Sub-Total
2023 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Molly Miller
Company: Blinking Eye Theatre
Show: Romeo & Juliet Are Dead
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Love and chalk
I went into this expecting a cutesy little romp about the ridiculousness of head-over-heels infatuation. Instead it was a beautifully crafted, funny and touching exploration of afterlife, familial forgiveness, and whether or not it is enough to love someone. Brutal in places, silly in others, honest in everything, and raw. The language was such a wonderful mix of iambic pentameter and modern colonialism that mirrored the tone and content of the play. My only complaint is that I wanted to see more.
Company: David Graham
Show: The Spell of the Yukon
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
SO GOOD
Rarely have I seen a poetry-based show with such passion, investment, and flawless technique as this one. The poetry is well read, impeccably memorized, and stunningly performed. I found out afterwards that the performer has not done theatre before and had no training or direction. I’m stunned. I hope he does more!
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Company: Luma Notti
Show: ABSURDITY: a burlesque experience
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Absurd and devised
This show had a great response and curated a very safe environment and I applaud the cast for using their platform to elevate disabled, queer, and BIPOC voices while calling out industries that don’t. The absurdity was a little distracting to me at times and I’m not generally as big of a fan of devised theatre as stereotypically conventional production structure (I find the process worthwhile, but generally find the product not as polished). But all of the performers were invested and beautiful and wonderful and the show was meaningful. I found the format of having trios of dancers overwhelming- I wasn’t able to give each dancer the attention I wanted to. I am a burlesque performer myself, so I was glad to support this show and happy to see it so well received. Not always my cup of tea, but a worthwhile investment of Fringe time!
Company: Elizabeth Young
Show: Betsy Show
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Smart and pretty
This show was so fun. The mix of music and snippets of scenes and Betsy’s voice literally and figuratively worked so well together! I loved the use of props and scarves. There were a lot of really poignant moments intertwined with fun and honest memories! I was very happy to see it!
Company: Alchemy Arts
Show: When You Hear the Chime
Venue: Southern Theater
An awfully big greatest adventure
This show is incredibly sweet and well acted! There is an incredible amount of stunning physicality and range showcased and the stories are told in fun and engaging ways. I found myself wondering how old the characters were a lot (they played hide-and-seek and acted like kindergarten age but then later reference that they are older than 3rd grade) but if that is the only thing “off” about a show, that’s a pretty good show. And this is a good one! I laughed, I teared up when Greatest Adventure began to play, and I was thoroughly impressed with the crispness of intricate movement and storytelling (the text alone is a hefty ask from actors, let alone the movement- these actors handled it amazingly)! I’m not entirely certain if I liked the ending, but the show is overall so good that that hardly matters. Go see it!
Company: Thee & Me Productions
Show: Omar Khayyam Club
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
So much fun!
Seeing this show was the most fun I’ve had at Fringe in a long time! The description doesn’t do it justice at ALL. I had no idea what I was walking into, but it turned out to be a beautifully crafted lesson/lecture almost in the body of a fun character play. I learned a lot and, as someone who struggles with lecture-based history lessons, I wish all the classes I took were in this format. A lot of visuals paired with impressive memorization, accents, expression, and genuine exploration of what it means to be lauded by a club of gentlemen (and women!). I can’t recommend this show high enough. Hands down my favorite fringe show I’ve seen this year so far!
Company: Legend's Ghost Productions
Show: In Celebration of the Mysterious
Venue: The Hook and Ladder Theater and Lounge
The edge of… something
This show had a lot of big ideas and not enough time to flesh them out. The movements of the characters and some dialogue felt unplanned and lacking intention. There were some really fun moments, but overall it felt like the actors were still trying to figure out what to do with the script, which itself only half-translated to the limited landscape of a Fringe show. Were it to be workshopped, expanded, directed with intention, and given more time on and off stage, I have no doubt it could be something really cool. Unfortunately, for me, it fell flat. The music also seemed random without much cohesion to the story or moment. Again, there are moments that feel like something cool is being introduced, but it fleets and doesn’t go anywhere. Both singers had beautiful voices, though they did not seem to mesh very well, as one was very folksy and the other had an evanescence-like quality. Perhaps I would have liked it better if the technical aspects had been different. The smoke machine burned my eyes and the rotating lights blinded me at times. The fire light was really cool. And the actors could have stepped in their spotlights more. There was also an incessant beeping from somewhere that I’m sure had nothing to do with the performance, but it really distracted and irritated me. There was a lot of visually interesting moments and I wished the actors would stand still a bit more so we could really take them in. I found myself wishing I could take photographs. This concept would make a stunning set of photographs. All in all, I think the breadth of the concept doesn’t lend itself well to the restrictions and short form of Fringe production, but if expanded and allowed the magnitude it begs for, it could be something really cool- and something I’d really like to see.
Company: Two Minnie Cooks
Show: New Origins: Beauty and the Beast
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Beauty of a show
This show was very fun and the cast were excellent singers! The content seemed contrived at parts, but for the most part the talent of the cast outshined it. There were a few gay jokes that I thought were not in the best taste (do we really need to laugh at gay folks?) and one I thought was pretty ballsy to include in a family friendly show. The sets were fun and having a live pianist accompany the show was an excellent detail! If you love fantasy musicals, this one’s for you.
Company: Kurkendaal Barrett Presentations
Show: Climbing my family tree
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Racism is stupid, this show is not
I was expecting more of a stand-up feel and was pleasantly surprised that it was an interweaving of two stories- both fun and engaging. Great energy and the audience (myself included) stayed with the stories the whole way through! The props were unnecessary and caused some stumbling, but other than that it was fantastic!
Company: Eli Sibley
Show: Born of a Fairy Tale
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental
Magical
This show is super fun and sweet and touching! A beautiful mix of storytelling, signing, and dance that encompasses all facets of a fairy tale. Super engaging throughout and the performer’s facial expressions and emotions are incredible! I’m a lover of all things fairy tale-esque so this was right up my alley and I loved every second of it!