Two Stars in the Vast Dark is a Science-Fiction story that acts as much of the genre does as an allegory for our current times. Faithful readers know that I gravitate towards stories that have a transgender component or representation. Creators, Charlotte Grey & Theo Leverenz, use the story of a deep space trucker played by Leverenz in the loneliness of space and the ships A.I. the BARD system, played by Grey as parallels to several different modern problems. There is the loneliness of the Transgender or non-binary, gender nonconforming individual who can feel marginalized and unsupported. But it also speaks to what we all went through during covid. The convergence of these experiences can help create understanding and empathy for those in our society on their transgender journey. As the Transgender Trucker and the Bard System connect, it shows us one path in which we might find connection with our fellow beings through our shared experiences. Oh, and it’s filled with songs that are all good, if a bit too similar to each other.
https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2023/two-stars-in-the-vast-dark
The Resilient Child created by Ariel Pinkerton is the exploration of the phrase, the resilient child and it’s meaning. We look at the world of children and parents through the lens of seven performers who all bring something different to the mix. Four adults and three youths all at different ages. The three youngest performers read something they have each prepared, the pieces reflecting their age and outlook on the world. The adults talk about their parents, childhood, being a parent, and reflections on the idea of the resilient child. Denzel Belin’s portion about his relationship with his father is at times very humorous while Katie Starks account of her mother’s final years is more dramatic. Aaron Henderson’s story told in the first person is really and examination of how to parent and embrace the resiliency of children as a way to help them learn to be adults. I think everyone will identify with something in the show, many with parts of every piece. The one that really resonated with me personally was Ariel Pinkerton’s who talked about the difficult life decisions she made without including her daughter, divorce, and asking a partner to move in with them. How children in these situations adapt to the new normal, new guardians, new siblings, blending of families. Just today my youngest son who is 20 is having a hard time and doesn’t really want his Mom and Dad around trying to help him, he wants his step-sister or as he thinks of her, his sister. Children have the ability to accept things and often find the positive, they see what they have gained, whereas we as adults can find it harder to see past the down sides of things.
https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2023/the-resilient-child
Allegro is written, directed, and stars Garrison Shea as a character who creates a soundtrack to his life that not only he can hear, but also those who are close to him. It’s a great idea with a good cast but a script that doesn’t fulfill the ideas potential. Maybe it’s somewhat autobiographical, maybe it isn’t, but that does seem to be a mistake writers can make. Getting locked into something that they feel they need to remain faithful to even in a disguised form. I’d encourage Shea to take this concept and go in a completely different direction. This has a very, artist working through something, feel to it. The story, aside from the high concept musical score that follows the character around part, feels like something that might have happened, which always feels cliche. The main character is really unsympathetic and this makes all of the resolutions feel unearned. I don’t want to discourage Shea, I think the general concept is really strong and as a performer I thought he was convincing even when the story wasn’t. I would definitely be on board for Allegro Take 2.
https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2023/allegro
THE STAGES OF MN FRINGE OF THE DAY AWARD winner!!!!
Boy Crazy is the one woman show by Madde Gibba who sings and overshares about her adventures with men. Combining various elements of storytelling, audience participation, in scene reading, and the performance of original songs, it’s another show that will be slightly different each time. So if you love it you might want to take it in a second time. Gibba, is so open and engaging of a performer that we are instantly with her. She’s very funny and you expect to laugh at her songs, but where this takes an interesting turn is that I found the songs for the most part, even after a hilarious explanation of why she wrote it, to be unfunny, but goodddddd. And she’s a very good singer, hamming it up if the song calls for it, or just performing it. These seem to be songs that have, as their catalyst, a funny or painful story, which was used to write a straight song. I thoroughly enjoyed Gibba’s show and her mention of Buster Keaton in a lyric put her over the edge to be awarded the completely useless and unrecognized, ‘Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award’.
https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2023/boy-crazy
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