Minnesota Fringe Day 6 : Songs Without Words (The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner), Our Zombie Town, Academonic, The Lasso Way: A Musical.

So it took 28 shows until I found one that I couldn’t wholeheartedly recommend. But you know what? Tonight was the kind of night that reminded me of what the Minnesota Fringe Festival is all about. It’s about trying new things and that doesn’t just mean the audience, that means the people on stage too. Look at my friend Kendra Plant, first time Fringe producer of The Kendra Plant Variety Hour. Her whole show is about trying something new and working through it even if you have some anxiousness. Fringe is a place for Artists to come and try new things. It’s also a place for artists to present their tried and true productions. You can be as polished as Melancholics Anonymous or as bare bones as one person standing on a blank stage reading from a script. As an audience member you rarely know really what you’ll be getting, sometimes the most excellent sounding premises fall flat and other times the show you see becuase you couldn’t get into the one you wanted to see blows you away. Tonight was really all over the place, but even the worst show of the evening had something good about it. And I want to champion everyone’s efforts. But, I’m also not honoring my promise to you if I don’t tell you what shows I’d skip. If I don’t try and help you decide where your time is better spent, than what use am I? I’m just a publicity machine, and that’s not why I started doing this. There are 99 shows to choose from and I owe it to you to help you make that choice if I can. So as promised these are my Minnesota Honest Reviews Truthful, but hopefully not hurtful.

Songs Without Words (or, The Mendelssohn Play) Is a show I did not have on my schedule originally, but word of mouth convinced me to make a change (sorry Ping Prov). I’m glad I did as I have given it my The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award. This is a show from an out of town Artist and I always feel like I should try and make sure I see more of those, but again 99 shows. You start making a list based on who’s work you’ve enjoyed in the past whether it’s a theater company or a performer, and then which shows the description sounds interesting, and then the all important factor, where you look at your schedule and say, you know if I see that show I can just stay at Open Eye all night and not have to drive back and forth. why am I spending so much time describing schedule making? Because I don’t have a lot to say about the content of this show. It’s very polished and elegant, it’s the story of sibling composers Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn. Is filled with beautiful music, a reminder of the injustices woman have suffered in the past not being allowed to have the same options, or sometimes any options as men. It’s a theme that pops up in several of the Fringe shows I’ve seen so far this year, because apparently half of the country need to be reminded of how things were and have it pointed out that, that was bad. Songs Without Words is not just a message play it is a fascinating exploration of two people that I knew nothing about, other than having heard some of their music. Jennifer Vosters who created and performs the shows is mesmerizing in both roles. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/songs-without-words-or-the-mendelssohn-play-

Now it starts to get interesting Our Zombie Town is a modern mash up of the Thornton Wilder play Our Town and the zombie world of George A. Romero. It’s a great idea and I feel like the script by Richard Chin is actually fairly solid, maybe even really good. The problem is that it feels like we are watching a run through of the performance two weeks into the planned four week rehearsal. Everyone is “mostly” off book but maybe haven’t entirely made all of their choices yet on how they plan to play a scene. There are a few good performances but too many of the cast seem content with having remembered their lines and spoken them. It may be a Fringe show, but the best Fringe shows regardless of budget or silliness of the subject matter, have actors that still try and create a character. Maybe it’s the amount of rehearsal time the cast had, maybe it’s weak direction, or an over reliance on the high concept to win the day. I’m not sure. But the one thing I don’t think that is at fault is the script. And there’s one set piece that almost makes this worth checking out. But with 98 other shows to choose from, I can’t recommend Our Zombie Town to everyone. Die hard zombie fans or people who have acted in a production of Our Town are probably the most likely to enjoy this. But, and I can’t stress this enough, this is my opinion, Faithful readers will know where our tastes diverge. A glance at the Minnesota Fringe Kitty meter or whatever they call that Kitty rating system has this at 4 1/2 Kitties. Does anyone else find that disturbing? I’m not a cat lover but even I don’t like the image of half a kitten. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/our-zombie-town

So apparently when I was making my schedule I thought what I needed was a Twin Cities Horror Fest wannabe night. Academonic has sort of the opposite issue of Our Zombie Town. This one I thought the performances were all fairly solid but the script needed another draft or two. This may be the result of someone’s ping pong ball being pulled without them having any idea what they wanted to do. In which case getting a play written at all is fairly impressive let alone casting and rehearsing and performing it. It’s not that you can’t follow the script or glean from what is happening the motivations and relationships. But a solid script doesn’t make you have to glean things or make assumptions. Pretty much everyone in the cast is good but especially Tamira Rashid as the protagonist Ellen Karass, which we assume is a play on the priest in The Exorcist, and Kiran Arquin who plays a demonic carpet. The only time the performances falter is when they are given too little to say or do and you feel like even they are gleaning what their characters motivations are supposed to be. If you gotta see one of these two horror themed plays this Fringe I’d bet on this one, but be warned the script is murky and directionless at times. It feels like they had thirty minutes of material, a story possibly able to support a longer running time, but ran out of time to flesh it out. And so, they wrote time filling dialogue that would challenge any actor to deliver convincingly. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/academonic-

The Lasso Way: A Musical is fun without rising to the level of other musicals I’ve seen this Fringe. Full disclosure, I’m a big Ted Lasso fan. When this show opens with Ted’s son in court because he’s spray painted the word “Wanker” all over New York City because he hates his Dad, who’s dead, the show had an up hill battle on it’s hands. Sentenced to community service directing a musical about his father or faced with years in person Henry must learn to be a Director and deal with his daddy issues. This is a little rough around the edges but overall if you are a Lasso fan, you’ll want to see this. Co-creator Travis Carpenter is well cast as Coach Beard and Noah Johnson as the actor Brent who is playing Roy Kent in the musical, does an uncanny vocal impersonation during his first line readings as the character. His song about saying the F word, is easily the best musical number in the show. There are a lot of nice touches throughout including a hallucination conversation Henry has with his dead father. By the end it’s quite winning and remains faithful to the message of Ted Lasso. this is a recommend but if you don’t know the show Ted Lasso, that might hamper your enjoyment. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-lasso-way-a-musical

That’s it for day six of the Minnesota Fringe Festival you can click on the Fringe website here to get details on all of the shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025. Don’t forget to tune into The Stages of MN YouTube channel for mini episodes all week long from The MN Fringe Festival https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN

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Minnesota Fringe Day 5: I Have Griefances, The Gentlemen’s Pratfall Club (The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner), OPERA PUNKS, Shrieking Harpies Presents: Period Piece.

I’m just back from Day 5 of the Minnesota Fringe I’ve got my reviews below. I also want to let folks know there is a new Minnesota Fringe edition of the YouTube show up today, so check it out it’s full of Artists telling about their shows and Audience members giving recommendations of the best shows they’ve seen so far. click here to view it https://bit.ly/TSOMNFringe2025miniEpisode2

I Have Griefances is closer to the show Wells Farnham wanted to do in 2023 when he first came off the Fringe waitlist. But he couldn’t because it was all about making fun of his family, and they had all just gotten cancer. So instead he did a very funny show in which he talked through the Fast and the Furious film series and the children’s show Paw Patrol. That show was funnier, but what this one loses in humor it makes up for in heart. This isn’t a lesser show it’s just a different blend of humor and pathos and both are equally effective. My favorite bit is the explanation of the lamp shade story that has plagued him for years. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/i-have-griefances

The Gentlemen’s Pratfall Club By Comedy Suitcase is the latest show from Joshua English Scrimshaw and Levi Weinhagen their 2022 show Bob and Reggie Go To Bed was the third Fringe show I ever saw and the First to win the then completely unknown, though just as highly regarded as it is now, The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award. Where that show relied entirely on physical comedy, the new one which, in case you haven’t read the headline, has also won The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award, strikes an unexpected balance between physical and verbal humor. I’m not going to say I was disappointed by the addition of dialogue, it’s too well written and funny for that. But there was something special about seeing what amounted to a live silent comedy performed on stage. Faithful readers will have gleaned from past reviews that I have a love of silent cinema, but I also love the comedies of the 1930’s and 40’s which relied much more on verbal comedic acrobatics, and so I’m game to go along with the boys as they transition to the talkies, I just hope they don’t sign a contract with MGM and lose all creative control. Besides the reality is probably that these guys are aging, I’m not calling anyone old, but our bodies can only take so much abuse and cutting back on the poundings their bodies have to take is probably a good idea and will prolong their ability to do these shows in the long run. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-gentlemen-s-pratfall-club

OPERA PUNKS is the first of two Musical improv shows I saw on Day 5. It’s really hard to say much about an improv show as by its very nature it will be different every night. This is improv in which the performers take suggestions shouted out by the audience and then create songs around them acting out these comedic scenes as if they were operas. The cast is great and features among others Brave New Workshop member Isabella Dunsieth and Michael Rogers who, listening to his singing here, one wonders why we haven’t been seeing him starring in musicals around town? This was a great show, very funny and the cast is so strong that if the performance you see isn’t good, it’s probably that your audience threw out dumb suggestions. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/opera-punks

Shrieking Harpies Presents: Period Piece is another musical improv show but the difference is that the Shrieking Harpies shows are long form improv. So instead of creating short comedic scenes with singing, the create a musical with a beginning, middle, and an end. The “period piece in the title refers to the fact that this years show the stories will be sent in a particular time period. Apparently the time period for each performance is voted for online before the show. I missed that memo and so we ended up with the 1990’s, which frankly, I lived through, and didn’t find all that interesting while I was doing so. I would have loved to have seen them do something from long ago, or if it had to be in the 20th century the 1950’s or 1960’s. That said it was still very entertaining, very funny and confirmed for me that any time I can see the Shrieking Harpies, which are made up of Lizzie Gardner, Taj Ruler, Hannah Wydeven and Justin Nellis on the Keys, I will. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/shrieking-harpies-presents-period-piece

That’s it for day five of the Minnesota Fringe Festival you can click on the Fringe website here to get details on all of the shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025. Don’t forget to tune into The Stages of MN YouTube channel for mini episodes all week long from The MN Fringe Festival https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN

Minnesota Fringe Day 4: Journey to Joy, Again, I Am Here, The Book of Mordor (The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner), Against My Will,Boxcutter Harmonica, Breakneck Twelfth Night, The Spirit Moves You To Color The Unseen.

OK, day four of the Minnesota Fringe festival is behind u. Here are my reviews for the shows I saw on day four, including The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner. I’ve now seen 22 of my projected 45 shows, keep checking back for my reviews of the remaining 23. Haven’t made it out yet yourself? Here’s the link to the Fringe website so you can pick some shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025

Journey to Joy, Again, Marie Cooney’s latest solo story telling show is funny, endearing, and empowering. It begins with coming out as a lesbian woman and ends with coming out as a person with a disability. The success of her show is a testament to the reality that our set backs don’t have to stop us, they can redefine us. Cooney has taken her injuries and turned them into a story of overcoming adversity, and of of developing advocacy. It’s filled with moments of triumph and Joy as well as sprinkled with advice for anyone who is going through something similar. Cooney who has suffered two traumatic brain injuries uses moments in her show where she searches for a word or loses her place (this doesn’t happen often) as an opportunity to educate the audience on techniques she has learned to help her navigate those moments. This is such an inviting experience which opens with Cooney asking the Artists in the audience to tell about their shows and audience members to share their recommendations. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/journey-to-joy-again

I am Here is a storytelling anthology with rotating performers, so each performance will be different. But the connecting thread is about existence and resistance. The performance I saw had moments of laughter and moments of stunned silence. Go to the shows page and see what performers you are most interested in seeing and then go to that performance. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/i-am-here

The Book of Mordor is a musical version of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy using the music from the musical The Book of Mormon. It kind of amazing how much of the 10 + hour runtime they are able to cover in 60 minutes. It’s also very impressive how funny the songs are and how good the singers are especially given the fact I’m unfamiliar with most of them, I assume that’s because they appear to be from Mankato. Like Hamluke from Day 2 it’s kind of surprising how well these two wildly different properties mash up. The Costumes are well done and cleverly conceived and the humor goes beyond just funny songs. But it also feels respectful of The Lord of the Rings you get the feeling that the creators of the show Carissa Christenson and Kendra Braunger are genuine fans. I really enjoyed The Book of Mordor and have awarded it The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award! To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-book-of-mordor

Against My Will is local Actor Michael Quadrozzi’s solo show about the childhood environment in which he grew up and the ramifications it has caused throughout his life. From a narcissistic Mother to his Dad dying when he was in his early 20’s. The glimpses we get into his formative years are indeed traumatic. Quadrozzi is an open and sympathetic performer, and he forges a genuine connection with the audience. Given the subject matter it is surprisingly funny and entertaining. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/against-my-will

Boxcutter Harmonica this two man show by and starring J. Merrill Motz (rhymes with Boats) along with Martin Dockery is a fascinating investigation into the Crossroads legend. Which is where one goes to make a deal with the devil in order to become the best at whatever they are trying to be the best at. The story dates back to Faust but the most common variation on this story in modern history revolves around a blues guitar player Robert Johnson. And that is the focus of The show ,which is presented as a lecture given by Detective White played by hardcore Fringe performer and visiting Artist Martin Dockery and Inspector Black played by local amateur performer Motz. Motz is competent in the role, but to be completely honest, Dockery carries him throughout the performance. And it’s Dockery’s skills on the guitar that are really what makes this show worth putting on your list. I suspect Motz leaned on a friendship and the promise of giving all the best lines to Dockery that got him in the show. Warning: the promised build-your own Reuben sandwich buffet never materialized as promised following the show. It was still worth seeing, but don’t plan your meal break around it like I did. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/boxcutter-harmonica

Breakneck Twelfth Night by Timothy Mooney, with assist from Will Shakespeare is Twelfth Night performed at breakneck speed. Somehow Mooney gets through the entire twelfth Night in an hour. I mean I don’t have the play memorized or anything and I’m sure there are cuts to the text, but the plot is intact. Mooney does a great job of making the language accessible and even adds in some footnotes to help the audience understand what is happening . He’s a consummate performer and I’m glad I adjusted my schedule to see it. Full confession and an apology to the Artist and any other Artist this may happen to throughout the Festival. I kept catching myself nodding off throughout the performance. This had absolutely nothing to do with what was happening on stage, this was a physiological response to seeing 22 shows in four days getting at most 5 hours of sleep a night and feeling completely wiped out by the 8:30 time slot. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/breakneck-twelfth-night

The Spirit Moves You To Color The Unseen is Created by The Winding Sheet Outfit. They are a theater company I am always impressed with whether it’s a Fringe presentation or at the Twin Cities Horror Fest their shows are always beautifully designed and executed while having impossible to remember or sometimes even pronounce titles. When I go to a show I’m not expecting to learn anything, but I love it when I do. This show is about the artist Hilma af Klint played by Boo Segersin and to a lesser extent her four friends with whom she made up De Fem (the Five), played by Heather Meyer, Kayla Dvorak Feld, Megan Campbell Lagas, and Peyton McCandless. They were a group devoted to Theosophy which appears to be a combination of spiritualism and science. She is the true creator of the abstract art style. The show is dedicated to making her story known and setting the record straight at least for those who attend this show. It is a reminder of the injustices done throughout history in order to preserve the patriarchy. Hilma af Klint lived from 1862-1944 and because she was a woman, she has been sidelined and had her accomplishments obscured and stolen by men and the art world in general. Aside from the subject matter, which is completely fascinating, the production itself is beautifully rendered. Particularly the costume of the Spirit played by Kristina Fjellman and designed by Mandi Johnson. It is also features unexpected humor by way of occasional interjections and interactions with the shows Director, Amber Bjork. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-spirit-moves-you-to-color-the-unseen

That’s it for day four of the Minnesota Fringe Festival you can click on the Fringe website here to get details on all of the shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025. Don’t forget to tune into The Stages of MN YouTube channel for mini episodes all week long from The MN Fringe Festival https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN

Minnesota Fringe Day 3: Invasive Species or: In Space No-One Can Hear Your Steam, The Abortion Chronicles, Breach, Joan of Arc For Miss Teen Queen USA (The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner), Rec League, Jewelry Power Elite, That Which is Green.

Another great day at The Minnesota Fringe Festival. I’ve yet to see a show that I wouldn’t enthusiastically recommend. Maybe it’s that I’m not very adventurous with my picks, but I guess the trade off of playing it safe, being I never see a bad show, is worth it. Read my quick reviews of the seven shows I saw on day three below, including today’s The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner.

Invasive Species or: In Space No-One Can Hear Your Steam features of a fantastic script by Tim Wick which reimagines alien as a nautical mystery set in a steampunk London of the late 1800s. But the humor isn’t limited to that era, it pulls from all time periods but mostly we see it through the lens of the 20th century. A running gag featuring a variation on the classic Abbott and Costello “Who’s On First” routine is a highlight as is the explanation of steampunk technology. The cast is amazing especially Dawn Krosnowski as Ripley and Kjer Whiting as Inspector Dunkleputty (no relation). The creature effects are at once both low-tech and spectacularly effective. Re-creating all of the fabulous moment you expect from the film, but in a way that gets a laugh. We get the chestburster scene, the Face hugger Alien as well as a stand off that mirrors the final battle between Ripley and the Alien Queen in Aliens. The fabulous Creature effects are by Seán McCardle and the Props are by Liz Cummings. There’s one brilliant bit of stage business that subverts our expectations beautifully. The character of Ash is seen drinking from milk cartons several times, leading me to expect a recreation of, what for me was one of the biggest gross out scenes in the film, when Ash is killed and we learn he was an android and he’s spitting up a milky substance. I always hated that scene and I felt sure they were building up to it with the milk cartons, and then they don’t go there. They get to build up the anticipation of the scene without actually making us watch it, or them having to deal with the cleanup, which was an effective way to play that sequence. for more information and to purchase tickets go to the shows page on the Minnesota Fringe website https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/invasive-species-or-in-space-no-one-can-hear-your-steam

The Abortion Chronicles is an anthology of woman’s stories revolving around abortion, all of them true, all of them deeply affecting. This is a remount of previous productions, which I did not see, but with mostly new stories. It was always an important show to produce, but it is becoming more and more vital everyday. These stories need to be told, heard, and understood. As a man I found it to be a privilege to be allowed to sit and listen to these stories. Allowing me a greater understanding of something I can never fully understand being in the body I am. The stories alternate with comments from two characters played by Christy Johnson who plays a nurse at an abortion clinic and Patti Gage who plays a patient escort at the clinic. They tell little anecdotes of their experiences between the main stories which are told by the the performers, some of whom are reenacting their own stories others as surrogates for other women. The women’s stories cover a range of circumstances that help to illuminate how complicated the issue really is. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the shows page on the Minnesota Fringe Website https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-abortion-chronicles#tickets

Breach features a powerful cast! I had it on my schedule because of Em Adam Rosenberg and Stephanie Kahle, who are The Stages of MN favorites. They play siblings, who own a crab fishing boat left them by their Father. Kahle is the Captain while Rosenberg plays the First Mate, and they are as always fantastic. But every single member of the cast is incredible. This is a harrowing story of a crab fishing ship and its crew. This trip hasn’t been very successful and so when they receive word of a storm, the Captain heads into a storm despite the risks rather than turn back without enough Crab to make the trip financially worthwhile. But there are secrets being concealed and as the storm looms ahead loyalties will be tested. The show actually gets a little spooky at times. It’s directed with precision by Alex Church who also cowrote the play with Mariabella Sorini. The lighting and sound design are highly effective and build genuine tension. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/breach

Joan of Arc For Miss Teen Queen USA is this year’s Melancholics Anonymous show, and for most that’s probably all I need to write. If you are a Minnesota Fringe regular you know who Melancholics Anonymous are. If this is your first time, you’ll want to try and reserve tickets for this show. It’s in one of the largest venues, which would be hard to sell out, but if anyone can it’s them. A Fringe show can be anything, that’s the joy of the Fringe. But when I think of Fringe as a Style, Melancholics Anonymous is what I think of. In this years show Timothy Kelly, who cowrote the show and whose bright blonde hair and 100 watt smile will always be the face of Melancholics Anonymous to me, plays the MC of the South Dakotan Miss Teen Queen USA Pageant. Things get disrupted when Joan of Arc suddenly appears as a new contestant 588 years after her execution. Like the Blues Brothers before her, she is on a mission from God! Outrageousness ensues, pants are nearly wet from laughter, and we all learn a little something about the importance of women supporting each other. It’s fantastically designed and orchestrated and probably the best thing yet from this company that always hits it out of the park. And, it is The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/joan-of-arc-for-miss-teen-queen-usa

Rec League is one of the Festivals independently produced shows running at Strike Theater in North Minneapolis. It is one of the most successful improv shows I’ve seen at a Fringe Festival. I’m always a fan of Mike Fotis’ shows but this one surpassed all of the others. There wasn’t a single story thread that got dropped or taken in a dead end direction. And, they kept the fictional softball game actually going which was really impressive. But as they say in the show notes you don’t have to know anything about softball to enjoy the show. It’s about friends and their relationships and the different places we are all at when we get to our 40’s. And speaking of different, this is improv so every show will be different but it’s full of local favorites like Fotis, Allison Vincent, and Rita Boersma who are always funny, so it’s a pretty safe bet when you need some laughs in your schedule. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/rec-league

Jewelry Power Elite is surprisingly, Brave New Workshop company member and local legend, Lauren Anderson’s first solo show. I added it to my schedule because, well, Lauren Anderson. Ask any of my wives, current or past and they will tell you I do not notice jewelry, hair, or shoes, and as far as clothes go, I only notice if you aren’t wearing any, but I think that’s true of anyone, the noticing if someone is naked. Jewelry couldn’t break into the top 1,000 on my list of interests even if you eleminated my top 500 interests. I left this show with a new appreciation of jewelry, but mostly feeling like I’d been let into Anderson’s inner circle, if only for 45 minutes. Directed by Duck Washington, Jewelry Power Elite feels similar to his 2023 The Stages of MN Fringe of the day Award winning solo show My Only hope For a Hero. It takes something she is passionate about and through the lens of that passion shares stories that inform us of who she is and how she became the person we see before us. It’s funny, personal, and you get a free jelly bracelet! For those who love jewelry, this will be heaven, for the rest of us it’s the next best thing (that’s right, it’s a soft serve vanilla ice cream Crunch cone from Dairy Queen). Highly recommend this show, no love of jewelry required. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/jewelry-power-elite

That Which is Green is possibly the final Minnesota Fringe show from Michael Rogers who is moving away from the Twin Cities this fall. It’s a loss to the community, but one hopes that his connections and friends here in Minnesota will bring him back at least for more Fringe fun in the future. Fun isn’t the first word that comes to mind with his new show which he wrote, directed, and performs in along with Alex Van Loh. Though it does have laughs it’s concerned more with exploring the ideas of religion, Friendship, and the paths our lives take us down. A journey to an old and holy tree by two old friends brings up memories of the past. Set in what appears by their costumes to be another reality in which the tree is somehow related to that world’s version of Christianity. It’s another powerful performance from Rogers who is clearly connecting with this work. It may have been the 10:00 PM time slot on day three of the Fringe Festival in which I’ve seen a show in every possible time slot and spent additional energy putting myself forward to capture interviews with Artists and Audience members. But I found the show putting me almost in a trance like state. like I was in the forest with the characters communing with nature. Don’t miss this chance to see Michael Rogers, there may not be many chances left. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/that-which-is-green

That’s it for day three of the Minnesota Fringe Festival you can click on the Fringe website here to get details on all of the shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025. Don’t forget to tune into The Stages of MN YouTube channel for mini episodes all week long from The MN Fringe Festival https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. We’ll hopefully have the second one up on Monday!

Love and Baseball is a Home Run at Artistry

Dustin Bronson and Kendra Mueller *Photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography*

Love and Baseball reopens the Artistry Black Box Theatre in Bloomington. How long has it been closed? I have no idea, I didn’t even know they had one. So I’m guessing since the Pandemic. I’ll tell you what though, it is a great space and I’m looking forward to next season at Artistry even more knowing there is programming for this space as well. You can get a gander at Artistry’s terrific looking 2026 season here https://artistrymn.org/2026season. Love and Baseball is a two hander directed by one of The Stages of MN favorites as an Actor, Director, and Theater owner (The Hive Collaborative) Eric Morris. Here Morris creatively tells the story of three meetings between two people who seem to belong together. Each meeting between Will and Michele begins awkwardly and ends with you yearning for them to kiss. It’s a Romcom about two people you want to get together but something keeps getting in their way, their own life choices mostly.

The script Jerry Montoya is full of baseball stories and analogies, some straightforward but some that only occurs to you the longer you think about it, even the structure of the play seems to correlate to baseball, three strikes, three outs, three acts. But you do not need to know anything about baseball to fully connect and enjoy this play. Everything that you need to know is explained to you, and if you are worried that it will all be about baseball, it isn’t. Will loves baseball and so he uses it to illustrate a point and that becomes the template for their subsequent meetings. Morris finds ways to incorporate the baseball theme into every aspect of the show including having the actors change on stage between scenes as if they were in locker rooms on either side of the stage. The set design by Katie Phillips cleverly incorporates the baseball theme. The play is set in the living room of a rented house and along the floor is the outline of a baseball diamond. The walls are the chainlink fence of a park baseball field, which allows us to see through into the kitchen or bathroom when one of the characters leaves the room. There are some nice technical touches as well from Lighting Designer Grant E. Merges whose subtle dimming of the lights at key moments nurtures the emotional connection that is forming between the characters and the audience. Sound Designer Richard Graham adds cute sound cues that tie everything back in to baseball, and there are some great music cues as well.

Montoya’s script is smart, funny, and emotionally nuanced but it takes just the right actors to hit it out of the park. Thankfully, Morris has perfectly cast this production. This show works because we want the characters to get together in the end. We only have 90 minutes with them, so their chemistry has to be almost immediate. It may sound shallow to say but, the short cut to manifesting that acceptance in the audience, of their almost instant attraction is to cast two Actors who are attractive to the audience. We find them attractive and therefore believe they would find each other attractive. In Dustin Bronson and Kendra Mueller we have two very attractive Actors to be sure, but also two very talented Actors. That shortcut allows us to get onboard quickly but it’s the Actors charm, their playful interactions, the way they seem completely caught off guard every Act by the feelings the other stirs in them that makes this a grand slam of a play. Bronson’s awkwardness at unexpectedly finding Michele, who is waiting for his roommate in the house, is beautifully played. We see the struggle in him initially between his desire to turn on the Dodgers play off game or be polite to the stranger. The longer the scene goes on Bronson, motivations gradually shift from a desire to be polite to genuine desire. Mueller, who has apparently been in hiding for a number of years, because I’m completely unfamiliar with her, is confidant, intelligent, and perfect in the role. I think it’s her playful confidence contrasted with Bronson’s timidity at first that really cements her appeal. She draws him out and once they get on equal footing we realize there is a yearning in ourselves to see these two together that harmonizes with the characters own feelings. It’s interesting to me the similarities between the emotions I felt during this play and those I feel during a Jane Austen book, film or play. Especially since Bronson earned a place on my MUST SEE list in Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley at The Jungle Theater in 2022. In fact it feels like a modern Jane Austen story, the secret that keeps them apart, the longing for the two to come together.

Love and Baseball runs through July 28th at Artistry in Bloomington. I loved the space, the play, the cast. If you love baseball you’ll love it. If you hate baseball, I assure you you’ll still love this play, liking baseball has nothing to do with the enjoyment of this play in any way. For more information and to purchase tickets visit https://artistrymn.org/loveandbaseball

I’ve officially launched The Stages of MN YouTube Channel which you can view by clicking on this link. https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Check out the intro videos and the weekly episodes. Subscribe to the channel so you’ll always know when a new episode has dropped. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

The Music Man is Terrific With Capital T and that Rhymes With P and That Stands for Perfect for the Whole Family at Lyric Arts in Anoka

Pictured: Tony Potts, Ben Glisczinski, Brandon Osero, Holli Richgels, Shana Eisenberg, Cole Strelecki Photo by: Molly Jay

The Music Man is one of a few musicals where the book, music and lyrics were created by one person Meredith Willson. It is brimming with memorable songs “Iowa Stubborn“, “Goodnight My Someone“, “Wells Fargo Wagon”, “Till There Was You” and all time rouser “Seventy-Six Trombones” as well as many others. It’s one of a handful of musicals that I was very very familiar with growing up, mainly from the 1962 film version starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. What’s nice about this show, is that it’s fun for the whole family. I was only 8 when I fell under its spell and I hope families will use this production as a way to introduce their 8 year olds to the joys of a good old fashioned musical.

For those who don’t know, the music man of the title is Professor Harold Hill, Gary Conservatory of Music, Gold-Medal class of Aught-Five. Or at least that’s what he wants the citizens of River City, Iowa to believe. In reality, he’s a flim-flam artist who works his way across the country town by town, selling the idea of a boys band. The idea is the key word there, because he sells them the instruments and the uniforms, and then skips town with the money without teaching the boys to play a note. In fact, he doesn’t know one note from another. What he can do is keep everyone off balance long enough that they don’t realize there is never going to be a band. His first step is to create a need for a boys band. When he learns that the town has just gotten its first pool table, he uses it to rile up the citizens by pointing out the slippery slope to corruption that pool tables represent to the youth of River City. Which he points out in the song “Ya Got Trouble“, that’s Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for Pool. Well, it’s hard to argue with logic like that. His second step is to introduce at a town gathering the idea of keeping the young boys out of the pool hall by exposing them to a more morally enriching activity like, oh I don’t know, a boys band? Step three, keep the Music Teacher off balance so that she doesn’t expose him as a fake before he collects and gets out of town. Of course the Music Teacher isn’t like the others he’s come across in his travels, this is “Marian The Librarian” and he will find himself as off balance as she is by the end.

Key to the success of any production of The Music Man is the casting of Harold Hill and Marion. Lyric has great performers in each role. Tony Potts has the charm and charisma necessary to sell this character’s ability to talk anybody into almost anything. He almost convinces Paul Reyburn’s Mayor Shinn to purchase an instrument for a son he doesn’t even have. The role of Marion, which is played by Nadia Frazen, requires an exquisite voice, which she certainly has. The show is filled with great supporting players as well. From the always hilarious Alex Stokes, who finds a way to distinguish himself from the other three members of the school board/barbershop quartet with his unique comic timing and performance. To the talented young folks Maddox Tabalba as Winthrop and Ava Fox as Amaryllis. But there was one performer, whom I’m not even sure had a single line of dialogue, that really wowed me and that was William Kroeger. If I had to guess I’d say he was six or seven years old at most, but he’s as precise in his choreography, maybe more so than some of his adult cast-mates. Sometimes you see a performer that just has “it”. It’s a little early to say for Kroeger, but he seems to have the natural ease on stage that makes for a great performer, if he chooses to pursue it. He’s one to keep your eyes on.

The show is directed and choreographed by Lauri Kraft who does a great job of keeping the action fluid and the cast moving in the Lyric Arts, smallish stage. The dance moves particularly in “Seventy-Six Trombones” are impressive. With that scene feeling like carefully controlled, planned, and executed chaos. I also appreciated the clever staging of how to have Hill keep trying to engage Marion in conversation while she will not stop walking. If she were to actually walk she would cross the stage before the first exchange ended, and to do all of the exchanges they would have had to have them walk in circles around the stage. Instead Kraft has them walk in place and it works very effectively. In fact the set design cleverly works along the same principle. Greg Vanselow’s design consists of just a few pieces that are reconfigured quickly creating different locals and at times are moved by cast members to help create the illusion of movement.

The Music Man is a favorite musical of The Stages of MN and Lyric Arts Production does this piece of American Musical Theater justice. Strong performances, wonderful choreography and direction and a smart and creative production design make this a great show to enjoy on the hottest summer days. The Music Man runs through August 10th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/music-man

Romeo & Juliet and The Comedy of Errors Make For Another Fantastic Trip to The Great River Shakespeare Festival

Alessandro Yokoyama and Serena Phillip, Will Sturdivant and Emily Fury Daly (Photos by Dan Norman)

It’s time once again for the Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF) in Winona, MN. This year there are two productions which I was able to see in one day, Romeo & Juliet and The Comedy of Errors. There is a third production of Two Gentlemen of Verona that will have four performances around the Region. It is being staged by the graduate acting company of the Clarence Brown Theatre and the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) who will be in residence at the GRSF this summer. This cohort of young professional actors will understudy roles in The Comedy of Errors and Romeo and Juliet while studying with the company and professors from UTK. They will also be presenting the Festivals Green Shows which take place about 45 minutes before each performance of Romeo & Juliet and The Comedy of Errors. These green shows act as a way for the audience to tune into Shakespeare’s language before the shows and also give the audience a quick rundown of the characters and their relationships and roles in the plays. It’s a great way to make sure the you’re prepared to get the most out of each production and I never miss them.

Romeo & Juliet is the real surprise this season, Director H. Adam Harris has taken an approach I’ve never seen before in staging the play as a memory play from the POV of Juliet’s Nurse. It really works, it doesn’t dramatically alter the play but it does add another undercurrent of loss. That may not sound like what you want in a tragedy but whenever we find new things to play in Shakespeare, it’s exciting. The concept is aided by some well designed lighting cues by Avery Reagan. They aren’t overused but periodically the lighting changes and the action freezes around the nurse. In this way the focus shifts to her and we see the story from her perspective, it colors the story in a slightly different way. The nurse is played by Stephanie Lambourn who brings out this new dimension in the character that feels fresh and original, while still feeling faithful. As the young lovers Alessandro Yokoyama as Romeo and Serena Phillip as Juliet are really terrific, with a great command of the language and an ability to make the immature decisions of the characters not feel juvenile, by bringing to the forefront the emotions they are battling. It’s one of the best productions of one of the most produced plays of Shakespeare’s that I’ve seen.

The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeares silliest comedies, and that is absolutely what Director Doug Scholz-Carlson leans into with this production. Audience members might not be as familiar with this play and that’s OK. This is simply meant as an entertainment and for a play written over 400 years ago it’s astonishing how funny it feels. Of course a lot of making a play like this work is in what the Actors and Director bring to the play. The plot is rather confusing while also being sort of simple. There are two sets of twins, one the master and the other the servants, who were separated when they were young during a shipwreck. As adults, they end up in the same city and a series of mistaken identities occurs. That’s basically all you need to know. The tricky part is keeping everyone straight throughout the play and who has mistaken whom for who… OK now I’m confused again. Really, the plot doesn’t matter and you wont have any real trouble following it. The joy of this production is the way the actors play the roles, the clowning they do and the ingenious ways in which they present a play with about 20 characters using only 9 actors. The best part of the show is the ways in which Will Sturdivant and Emily Fury Daly take on the challenge of playing the duel rows of the two sets of twins. It’s Shakespeare by way of Scooby Doo, set in the 1980’s with great musical cues throughout by Sound Designer Matthew Tibbs. And again Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz as Lighting Designer is an asset adding some wonderfully wacky lighting effects.

The Great River Shakespeare Festival runs through July 27th in Winona, MN. If you haven’t been yet, it takes just over two hours to reach from the Cities, there’s lot’s to do and some fun places to eat. We always make a two day trip out of it and have a fantastic time. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.grsf.org/