Fringe 2024 - Returning Favorite - Phantom Chorus Theatre

Show Me Your Wings
MaMa Faerie Productions - Rhiannon Fiskradatz – Phantom Chorus Theatre

Show Me Your Wings is a traveling, experimental, multidisciplinary rock opera created from music by MaMa Faerie. It features a live band, projections, movement, puppetry, installations, and a visual art show!
 

Venue: Squirrel Haus Arts
Tagged For: Drama, Musical Theater, Original Music, Physical Theater, Puppetry, Storytelling, Audience Participation
Content Warnings: (none)
Ages 12-15 and up

So, two years ago, Phantom Chorus Theatre was in my pre-Fringe Top 20 list because it was a sci-fi show with puppets.  And when I saw the production it was indeed… a sci-fi show with puppets.  Not perfect, but a lot of fun, very inventive, it got 4 stars out of me (though it was late in the festival and I wasn’t able to unspool a full-length review on the thing).

But when I saw that this was a collaboration between the new (to me) MaMa Faeirie and Phantom Chorus Theatre, I thought, well that’s definitely worth learning more about.

Rhiannon Fiskradatz (aka, MaMa Faerie), the creator, narrator and lead vocalist of this production, is also a core member of Phantom Chorus Theatre.  And her Phantom friends are all over this thing (hence the collaboration credit).

In Rhiannon’s write-up on the show she gives a bit more detail:

“MaMa Faerie is a name that was originally given to me by two young girls when I worked for the circus. I regularly wore wings to be easily seen during big events so that people wouldn't have to scream my name to get my attention, but the name was also a reflection of my role as an orchestrator of whimsy and “good trouble” when I saw goings on that needed to be called out. It’s a name I’ve held on to with pride and I use it now to tell the story of how I became the woman who earned it.”

What I missed in the show listings and didn’t catch until preview night is that Shanan Custer is also part of this show (listed as Conductor, so color me intrigued).  Shanan was actually getting a bit emotional during her introduction for Rhiannon’s singing for the preview, which is not something you see every day (Shanan being much more prone to laughter than tears).  Anything that has her this invested, I’m on board.

There are musicians listed for this that are credited for cello, bass, beats, auxiliary percussion, wheels of steel and keys (piano and perhaps harpsichord?!), plus a backup vocalist.

There’s lots of people listed on puppetry detail.

There’s also an artist listed as doing live painting at select performances.

All of which is quite intriguing.

It’s at Squirrel Haus Arts, which is a venue I have unknowingly driven right by countless times, just off Hiawatha at 35th Street, on my way to movies at the Riverview Theater.  So, basically just ten minutes from my house, if instead of driving to West Bank venues, I drove in the opposite direction.  Very handy.

It’s also an art gallery and there will be an associated exhibit on display during the run of the show.

Honestly, what’s not to like?  Very Fringey in both concept and execution so I’m interested in fitting it into my schedule.

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 Top 20 - #18 - Love Lies a Bleeding - Vee Signorelli and Logan Signorelli Verdoorn

Love Lies a Bleeding
Vee Signorelli and Logan Signorelli Verdoorn

This raunchy, heartfelt Jacobean-era tragicomedy is rife with unresolved sexual tension, secret love, crossdressing, erotic stabbings, civil unrest, and an overly-involved narrator.

Venue: Strike Theater
Tagged For: Comedy, Drama
Content Warnings: Crude Humor, Blood, Violence, Suicidal Ideation/Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Gun/Weapon Usage
Ages 16 and up

Speaking of horny previews…

The preview for this show had one of the funnier, inappropriate and goofy sexualized  presentations of CPR that I’ve seen in a while (if that’s a thing that gets you to buy a ticket).

(And no, this is not a staging of the equally horny recent lesbian movie Love Lies Bleeding)

The thing that originally caught my eye was the name Logan Signorelli Verdoorn (I’ve seen and reviewed Logan Verdoorn, pre-Signorelli, in several shows so I’m curious to see his work as a director.)

The full title of the Jacobean tragicomedy being adapted is “Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding” - Philaster being one half of the central couple of the play.

I’ve got a soft spot for Jacobean plays - they’re frequently freaky as hell and dark in a way I don’t find off-putting, with dialogue so out there you wonder how someone dreamed it up (I’m a big fan of Middleton & Rowley’s ‘The Changeling’ - “A woman dipped in blood, and talk of modesty.”)

There’s misunderstandings (betrayals that aren’t really betrayals, etc.) and, just as in the previews, over-the-top melodramatic gestures like stabbing oneself not out of anger but somehow instead out of overwhelming love.

The preview promises that they’re punching up the camp and the comedy, and the queerness, of the play in this adaptation, so it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Another good reason to get over the Strike Theater for some shows.

 

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 Top 10 - #8 - The Light Bringer - Light Bringer Productions (Laila Lee)

The Light Bringer
Light Bringer Productions - Laila Lee

An Arab immigrant's true life story of family, freedom, and finding the American Dream!

An examination of the immigrant struggle between alienation and assimilation; against a backdrop of political, religious, and global issues.

Venue: Mixed Blood Theater
Tagged For: Solo Show, Storytelling, Audience Participation, Historical Content, Political     Content, Religious Content
Content Warnings: Adult Language
Ages 12-15 and up

This one’s another show I’m curious about because of its previous Fringe track record, both in Florida where the artist is from, and on the Canadian Fringe circuit as well.

“A rich tale well told” - University of Manitoba
“Devastating and satisfying.” - Winnipeg Free Press
“A master storyteller…” - BroadwayWorld
“Laila produces with spades.” - Jenny Revue

Best of Fest at the Tampa Digital Fringe 2020 (ah, pandemic Fringe days…) then live on stage for the Tampa Fringe 2022 where it got the Tech Choice Award, and then Best of Venue during Fringe Fort Meyers 2023.

Up north they got a Jenny Award at Winnipeg Fringe 2019, then a Producers’ Award at Elgin Fringe 2023, and an award for Outstanding Production at the Fundy Fringe 2023.

I’m looking forward to hearing this story for myself.

Here’s their video trailer…

 

 

 

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 - Alex Church

Dutch: Made in America
Alex Church

A busy actor sits down for a screen test that quickly devolves into a reality-bending examination of one of the most controversial figures in American history. Portion of proceeds donated to Women Winning

Venue: Open Eye Theatre
Tagged For: Comedy, Drama, Storytelling, Historical Content, Political Content
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Violence, Flashing Lights, Gun/Weapon Usage, Sexual Violence, Other Divisive Content
Ages 16 and up

Few things on Monday were as deeply strange as the preview for Dutch: Made In America.

Playwright/actor Alex Church’s website describes it as “a kaleidoscopic interrogation of the early life and legacy of Ronald Reagan.”

It’s also quite horny.

Alex as a young Ron (nickname Dutch) and Stephanie Kahle as a young Nancy, meet and almost immediately start slipping back and forth through time during the course of a conversation that’s under three minutes in which they first meet, aggressively flirt, then are suddenly married with kids, and back again.  And there’s roughly 45 more minutes of this - and according to the cast & crew bios there’s a puppet designer so… puppets, too.  And of course there’s the catch-all warning about “other divisive content.”  Last year’s “Primary” was about fictional politics.  This year’s “Dutch” is plumbing actual biography and historical events and then apparently sticking them in a blender just to keep things interesting.

Given that Alex wasn’t born yet when Reagan was president, and I’m old enough to have fond memories of Ron and Nancy ignoring the AIDS crisis (and friends reaching out for help from their old Hollywood days), I’m fascinated yet again with what Alex is up to, and the form in which he’s exploring his subject.  He’s endlessly inventive, never quite trying the same approach twice, so after that very weird preview, I’m very much looking forward to seeing this one.

 

 

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 Top 20 - #17 - Juliet & Juliet: Improvised Shakespeare - Meghan Wolff & Sami Haeli

Juliet & Juliet: Improvised Shakespeare
Juliet & Juliet (aka, Meghan Wolff & Sami Haeli)

Juliet & Juliet improvise eloquent, oddball, feminist Shakespeare. They love language. They love murdering one another. They love traveling all over the US improvising Shakespeare.

Venue: Theatre in the Round (TRP)
Tagged For: Comedy, Improv, LGBTQIA+ Content, Shakespearian Elements
Content Warnings: (none)
Ages 12-15 and up

Precious little information on this one, and sadly the video trailer currently posted on their Fringe show page is experiencing technical difficulties.

Never fear, I believe I found it, and shall post it below.  Give it a look and you’ll know if it’s your kind of thing or now.  It’s a decent sampling of the two actresses improvising in iambic pentameter, which is enough to sell me on the concept.  Queering Shakespeare with comedy, I’m on board.

 

 

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 Top 10 - #7 - Teen Wolf Killed My Grandma: A Memoir - On Whee Puppet Theatre (Hannah "Twitch" Twitchell)

Teen Wolf Killed My Grandma: A Memoir
On Whee Puppet Theatre

A fuzzy look at how fiction can make reality a little more bearable. Watch a family through their matriarch's final chapter while also learning way more than you ever needed about MTV's Teen Wolf.

Venue: Open Eye Theatre
Tagged For: Puppetry, Storytelling
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Mental Illness, Suicidal Ideation/Self-Harm, Other Divisive Content
Ages 16 and up

It’s the title.

It’s the name of the theater company.

It’s the fact that it’s puppets.

It’s the fact that it’s Teen Wolf.
(It was a guilty pleasure of mine, and remains so.)

If you want a quick idea how “extra” Teen Wolf is, just observe and listen to a late season version of the opening credits:



If you want a quick idea of how cheesy Teen Wolf is, MTV has an eight minute recap of the first season.

If you want to do a deep dive, there’s a lot of them:

For a quick 10 minute deconstruction of the pilot episode, check out Alex Meyers

For an exhaustive and amusing video thesis on the entire series, Ryan Kearns has you covered (it’s over five hours and yes, I watched all of it, as well as his follow-up half-hour riff on the misbegotten recent reunion movie)

For a pop-culture expert’s dissection of both the series and later that movie, I recommend the Friendly Space Ninja.

For loving series autopsies from a female perspective, I endorse both Jane Mulcahey (part 1 and part 2) and Julia Cudney (both series, and reunion movie)

So, if writer/director/actor Hannah Twitchell is bringing my love of Fringe and Teen Wolf together, I’m sold.
 

 

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 - Mike Fotis Productions (So Many Improvisors)

The Camp Out
Mike Fotis Productions

An Improvised One Act Play About friends in their 40s and being all alone in the woods

Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Tagged For: Comedy, Drama, Improv, Physical Theater
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Crude Humor, Drug Content, Flashing Lights
Ages 16 and up

This, like last year’s Fotis (& partners in crime) offering The Windblown Cheeks of Lovers, is revealing next to nothing.

But it does say that it’s an improvised one-act play about friends in their 40s and being all alone in the woods - and those friends in their 40s are

Mike Fotis
Rita Boersma
Tim Hellendrung
Nels Lennes
Heather Meyer
Danna Sheridan

Heather and Danna were the hosts of the Fringe previews last night, and the hosts of fake improvised podcasts in last year’s very funny Fringe show Let Me Say This About That.

Mike, Rita and Tim were the trio behind last year’s The Windblown Cheeks of Lovers which very well may have been the thing I laughed at the most in last year’s Fringe, just off the chart ridiculous from start to finish.

Nels is one of the trio of improvisors who launched HUGE Improv Theater so he also knows his stuff, improv comedy-wise.

So, all these people in the same show…?

The likelihood that I’m going to laugh my butt off is incredibly high with this one.

If you need a laugh, it should probably go on your schedule as well.

 

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 Top 20 - #16 - Heart Ripped Out Twice And So Can You! - Linnea Bond

Heart Ripped Out Twice And So Can You!
Linnea Bond

A sales rep clown pitches you on Existing in this (mostly) comedy about pain. Part timeshare presentation, part pity party, part existential howl. Cincy Fringe Critics’ Pick, Encore. ATL Fringe Producer's Pick.

Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Tagged For: Clowning, Comedy, Solo Show
Content Warnings: Crude Humor, Drug Content, Sexual Content
Ages 12-15 and up

Not gonna lie, this is another one that I’m drawn in by the pedigree.  Each time some part of my brain resists, another part of my brain responds with “People are saying such nice things about it, though.”  Sometimes, artistic peer pressure works with me.

At the Cincinnati Fringe, the show got both Critics’ Pick of the Fringe and the Artist/Audience Vote for Encore Performance.  In Atlanta, the show got Producer’s Pick of the Fringe.

Critics in Philadelphia said it “pairs gallows humor with creative storytelling… witty and moving.”

An Orlando critic said it “manages to transform some of the most painful medical trauma imaginable into an achingly funny plea for existence” so… yikes?

And a self-described “sappy critic” in Cincinnati said it was a “change-motivating piece” that nonetheless “never feels like a sermon.”   Also, “brilliant script and a stunning piece of performance art.”

While the show doesn’t have an LGBTQIA+ tag on it, the writer/performer Linnea Bond’s bio mentions that she has “created and devised performances solo and collaboratively around a myriad of social themes, including addiction, aging and dementia, and queer history” and also acted in the Todd Haynes film Carol.  So it’s at least queer-adjacent, if nothing else.

You can also check out her video trailer for reactions from stunned audience members:

HeartRippedOutTwiceAndSoCanYou!Trailer24 from Linnea Bond on Vimeo.

(It’s not exactly Ha Ha Da Vinci, but it’s filling that niche for me this year, I think.)

 

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 Top 10 - #6 - They Still Make Film For That? - Dark Roast Arts (Kevin Ealain)

They Still Make Film For That?
Dark Roast Arts - Kevin Ealain

AI got you making you feel uneasy? Tired of the digital deluge?! Then They Still Make Film For That? is for you! See a live film development demo and why printed photographs are important to our mental health!

Venue: Strike Theater
Tagged For: Solo Show, Storytelling, Audience Participation, Kid Friendly
Content Warnings: Flashing Lights
Ages 12-15 and up

A bunch of the Top 20 shows I was most curious about this year, and a whole lot of returning favorites from past years were all part of the Fringe previews last night at Mixed Blood.  So that should push the rundown along a bit faster (one hopes, anyway - the day jobs have been kicking my butt, plus there’s a steady stream of work to be done for an upcoming production of one of my plays in the spring that has been pulling my attention sideways, but at least that is more fun to contemplate).

They Still Make Film For That? was one of the previews that was already situated in my Top 10 list at the #6 berth, and nothing I learned last night would cause me to dislodge it from this spot, so on we go.

They’ve posted more info on their Fringe show page than the last time I checked, so I’ll be borrowing from that liberally here.  The artist’s nine-year-old son was handing out postcards before the previews got started, a form of child labor that someone near me enthusiastically endorsed - good marketing strategy, children on the whole being more adorable and less pushy than your average Fringe artist handing out postcards. (Though I will admit some adult artists can also be adorable and shy - you do you, everyone.  We’re all in this together.)

Fun fact about the postcards: If you happen to pick up a postcard for the show, take note that all postcards are handmade on gelatin silver photographic paper! Those who pick up a postcard are highly encouraged to keep them.

The preview used a chunk of the text from the website, which lays out the show’s mission statement pretty clearly:

“In 2011, film was declared dead. Beaten down by the digital dynamo.

But in 2024, film photography is not only alive but it's thriving, with new film stocks being produced, new film cameras released and the sales of vintage cameras booming. Is this a hipster fad, or is there a scientific explanation to the burgeoning enthusiasm for the tactile medium?

"They still make film for that?" will explore some of the scientific importance of getting off Instagram and cracking open a photo album instead, all while taking the audience through a live demonstration of how easy it is to develop film at home.

Come relish in the photo gallery with all the physical media presented, and enjoy the time honored tradition of darkroom film developing away from AI and the digital image deluge.”

This show seems to be exactly the kind of relaxing break from the rush of the rest of the Fringe I was expecting it to be, and for that reason I’m very much looking forward to it.

(Also, I wrote a screenplay for an independent film once - got to the finalist stage for a production grant, though it didn’t ultimately go anywhere - but it was very much based in the world of physical photography and darkrooms, so I’ve got a soft spot for the subject matter.)

If the audience participation tag has you (like me) worried about what might be involved, there’s a reassuring note:

“Audience members may have the opportunity to have their photo taken before or during the show. No audience member will have their photo taken without consent. The use of a camera flash may be used intermittently.”

Kevin Ealain’s artist statement is also just the vibe I was expecting for a show like this:

“As a film photographer based in the vibrant city of Minneapolis, MN, my work is deeply rooted in the exploration of mood, mystery, and the tactile nature of the analog medium. Drawing inspiration from the evocative imagery of Sylvia Plachy and James Hamilton, the shadowy allure of film noir, the haunting narratives of Tom Waits, and the whimsical darkness of Edward Gorey, my photographs invite viewers to ponder the enigmatic stories captured through my lens.

Each frame I compose is a deliberate meditation on the interplay of light and shadow, texture and form. The inherent tangibility of film photography allows me to engage intimately with my medium, imbuing each image with a sense of authenticity and depth that digital processes often lack. My work is a quiet rebellion against the instant gratification of contemporary photography, favoring instead a contemplative approach that honors the craft's rich traditions.

In a world saturated with fleeting digital images, my photographs stand as tactile artifacts of a deliberate and thoughtful process. They evoke a timeless quality, encouraging viewers to linger and delve into the layers of narrative and emotion embedded within each shot. Isolated and moody, my subjects often inhabit spaces that blur the lines between reality and imagination, inviting a sense of curiosity and introspection.

Through my work, I strive to create a visual dialogue that resonates with the introspective and the inquisitive, those who find beauty in the shadows and stories in the silences. By embracing the slow, deliberate nature of film photography, I offer an antidote to the haste of modern life, celebrating the deliberate, the curious, and the tactile.”

So, I’m there.  If it sounds like the kind of change of pace you might want on your schedule, They Still Make Film For That? is one of several reasons it’s a good idea to head over to Strike Theater’s side of town and catch a few shows.
 

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 - 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 Top 20 - #15 - every.single.one - Cherie Sampson

every.single.one
Cherie Sampson

A one-woman multimedia performance portraying intimate personal, familial and community stories about hereditary cancer, integrative oncology and survival from a patient's perspective of modern medicine.

Venue: Southern Theater
Tagged For: Dance, Dance - Global, Drama, Original Music, Solo Show, Spoken Word, Storytelling
Content Warnings: Flashing Lights
Ages 12-15 and Up

Not for everyone, I realize, given the subject matter, but the more I read about this one, the more drawn I am to see it, so it’s on the list.  

The More Information tab and the Cast and Crew tab for this show’s Fringe page really are a wealth of information.  Some excerpts:

“In 2017, when artist Cherie Sampson posted images of a series of photographs taken in a natural environment of her body made hairless from chemotherapy, a friend and ovarian cancer survivor commented, ‘Every. Single. One. of us who has been with this disease is validated, loved and to a certain extent, freed by this image.’

(The photos are powerful - you can check them out here)

‘every.single.one,’ is a multi-media performance by Cherie Sampson that depicts personal, familial and community stories about hereditary cancer while exploring topics of genetics, integrative oncology, and healing from a patient’s perspective of modern medicine. It interweaves three levels of testimonial – Cherie’s own, her sister’s, and those of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer survivors and previvors, whose stories were conveyed to Cherie in a series of interviews. (‘Previvors’ are people who take prophylactic measures to prevent cancer when they carry a known genetic risk, such as a mutation in the BRCA gene). The artist documented her cancer experience in audio-visual material, including the phone call delivering the news of the diagnosis. That collection of material has been edited into short film/video vignettes and soundscapes to comprise the audio-visual environment of the performance that, along with spoken word and expressive movement, is integral to the storytelling. Dance as a healing practice is an important throughline in the performance as it was during Cherie’s treatment and recovery. Shortly after her diagnosis, she informed her dance mentor in south Indian classical dance, Anjali Tata-Hudson, that she wished ‘to keep dancing through this.’  Together, they worked on traditional dance items that would provide focus for physical, emotional, and spiritual strength, then later re-envisioned them into creative movement segments co-choreographed for this performance. “every.single.one” is a dramatic interpretation of an intimately personal and simultaneously universal human reality that explores the body as a site of uncertainty in illness, loss, sibling, and community interrelationship and survival. Initiating the project during treatment provided Cherie with a means to process the life-altering ordeal in which to, in the words of Black feminist poet, Audre Lorde, ‘examine it, put it into perspective, share it and make use of it.’
 


After each of the five performances of ‘every.single.one’ at MN Fringe, audiences will be invited to participate in an optional survey for a research project being conducted by the artist called ‘every.single.one: Assessing Impact on Audiences of a Theatrical Performance About Cancer.’  The purpose of this research project is to observe changes in attitude, empathy, understanding, and knowledge in audiences after seeing the performance. The survey will be mentioned by Cherie Sampson’s stage assistant before and after each performance. A postcard will be circulated after each performance with a QR code printed on it that can be scanned to access the survey.

The performance of ‘every.single.one’ for the MN Fringe is a 56-minute version of the full production (100 min). The full production will debut in early 2025.”

Just… wow.  I’ll be there.

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 Top 10 - #5 - Dream of Me - Team Rand-McKay

Dream of Me
Team Rand-McKay

Mia, grieving the loss of her husband, begs her friend Tanna to let her try an AI dream device so that she can see him again. But what starts out as romantic turns into a nightmare when the AI has other plans.

Venue: Theatre in the Round (TRP)
Tagged For: Dance, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Flashing Lights, Mental Illness
Ages 12-15 and up

So I was looking for dance shows, and this one had tags for

Dance
Drama
Horror
Sci-Fi

Which is not a combination you see every day of the week :)

The synopsis is compelling, and the cast includes the wonderful Natalie Rae Wass, who, in some strange error on my part, has never landed on my pre-Fringe Top 20 list before, even though I’ve enjoyed her work in many a Fringe show, both her own and those created by others, for years now.  So let’s take care of that ridiculous oversight while we’re at it.

Also, you have to love a show with bios including phrases such as:

“That’s a lot of murder!” and
“Three raccoons in a trench coat”
(that second phrase is the full bio for their stage manager)

I look forward to this dance-drama-horror-sci-fi show.  Probably(?) the only one I’ll see this year :) 

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 2024 Top 20 - #14 - Mae West's The Drag - The Feral Theatre Company (Braden Joseph)

Mae West's The Drag
The Feral Theatre Company

Originally written by Mae West in 1927; The Drag follows Rolly, a closeted gay man, juggling the facades he must keep up. With drag balls, his ex-lover, and his wife, he tries to stay afloat and live his truth.

Venue: Theatre in the Round (TRP)
Tagged For: Comedy, Drama
Content Warnings: Adult Language, Crude Humor, Loud Noises, Violence, Gun/Weapon Usage
Ages 16 and up

A queer play written nearly 100 years ago by Mae West.  OK, I’m in.

Another local theater person made me aware of this script for the first time just a little over a year ago.

Interestingly, it was at one of Threshold Theater’s New Play Reading Series offerings.

And the person who’s adapting and directing this Fringe production, and started The Feral Theater Company, Braden Joseph, was part of the cast of yet another new play reading for Threshold Theater about four months prior to that.

I first noticed The Feral Theater Company when they took part in the Virtual Fringe back in 2020 (in addition to being on the scheduled roster of nightly offerings, I recall they also cranked out a lot of other content that folks could access through the digital Fringe hub.  They were very busy during the pandemic.)

I’m intrigued by what Braden and his cast of 10 have done to adapt Ms. West’s source material into a Fringe-sized package.  The original script my friend shared with me was only sixty pages long, and yet it was structured as a three act play with 17 designated characters, plus a catch-all line for “detective, guests, musicians at the drag ball” - so, no small feat to get one’s arms around in its original form.

Are we liable to have some “trauma of the secret life of self-loathing homosexuals,” given the time period in which it was written?  Probably.  

Do I have pretty low threshold for the “homosexual suffering as entertainment” genre?  Yeah.  

Am I willing to wait and see it myself before passing judgement?  Yup.

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 Top 10 - #4 - Transition: A Story of Two Trans People Becoming Themselves - Emily Boyajian

Transition: A Story of Two Trans People Becoming Themselves
Emily Boyajian

Two trans people experience the joy of living authentically, face internalized transphobia, overcome their self-doubts to find happiness outside of the gender binary, and sing with music from a live orchestra!

Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Tagged For: Drama, Musical Theater, Opera, Political Content, LGBTQIA+ Content
Content Warnings: Other Divisive Content
Ages 12-15 and up

It addition to the queer content tag, which is always a good starting place for me when looking for shows…

It’s the only show using the Opera tag this year.  Makes me curious.

And even though it says its about two people and doesn’t have a solo show tag, there’s only one actor/singer listed in the cast.

Everyone else listed is a musician.

And they have a cello, a clarinet, a double bass, a flute, a French horn, an oboe, a trumpet, a viola, and two violins.

I have zero idea how this show is going to play out, but I’m extremely curious to watch how these elements manifest the show described in the synopsis.

If nothing else, I’m not likely to find a show with more musical instruments in one place this year.

This might just be a me thing, but I’m gonna follow my instincts and see where they lead on this one.

 

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.