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2022 Audience Reviews

Member Reviews

The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Kelly Danger

Company: Goddard's Gardens
Show: Ancestors Rising
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

The best teaser I've ever seen!

I cannot WAIT to see more of Joe's work! This show is a hidden gem of the Fringe and if you're able, please make the time to share 40 minutes with this artist! Lifting up love, community, and healing...this is the kind of activism we need! We need more warriors for love! THANK YOU Joe for sharing your vulnerability, laying your heart bare for an audience of strangers and lifting up the parts of humanity that deserve lifting. Let's normalize a good ugly cry!


Company: Sarah Baker
Show: Newton Jr.
Venue: Augsburg Studio

Real Heart

This show has heart and the artists were truly delightful. I felt confused about what was scripted and what might be improvised (which is a good? thing maybe??), overall it felt clunky. Though I do think the performance I saw was a steeper hill than necessary because of the audience (when the performer asks for "one word"...a physics equation doesn't count y'all)...I'm not sure how you build a show like this that's robust enough to handle an audience who's more interested in proving they know what gravity is than in participating as asked, but I applaud the artists' resilience.


Company: Paper Soul
Show: Paper Soul
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

Another artist suffering...

...at the hand of his reputation. I didn't initially plan to see this show because I've intentionally worked to fill my schedule with voices I haven't heard a million times. I didn't care to spend 50 minutes listening to a white man talking about himself. I've made a handful of exceptions based on recommendations and Paper Soul is one of them. I should have trusted my gut. I too am happy to be back at Fringe, I too felt lost in my 20's and crossed many bodies of water on ferry boats, I can see how this experience resonates with many audience members, but...it's nothing new, it's nothing novel, and it's nothing that needs a platform. I get why many folx have left high ratings here, but I'm not into 50 minute dramatic re-enactments of a white man's struggle to launch.


Company: The Coldharts
Show: Silver Hammer
Venue: CFPA Black Box

✨A Perfect Show✨

Truly. This show was perfect. Thank you!


Company: Mad Company
Show: Connor's Gonna Tell: The Táin Bó Cúailnge
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

This was as good as I'd hoped. The props were exceptional and Connor's work on stage was captivating.


Company: Clevername Theatre
Show: Who's Afraid of Winnie the Pooh?
Venue: Theatre in the Round

Chef's Kiss

What a fantastic show! The cast was flawless, and the adaptations were so slick! Beautifully executed by all. One piece of advice, don't sit behind the couch or you will miss some moments, but definitely catch this show if you can!


Company: Hey Rube!
Show: Orzel Rising
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

Theatre at it's best

This is how you tell a great story in a creative way! The stage craft was impeccable! I could have watched an entire show of the Stage Ninjas! I do think the script fell short for the captain, they didn't have much to work with and I would have like to have seen more there. Overall a great show! Congrats to the whole team!


Company: Comedy Suitcase
Show: Bob and Reggie Go To Bed
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

More of this at Fringe Please!

Oh my heart! This was exactly what I needed after seeing a couple dozen shows so far this year. These artists (across the board) brought such a pure joy. I found myself crying in the best way. This will be the one show I see twice this year (bringing my kids back for their final show on Sunday!)


Company: Special When Lit
Show: Finger Lickin' Good
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

Sexual assault and lechery are funny?

I'm over it. I had high expectations for this show since the WOM has been stellar and the team is well known for making great Fringe. This though, was hackneyed and would have played better in the early 2000's. Custer was a delight, and there were other great performances, but over all this show lacked depth to a shocking degree.


Company: Timothy Berry
Show: Wounded Healers
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Must See

Everyone should see this show. Beautifully scored and performed with the most raw and courageous hearts. Black stories being told by black artists. With so many politically charged, rageful shows at Fringe this year, most of which are being performed by white artists, make space to hear the voices that matter most when it comes to the black experience of America.


Company: Maximum Verbosity
Show: Stages: A Horror Play
Venue: HUGE

Second Guessing My Own Judgement

This show entirely failed to capture me. As other patrons mention, perhaps the source material provides necessary grounding, but this entire show left me disengaged. Perhaps the "stage violence" was intended to be representational (impressionist maybe??) but it was distractingly poorly choreographed. Some valiant efforts were made by Sasseville and Korpi, but alas, they couldn't manage to pull the thing together with confusing text, disjointed direction, an almost juvenile story-telling-style and...a scarecrow (this must be from the source material??). I was so disinterested in this show that upon reading the glowing reviews above, I realized I must be missing something...right?


Company: Luna Muse
Show: The Witchy World of Luna Muse
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Not what I expected, in the best way

Luna showed up with all the flair and showWOmanship one would expect from a drag show, but, the core of this piece was unexpected and beautiful. Thank you for your vulnerability Luna, it was a privilege to share the space with you.


Company: Ripped Nylons Productions
Show: Endometriosis: the Musical
Venue: Theatre in the Round

Flawless

I mean...just flawless!


Company: Albino Squirrel Productions
Show: Turnabout Samurai
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

For the fans, not the rest of us

This show was silly and had fun moments, but I think for anyone without a grounding in the source material, it will fall flat. The set pieces were distractingly insubstantial, at one point, a table leg was lying at a ~30 degree angle. The patter of the lyrics was fun and and impressively executed by the cast, though, impossible to follow toward any plot points that were being exposed.


Company: The Winding Sheet Outfit
Show: Årsgång: What You Follow Follows You
Venue: Theatre in the Round

The Bar is so High for WSO

Winding Sheet's reputation precedes itself and this show suffers at its hand. Beautiful work throughout, with physical performances that impress, and a soundscape the stuns. The vocal work and music are outstanding. Unfortunately, the show dragged. easily 10 minutes could have been cut from the show (if not more) which would have resulted in a more condensed and effective show. If you've never seen a Winding Sheet show...see this one, it really is beautiful, but if you're already a fan of the company, this show lacks the same level of intensity as their previous work. WSO, you're too good, the bar is so high!


Company: Jackdonkey Productions
Show: A Drug Play
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

Visually Stunning

So much talent and skill on the stage. This piece was full of visually stunning moments. Choreography, corporeal sculptures, and clean effective stage violence made for a satisfying audience-experience. I enjoyed the show, though I will say the content was lacking in novelty. In addition, 5 (presumably) white actors discussing issues of race, the drug war, and the prison industrial complex with a nearly all white audience in a University Theatre in Minnesota presents an echo chamber devoid of the voices most needed in said discourse.


Company: 2HOOTS PRODUCTIONS
Show: Jon Bennett: FIRE IN THE METH LAB
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

Well Crafted and Effective

Woof! This was tough and beautiful. Deeply personal storytelling that left me feeling certain I'd love grabbing a drink or cup of coffee, or...meth? with Jon. He managed to make the Rarig Thrust intimate and I was happy to be a party to the conversation.


Company: Melancholics Anonymous
Show: A Day with the Newhearts
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Worth Seeing, if Disjointed

First and foremost...top notch production value. Costumes, set and tech were all fantastic. There's just something incredible about seeing a well crafted show at Fringe. On top of that, polished performances and tight, precise stage combat make for a great theatre-going experience. But for reals, that stage combat *chef's kiss*! I truly enjoyed the show, my only real hang ups were finding it difficult to follow some of the darkly-comedic tonal shifts, along with a few "hanging chads" of plot that left me wondering "why did they mention that?" (the potting the plant scene??) I can see the intent of character development for moments like that, but in the limited space of a Fringe slot, I think it is ineffective to superficially nod at content that could, arguably fill an entire 50 minute show.


Company: Laura Dierke Productions
Show: She’s Already Gone
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage

See these young artists!

This piece, despite the youth of the team, is simply beautiful. Cunningly composed by Dunn, keeping it simple allows the melodies and voices to shine. Lovingly crafted by Dierke, you can feel her connection to the work throughout. With stellar performances across the board. Inga's subtle performance through the early 2/3 of the show belies a stunning voice and shockingly poignant number towards the end, one that brought me to tears, which were redoubled during E. Dierke's final number. J. Dierke anchored the show beautifully, managing the difficult task of "not playing the end" and delivering a heart breaking arc. This show has so much heart, and brings me to tears even now recalling the story and performances. Bravo to the whole team! You all deserve to be seen!


Company: The Aquatic Center
Show: swim team
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental

I Felt This on a Visceral Level

This show simultaneously made no logical sense but resonated deeply. I literally laughed and cried. As soon as I tried to make logical sense, it fell apart for me, but when I relaxed my expectations of "getting it" it all made sense. I do think this will resonate more deeply with those who grew up and entered adolescence in female bodies, but I think an open minded patron will still be able to enjoy these delightful performances even if the content doesn't touch on personal traumas.


Company: Lampstand of the Covenant Productions
Show: Neil Gaiman's "The Wedding Present"
Venue: CFPA Flex

A Mixed Bag

It's hard to accurately review this show and PROPS to the cast for gracefully handling a COVID curveball. The stage manager had to step in as Gordon at the last minute, and pulled it off passably, script in hand and all. The cast managed to navigate this hurdle with relative aplomb. Michaeli and Van Sant stood out, offering nuanced pathos that brought me to tears by the end. I would have loved to have seen this show with the full cast. Directing appeared clunky, but with a ringer in the mix it's hard to know. Worth seeing if you're up CFPA way.


Company: Clucklesworth Productions
Show: MY LOVELY, LOVELY, LOVELY, LOVELY, LOVELY FAMILY
Venue: Bryant Lake Bowl

Well meaning, but missed the mark

This show delivered just about exactly what I expected. I was happy to see ENM represented at the Fringe by folx who clearly have knowledge of the relationship structures, but the script was predictable. Standout artists Fox and Vickerman both offered nuanced and thoughtful performances. The show as a whole though, didn't offer much more than a conversation with your ENM friends would.


Company: Michael Rogers
Show: Developers
Venue: CFPA Black Box

Homerun

This show was fantastic. The cast was excellent, script was thoughtful. A well paced, balanced, and a beautifully crafted show. Outstanding performances across the board. Bravo!


Company: Killer Whale Collective
Show: Moonwatchers
Venue: HUGE

Genuine and playful

What a delight. I was laughing from the pre show through the curtain call (and after). Definitely worth a trip to Huge! The dialog was crisp, timing was top tier, music was simply lovely. These two are pros and it shows.


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