Sub-Total
2023 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Corrie Fiedler
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Company: Special When Lit and The Winding Sheet Outfit
Show: Stabby Stab Stab
Venue: Crane Theater
Every moment is gripping
The acting, visual effects, music, and scenery make for a gripping production.
Company: Divine Entertainment Production
Show: VERITIES
Venue: Bryant Lake Bowl
We know Anthony has had an interesting life
.... and we wish he would have shared more of it with us at BLB:sure lots of famous names, but he could have dug deeper for meaningful content. We found the vocals top-rated, but not connected with Anthony's story.
Company: Nightfall Productions
Show: Fargo Allegro
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Outstanding movie adaptation
We have seen lots and lots of movie adaptations in our years at Fringe. This was one of the best: great acting, excellent props, fun accents.
Company: Clucklesworth Productions
Show: Pearl and Eugene: One Last Shtick
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Cute and clever
A super-supportive audience made a good show, great. An easy play to watch, with some drama at the end.
Company: Jason Schommer
Show: 1992: Mistakes Were Made!
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental
Enjoyable, but cliched
Jason is both a stand-up comic and a storyteller ... this piece relied more on his storytellling! Jason is obviously a pro, but he read much of the script (even though it was purportedly from his own life). This led to less engagement! The story was cliched throughout, though the ending was heartfelt and meaningful.
Company: Mermaid Productions
Show: The Very Model of a Modern Monster Scientist
Venue: Augsburg Studio
Not interested in monsters? No problem.
We've been Fringe attendees for many years, and have always bypassed Rev Matt thinking we are 'just not interested in monsters.' His reviews have been consistently great, so we made an exception this year. We enjoyed ourselves, and found this to be sort of a 'two-headed monster:' the first part about types of monsters and their origin stories, and the second part about Elora. We got a kick over the monster types, and found some parts of the second part dragged (Sasquatch, for example).
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Company: EnCompass Theatre
Show: Funny, Like an Abortion
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Pro-choice production w/ humor and w/o stridency
Great script selection, directing, and acting. If you are wondering about the title, it hits the production right on. Humor galore but appropriate seriousness to a serious topic.
Company: Viet Nguyen
Show: Reincarnation Soup
Venue: Southern Theater
TOP SHOW: Premier acting, script, costuming
Viet is a fabulous actor (facial expressions, accents, body language) and the script is A+. It was especially appropriate in our old Southern Theater for a 10pm show. Our only gripe: it took a minute to get used to his speaking style and we both felt like we missed the 'big picture,' though each vignette was engaging and thought provoking.
Company: Spektakular Theatre
Show: A Jingle Jangle Morning
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Maybe more fun for kids
The show summary says "perfect for ages 5 -105" and other reviewers have noted that their kids loved it. As for us (65+), not so much. Overly complex scenery requiring too many, long scenery changes; hard to see where this was going, thus difficult to become invested with the characters; some cringy moments for a kid's play (adults in kids room, pointing admitedly fake gun at others); difficulty understanding some characters' projection.
Company: Downton Productions
Show: Reception
Venue: Augsburg Studio
Lightweight comedy, unconvincing ending
As other reviewers have said RECEPTION has a decent concept, and lots of 'cuteness' factors. None-the-less, the characters were stereotypical and the ending was unconvincing (several deus ex machina moments). Special callout to 'Luke's' girlfriend ... everything she said was funny!
Company: Pat O'Brien
Show: "Starved": The Astonishing True Story of the University of Minnesota Starvation Experiment
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
Lots to think about
I was hesitant to see "Starved," since I thought it would be too graphic for me. I found, though, that it was psychologically graphic, but not overly physically graphic. Though I have lived in Minneapolis for over 35 years, I was not aware of this experiment. It was well told, and we especially appreciated the part at the end giving future researchers guidance for experiments of this nature. I'm still thinking about it 'the morning after.'
Company: Cornucopia Productions
Show: The Place I Return To
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
HIGH RECOMMEND: Support an awesome, hopeful story
I've heard other audience refer to this as the 'depression show.' Yup, Abdimalik did suffer from depression, but the story is about him regaining hope. We saw him at 10pm on Thursday, and found Abdimalik's show to be emotional and completely engaging as he sat alone, dressed in black, talking about his journey. He deserves a MUCH larger audience (fewer than 10 in the Thursday night audience). Last performance is Saturday night, and we hope you join him on his journey.
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Company: Rippling Stories
Show: Against the Odds: Rachel Carson and the Writing of Silent Spring
Venue: Augsburg Studio
Learn about Chautauqua Storytelling
As others have noted, I would have prefered a bit more of a dramatic arc to Carson's story as Knutson brought it to stage. None-the-less, I enjoyed the hour immensely, especially the Q&A, both learning more about Carson and more about Chautauqua Storytelling where history is taught through storytelling. Now I have a word to describe some of my favorite Finge Shows over the years.
Company: Melancholics Anonymous
Show: A Girl Scout’s Guide to Exorcism
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
TOP SHOW: Get a reservation NOW!
We saw the penultimate show and it was a sellout. So get your tickets now for the last show on Sunday evening. We are typically not Fringe comedy fans since much of Fringe comedy is overly silly for our tastes. But this a super funny, and holds some great messages about friendship. Shout out to the hawk and his caretaker!!
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Company: Garrison Shea
Show: Allegro
Venue: Southern Theater
High concept - needs some plot work
What a great concept: the musical score is actually a character in this work. And Ben's inner music aligns so very well with the plot points. I would wish for some rethinking of Ben's breakdown and his apology scene. Not very believable that Karina would keep letting him 'try' (over and over) to apologize. Though the ending was very moving when she could finally 'hear the music.'
Company: Two Minnie Cooks
Show: New Origins: Beauty and the Beast
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Great start, deserving of more workshopping
Lots to like here: great costumes, keyboardist, scenery, and idea. However we found that the many, many scenery changes and the complexity of the plot distracted from the work Also, like other reviewers, one of us is VERY familiar with Beauty and the Beast and had lots of 'wait a minute that isn't right' moments. Keep working on this, it could become great!
Company: Phil Gonzales / Raffish Ripoff Productions
Show: Lost In Bear Country: Birth, God, Death... and the Berenstain Bears
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental
An unexpected jewel
Similar to other reviewers, we didn't exactly know what to expect. How can a performer take us inside his ADHD-addled brain? Well we know now!! Very high energy and informative (both about ADHD and about the Berenstain Bears. And not just the Berenstain Bears (maybe slightly interesting on their own), but about how they address cultural topics (death, race, etc). Take the risk, this is a good one!
Company: David Stillman
Show: Grindr Help Desk: The Musical
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
TOP SHOW: Raunchy and professional
We saw performance #3, so had a good idea what to expect: original music, some raunch, great performance by Candice. What we didn't expect was the professionalism (script, music, singing, keyboard); the sound mixing and quality (could understand every word); the keyboardist (excellent, plus funny bit at the end). All that and a Public Service Announcement as we can tell from the comments of those who have 'upped their game' since seeing the show. Highly recommended.
Company: Blinking Eye Theatre
Show: Romeo & Juliet Are Dead
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
TOP SHOW: Highly creative and accessible!
My 2023 Fringe 'top shows' list is small (4 shows out of 26), but R&J Are Dead catapulted onto the list last night. It was 'sort of' on our 'must see' list until we sat next to the performers on the previous day. Wow, they are as charming in person as they are on the stage. We found the work to be highly creative in idea, staging (love the chalk), language (iambic parameter and au courant) and 'preshow.' Don't change a thing! This show will go far.
Company: musicbyskippy
Show: we can wish: a beatboxing and music variety show
Venue: Augsburg Studio
Accessible, entertaining, and heart warming
I was inclined to give Skippy a 'pass,' but I enjoyed my first Fringe beatboxing show (at least a decade ago at Theater Garage) so pushed myself to attend! I'm well over 70, and felt that this may not be an accessable style for me anymore. Was I ever wrong! The show was a blast: personal, accessible, and a variety of styles beyond beatboxing. Highly recommended ... and I'm curious how Luke finds the time to write his insightful reviews which I have been following since Day 1 of Fringe 2023.
Company: Hercules Theatre Company
Show: Adaptopus
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
Solid light comedy
Based on the description, I was hoping for a deeper dive into debate prep, and in fact, the octopus came as a surprise. Like other reviewers, the two tentacles (ouch) of the plot detracted from the overall show: the octopus part was a comedy and the debate part was drama (and, to me, most interesting). Acting was fine, script was a little stilted and unrealistic (even adjusting for the characters' personalities).
Company: Team Rand-McKay
Show: Works in Progress
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Acting and staging made for a enjoyable hour
This is billed as a comedy, and (thankfully) it is more intellectual, and less silly, than most Fringe comedies. As noted in other reviews, the acting (obviously veterans of the Fringe format) and the use of the TRP space were great. We wish the ending would have been a little better structured, we felt like we were left hanging. That is fine in some genres, but in a mystery?
Company: Juggling Act Productions
Show: Dearest Mother
Venue: Augsburg Studio
A diamond in the rough
I love the more historic Fringe shows, and was excited to see Dearest Mother. The story is really interesting, since most of us long-term Minnesotans know of both John Berryman and Robert Bly (who also figures in the work). I would wish for better sound levels (Berryman's wife was very difficult to hear) and stronger insight into the "complicated and dramatic relationship" between Berryman and his mother. We learned about the multiyear period with little correspondence, but we (or at least, I) didn't see much conflict, and without that conflict, the work seemed a little flat.
Company: Goddard's Gardens
Show: Open Mic at the DREAM Shop
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Open Mic, not the Fringe norm
I love Fringe in that it allows me to see genres and cultures that I don't often experience. That said, I can't remember ever being to an Open Mic night. It was less organized that a typical Fringe show, but I suspect that is the norm for an Open Mic. What I loved: learning about The Dream Shop (in North Side Minneapolis); Drunken Monkey's obvious mentoring of some of the less experienced performers; Drunken Monkey's performance of Sister Moon (one of the most moving rap - poetry pieces I have experienced). Recommended for us who need to get out of our typical 'norm' and support the North Side arts!
Company: Jamie Campbell Creative
Show: Big Dad Energy
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental
Fringe at its best
Yes, we all go to Fringe to see not only the good, but "the bad, and the ugly," and that is part of the fun. But this year, we have had several nationally known actors in our midst, and Jamie is one of them. Finding them has been an especial delight of this this year's Fringe! I'm not necessarily a stand-up comedian fan, but Jamie's structure, timing, acting, and every possible other aspect of this show was top rate. I typically don't give a 5 unless a show is particularly interesting TO ME (remember, not a stand-up fan), but Jamie is an exception: an outstanding performance.
Company: THEATRE23
Show: Coyfish
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
Best in Fringe (so far)
It is Monday morning, and I am writing my 17th review. I've seen a bunch of shows, and Coyfish is top on the list, and may just remain there. The acting is fantastic, the script is engaging, it is both funny and moving, and takes us into the world of on-line dating that we (at least us Baby Boomers) don't know very well. Highly recommended.
Company: Alex Church
Show: Primary
Venue: Augsburg Studio
Great premise, more workshopping
As others have noted, the premise is so, so promising. In fact, it is what drew us to Primary in the first place. And the campaign video montage is such a great start. But most aspects need more work: dialogue, story flow, and speaking (hard to hear/understand some parts). And, honestly, there may have been too much packed into the work. As I walked out of the theater, I would have had a hard time summarizing the story line. Wow, there was alot. Keep workshopping, and we hope to see this show on other MN theaters in 23-24.
Company: Black Lives Black Words International Project
Show: Baldwin's Last Fire
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Best actor in Fringe, by a mile
If Fringe has a 'best actor' award, it should go to Harry Waters, Jr. What a masterful turn as James Baldwin! [Now that I have checked him out, I realize why. Take a look at his resume] The story is engaging, and the minimal props were extremely well used. As others have noted, the supporting cast could have used more help in how to speak and act to a theater in the round. Also, I wish I knew why the playwrite chose this scenario: Baldwin in France solving a child abduction mystery. Is there a deeper message that I could have seen here?
Company: Kyle B. Dekker
Show: Audacious Ignatius: Lost in Atlantis
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Get drug down a rabbithole
If you are the type that gets easily drug down a research rabbithole (I am that type), you will apprieciate what Dekker has to tell us about our 19th century politician and crackpot. Dekker is funny and does a good job of tying together the many aspects of Ignatius Donnelly's life and how they impacted other historical and social themes. Incredible!! I was chatting with others who noted that while Dekker was enthusiastic about Donnelly, he wasn't ablt to convey the WHY (he was so interested) to the audience. Lookit, if you tend toward rabbithole research, there is no need for this explanation. Loved every word (and I had gotten up at 3am to watch the USWNT lose to Sweden in the World Cup, so I was more than a little sleepy). Highly recommended to us select group of 'rabbithole researchers' and any others who might be interested in MN History.
Company: Allison Broeren
Show: Fire in My Veins: Blazing through Life with Invisible Illness
Venue: Strike Theater
Great storytelling, poor logistics, less depth
We were on the fence about seeing this, but Allison's storytelling chops and awards and her preview put this on our 'see' list. I'll note that we started on the wrong foot, since my sister and I are Fringers who start on our schedule on 1 July and optimize it until the last day of Fringe every year. So we were pretty surprised when we were told this was going to be a 90-minute show "because IP shows are allowed to do that." Wow, kinda messed with our day's schedule (I'll concede that was included on the web site, but only on the More Info page). Then there was the 'Strike Crowd" attending each others' shows, laughing loudly,and not feeling very welcoming to us outsiders in many ways. But we do want to comment on Allison and her show. Allison's storytelling was excellent, though we typically stay away from the "illness (invisible or not) has upset my life plan and it isn't fair" stories and appreciate those stories that eventually find a journey through the sadness and pain (and, frankly, the spoons didn't do it for us). Without the "Strike issues," this would have been a 4, but as Allison has a strong connection with Strike, we'll knock it to a 3.5
Company: Michael Shaeffer
Show: Everything Bagel
Venue: Strike Theater
An intro to the 1990s and Poetry Slam
I'm definately a boomer, and was worried that the 1990 references - as well as the conept of poetry slam - would be lost on me, but not so at all! This was a delightful introduction to Poetry Slam with a variety of styles and references. Not particularly deep, but fun and relaxing. Recommended.
Company: Berlin Productions
Show: Kill Me, Too
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
Fantastic acting: Push yourself and attend
Just consider acting so compelling that you can't determine if it is an actor on a personal diatribe OR performing extremely well-done satire. It doesn't take but a second to find John's Facebook page and determine it is satire. And the description supports this view: "Pokes fun at the #MeToo movement". John's satire is extremely uncomfortable, and maybe Fringy in a way that we Minneapolitans aren't accustomed to. But we do have a long tradition, maybe starting with Patrick's Caberet and Ron Athey in 1994. Time to remember that time and reflect on how that show reached the US Congress and impacted NEA funding! And, finally, I am not 'friends and family.' I'd never heard of John before I saw his show and checked out his credentials. I encourage all of us with an interest in Fringe and keeping Fringe censor-free to attend John's performance. We are going to see if we can attend at least one more time to support him. [For the record, my 4.5 is for a few muffed lines and a show that was shorter than it could have been]
Company: Chrisdavisdoesstuff
Show: CHRIS DAVIS DOES STUFF
Venue: Strike Theater
Just Black Enough: Some great bits
[We saw this on Chris' opening night, presenting Just Black Enough] We especially loved Chris' wide ranging knowledge in the 'ban that book' segment. Great improv and an impressive breadth of knowledge. His last part about black comedians was also super well done, and such a change from the previous 35 minutes. Biggest issue: The show was short, really short. I would have loved to see more of these ideas explored with Chris' obvious talent.
Company: Comedy Suitcase
Show: What If We Hugged?
Venue: Strike Theater
Excellent style, less substance
We have seen many Comedy Suitcase shows in the past, but eventually decided that physical comedy was not a genre we related to. So we were super excited when we saw Levi's bio ("race and gender justice" oriented work) and show summary ("stories of masculinity and fatherhood"). We hoped for some deep stories and introspection. That wasn't quite what we saw. Levi started by telling us that he was heavily influenced by 1980/90 TV sitcoms. And his show was about that deep and complex.... so, yes, I've had stress tests and angiograms and his stories seemed to be factually complete at the level I might share with my best friend over a drink. But not all that interesting to anyone else than my best friend and me! It is true, that the audience seemed to be very 'friends and family' heavy. I'm wonder what outcome Levi thought complete strangers would walk away with? We hope that next year we can hear about his deeper interests!
Company: Sandbox Theatre
Show: Yes No Maybe (please explain)
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
What a blast ... in both senses of the word
This was a blast from the past, and we had a blast! So much to love: the look at the 90s, the connection between members of the ensemble; the acting; and the whole premise. Fringy, without being too abstract. Only complaint? The music overwhelmed the singing which made the works hard to understand (a pity, since every other part was so funny and we feel we missed some great parts). I'm sure the music balance will get better over time: highly recommended.
Company: Wet Splat Productions
Show: 20,000 Leagues Under the Telltale Heart
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Lots to love, and even more to wonder about
[Experienced reviewers know that it is hard to differentiate between a 2.5 and a 5 when you are reviewing. This is meant to be a 2.5] WHAT WE LOVED: The art on the postcards and your Instagram page (kudos to the artist); your special effects (kudos to the special effects guy); your enthusiam (we couldn't help but laugh when you were cracking up at your own show); the idea (so fringy and SO SO much potential). WHAT WE WONDERED ABOUT: I attend with my sister, one of us is familiar with all the authors and works; and the other is not a literature buff. We both walked out totally confused. A few things you might consier: 1) work on your accents (we had a really hard time understanding some of the dialogue, expecially when you were introducing yourselves at the beginning); 2) give us some insight into your process (your description notes that this is based on real-life correspondence. If that is true, then help us understand what that means. Also it says 'Improv' ... maybe it was created with an improvisation method, but the final show seemed scripted); 3) add a little better flow, the different scenes were disjointed and hard to follow. My comments were intensified with the raucous audience. Fun, yes, but give a little more time to let things settle down before you head off again.
Company: Kurkendaal Barrett Presentations
Show: Climbing my family tree
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Engagement (5); Production Value (2)
A tough review to write: we were intrigued by Les's preview. This looked intereting! And it was interesting. We were engaged through the entire show. Engaged, but confused! It appeared as though this were a "work in progress'. You might want to consider adding a projector and project the family tree so we can keep everyone'straight' (sorry); you can also use this to show us the pictures of you and your cousins (hard to see from even half way back in the Thrust theater). And the transitions between the two stories were sometime hard to follow .... not impossible, but harder than they could be. None-the-less, it is an awesome story and recommended to all with even a small interest in the power of genetic geneology!
Company: ThickWater
Show: The Duet
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Top-rate professional performance
This is definately not the cast's 'first rodeo.' Experienced actors and musicians. While this isn't a requirement for Fringe, it made for a very enjoyable hour. The story was heartwarming, funny, and the couple's decisions and arguments (optimize for myself or for the partnership?) were very relatable. Recommended. We had fun!
Company: Phina Pipia
Show: Ha Ha Da Vinci
Venue: Southern Theater
Looking for 'fringy'? give Ha Ha DiVinci a try
We saw this on opening night, when we were SOAKED from that sudden downpour, so we sat in the rear of the Southern so we could 'drip' in peace. We hope this was the reason for difficult sound (Di Vichi voice, songs, and the overly loud bird chirping). Otherwise, creative and very fringy, though I'm not sure I followed each element.
Company: Shelter Repertory Dance Theatre
Show: Doline: Emerging into the Light
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Professional in every way
AirBNB reviews ask us to assess how well the actual description aligned with our experience. And to use that criteria, the description of Doline ("modern dance," storytelling, non-verbal) hit the nail on the head. It was a very professional dance and spoken word: Kim is a great dancer with a beautiful voice. I struggle with reviews like this, since I have two audiences 1) the artist; and 2) other Fringe attendees. As to #1, Kim was professional in every way. As to #2, the concept and show was a bit abstract for me. Reread the description: "Doline is a sinkhole where loss is encountered; but, it can also reference the openings in underground caves where light infiltrates the darkness. This one man show of dance and text explores this dichotomy."
Company: David Graham
Show: The Spell of the Yukon
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Breathtaking
The description doesn't do this justice: I suspect many of us are aware of the Service work "Cremation of Sam McGee," but you have never heard it recited so dramatically and emotionally. When Sam starts talking at the end, you feel that he is really there. The rest of the (incredibly wide range) of works were engaging and fastinating. There was a small audience on opening night, but strong applause after each work and extended applause as the show ended. Strongly recommended, even if you don't consider yourself a poetry person.
Company: Paco Erhard
Show: 5-Step Guide to Being German
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Cynical and very funny
I feel that I am walking right into Paco's (very funny) stereotypes about us from the US: maybe a bit less aware of world events than others! None-the-less, the show assumed some general knowledge of history, and also of how current German students are taught to think about themselves in the world. He had the audience in his hands, laughing and (for the Germans among us), agreeing. [Though, in my opinion, the Guatamala - Florida scenario from the previews was even funnier than any of the very funny bits from his 60 minute show]