Marry Me a Little, rescheduled from earlier in the summer, is a show featuring songs by Stephen Sondheim that were cut out of or from as yet unperformed musicals. It’s a strange little show perfectly at home in the Crane Theater’s intimate space. A dialogue free musical revue, it is not however plotless. To some extent we are left to our own devices to extrapolate the details. Basically a love story about two single people living alone who meet, fall in love, marry a little, and then break up. The songs follow the arc from two lonely people to the first hints of romance and on to the decline. Most of the songs I was unfamiliar with but I enjoyed nearly every one of them. A few favorites were “Marry Me a Little“, “All Things Bright and Beautiful/Bang“, and “Pour Le Sport“. It ends with “Being Alive” from Company which is of course a favorite.
The reason to see this show is to bask in the glow of it’s talented performers Bergen Baker and Max Wojtanowicz. Two gifted musical theater talents that know how to tell a story through song. In their hands, the lack of dialogue goes unnoticed. Their body language and expressions convey to us as much as the lyrics themselves do. Is there a more warm and welcoming face in all of the Twin Cities musical theater community than Wojtanowicz? He has an instant communication with the audience as if he’s singing directly to you. Bergen and Wojtanowicz are accompanied on piano by Musical Director James Barnett and the production was directed by Nikki Swoboda. The show runs just about an hour so it doesn’t have to be a late night. It only runs one weekend with the final performance Sunday 8/11/24. Don’t miss your chance to hear Bergen and Wojtanowicz signing Sondheim. For more information and to get tickets go to https://www.skylarkopera.org/home
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
Before we dig into the reviews I want to make sure everyone remembers to vote for the Golden Lanyard Awards. Votes should be submitted by Midnight this Saturday. Sorry Sunday shows on my schedule, but I’ll call you out if I would have voted for you and didn’t get the chance! Here is the link to cast your vote https://minnesotafringe.org/awards
In Thy Hard Michael Shaeffer recaps the story of the classic Christmas movie Die Hard in the style of William Shakespeare. It’s cleverly done using certain sonnets and quotes as inspiration leading to a game of Bingo with Bruce where you mark off the references as you catch them, I covered all the boxes on my Bingo board! There’s a nice touch when they stop the story for a moment to talk about Bruce Willis’ current health situation. Another nice touch is that a portion of the proceeds from the show will benefit dementia research. For fans of Die Hard, and who isn’t? This is a truly entertaining mashup of the 80’s action classic and the language stylings of Shakespeare. Schaeffer is an engaging performer with a gruff exterior but a sensitive delivery.
A Material Boy Living In A Madonna World! is my third Jason Schommer Fringe show, I’ve seen one each year I’ve been covering MN Fringe and they never disappoint. This year Schommer shares with us his obsession with Madonna. Perhaps it isn’t an obsession but just that, as he states in the show as a gay man, he was assigned Madonna, as others might be assigned Barbara Streisand or Cher. It’s filled with stories that show off his fandom in ways that simultaneously make you gringe for him and love him. Taking us from his first in person brushes to the reason his right hand will never be washed again. It’s part stand up routine, part confessional, and wholly hilarious.
Welcome To The Food Chain is a solo show cabaret about man’s place on the food chain. The writer performer Rob Ward sings, dances, attacks, and even times races between an audience member and a lion. It’s wild and kind of chaotic, the audience is definitely enthusiastic with lots of cheering, clapping, and even some singing along. That enthusiasm of the crowd carries the show even when it seems to be floundering a little bit. The performance outshines the content to be sure, Ward is an animal (he he) in the way he attacks his dance numbers with a manic energy that wears you out just watching it. Ward has a message and it’s that in many cases, the loss of human life is the fault of the humans who are forgetting that these are animals and they eat meat to survive.
Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts Historyis The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner for Day 8. It is a very serious affair, though it’s OK to laugh. The premise is that this is the first lecture for the college class on Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History. The show was written by Shane Mayforth and Vilva Va-Voom whose show TransMasculine Cabaret is also playing at the Fringe festival and very entertaining. Mayforth stays in character as Dr. Winkworth-Perez who using a video presentation lectures on the use of pantomime masterbaution from the beginnings of theater back in ancient Greece through the advent of film. We see several extremely well produced video clips from films from the silent era starring The Spankin’ Shyster, who put the master in masturbation. Being the silent film fan that I am, that part of the show really won me over and the picture with mention of Buster Keaton was the touch that pulled this show ahead of the others on Day 8. At the end of the show everyone receives a certificate of completion that certifies you have successfully completed the course Introduction to Pantomime Masturbation, which is nice to have to hang up at work. Also as these are traveling artists they have merch to sell including stickers and little bottles of Intellectual Masturbation lotion, so be sure to pick up some as this helps defray the costs of traveling with a show like this.
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . Now you too can be in the know about all the fabulous theater happening in and around the Twin Cities.
Ohhhh boy, this was a tough one. You see the best show I saw on Day seven was Daddy Issues, but that already won The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award on the 3rd day of the festival. The other three shows were all great! How to choose? I needed some way to break the three way tie and here’s what I landed on. Both Blackout Improv Does something!!! and Pants on Fire are shows that change for each performance, with different guests each slot and thus more apt to vary in quality from day to day. When I put those two up against each other I was again at a loss. I probably laughed harder at Pants on Fire, but I really loved the musical performance in Blackout Improv’s show. So I went with the show that is scripted, meaning what I saw should be more or less what you’d see if you take in a performance.
Blackout Improv Does Something is a local improv troupe that consists of all black performers. I’ve seen them many times, but this was probably the best show of theirs that I’ve yet attended. Each of their Fringe slots will host a different guest, on my night it was Musician and Blackout Alum Theo Langason. Langason opened the show by performing three original songs played on a oddly captivating metal guitar. Langason’s songs were not at all humorous, which didn’t matter in the slightest as I was completely engrossed by them. It made this performance unique in an unexpected way. The comedian’s then took over the stage and for the first portion of the show they do improv scenes inspired by Langason’s songs. After that they take some time to do some of their signature improv games. If you’ve never seen Blackout Improv you need to, it’s one of the funniest group of Improv performers around and their shows never disappoint.
Pants on Fire is a game show hosted by Sarah Broude in the vein of British panel show Would I Lie to You? Each slot features a different bunch of guest contestants and I purposely chose day seven’s performance for the guest contestants The Four Humors which consists of Allison Vincent, Brant Miller, Matt Spring, and Ryan Lear. The game is played by contestants reading a card with a statement such as “I once spent a weekend in a Paris jail cell” (not an actual example from the show). Then members of the opposing team ask questions about the statement and have to guess whether the reader is telling the truth or lying. The Four Humors as you can imagine were hilarious, but the guests will change and the statements will be different for each Fringe slot. So like Blackout Improv’s show you could attend every performance and see a new show each time.
Good Ones! is The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner for Day 7. I’ll be honest the preview for this show had turned me off and I’d removed it from my favorites list. Then I kept hearing people praising the show and so I added it back onto my schedule. I’m very glad I reconsidered, the three performers Micael Gauger, Kaitlen Osburn, and Luke Fanning are in makeup and costumes throughout they act very strangely but they are also very funny verbally. The humor while seeming at first glance to be just weird and silly is actually very intelligent and political. Dressed in the costumes above they are like some sort of parody creatures who act out being good while poking fun at the progressive and liberal mindsets. Not to push the opposite agenda, but to shine a light on our hypocrisies and to point out that thinking good things is not the same as doing good things. It’s an important reminder that the world doesn’t change with good intentions it changes by taking good actions. It’s important to be able to laugh at ourselves and see the seeds of truth that make these jokes funny. The only ones who will be truly offended are those for whom the Good One’s routines are not a parody of, but an exact recreation of their behavior. The perfect use of humor to ease the difficult task of examining ourselves and whether or not we are good ones or if we could be better ones.
That’s the reviews from Day Seven 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/ and for other Fringe writings checkout our friend and fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Kendra Plant’s blog Artfully Engaging at https://www.kendraplant.com/blog-artfully-engaging.
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . Now you too can be in the know about all the fabulous theater happening in and around the Twin Cities.
A couple of things before we jump to the reviews. I failed to see a show with a mention of butt stuff for the first time on day six, so my perfect “Where’s Waldo” score is broken, and I’m fine with that. Secondly, I’m not going to lie this was a good Fringe night and I basically had another tie for best show of the evening. I broke the tie by asking myself which was the fringiest? And so the award goes to….
Beanie Baby Divorce Play is the winner of The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award! As always the gang behind Melancholics Anonymous delivers the bizarre and the hilarious in equal measure. This years show revolves around a couple going through a divorce and the effect on their children. The parents are in the midst of negotiations over, no, not the children, they’ll get to that next, but their Beanie Baby collection. Which will be far more contentious than child custody. To describe the details of the show is to rob the audience of the unexpected pleasures that lie in store. I’ll just say that Timothy Kelly’s song is a show stopping moment of fringy bliss. For those unfamiliar with this theater company, expect their shows to be a humorous take on something that appears wholesome, with a horror bent to it. Their shows really are what I’ve come to think of as “fringe”.
Teen Wolf Killed My Grandma: A Memoir is a show that is perfect for those who have seen the MTV series Teen Wolf. If you haven’t seen the series and don’t ever intend to, it’s also for you. If you’ve never seen it but it’s on your “to watch list”, this show is not for you as it’s full of spoilers. I now fall into the second category as I’ve had the series spoiled too much to actually watch it now. Which is fine, I probably wasn’t going to ever watch it anyway, I’m a Buffy guy and that’s all the supernatural high school pop culture I’ll likely need in this lifetime. As for this show I enjoyed seeing writer, director, and star Hannah Twitchell geek out about her passion. The tie in to her relationship with her Grandmother and her death made complete sense. The crossroads of our cultural passions and our lives are often co-mingled and can frequently be the way in which we remember and process events.
Dutch: Made in America take the figurative and makes it literal as it examines Ronald Reagan and his role of a lifetime. What many consider an acting job of a presidency is here treated as exactly that. Reagan is up for the role of Old 40, and he’s preparing to screentest for the role. Reagan or Dutch as he’s called is played by the playwright Alex Church, who makes a good stand in for Reagan. Stephanie Kahle plays Dutch’s Mother, who foreshadowingly (which my computer indicates is a new word I’ve just invented, and rather than change I’m leaving as is because, well, how often do you get to invent new words?) is suffering from Alzheimer’s, as well as his second Wife Nancy, and Old 39 aka Jimmy Carter. This is a clever and surreal look at Reagan. At it’s best when he’s interacting and basically being dominated by Nancy. It’s a smart idea for a show and is one of those Fringe shows you could imagine being expanded into something longer and having a life beyond the Fringe circuit.
The Zoo Story is the least Fringy show I’ve seen all festival, which I love! this is a one act play, staged and performed as that. The performances by the two person cast played by Jackson Whitman and Micah Chartrand are superb. The play is about an interaction by two men in Central Park. Chartrand plays Peter, a well dressed man who is sitting on a bench reading a book when Jerry played by Whitman tries to start up a conversation, actually he more or less wills it to happen. Jerry is forceful in the way he engages Peter, who clearly agrees to converse because he doesn’t want to be rude at first and later out of concern about how Jerry will react if he doesn’t. Jerry asks things that are inappropriate to ask strangers and he does it in a way that the audience and Peter sense there is something off about him. Whitman is very effective in the role genuinely making you feel uncomfortable and glad you are not Peter. We’ve all been in that position, though perhaps not to this level. I love that a Fringe show can be anything from a show about Beanie Babies to a straight one act play. This was a superbly executed play, featuring two very good actors. I’m really glad I took this one in, and just so you don’t dismiss it as not fringy enough, the ending is very unexpected. This is just great theater and there is always time for that in my book.
That’s the reviews from Day Six 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/ and for other Fringe writings checkout our friend and fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Kendra Plant’s blog Artfully Engaging at https://www.kendraplant.com/blog-artfully-engaging.
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . Now you too can be in the know about all the fabulous theater happening in and around the Twin Cities.
Cli-Mate ‘Just’-Us”: Renewable Comedy Meets Gay Love Adventure is a powerpoint presentation filled with puns and wordplay relating to climate change and LGBTQ+ dating. The show is created and performed by Lee Samelson who is on the spectrum and as a father of two sons also on the spectrum, I understood the way in which that impacted the delivery, which is at times hard to follow. I think Samelson also had so much information that the only way to get through it all in the time allotted was to speak very rapidly. He would be better to cut some material and slow down the pace. Working with a Director to find the best verbal punctuation to make the concept easier to follow could also help immensely. The visual presentation accompanying the verbal script does help and it’s through that that we fully appreciate the cleverness of the wordplay Samelson has created. There is the potential for a very good show here, but it needs work, Samelson has a great idea and the wit to carry it off, but it needs fresh theatrical eyes to help him take it to the next level. (Also in the Where’s Waldo game I’m playing with Fringe shows this year, butt stuff was brought up in this show so we are 5 for 5).
When TransMasculine Cabaret, Starring Vulva Va-Voom ended I received a Intersectional Ally Voucher that gives me the privilege to be regarded as a “Good Intersectional Ally” for the next 14 days, so please remember that. According to the voucher, I earned it because I “sat through a depressing hour-long monologue from an LGBT+ experimental theater artist”. Well I don’t know what they are talking about, I didn’t sit through anything, I experienced a very entertaining and enlightening show. There are serious topics presented but for the most part they are done with humor and heart and when bad things happen we acknowledge them and then deflect with humor. Which frankly is what an entertaining Fringe show can do. It can plant the ideas in our head and then give us a laugh, we are entertained, but we were also passed some more serious ideas, that we will think on and digest later. (Bonus butt stuff here as well, remember when there were several musicals each year at Fringe? Is anal the new musical?)
Transition: A Story of Two Trans People Becoming Themselves is The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner for Day 5. First off I just want to say Wow! Faithful readers will know that Trans stories and representation are very dear to me. Transition… tells the story of two friends who have decided to come out as Transgender on social media together. The performers Kymani Kahlil a trans woman and Gillian Gauntt who is non-binary have a wonderful chemistry together as they support and encourage each other on this momentous occasion. After deciding to click post, they get up from their laptops and come to the front of the stage as the 11 piece orchestra plays they begin to sing. This is when my jaw hit the floor. Kahlil and Gauntt have amazing voices. I don’t know if this is Opera or musical theater, whatever it is, it’s impressive. And it isn’t just the quality of their voices it’s the songs themselves. The show is by Emily Boyajian who composed both the music and lyrics. Boyajian is herself a trans woman and it’s clear that she has poured her own experiences, fears, and triumphs into her art. The songs are beautifully written, in message as well as musically. When do you ever see an 11 piece orchestra at a Fringe show? Every aspect of this show was beautiful, but none so much as seeing Boyajian tell her story through actors who don’t just perform it but reflect it and bring their own authenticity to it. Based on these songs I suspect that Emily Boyajian is a name we will be hearing more from, this woman has talent and I cannot wait to see what comes next. * In terms of content the Fringe show page recommends it for ages 12-15 and up. I think as long as your kids understand and are aware that some people are unaccepting that 9 or 10 would be appropriate. I know when my son was transitioning at nine he would have gotten a lot out of this show. Representation to a young person is everything and it’s so brilliant to see that happening backstage and onstage is this touching and inspiring show.
The Light Bringer is a play by Laila Lee a Palestinian immigrant that tells her story of coming to America as a young girl. Growing up in a large family, Lee finds that the longer her parents lived in the US the more they tried to enforce the traditions and societal roles of their homeland. Lee stories are sometimes funny, sometimes sweet, and at other times downright terrifying. I view her stories through the eyes of someone who has always lived in the US and I empathize with her and her sisters attempts to be “regular” teenagers and young adults. I think by the time they are in college, their wants and needs are very in line with most of their fellow students, the difference is their parents. Lee is a gifted storyteller and performer and apparently she has a sequel written, and believe me once you see the show, you’ll be hoping she wins next years lottery and Minnesota Fringe 2025 features The Light Bringer Part 2. This is a show that was on and off my schedule several times, boy am I glad I ended up with it on the schedule as it’s another must see show.
That’s the reviews from Day five 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/ and for other Fringe writings checkout our friend and fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Kendra Plant’s blog Artfully Engaging at https://www.kendraplant.com/blog-artfully-engaging.
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . Now you too can be in the know about all the fabulous theater happening in and around the Twin Cities.
This was my biggest day yet with seven shows, and the hardest so far to choose The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner. It was almost a very tough decision between four of the seven shows, The Banana Wars, Put a Needle in Me (the winner), The Wind Phone, and A Murder on the Great Grimpen Mire Express. So consider all of those to be must see shows.
The Banana Wars by Derek Lee Miller is a fascinating and entertaining history lesson about the things they don’t teach you in high school history classes. Why? Because the facts Miller shares are illustrations of the corruption and ideological betrayals that most of us prefer not to see. It’s important though to face these truths from time to time to remind ourselves how fragile the ideals of our democratic republic are, how easily twisted and sidestepped they can be. This is Miller’s second show in the 2024 Minnesota Fringe Festival along with The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winning 5 X 5 from Transatlantic Love Affair. I highly recommend both shows, Miller is such an engaging performer and the script is filled with intelligent observations and humor. Plus for added value I recommend getting there when the house opens as Miller takes the stage and hold informal conversation with the audience before the show itself begins. The coolest part of these extra minutes is he’ll teach you the best way to peel a banana. What more could you ask for from a Fringe show?
Seance Sisters adds a little spooky to the 2024 Fringe Festival, which I’m all in favor of. It’s based on a real life trio of sisters known as the Fox Sister Mediums, who are said to have been the beginning of the American Spiritualism movement. There is a lot to like in the show but it also seems to be just shy of really working. It has some great atmosphere and tricks up its sleeve as we witness a seance. The performers are all really good, Hannah May as the controlling older sister Leah and the control she has over and fear she induces in her sisters in palpable. Mallory Lewis and Sophia White as the two younger sisters Maggie and Kate who are seemingly being compelled by Leah to perform in sham seances. Lewis’s Kate who has just lost her husband is trying to get free from Leah’s control, and attempts to undermine the performance. As punishment Leah forces the younger sister to take Maggie’s place for a part of the seance called the box. I won’t reveal what happens, but it’s well done technically. What doesn’t quite work is the start and stop, treading water feel of the Fox sister’s fake performance. Rather than build tension we just remain waiting, wondering if the conversations we witness wouldn’t play better if they weren’t supposed to be happening in front of us as the Seance attendees. If you want something with a little bumpitty and spookable in it, this is your best bet, everything clicks but the script.
A Monster Scientist and a Tattooed Anarchist Walk into a Bar: Put a Needle To Me is The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner for Day 4 of the festival. A solo autobiographical show by local multi-talented artist Ariel Pinkerton that feels deeply confessional and incredibly brave. I think that is perhaps a common element of many solo Fringe shows. But, when it’s an artist you are familiar with, whom you’ve seen perform many times and even had conversations with, someone you feel like you know, at least a little, that, revealing of one’s self, feels more meaningful. To see Pinkerton stand and share her truths with her eloquent bluntness is to see her laid bare with only the ink of her tattoos to use as cover. Pinkerton’s vulnerability is felt all the more keenly as vulnerable is the last word I would ever have used to describe her. Which of course is wrong, of course she can be vulnerable. Vulnerability isn’t a weakness it’s a gift that the artist gives the audience, it’s a letting down of the walls we all use to protect ourselves in order to let the audience in, to make a connection. From what I knew about Pinkerton, or thought I knew before taking in this show, I would have said we are almost opposites. After seeing the show I was struck by how much of her story and her life I can relate to. I observe her willingness to open herself to the world and I admire, applaud, and envy it.
A Monster Scientist and a Tattooed Anarchist Walk into a Bar: Bizarrocosms – Imaginary Evolutions was the name of the Reverend Matt’s Monster Science performance I saw, but each performance is a different lecture of his personal best from the series. For those who don’t know what this is, they are hour long lectures by Matthew Kessen accompanied by power point productions on some form of monster. They are very humorous, I always love to attend these as I was a big monster fan growing up and still am to this day.
The Wind Phone is a lovely and moving theater piece that explores the phenomenon of the Wind Phone started by Japanese garden designer Itaru Sasaki. The concept is a unconnected phone is a quiet park or garden that people can use to speak to those who have passed away. It doesn’t connect to the spirit world and allow those who use it to converse with their departed loved ones. It is just a way for people to say aloud what they wish they could have said to their loved ones when they were around. We get to see four different individuals along with the caretaker of this particular Wind Phone talk to the person or animal they have things left that they need to say. But, before that happens we get a scene between two woman who recently divorced. After their run in, which doesn’t go well, one of the women goes to talk to her deceased mother and unburdons herself about the end of that relationship. The final person to use the phone is her ex-wife, and we come to understand that the therapeutic power of the wind phone is not just relevant to the grief and loss we feel when someone dies. Fittingly, performances for this show take place outside in a calm little oasis in the heart of the Cedar Riverside community called The Ribs of Humanity.
Heart Ripped Out Twice and so Can You! is a performance art piece in which Linnea Bond appears to be making a timeshare pitch to us on the concept of existing. We are unsure at first why this would be happening but go with it. When the examples of some of the downsides of life become very very specific, we begin to clue into the fact that there is something else happening here. Bond describes a health scare and all the ups and downs that go with it. Mostly it’s all to comic effect, but there is a phone call that keeps trying to interrupt her and it ties into why she is making the presentation. It’s rather ingenious when it all comes together and very entertaining on its journey to that point. And in what seems to be the “Where’s Waldo?” of this years Fringe festival there is a reference to butt stuff, that’s one a day for me at this years festival.
A Murder on the Great Grimpen Mire Express is another Whodunnit and the best of the three I’ve seen so far! This one is a mashup of Murder on the Orient Express and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Like a sneak peek at Jeffrey Hatcher and Steve Hendrickson’s upcoming Holmes Poirot at Park Square this fall, here we get both great detectives on a single case. Writer Tim Wick gives us a much more humorous play than I suspect the Park Square show will be. What’s nice is while he does poke fun at Watson’s intelligence and the world of the play does seem very silly, he more or less treats the two sleuths with respect and doesn’t make them into parodies of themselves. Very entertaining, silly silly silly, and sporting the best costumes I’ve seen at Fringe so far. I love Poirot and Holmes and enjoy a good laugh, this was right up my alley and if that describes you as well, this will be a must see for you. Full disclosure I did make my Fringe debut in this show, as the audience member who throws a wolf at a character at the start of the play, but I still did my best to review the play impartially.
That’s the reviews from Day four 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/ and for other Fringe writings checkout our friend and fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Kendra Plant’s blog Artfully Engaging at https://www.kendraplant.com/blog-artfully-engaging.
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . Now you too can be in the know about all the fabulous theater happening in and around the Twin Cities.
Day three of the festival brings reviews of six more shows. Before we get to those reviews I wanted make readers aware of some of the other events happening around the Festival. First with your Fringe button which everyone need in order to Fringe, there are daily deals at supporting restaurants, you can check the Fringe link here for what the daily deals are https://minnesotafringe.org/2024/fringe-in-the-community Also after the final show each day of Fringe there is Fringe After Hours. The location changes, but it’s a place for Artists and audience to gather and discuss their experiences of the day. I attended Fringe After Hours for the first time last night and had a great time talking with Fringe folk about all the shows and their experiences. For details on where Fringe After Hours is each day go to https://minnesotafringe.org/2024/fringe-in-the-community
The Peter Pan Cometh from Clevername Theatre was probably my most anticipated show of the 2024 festival. At my first Fringe, Clevername Theatre’s Who’s Afraid of Winnie the Pooh? was my favorite of the entire festival. In fact, it’s still my favorite Fringe show to this day. This year they have created another mashup between J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh. Knowing from previous experience that a knowledge of the source material enriches the experience of a Clevername production, earlier this week I screened the 1973 four hour film version of The Iceman Cometh. That was a little overkill perhaps and unnecessary to enjoy Alexander Gerchak’s latest production. What always surprises is how effectively the disparate properties meld. Continuing the theme of viewing our childhood characters through the lens of very adult world minded playwrights. The Peter Pan Cometh looks at the lives of Captain Hook, Smee, and Tinker Bell as they await the arrival of Peter Pan and Wendy for their yearly house cleaning visit. A tradition in which these sad denizens of Neverland will get wasted on pixie dust provided by the generous Pan and bury their dreams deep down inside of themselves. It’s as dark a world as the humor that flows from it. It’s another triumph for the company.
Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry is a magic show utilizing the world of Harry Potter as its inspiration. The tricks and jokes never rise above the kids Birthday party magician, but those can still be very entertaining. Filled with corny jokes, sleight of hand (not all of it unnoticed), and audience volunteers. A good show for families and fans of the Potterverse.
Daddy Issues Takes The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award! It’s the second show of the 2024 Fringe featuring Allison Vincent (see also 5X5 from Day one reviews) and I’m having flashbacks to the 2023 Twin Cities Horror Festival. Last fall everything she was in blew everything else out of the water. As I said back then if you want to have a hit at TCHF put Allison Vincent in your show. Daddy Issues is a solo show written and performed by Vincent in which we witness her unpacking her Daddy issues as symbolized by the set and prop designs made entirely of packing boxes. Vincent explores with her customary humor and intelligence the journey of managing her Father’s decline in health while dealing with the repercussions of his financial and life choices. By the end of the show everyone has tears in their eyes from sharing her experience as well as what we bring to it in terms of our own Daddy issues. As Shakespeare pointed out in Hamlet, death of fathers is a common theme in nature, so on some level we can all relate. Vincent uses the personal, the specific, to create a universal cathartic moment, in which we laugh, we cry, and yes, it is a part of us. Vincent’s performance is filled with an emotional truth that creates a connection with the audience and allows for a shared emotional experience that much theater aspires to but which few productions attain. Vincent is also a skilled physical performer, this is far and away the most incredible synching of sound design, by Peter Morrow, and physical action miming I’ve seen on a Fringe stage. In other words it’s dead brilliant.
Holy O is another solo show this one from touring artist Lauren Hance who plays Verity, a woman considering becoming a nun. The cast is rounded out by us, the audience who appear as Saints to Verity after she has a spontaneous orgasm upon waking from a sleep. She attributes these orgasms, which she has had since a young child, to a religious vision. Taking advantage of all the extra eyes provided by the appearance of we Saints, she solicits our collective opinion to weed through her clothes which she has to downsize in order to become a nun. Given the choice of three garments we choose which one to keep, each item results in the telling of a story of what that item reminds her of. Through these stories we get a glimpse into some of the characters biography. It’s an interesting show and one you could appreciate on multiple viewings as the choices the audience makes determine which stories are told at each performance. Filled with both humor and pathos it’s a show recommended for 18+, and a great one to show support for touring artists.
Francis Grey and the Case of His Dead Boyfriend: A One-Man Whodunnit is the second whodunnit of my 2024 Fringe. Faithful readers will know I’m a sucker for a mystery, so I shouldn’t be surprised that I’ve added all of the Fringe shows that fall under that category to my schedule. What’s unique about this one and it’s a very Fringey touch is the cast of one, performed by the shows creator Nathan Tylutki, portraying all seven of the stories characters. He does this using multiple techniques, sometimes he is conversing with himself via a video, including speaking to himself portraying the mother and father of the murder victim played by himself via splitscreen. He also uses puppets, blow up dolls, along with wig and costume changes. It’s a fun mystery in and of itself but becomes a riot in its telling. Tylutki is a wonderful performer and does an amazing job of keeping the train on the tracks when literally anything could go wrong and the timing with the prerecorded video is crucial to its success.
A Horse Walks Out Onto the Stage and Dies is an accurate title, not in a snarky way, this is a very enjoyable show. But it is about a horse coming on stage and he will die at the end of the show. The enjoyment comes in the middle section which isn’t specifically alluded to in the shows title. What we get between the horse walking on stage and his dying is the horsemeat of the play. It opens with the horse telling the story of his life, which it turns out is all bullshit, not that we weren’t under that impression from the moment he said he became a major league baseball player. Once called out by the farmer for telling a fictional life he is then informed the real reason he’s on stage. From there the show switches gears to how the horse deals with the knowledge of his impending doom. Written and performed by Sam Sweere the humor of the show, which gets rather dark at times, comes equally from the script and Sweere’s delivery which is priceless.
That’s the reviews from Day three 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/
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . Now you too can be in the know about all the fabulous theater happening in and around the Twin Cities.
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