Buckle up and hold onto your Hot-n-tots it’s that time of the year when I pretend I have no family or other obligations and devote myself solely to theater. The Minnesota Fringe Festival began July first and runs through July 11th. There are 105 productions and over the 11 days of the festival it is possible to see just over half of them. Last year I saw 50 of the 56 possible if you saw a show in every time slot, a feat I vowed never to attempt again. My tentative schedule for this years festival is a much more reasonable … 51 shows. Oops! I will likely drop a show or two based on feedback and add others for the same reason. The dilemma is always what to see and what to skip. That’s where I try and be of service by posting brief reviews after each days theatergoing. I’ll try and steer you clear of shows best skipped and make sure you know about the ones that are not to be missed. So if you are heading there this year hopefully these reviews will give you some sort of guide. Plus, every day I award The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award, to the best show I saw on any given day. If you’ve never Fringed before I highly recommend it. You can go to the Minnesota Fringe Festival website to get all the details here https://minnesotafringe.org/about.
Without further ado here are the reviews from day one of the Minnesota Fringe Festival.
Secrets Under the Christmas Tree: a Deedee Wallaby Mystery, as you may have guessed from the title, is a mystery play set at Christmas. Three couples have gathered to celebrate Christmas, when five mysterious presents turn up, Deedee Wallaby is on the case to determine who they are from and what they all mean. The mystery is surprisingly engaging and satisfactorily solved by the plays conclusion. There are clues sprinkled throughout so that when Deedee explains the solution it all holds water. There are some chuckles along the way as well mostly from Dylan Ward who plays Deedee’s boyfriend and provides most of the comic relief. Writer Brandon M. Prosek has created an enjoyable script and while it’s not the most polished show, fans of mystery’s will enjoy it. I’d definitely be up for another Deedee Wallaby mystery at future Fringe festivals, or perhaps an investigation into a haunted house for the Twin Cities Horror Festival.
https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/secrets-under-the-christmas-tree-a-deedee-wallaby-mystery
The first The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award goes to 5 X 5 from Transatlantic Love Affair. This is without a doubt the “Must See Show of the Festival” and the one to beat for the Best in Fest Award. Five stories are told, one chosen by each of the five performers who are Mark Benzel, Cristina Castro, Derek Lee Miller, Allison Vincent, and stepping in as understudy for a Covid stricken Peyton McCandless is Leslie Vincent. The show will probably be as good once McCandless is able to return, but I doubt it could be any better, there were undoubtedly a couple of very funny bits that written in to take advantage of Vincent’s unplanned presence. The actors all stand together within a 5′ X 5′ square and act out the stories using only their bodies and voices, no props, no costumes, no set, though they do have some wonderful musical accompaniment by Mason Tacke. I don’t really want to divulge what stories they tell, but I will say that the way in which the first 4 are told is very creative, very physical, and very very funny. And then, with the final story, they completely change tactics and they break your heart, with the shortest of the tales, but perhaps the most sublime. It’s Castro’s story and her narration is imbued with such exquisitely crafted emotion. It was the perfect way to end a perfect show that at its heart is as much about the art of storytelling as it is about telling stories. *** Warning, the first performance sold out. So, I highly recommend getting your tickets early and reserving a spot. I would be shocked if this show doesn’t sell out every single time slot.
https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/5-x-5
The Brothers Dangus Vol. 3: Wealth and Hellness tries to raise scatalogical humor to an artform and truth be told, they are more or less successful. But warning, when I say the show is full of toilet humor, I’m not implying the jokes are lowbrow. The show is literally about poo. Not metaphorically, literally. It’s nonstop and it’s beyond all limits of good taste. What it does have is extremely creative and witty wordplay, some political commentary, and yes laughs. The performers commit fully to the theme and their success at executing the furiously paced and tongue twisting script is nothing short of astonishing. But again, this is not for everyone, and probably not for anyone directly after a big meal. If you are someone who loves their humor the cruder the better, this is going to be one of your favorite shows. That’s what it is intending to be and it does so masterfully.
https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/the-brothers-dangus-vol-3-wealth-and-hellness
Minnesota Tonight is local comedy God Denzel Belin’s late night style talk show. Each performance Belin will have different guests, so each show is different. Assuming there will be a mix of the same elements count on each performance consisting of a combination of stand up, guest interviews, sketch comedy, and a musical performance. The show I saw featured the very funny stand up comedian Rita Joy, and an interview with local writer, performer, and comedian Josh Carson. Belin has done an excellent job of booking his guests, a glance at the upcoming performances shows an impressive lineup including Rev. Matthew Kessen, Duck Washington, and Ariel Pinkerton to name a few. Belin also shows himself to be a natural for the format. In the interview he gives Carson room to answer the questions the whole exchange having a very natural and fluid flow to it. Carson is also a great subject for the interview, naturally funny with a Zach Braff story that is really entertaining. It’s the kind of show I wish they would have everynight in an 11:30 PM time slot so I could justify seeing each episode.
That’s the reviews from Day one of the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Be sure to check back daily for new reviews and if you are Fringing and you see me, be sure to stop and say hi! Also for reviews of shows I might not see or for another opinion on ones I have, follow M’ Colleague Jill Schafer at http://www.cherryandspoon.com/
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