2023 Audience Reviews

Company: Team Rand-McKay
Show: Works in Progress
Venue: Theatre in the Round

Great comedy

Plot was a little shaky, but the comedy is the real star here. Actors were impressive, therapist was my favorite with his podcasting

Company: Timothy Mooney Repertory Theatre
Show: Breakneck Midsummer Night’s Dream
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

Impressively dextrous cast

One of the best Shakespeare adaptations I've seen, definitely checking out the other "Breakneck" productions!

Company: Phina Pipia
Show: Ha Ha Da Vinci
Venue: Southern Theater

Missing something?

Performer is for sure talented, but the show itself felt cobbled together from a grab bag of incongruous elements. Some slight of hand here, a shadow puppet there, but nothing really standing out or connecting the elements. Mom and I were both left more confused than anything.

Company: Hercules Theatre Company
Show: Adaptopus
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage

Don't worry, the octopus is fine

Amusing sort of workplace drama, really captured the frustration of underappreciated (and undercompensated) volunteers in a way that was both relatable and larger than life. Packed with details that had me "a-ha!"ing at the end. Great performances by all!

Company: Garrison Shea
Show: Allegro
Venue: Southern Theater

Alle-GO see this play!

Great premise for a play, raised some interesting questions about emotional labor and relationships, but also very funny! Justin's lines especially had me laughing, you never expect the love interest to loudly proclaim "I'm fuckin' hungwy!" but I can absolutely see what Ben sees in him.

Company: Blinking Eye Theatre
Show: Romeo & Juliet Are Dead
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

Chalk Hand was the MVP

Alternatively funny and tragic, swapping effortlessly from heartfelt pleas to eating chalk. Great start to the festival. The R&J epilogue I never knew I needed!

Company: Melancholics Anonymous
Show: A Girl Scout’s Guide to Exorcism
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

Wears a G for Great Show!

This show was so much fun! The dialogue, the exorcist crawl, the hawk, all hilarious! The Kevin Jonas line had me feeling personally attacked.

Company: Rebecca Wickert and Ella Eastman-Kiesow
Show: BRUTUS
Venue: Theatre in the Round

Enthralling!

Everything in this show, from the incredible dancing to the music to the gut-wrenching dialogue, works to create an unforgettable narrative. Mom and I both loved it!

Company: EnCompass Theatre
Show: Funny, Like an Abortion
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

A Pertinent Horror Story

Scarily familiar, but still funny and heartwarming where it needs to be. Bit at the end felt a bit preachy and unnecessary to me, but if someone who is anti-abortion managed to stumble into this show and stay till the end, I see why it would be necessary.

Company: What's Next Productions
Show: Pillow Talk
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

Great performance!

Cast was amazing in this one. Story seemed to stop a bit short

Company: Found Creature
Show: Two Stars in the Vast Dark
Venue: Theatre in the Round

Trans sci-fi!? Sold!!

This show combines some of my favorite things: stories about space capitalism, sentient robots, and transgenderism! The music and choreography were astounding, I would read a series of sci fi novels about these two characters in this futuristic but grimly familiar setting. Definitely buying the album on bandcamp <3

Company: an alleged Theatre Company
Show: A Swimming Lesson in a Theatre Without a Lifeguard
Venue: Theatre in the Round

No lifeguard, just 3 weirdos

An unusual premise with strong, unusualler characters makes for a performance that will keep you hooked throughout. There is something wrong with each of these 3 swim instructors and I love them for it

Company: Wet Splat Productions
Show: 20,000 Leagues Under the Telltale Heart
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

20,000 Laughs!!

I didn't realize this was improv until about halfway through, which imo makes the show all the more impressive! The cast was witty and had great synergy. I was laughing the entire time, and I think I'm going to read The Metamorphosis now. AnderBen is my OTP