Here’s a list of other really good shows I’ve seen in this year’s festival - 4 and 3-1/2 star shows, Highly Recommended (alphabetical by show title)
4-Star Shows
Be Not Afraid
#mnfringe show 20: Be Not Afraid: looks fantastic; big theatrical stage pictures; great cast really throwing themselves into story of Big Oil destroying a family farm; a bit overstuffed for just an hour; characters, supernatural elements feel underdeveloped despite all the talent here - 4 stars
My Returning Favorites write-up on this show
Braingystics: Seize The Mind
#mnfringe show 44 - Braingystics: Seize The Mind - very funny, clever, theatrical and absurd; 2 sales reps pitch audience on Braingystics lifestyle/Miracle Shammy MLM sales model; ridiculous satire of self-help/work from home opportunities; gifted creators, curious what they'll do next - 4 stars
#mnfringe show 38: Brakkesyke: 3 soldiers, a solitary cabin in the middle of winter, a circular plot in an endless war where roles and relationships evolve in unexpected ways; solid performances and presentation; not entirely sure what the point of telling this story, this way, now is - 4 stars
Foshay! You Know The Tower - Now Hear The Story
#mnfringe show 54 - Foshay! You Know The Tower - Now Hear The Story: very full (and enthusiastic) house for penultimate slot; great voices, some sly lyrics and tunes; weird in current moment being asked to root for rich men of influence to get pardons for convicted fraud scheme; (eesh!) - 4 stars
My Returning Favorites write-up on this show
#mfringe show 6: Glengarry Glen Elvis: quite literally an Elvis impersonator inserting his act (songs and all) into a refashioned MN-based version of the Mamet play; if you like either of those things or the mash-up idea, you'll enjoy this; audience was more into the goofy fun than I was - 4 stars
My Returning Favorite write-up on this show
#mfringe show 8: Good Vibrations: just as deeply weird and queer as I was expecting; audience enjoyed it more than I did; playful, ramshackle execution of an alternate universe slice of Beach Boys music history; one of the better executed Fringe musicals I've seen; still pondering - 4 stars
My Top 10 List write-up on this show
I Will Become The Silver Surfer. I Will Protect You.
#mnfringe show 43 - I Will Become The Silver Surfer. I Will Protect You: mentally struggling man certain that tragedies in his life are all the fault of Galactus; now he must become the Silver Surfer and save the earth, which he... does? what's reality? convincing performance, to what end? - 4 stars
My Returning Favorites write-up on the show
Leave Room for Jesus
#mnfringe show 47 - Leave Room for Jesus: Hannah Wydeven commands an improvised satirical musical evangelical Christian church service that is over the top and back again; talking stained glass windows, instant baby baptisms, sexy Jesus prancing; hilarious but a lot to process - 4 stars
#mnfringe show 25: A Magician: artist himself says he's still learning how to be himself onstage, telling his own story while also performing magic; the illusions are fun; the bones of the script are there; taking time and taking the stage without apology are the next step in his evolution - 4 stars
My Top 10 List write-up on this show
#mnfringe show 31: Maniac: not at all what I expected; no need to fear this show, unless you're terrified by audience participation, of which there is a lot from start to finish; Fringe crowds are good sports so this mock trial with many detours did reach its destination; playfully dark - 4 stars
My Fringe Top 20 write-up on this show
the statue of liberty is nora in a doll's house by henrik ibsen
#mfringe show 7: the statue of liberty is nora in a doll’s house by henrik ibsen: again, exactly what the title says; audience around me enthusiastically losing their minds over the show; I'm the outlier; stellar production values and acting but... why change the ending? still pondering - 4 stars
My Returning Favorite write-up on this show
3.5 Star Shows
#mnfringe show 23: Therapist Zero: it's...fine; a father's love letter to his daughter after going thru the wringer of an imperfect mental health system; skimps on the details; not sincere enough to be genuinely moving, not biting enough to be satire; means well but needs focus - 3.5 stars
My Top 20 List write-up on this show
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.
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