Monday, August 10, 2026
#mnfringe thoughts: I keep forgetting how much my scheduling prior years depended on Mom's visit Thurs-Tues; because of her, I'd have the first weekend all plotted out, then decide on Mon-Tues when she arrived. W/out that push I've been scrambling day to day instead :) Plotted Mon-Fri now (phew)
#mnfringe thoughts: Pattern emerging on things I expected to connect to more strongly, but haven't; maybe generational? 3 of 4 are theaters with younger (than me) artists; I'd like to think art is just art and it doesn't matter who you are but... talking to other folks about them. Puzzling... [Update, technically all 4 productions feature artists younger than me, 3 teams are just *much* younger]
#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
#mnfringe show 24: Bay Creek: mesmerizing tale of family with a tradition of working on the wrong side of the law tangled up with a demonic force passed down from father to son thru generations; just who, or what, are the federal authorities interrogating? expertly crafted script, acting - 5 stars
My Returning Favorites write-up on this show
#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 26: The Importance of Living: fascinating duet of two (actual) murderers from different times in history sharing tales of their misdeeds (and alibis) (how? why?); charming sociopathic performances from Pinkerton and Uren; script is clever, cagey and unsettling - 4.5 stars
My Returning Favorites write-up on this show
You can find reviews of other shows in these links to my listings of 5 and 4.5 Star Shows (VERY Highly Recommended) and 4 and 3.5 Star Shows (Highly Recommended). 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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