a critical component of the bedrock of our performing arts community,” notes Executive Director Dawn Bentley. “We’ve seen many theater and dance organizations struggle since the pandemic and several close in just the past year. Each year, we throw the theater doors wide open for artists and audiences to celebrate the performing arts in a time when it has become increasingly difficult to find and fund this type of adventurous work.”

In addition to this celebration, select performances from the festival will be featured August 14-18 at The Phipps Center for the Arts. The Fringe Encore at the Phipps line-up includes:
 
Wednesday, August 14th @ 7:00pm
“The Flowers You Gave Me” by Willmeng Dances
(One of the dance shows I didn’t get a chance to see this year.)

Thursday, August 15th @ 7:00pm

“Once Upon A Pine: The Adventures of Pinocchio” by Sugar Throw Theatre
(A 3-star show I saw on Fringe Day 6)

Friday, August 16th @ 7:00pm
“The Dumb Waiter” by Jackdonkey Productions
(Noted above in the Audience picks for Favorite shows)

Saturday, August 17th @ 7:00pm
“Daddy Issues” by Pretend Productions

(Noted above in the Fringe With Benefits award category)

Sunday, August 18th @ 2:00pm
“A Horse Walks Out Onto the Stage and Dies” by Theatre On The Rocks
(Noted above in the Venue awards list)
 
Details and tickets can be found at https://thephipps.org/events/fringe.
 

For those who crave even more, the Fringe Hangover will take place September 12-22 featuring online digital presentations of shows recorded live during the 31st annual Minnesota Fringe Festival. Ticket prices are set by the producers and 100% of proceeds directly support the participating artists. More information can be found at https://minnesotafringe.org/event-calendar/fringe-hangover and shows will be presented on the Minnesota Fringe Pennant TV channel at https://minnesotafringe.pennant.tv/. 

NEW update: the audition notice is up for my new play "Spellbound" with Threshold Theater (production spring 2025) - come join us!

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 :) 

The final day to vote in the Minnesota primary (U.S. Senate, Congress, school board, etc.) is TOMMORROW, Tuesday, August 13th, so find your polling place and go vote :)

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fringe 2024 - Very Highly Recommended Shows I've Seen - 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars

Here's a handy list of coverage of the shows I've seen so far at the Fringe that are VERY HIGHLY Recommended, getting either 5 stars or 4.5 stars, with links to full-length reviews as they're posted, in alphabetical order by title:

5 Stars - Very Highly Recommended (aka, Life-Altering Experience)

Threads review, mnfringe show 23, All The Hullabaloo: Though the sky seemed to dump all its water on me just as I was walking to the theater, it was worth the soaking to get to see Lily Conforti and the skilled dancers of Corpus Dance Works stage yet another of their joyous dance parties, this time filled with piles of clothes, boxes of cereal, and the kind of amazing moves only human bodies such as these are capable of; transporting, beautiful and just a whole lot of fun to watch - 5 stars (my returning Fringe favorite write-up) (my full review)

Threads review, mnfringe show 42, All The Hullabaloo - yes, I had so much fun the first time I went back again - and I forgot to mention before the dancing boxes that turn into star fields, and the dance where they use fitted bedsheets to create a boat and circus tent, both great fun in a show stuffed with one fun sequence after another - still 5 stars (my full review)

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 11, As Above, So Below: enormously compelling, sometimes funny (horror) story of family dysfunction and mental illness so personal and vivid you genuinely want to ask the artist after the show if they’re really all right (because even though they’re still here and there’s a show… damn) - 5 stars (my Fringe returning favorite write-up) (my full review)

Threads review, mnfringe show 31, The Banana Wars: it was fun to revisit Derek Miller’s show in this new context of 2024; he still makes me feel like an unread philistine most of the time but he doesn’t judge so it’s fine - 5 stars

Threads review, mnfringe show 20, Blackout Improv Does Something!!! OK, we’re back on track with my previously scheduled programming :) If you’ve seen Blackout Improv, I don’t need to convince you they’re great. If you haven’t seen Blackout Improv, then improve your life by starting now and seeing them throughout the rest of the year as well - 5 stars (my returning Fringe favorite write-up) (my full review)

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)

Threads review, mnfringe show 25, Close Call: A How-Not-To Guide to Being a POS - a cheeky but also sincere and heartfelt presentation, complete with interactive screen text, recounting a half-dozen bad paths Brian Watson-Jones nearly went down but pulled back from, and the people and incidents that saved him; it's hard to do an earnest confessional without seeming self-aggrandizing or preachy, but he walks that fine line perfectly; impressive and moving work - 5 stars

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 34, Daddy Issues - Brilliant. Allison Vincent takes cardboard, sound FX, and herself and conveys her father's decline and the way for a time it consumed her life. Because she's such a gifted storyteller, she populates this world with countless characters, including herself, who are not her today. The precision involved in this comic tragedy is breathtaking, but because it also gives the gift of distance from the raw horror of it all, tears are not required. My thanks - 5 stars (my Fringe Top 10 write-up)

Threads review, mnfringe show 41, every single one: Part dance show, part documentary, a cancer survivor and dancer documents her journey and 3 generations of her family as the disease invades all their lives in different ways; still here, still dancing; a really rich, layered audience experience - 5 stars (my Fringe Top 20 write-up) (my full review)

Side note: I thought I’d been in my smallest mnfringe audience with a house of 6 a few days ago; “every single one” just had only 4; artist lost first 2 perfs to covid; bounced back, but it’d be great to give her last show Sunday 8/11 at 2:30pm some love if you’re looking for something you haven’t seen before. It’s fascinating stuff, deserves a bigger crowd.

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 26, 5x5: I think I need an expanded vocabulary to find some new words for how great the work of Transatlantic Love Affair is as an ensemble creating whole worlds of stories with just their bodies and voices, and also for how great the work of Amber Bjork is as a director; we got rapid-fire (funny but still not disrespectful) versions of the Green Knight, Macbeth, Nosferatu, Jurassic Park, and Popo and Izta all in the space of an hour; magical - 5 stars (my returning Fringe favorite write-up) 

Threads review, mnfringe show 24, Godzilla Is Not A Dinosaur: Abby Bland is a lot of fun as both standup comedian and poet; knows how to work a crowd in both roles (even though on a rainy Monday I was one of only a half dozen people in the house; she played with the same enthusiasm as if the place was full); some might not think Godzilla, King Kong, Jurassic Park and meditations on gender would mix well as fodder for both comedy and poetry, but those people would be wrong; this was a great time - 5 stars

Threads review, mnfringe show 43, Godzilla's Not A Dinosaur; back again to hang out with Abby Bland and her Godzilla focused jokes and poems; bigger crowd this time and some hearty laughers - still 5 stars 

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 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 mind f**k part 1, show 7, A Horse Walks Out Onto the Stage and Dies: honestly don't have fully coherent thoughts about this yet; hilarious, touching, weird, because it is very much the title, and very much not, just the Fringiest f**king thing I've seen in quite some time - 5 stars (my Fringe Top 20 write-up) (my full review)

Threads review, mnfringe show 32, A Horse Walks Out Onto the Stage and Dies; yes, I went back and saw it again, it’s worth repeated viewings; also just wanted to go as a regular person, not take notes, and catch details I missed the first time - still 5 stars (my full 5-star review) 

Threads review, mnfringe show 44, A Horse Walks Out Onto The Stage And Dies; yes, I have now watched the horse die three times; there are times when you watch a performance and think “This is the beginning of something” Very much looking forward to whatever Sam Sweere does next; helluva debut Fringe creation - still 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!

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 27, Interstella 5555: A Daft Punk Discovery - a concept dance show based off the 2001 album Discovery from French electronic music duo Daft Punk and it’s accompanying animated sci fi film (no, really); and it’s a lot of (very weird) fun - 5 stars
 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 21, Least Likely to Succeed: Tales from a Midwestern Homeschooler - I love the standup comedy of @tristanjmiller, just watching his clever brain wend its way through both the established set and the various tangents is super entertaining. And he had to push on through the muted response of a small Minnesota crowd (we find it hard to laugh loudly if we think we’ll draw too much attention to ourselves :) Doubly impressive - 5 stars (my Fringe Top 10 write-up) (my full review)

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 39, Love Lies a Bleeding; just as horny and silly and queer an adaptation of the classic text as I expected it to be; so many stabbings, so much stage blood and still a happy ending?! Great fun - 5 stars (my Fringe Top 20 write-up)
 

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 2: Mae West’s The Drag; sleek and slimmed down adaptation of a naughty period farce with very modern drag queens, what’s not to like? - 5 stars (my Fringe Top 20 write-up) (my full review)

 

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe mind f**k part 2, show 8: A Number - a father is confronted by the multiple clones he made of his son; some of the encounters go better than others; some of them go very, very wrong; a meditation on life and identity, offspring and parenting; funny and haunting in equal measure - 5 stars (my full review)

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 40, Put A Needle To Me: Ariel Pinkerton transforms the most recent chapter of her storied life into another compelling story for an audience; her life may be more recognizably “normal” to an outsider but the tattoo testifies otherwise - 5 stars (my Fringe returning favorite write-up)

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 9, Thy Hard - it isn’t Christmas until Hans Graber falls out the window of Nakatomi Plaza, in iambic pentameter; comedy word wizard Michael Shaeffer does it again - 5 stars (my Fringe returning favorite write-up) (my full review)

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 12, Transmasculine Cabaret starring Vulva Va-Voom: so much queerness in one show, singing, jokes, interactive sound cues, arias, truths both hard and soft, my mind is still spinning - 5 stars (my Fringe Top 20 write-up) (my full review)

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 36, Two Bowls of Cereal and Some Bacon: Wow. Just amazing. Mahmoud Hakima tells the story of the shadow cast by his abusive stepfather over his family thru the eyes of himself as a boy from age 4 to 13; finely detailed, sharply observed, performed with wonder punctuated by moments of anger and terror; mesmerizing - 5 stars (my Fringe returning favorite write-up)

Threads review, mnfringe show 49, Yo-Ho-Hum: A Pirate's Midlife Crisis - supposedly rich guy thinks he belongs in leadership (in this case, pirate captain) so he buys a ship, promises crew a high salary (which he never gets around to paying), steals from others to enrich himself, doesn't care if anyone else around him lives or dies (and they do), makes and loses powerful friends by treating them carelessly, is convinced all his failures are successes (sound familiar?); crazy good cast, witty script - 5 stars

4.5 Stars - Very Highly Recommeded (aka, Damn Near Perfect)

Threads review, mnfringe show 14, The Camp Out: a half dozen of the Twin Cities’ best improvisors, as a group of messy friends who don’t camp, gathering in the woods to say goodbye to an old friend, if they can hold their own sh*t together long enough to do so, delightfully awkward and very funny - 4.5 stars (my Fringe returning favorite write-up) (my full review)

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 16, Dutch: Made In America, a hallucinatory scramble through the personal history of former President Ronald Reagan; still sorting out my own brain on this one but it’s a unique vision, sharply executed; worth seeing for the sock puppet FDR ventriloquist routine alone, but there’s SO much more going on - 4.5 stars (my returning Fringe favorite write-up) (my full review)

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 5: Francis Grey and the Case of his Dead Boyfriend - inspired lunacy, Dickensian murder plot full of wigs, blowup dolls, video, and even puppets; a one man ensemble piece - 4.5 stars (my fringe Top 10 write-up)

 

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 17, I Favor My Daddy: A Tale of Two Sissies; like a lot of us, Jamie Brickhouse knew his mother better than he knew his father; fathers keep their secrets close; Jamie’s father provides a lot of mystery, but Jamie still manages to make a helluva show out of it - 4.5 stars (my returning Fringe favorite write-up)

 

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 46, Improv Movement Project presents CollideScope: 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 (my Fringe returning favorite write-up)

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 15, Juliet and Juliet: Improvised Shakespeare - a new short play fully improvised by just a suggestion of subject matter and two names, all in iambic pentameter, so funny that even the performers sometimes had to suppress smiles (and corpses moved with laughter); the skillset here is off the charts impressive; great fun you don't need to be high-brow to enjoy (the Bard loved dick jokes, after all) - 4.5 stars (my Fringe Top 20 write-up) (my full review)

Threads review, mnfringe show 10, The Light Bringer: personal, often harrowing story of a Muslim girl who grows into a young woman her conservative family can no longer control - 4.5 stars (my Fringe Top 20 write-up)

 

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 4: Minnesota Tonight; late night show in a Fringe-sized package; charming host, 2 very funny comedians plus some sketch comics, house guitarist, and interview guest Josh Carson! - 4.5 stars (my Fringe Returning Favorites write-up) (my full review)

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 3: Musical Settings for Shakespeare; again, title couldn’t be more clear on this one :) workshopping random songbook for random script cuttings, great singers plus a trio, drums, bass, keyboard - 4.5 stars (my full review)

 

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 18, They Still Make Film For That? Enchanting, laid back change of pace, exploring the history, art, process, and benefits of film photography - 4.5 stars (my Fringe Top 10 write-up) (my full review)

 

 

 

Threads review, mnfringe show 13, The Wind Phone: a disconnected phone in the middle of a sculpture garden allows grieving people to talk to dead loved ones, be they spouses, mothers, mentors or dogs; smartly written and executed, and just the right level of heartfelt - 4.5 stars (my Fringe returning favorite write-up)

 

Here's some handy links to coverage of shows I've seen in the Fringe this year getting 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.