Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Special When Lit - Bury The Leads

This is another one of those “two favorite artists in one” kind of production situations at the Fringe.

First there’s Special When Lit, Nissa Nordland’s entity for producing the shows she creates.

And the other half of this improv duo for "Bury The Leads" is Sam Landman, who was memorable as Colonel Sanders in Special When Lit’s “Finger Lickin’ Good” when they landed on my pre-Fringe Top 10 List in 2022.

But Sam was also on a pre-Fringe Top 10 List himself back in 2010 with his hilariously inappropriate comedy “A Sad Carousel” which spawned an equally amusing sequel last year, “A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheberg.”

Meanwhile last year, Special When Lit took a break from the horror genre to revisit Nissa’s teenage years in high school, which I guess is another kind of horror for some of us, but she naturally created a very weird and funny show  called “Fangs and Bangs (and Sangs)” revisiting her journals and sexy vampire fan fiction writing from the time, with music numbers and special guests to help her do “dramatic” readings.  Great fun.

Nissa and Sam have been working on this new long-form improv concept over the past year but I haven’t yet had a chance to catch it in action, so I’m very happy they’re bringing it to the Fringe so I can finally get my butt in the theater to see it.

Bury The Leads

Description: 
Meet Clyde & Faye, two character actors navigating an industry of auditions, rejections, bit parts and false starts. Sometimes funny, sometimes melancholy, it's improv so grounded, it seems scripted.
Venue - Mixed Blood
Content Warnings - Adult language, Crude Humor, Sexual content
Genre and Content - Comedy, Drama, Improv, Audience Participation
Ages 16 and Up

The press packet has some great detail about the genesis of the project:

“Two character actors navigating the business of show and life in a unique long form improv format. 

It all started with an unsuccessful film audition. Afterwards, Sam & Nissa commiserated about being consistently cast in character roles. So, they developed an improv set that focused on them as the leads, despite not being traditional leading actors. While this show leans into the ridiculous aspects of show business, audiences say that there’s a relatable quality of striving to be the main character yet never achieving it. If that sounds melancholy, that’s why this structured, long form improv is unique. It’s not always meant to be comedic in the same way life isn’t meant to be.”

And as usual both artists’ bios are informative as well as entertaining to read:

"Nissa Nordland
Faye/Co-creator/Producer
Nissa Nordland (she/her) is an actor, writer, improviser, producer and musician in the Twin Cities. She is the Artistic Director of Twin Cities Horror Festival; founder of Special When Lit; company member of Theatre Pro Rata; member of the Playwright's Cabal, alum mainstage cast member/writer of the Brave New Workshop and co-creator of improv duo Bury The Leads. She's received honors from the Atlanta Fringe Festival for Writing and has been a Finalist for the McKnight Fellowship in Playwrighting (2023, 2024 & 2026). Nissa is represented by Ruggiero Models and Talent as on-camera talent. Her recent Minnesota Fringe credits include: Xena & Gabrielle Smash the Patriarchy (writer/Gabrielle), Finger Lickin' Good (co-writer/chicken ensemble/producer), Stabby Stab Stab (writer/co-producer/Morgan), and Fangs and Bangs (& Sangs) (writer/producer/performer). In the acting world, Nissa has been compared to lots of redheads, including Alyson Hannigan, Lucille Ball, Jessica Chastain, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) and the nude oracle from 300. Nissa thinks Anne Hathaway is overrated. 100%. You can’t convince her otherwise. She's not sorry. You hate her now. Don’t debate her at Fringe Central tonight. Nissa can also be seen in the August 6th performance of Stories From the Trauma Dump.

Sam Landman
Clyde/Co-Creator
Sam’s one of those annoying performers who bops between “legitimate” theater and improvisational “make-‘em-ups.” He’s acted with many companies over the years, including Yellow Tree Theatre, History Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Sandbox Theatre, Theatre Pro Rata, plus a bunch of other theaters with the word “theatre” in them. On the improv side, he’s been cast in the long-running, two-act show, Family Dinner for several holiday seasons, first at HUGE, then at the Brave New Workshop. Sam has also been in a few improv shows at Strike Theater, specifically “Holiday Office Party” and “Wish You Were Here,” a show about grief. All of these acting experiences have prepared him to create (and perform in) an improv format like Bury The Leads. Actors he’s usually compared to are Richard Dreyfuss, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Wilford Brimley, and the kid from “A Christmas Story.” In terms of an overrated actor, he’s sticking with his stock answer: Sinbad.”

It sounds like this is just the kind of real, human comedy I’m going to enjoy, so I’m very much looking forward to it.

UPDATE - Here's their Fringe preview:

 

Interested in hearing about other artists I recommend based on past outings in the Fringe? 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 as we ramp up toward the start of the Fringe on August 6th.  

 

  

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Mahmoud Hakima (3 of 3) - Soap Prov: Show of 10,000 Secrets

Post #1 was about Mahmoud Hakima as producer

Post #2 was about Mahmoud Hakima as storyteller.

And the last of this little trilogy of posts is about Mahmoud Hakima as an improviser.

This Fringe show is also the return of last year’s pre-Fringe Top 10 artist Jex Arzayus, this time unscripted rather than scripted.

Soap Prov: Show of 10,000 Secrets

Description: 
An improvised soap opera inspired by audience suggestions. Our cast will create a show filled with your favorite soap opera tropes: steamy affairs, family betrayals, love triangles, seduction, and so much more!
Venue - Rarig Xperimental
Content Warnings - Adult Language, Sexual Content
Genre and Content - Comedy, Drama, Improv, Physical Theater, Audience Participation, LGBTQIA+ Content
Ages 16 and Up

I have seen a Soap Prov outing before, during the closing weeks of HUGE theater as a venue in Uptown (RIP)

The group also has a trailer of the concept for a sampling of the kind of thing they’re up to:


Mahmoud is part of the troupe in this go-round, along with Jex, Rachel Buhman, Alexis Camille, Wesley Erickson, Laura Hild, Ora Hues, Simone LeClaire, Danielle Lynch, and Robby Miller.

While I also enjoy the fun of soap opera seriously, it is also quite easy to lampoon, so the Soap Prov improvisers have a lot of fertile ground to till here.  I’m curious to see what they’re up to this time, and whether we get a sprawling soap opera across all five performances, or a self-contained melodrama in each one.  Either way, should be amusing.

 

Interested in hearing about other artists I recommend based on past outings in the Fringe? 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 as we ramp up toward the start of the Fringe on August 6th.  

 

  

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Mahmoud Hakima (2 of 3) - Stories From the Trauma Dump

Post #1 was about Mahmoud Hakima as producer

This post is about Mahmoud Hakima as storyteller, and part of an all-star line-up of storytellers to boot.

Phoenix Theater this year is once again a venue for independent Fringe producers but they have a unifying theme. 

“Effecting Social Metamorphosis



This production is a part of the Social Butterfly Project, an IP collaborative promoting Mental Health Awareness.


Working within the framework of the MN Fringe Festival, August 6-16, 2026, Social Butterfly Project aims to connect audiences to a variety of mental health experiences, both on and off the stage. With the help of Fringe Producers and Mental Health organizations, we look to build an environment that engages visitors emotionally, providing experiences to include shows, activities, resources, and support, in order to encourage new perspectives, grow empathy, and provide awareness and support on mental health issues.



Mission statement: The Social Butterfly Project believes that art encourages empathy and empathy encourages change. Our mission is to engage audiences with diverse voices on a variety of social topics, using theater as a catalyst to inspire new perspectives and transform the world.”

For this entry, host Jena Young, under the banner of 7 Stories Tall, has assembled quite the team of rotating storytellers:

Stories from the Trauma Dump (A Comedic Take On Mental Health) – 7 Stories Tall
Description
A collective storytelling show featuring local artists sharing humorous tales around mental health. Personal or fantastical, these stories aim to share experience and possibly find catharsis through comedy.
Venue – Phoenix Theater
Content Warnings – Abuse/Physical Violence, Adult Language, Crude Humor, Drug Content, Mental Illness, Sexual Content, Suicidal Ideation/Self-Harm, Violence, Other Divisive Content
Genre and Content – Comedy, Spoken Word, Storytelling
Ages 18 and Up Only

“7 Stories Tall is very excited to produce Stories From the Trauma Dump. Each show will feature a handful of storytellers, hosted by Jena Young. Each show has a different mix of storytellers, and times can rage anywhere from 50-60 minutes. 



Content Warning: Each show is likely to contain difficult and possibly triggering topics including abuse and/or violence of various kinds and degrees. We urge each individual to gage their own needs. You are welcome to leave and re-enter; we ask that you be mindful of other in the audience as you are able.”

You can see the full day to day lineup on the More Information tab of their show page, but honestly, you could pick any day’s lineup and random and get a fantastic roster of storytellers, including Mahmoud Hakima, of course, but also:

Jex Arzayus (about to be name-checked in the 3rd Mahmoud Hakima-related post coming up, and a returning favorite from my pre-Fringe Top 10 list just last year)

Allison Broeren (already name-checked in a post for another show this Fringe as a returning favorite)

Shanan Custer (another returnee from pre-Fringe Top 10 Lists past, this time 2014, guaranteed laughs and heart no matter what she’s doing or who she’s collaborating with, which I have gone on about at length year after year after year)

Rev. Matt Kessen (the monster scientist who never fails to be erudite, sardonic, and dryly hilarious, part of my pre-Fringe Top Ten list in 2023)

Nissa Nordland (about to be name-checked in an upcoming returning favorites post for the Fringe this year, another pre-Fringe Top 10 entry for 2022 through their horror/comedy group Special When Lit)

Ariel Pinkerton (also already name-checked in a post for another show this Fringe as a returning favorite)

Duck Washington (also already name-checked in a post for another show this Fringe as a returning favorite)

And that’s just the people I know in this roster of storytelling heavyweights.  There’s also Houa Moua and 
Rian Vellichor.

Given this cast of characters, it seems impossible there’s going to be anything but great performances, no matter which day and time you choose.  A great reason to get out to the Phoenix, perhaps more than once this Fringe just for this show alone, much less all the other shows on the schedule for this venue.

 

Interested in hearing about other artists I recommend based on past outings in the Fringe? 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 as we ramp up toward the start of the Fringe on August 6th.  

 

  

Fringe 2026 - Returning Favorites - Mahmoud Hakima (1 of 3) - Quadrilogy: A Sabathani Benefit Game Show Extravaganza!

Fringe is the time of year many artists decide to run themselves completely into the ground for 11 days by not just doing one show and seeing as many other shows as they can and hanging out with their fellow artists at the end of the night.  No, some artists don’t content themselves with just one show, they do at least two, maybe three, and hence there’s a lot of overlap and it’s hard to assign a show to any one person because often, as in the case of a number of posts I’ve done already, there’s just a lot of crossover.

For example, Mahmoud Hakima.  I was first introduced to his work as a storyteller back in 2009 with his solo show “Two Bowls of Cereal and Some Bacon” (which he recently remounted to stellar effect in 2024’s Fringe), and so in 2010 he was on my pre-Fringe Top 10 list with his next solo show “Can Michael Come Out and Play?”

But Mahmoud is also an improv comedian, so he’s been in countless improv shows as well (so many in and out of the Fringe that it was possible for anyone to catch them all, if they wanted to see anything else.)

So this Fringe we have Mahmoud the producer, and Mahmoud the storyteller, and Mahmoud the improviser.

Producing under the name The House in the Woods, we have a game show fundraiser for a good cause

Quadrilogy: a Sabathani Benefit Game Show Extravaganza!

Description
A game show in three rounds with audience participation. Answer questions, build Lego, have fun, win prizes! A different theme every night. Artist proceeds go to benefit the Sabathani Community Center.
Venue – Theatre in the Round (TRP)
Content Warnings – Loud Noises
Genre and Content – Comedy, Audience Participation
Ages 7 to 11 and Up

(Side note: I had a play reading done as a fundraiser for the Minnesota AIDS Project quite literally three decades ago now, and it was held at the Sabathani Center.  It was nice to see the Center’s name pop up again unexpectedly at this year’s Fringe.)

Four audience volunteer to be each night’s winner, each performance has a different theme, and there’s additional fun promised for the rest of the audience as well.

About Sabathani:

“Our artist proceeds for this show will be donated to the Sabathani Community Center. Located in the heart of South Minneapolis, Sabathani provides assistance for fifty-thousand local residents every year. That’s nearly an eighth of the population of Minneapolis! From helping new americans find sustainable jobs, to providing maternal health care resources, to running violence prevention programs, and coordinating events with an emphasis on fostering community and education, Sabathani is a shining example of the connection and togetherness that makes Minneapolis, the Twin Cities, and the state of Minnesota such a special place. We could not be more thrilled to support such a wonderful organization in their mission. A very special thanks must be given to Scott Redd, CEO of Sabathani, and Sherri Green, Sabathani’s Director of Critical Services, for giving us the go ahead to do this silly show for them. If you would like to donate further to Sabathani, you can click the “tip artist” icon on our show page to be taken directly to the donation page of their website, or you can follow the link here.”

About the Game Show:

“Quadrilogy is a game show where four players from the audience will compete in three games for a chance to win a grand prize. Each performance will be centered around a different theme celebrating the Twin Cities and the performing arts:
 
Thursday August 6 at 10 pm - MN History and Folklore
Sunday August 9 at 7 pm - MN Sports
Tuesday August 11 at 5:30 pm - Shakespeare
Friday August 14 at 8:30 pm - Musical Theatre
Sunday August 16 at 2:30 pm - MN Fringe Festival 2026
 
But it’s not all just fun and games…well, actually, it is. I mean, it is a game show after all. But to get things back on track, we’ll also be having a lot of surprises and silliness in store for the audience. And the best part is that our artist proceeds for this show will be going to benefit the Sabathani Community Center in South Minneapolis! Audiences for this show can expect to have a good time for a good cause.”

How is the game played?

“Four players from the audience will advance through a series of three elimination style rounds.

Round #1: Storytime!
The first game is a test of memory. The host will read a story related to that night’s theme, and the players will then be quizzed on the details of the story that they just heard. The first three players to answer four questions correctly will proceed to the next round.

Round #2: Legorama!
For this game, the three players will be given a prompt from which to construct a scene out of Lego. Once their building time is up, each player will be given the spotlight to show off their Lego creation to the audience. The audience will then vote to decide which two players will then advance to the final round.

Round #3: Trivia Lightning!
The two remaining players will then be quizzed one at a time in a game of rapid fire trivia. Each contestant will be given one minute to see how many questions they are able to answer correctly. Once both contestants have played, the player with the most corresct answers will be crowned the winner for the night.
 
One more thing!
Earlier I mentioned that each of our performances will be centered around a specific theme. While our structure and rules for each performance will stay the same, the content of each show will be determined by the theme listed for that particular day. So for example if you are interested in playing and you also happen to be an expert on Shakespeare, or someone who loves Minnesota Sports, check out our show schedule to see what topic you think will give you the best shot at winning.”

Did you say prizes were involved?

“So much cool stuff! We are putting together a grand prize package for our final contestant each night containing the following items:
2 Passes to the MN Children’s Museum courtesy of Mahmoud Hakima
2 Passes to the MN Science Museum
2 Passes to the American Swedish Institute
1 $25.00 Gift Card to Pizza Luce
1 $20.00 Gift Card to the Namaste Café
1 Chai Growler courtesy of the Namaste Café
…And even more!

In addition to these fabulous prizes, we are also still reaching out to different local groups around the Twin Cities to make our prize package for each night even more spectacular, so keep an eye on this space in the weeks to come for more updates. 

We will also have consolation prizes awarded to each player, including candy and passes to other Fringe shows, so no one playing will be going home empty handed. To each and every one who has been able to donate to our prize pool so far, we wish to extend a warm and heartfelt thanks for making this show possible.”

Change of pace show raising money for a good cause?  I’m in.

UPDATE - Here's their Fringe preview:

 

Interested in hearing about other artists I recommend based on past outings in the Fringe? 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 as we ramp up toward the start of the Fringe on August 6th.  

 

  

Fringe 2025 Returning Favorites - Sam Landman (LandmanLand) - A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheburg

Sam Landman is such a good (and hilarious) writer and actor that it’s doubly fun whenever he’s doing both jobs at once.  That was true of the original, profane, deeply offensive and very entertaining edition of A Sad Carousel back in 2010 (which was why it was in my pre-Fringe Top 10 in the #2 spot that year), and I trust that will hold true yet again in the standalone sequel.

As my dear late mother said of the torrent of foul language in the original when she saw it, 
“A couple of fucks go a long way with me.” 
(She then immediately realized that could be misinterpreted and couldn’t stop laughing, so it’s in the review.)

A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheburg
LandmanLand (Sam Landman)
Venue: Rarig Thrust
 
Show Description:
America's #7 insult comic awakens from a 15-year coma. Now, GenZ-led Komedy Kidz are out to cancel him. If you didn’t see 2010’s “A Sad Carousel,” you’ll still enjoy this satirical smackdown of "safe" comedy.
 
Genre & Content:
Comedy, Drama, Physical Theater
Warnings (unsurprisingly, nearly all of them):
Adult Language, Crude Humor, Sexual Content, Violence, Loud Noises, Flashing Lights, Gun/Weapon Usage, Drug Content, Abuse/Physical Violence, Other Divisive Content
 
There is, of course, a hilarious fake backstory for the press (well, partially fake, there was indeed a first edition of “A Sad Carousel” and it was quite out there and enjoyable and popular):
 
When "A Sad Carousel" premiered at the Minnesota Fringe in 2010, it was the most provocative, meta show in the history of the festival (except for that year when Edison electrocuted that elephant). The breakneck speed of the show's brash, profane comedy actually caused audience members to emit a strange, heretofore unheard-of sound, a simultaneous combination of laughing & groaning, which later coined a term that Webster's added to its dictionary: graughing (pronounced "groff-ing"). 
 
The result? Its reluctant star, insult comic Herschel Douscheburg, became a household name because of it. His status as #7 insult comic in the world was climbing to a respectable #6. Fringe goers were constantly quoting "A Sad Carousel" to him on the street. Late in his life, Herschel was finally hitting the "big time" (well, as big as a Fringe hit can be, that is).
 
Then, the unthinkable happened. On "A Sad Carousel's" encore performance, the venue he was performing in (Rarig Arena) exploded, which is why it was converted from a "theater in the round" to whatever the hell it is now. 
 
Thankfully, no one was killed. But the explosion sent Herschel Douscheburg into a coma.
 
Now, 15 years later, he's awakened to find himself in the Tyler Michaels King Memorial Hospital, trapped in a world where his style of comedy is considered "old hat." While he's hustling to hit as many open mics & Fringe festivals as he can to get back on top, a new generation of comics (the Komedy Kidz) are using all their GenZ wiles and sanitized comedy chops to cancel him with extreme prejudice. And hot on their heels is the mysterious Matriarch, who has even more devious plans for him. 
 
Is the world ready for the biting, offensive comedy of Herschel Douscheburg once again? 
 
Or, as the title suggests, could this be the end of not only his comedy, but Douscheburg himself?
 
We hope to offer the same silliness to audiences in 2025 as we did in the original production, along with a few new things sprinkled in: 
Despicable characters
Uncalled-for gallows humor
Audience taunting
Good-natured ribbing of safe comedy
Poorly rehearsed sight gags & fight choreo
Reggae horns
A pantsing of 2025's foibles
Ribald & cringey humor (including a potential glory hole or plate job joke)
Sporadic titillations 
Unlicensed usage of "Powerhouse" by Raymond Scott

He did a Fringe preview as well, just so we can’t say we weren’t thoroughly warned:


 
The word “bracing” was invented for such shows as “A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheburg,” so I’m very much looking forward to it.

 

Here’s some handy links to my Fringe Top 10, Top 11 to 20 and Returning Favorites lists for this year, as well as all the coverage of this year’s Minnesota Fringe Festival.  

 

 

Fringe 2024 - Returning Favorite - Transatlantic Love Affair

5x5
Transatlantic Love Affair

An anthology of five tales in a classic “tréteau” style, keeping the performers in one tiny square on the stage with no sets and no props. The biggest stories in the smallest space.

Venue: Open Eye Theatre
Tagged For: Physical Theater, Historical Content, Literary Adaptation, Non-Verbal
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Drug Content
Ages 12-15 and up

That’s it.

That’s literally all they’re giving us in terms of content other than the cast & crew bios.

Oh, and the show art also says “5 performers, 5 stories, 1 five foot square.”

But this is Transatlantic Love Affair we’re talking about, so do they really need to say much more than we’re doing a show?

This is a company that bloomed in the Minnesota Fringe Festival in 2010 with Ballad of the Pale Fisherman (and an Ivey Award-winning remount at Illusion Theater), which they followed up Red Resurrected in the 2011 Fringe (and another Illusion remount), and then Ash Land in the 2012 Fringe, and These Old Shoes in the 2013 Fringe, and Solitaire in the 2014 Twin Cities Horror Festival, and 105 Proof; or, the Killing of Mack “The Silencer” Klein in the 2015 Fringe - for starters.  

If you’ve seen any or all of those, I don’t need to convince you to go see their new show, do I?

The cast this time around includes familiar faces Derek Lee Miller (who has his own returning solo show The Banana Wars just added to the Fringe schedule) and Allison Vincent (#3 on my Top 10 list this year with her show Daddy Issues), as well as TLA vets Cristina Castro and Peyton McCandless, plus equally notable local actor Mark Benzel, all under the direction of Amber Bjork so… it’s almost not fair to throw a hundred other Fringe shows up against this one.  I’m still gonna want to see it, and other shows will have to get in line.

Still no idea what I’m seeing, but given all the artists involved and their collective track records, I’m gonna enjoy myself.

 

Here's some handy 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.

  

 

Fringe 2024 - Returning Favorite - Mahmoud Hakima

Two Bowls of Cereal and Some Bacon
Mahmoud Hakima

A surprise hit of the 2009 MN Fringe! Seeking escape from his traumatic home life, a boy finds comfort in a "Mystery Girl." But her life begins to parallel his own, leading to a dramatic turn of events.

Venue: Theatre in the Round (TRP)
Tagged For: Drama, Physical Theater, Solo Show, Storytelling
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Drug Content, Abuse/Physical Violence
(performance also includes a reference to incest and a scene involving police)
Ages 16 and up

Mahmoud Hakima is a great storyteller.

Based on how much I enjoyed his first solo show “Two Bowls of Cereal and Some Bacon” back in 2009, he easily landed in my Top 5 for the Minnesota Fringe Festival in 2010 with yet another 5-star solo show, “Can Michael Come Out and Play?”

I have followed Mahmoud’s work ever since in both scripted and improv shows (he’s part of the ensemble for this year’s Blackout Imrov Does Something!!! as well, which I’m also looking forward to seeing).

But it’s been a minute since he’s done a solo show of his own in the Fringe that I’ve had a chance to see, so I’m excited to get a chance to revisit “Two Bowls of Cereal and Some Bacon,” mostly because it means that a whole other group of audiences will also get a chance to see it.  And Mahmoud’s grown as a storyteller and performer in the intervening years, so I’m sure revisiting this tale from his younger years resonates with him differently now, 15 years on.  I’m very interested to see how time has impacted both the performer and the story, and how I’ll be engaging with it again myself as an audience member.

Very highly recommended.  If you didn’t get a chance to see Mahmoud’s solo shows back in the day, he deserves a spot on your schedule.  Really good solo shows are few and far between.  This is one of them.

 

Here's some handy 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.

  

 

Fringe 2022 - Returning Favorites - Mahmoud Hakima and his Three(?!) Fringe shows

 

Mahmoud Hakima, who was in my pre-Fringe Top 5 back in 2010, is really going all in on the Fringe being back live on stage this year.  He’s got himself in three different Fringe shows in three different places.  He’s performing with Legends Improv Theater at the Bryant Lake Bowl for “It’s Going Down In Uptown,” and in the musical “Happy Endings Church: A Haggardly Tale of Woe & Redemption” in the Augsburg Studio, and finally in Oncoming Productions’ “Slender Vale (an improvised terror)” at Mixed Blood.  I’m actually interested in seeing all three of those (Going Down and Happy Endings are both in the LGBTQ+ content category of shows - and no, not just because of those phrases I picked out of their titles - and the team on Slender Vale has several other Fringe regulars in it, too), so I may be seeing a lot of Mahmoud this Fringe. 

It’s Going Down in Uptown – Legends Improv Theater

Welcome to the House of Humility. L.I.T. is here to serve you bowls of random acts of dopeness! Let's get L.I.T. with the pure language of the present tense!

Happy Endings Church: A Haggardly Tale of Woe & Redemption – Toby Cryns

A comedic rock musical about a megachurch pastor's wife! It's crass and cringe-worthy - just like Ted Haggard's church services of the early 2000s! Follow the Haggards' rise and fall and resurrection!

Slender Vale (an improvised terror) - Oncoming Productions

Each performance is a spontaneous tale of terror from the haunted, cursed, infested little Northern MN town of Slender Vale. You've seen improv comedy, now come explore the darker corners of what improv can do.

 

(You can click on the following links to see a set of links to the full Top 10 list, the Top 11-20 list, a list of returning favorites, and the full coverage of the 2022 Fringe on this blog.) 

 

 

Fringe 2017 - Returning Favorite - Jeffrey Peterson

Jeffrey Peterson choreographing (2010 Top 10) for
First Daughter Dance - So Goshdarn Warm and Fuzzy!

At this humanist revival, deeply embodied dance encourages demons to release and spirits to rise. Check your personal baggage on this fun, irreverent, celebratory, movement flight to the land of warm fuzzies!

Jeffrey Peterson and company were on the top of my list for 2010 because of their exuberant (and sexy) dances featuring people coupling off in a wide variety of combinations.  With a title like So Goshdarn Warm and Fuzzy, I’m expecting more positive, engaging movement.  If you’re looking for dance that’s accessible and fun, these folks are your ticket.  (Added bonus on 8/11 and 8/12, this year’s #5 on the Top 10 list Gabriel Mata will be dancing with the ensemble.)

And here's some handy links to the full list of pre-Fringe top 10, and 11-20, the rest of the returning favorites, and all the random shout outs in these Top 10/Top 20 posts - links all gathered in a single list to take you to fuller posts and Fringe pages.  Enjoy!

The 5 Returning Fringe Acts I'm Most Looking Forward To Seeing

I've referenced 4 out of the 5 shows on this list in other posts related to their Fringe-For-All previews, but just for a handy reference, here are the five returning Fringe acts that spent time in Top Ten lists of mine in previous years that I'm most excited about seeing again this year (as is Mom, they're all on her schedule this week before she heads back to Pennsylvania).

They are:

1 - Ash Land - Transatlantic Love Affair - Rarig Thrust (pre-Fringe Top 10 2010 edition) 

Their Fringe-For-All preview reminded me all the reasons why.







2 - Sin Eater - Present State Movement - Intermedia Arts (pre-Fringe Top 10 2010 edition)

Her Fringe-For-All preview, ditto.

And I've been saying to friends who try and pin me down, if you see only two Fringe shows this year, they should be Ash Land and Sin Eater.  (I, of course, recommend and will see many more.  But if pressed, that's my short answer.)


3 - Nightmare Without Pants - Joking Envelope - Rarig Thrust (pre-Fringe Top 10 2005 edition)

For all the reasons listed about Joseph Scrimshaw's extremely funny Fringe-For-All preview, and because he gave the most amazing performance I saw by a human being last year, under the worst of all possible circumstances.




4 - Fear And Trembling - Maximum Verbosity - HUGE Improv Theater (pre-Fringe Top 10 2007 edition)

For all the reasons I mentioned in his Fringe-For-All preview.







5 - An Agony of Fools - Ben San Del - Southern Theater (pre-Fringe Top 10 2006 edition)

No journey of self-discovery. No deep reveal. Only a slight chance of dancing. Cleanse your palate with a new comedy hour from the creator of Minnesota Middle Finger and A Nice Guy's Guide to Awkward Sex.

No preview from Ben.  But with things like Middle Finger, Awkward Sex, and Animal Cracker Genocide  on his Fringe resume, I don't need much convincing, and neither should you.  It's smart, genial comedy whether he's serving it up in scripted form or as part of his stand-up act.  Mom and I were happy to see him last night hanging around the Out of Towners' showcase, and looking forward to seeing more of him in performance.