Sub-Total
2023 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Kayla Hambek
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Company: Special When Lit and The Winding Sheet Outfit
Show: Stabby Stab Stab
Venue: Crane Theater
Slendy Always Wins
I am a GIANT chicken when it comes to horror, and this show did a great job of getting juuuuust up to that line where I survived but had to listen to happy music on the drive home. I was once an 11-year-old girl who thought I was super edgy and different (and knew I was lonely), and the playwright did a wonderful job of making both of these characters relatable and believable. I couldn’t tell where Morgan and Anissa’s words stopped and the playwright’s began. The scariest part of the show for me was the realization that given the wrong influence and the wrong situation, many of us may have become a proxy of the Slenderman. Thank you for gifting us with a show that will stick with me for a long time.
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Company: [Un]Qualified
Show: H.G. Wells' THE INVISIBLE MAN
Venue: Southern Theater
My Face Hurts From Laughing
This is one of those rare shows that seems too good for Fringe. The acting talent is sky-high, the production quality is great, there’s a darn SCORE to the whole thing, and the writing and directing are so excellent that you forget they’re there, which is exactly what a playwright and director could hope for. The actors work their tails off and have boundless energy, and I had zero trouble following a story I didn’t know a thing about going in. The star of my Fringe experience so far - you won’t regret catching this one.
Company: Imaginary Podcast Network
Show: Let Me Say This About That
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental
The Show I Didn’t Know I Needed
Improv is not my thing - I get terrible secondhand embarrassment, which often manifests in mediocre improv shows - but I enjoyed the heck out of this show. The two leads have wonderful chemistry, and it’s clear how much experience they have and how much trust they have in each other. It’s clear the producer character isn’t quite on their level in terms of improv experience, but they had a few shining moments. If I had time, I’d love to return to this show to see what other wacky adventures these two could get into (RIP Herbert/Hubert).
Company: Sandbox Theatre
Show: Yes No Maybe (please explain)
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
90s Nostalgia + First Love = ?
Sandbox always brings something interesting to its productions, and I was pleased that this show was funnier than I expected. If you grew up in the 90s, you’ll definitely appreciate the references and digs at how cool we thought we were (and Kristina’s DARE t-shirt). I can’t figure out what the show was missing, but it didn’t all quite come together for me. The ending seemed a bit rushed, and the story seemed like it didn’t go quite deep enough, so perhaps it was heart I was missing? Worth a shot if you have a free slot and want to reminisce.
Company: Gnarly Bard Theater Company
Show: Tales from the Fiefdom
Venue: Southern Theater
Not As Funny As It Thinks It Is
When I hear “funny medieval musical,” I expect something along the lines of Spamalot or Something Rotten, and this…wasn’t it. The first half of the show is not funny at all, so by the time the much cleverer second half rolls around, our audience wasn’t in a mood to laugh as much as we could have. A neverending whirl of slow songs kills the momentum, which is a pity - the actors are, for the most part, rather talented, even if some of the songs are a bit out of their range. My three kitties are for the actors doing their level best to muddle through - it’s clear they’re working hard, and I’d like to see this group in a show more worthy of their talents.