Minnesota Fringe Festival Day 2: “Hugo & Maeve Join a Cult!”, “PARTS”, “Yo-Ho-Hum: A Pirate’s Midlife Crisis” Winner of the Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award, and “VILE”

Hugo & Maeve Join a Cult! is the brainchild of some very talented Ones to watch Alex Stokes, Brendan Nelson Finn, and Abilene Olson. Hugo and Maeve played by Finn and Olson are two best friends who are hiding in a broom closet deep under the Mall of America when the play opens. On the run from cult members whom they just witnessed performing a human sacrifice. Sounds chilling doesn’t it? Well, this is Fringe so of course it’s an Oompa Loompa cult and Hugo and Maeve are completely entitled, clueless, and naive. For about 40 minutes we watch Finn and Olson banter and try not to break out laughing thanks to a wig malfunction and a flubbed line or two. which honestly for a Fringe show, as long as it’s not egregious, which it isn’t here, only adds to the fun. The script is sharp if a bit short, the show runs about 40 minutes with the ending feeling a bit rushed. There is an audio cameo that will delight local musical theater hounds towards the end of the show so watch out for that. Finn and Olson play off each other well and Finn in particular showcases the type of character work that earned in a Twin Cities Theater Blogger Award for Best Comedic Performance in 2023.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/hugo-and-maeve-join-a-cult-

PARTS is a solo show starring Mikala Bierma who at 40 decided to re embrace her love of performance and let go of the things that keep her from being happy. Bierma knows she has sex appeal and isn’t afraid to use it to set up her eventual humorous undercutting of the idea. For example, a cake that she starts licking a taste of frosting off her finger turns into face fisting the entire cake. Like her seductive cake setup she likewise teases a musical talent that blossoms at the end only to be cut short to get a self effacing laugh seconds after actually wowing us with some very solid vocal skills. These are all positives, Bierma knows she’s putting on a comedic show but it also lends itself to her message that in order to be happy we have to love ourselves. She’s demonstrating that quality so familiar to many of us that when we think we are doing well, we feel like we need to show others that we don’t think we’re really that good. By showing that she illustrates the behavior we need to let go off and embrace our skills at whatever level they are. Her’s comedically, vocaling, and in every other way are of a very high level.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/parts

Yo-Ho-Hum: A Pirate’s Midlife Crisis is today’s winner of The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award! It is the story of Stede Bonnet a Gentleman in old England who wanted to be a Pirate. If you’ve seen the TV series Our Flag Means Death that’s based on the same historical figure. Stages of MN favorite Joshua English Scrimshaw, of the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society fame, plays Bonnet. Natalie Rae Wass is his put upon first officer Tristram Shanty, clearly a play on the name of the protagonist of Laurence Sterne’s classic novel of digressions. Both veteran Fringe performers, Scrimshaw and Wass commit fully to the accents and over the topness of their characters. Madhu Bangalore plays the role of the pirate Black Beard who forges a friendship with Bonnet as he always wanted to be a gentleman. Yo-Ho-Hum Is a fun show filled with flashbacks and other narrative devices executed in very silly and creative ways.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/yo-ho-hum-a-pirate-s-midlife-crisis

VILE is a solo clowning show by Francesca Montanile Lyons that is rather far out there. I didn’t hate it, but if there was ever a show that isn’t for everyone, this is it. I have a feeling I’m too old to appreciate everything that Lyons has packed into her 60 minute show, though I believe I grasped the overall message. For some, this will be the best show of the festival, for me it was fine, the question is how will you know if it’s for you or not. Without giving away the message if I can help it I’ll give you some examples of the content. There is some audience participation, some chewing of food and spitting it out again, Lyon gets nearly naked then wrapped in clear plastic wrap and proceeds to move around on the stage like a slug. There is also actual pizza eating with her feet, a rape sprite, and the show ends with Lyons reading a letter she has written to her butthole, who is played by a member of the audience. It’s performance art meets clowning, with a serious message at its core that feels uncomfortable to be laughing about. It’s challenging, and if that description interests you than you are probably the audience it’s aimed at and I’m glad to point you towards it.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/vile

That’s the reviews from Day Two 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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