Sub-Total
2023 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Kara Greshwalk
Company: Paper Soul
Show: NPC! (Non-Player Character)
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental
Leveling Up
As a non-gamer, I am relieved that this show was not about gaming! It took me a second to catch the references at the top of the show as a result. But then, I was treated to a very engaging (which can be hard be pull off at 10pm on a weeknight) hour of some very relatable and entertaining coming-of-age stories about the writer/performer's life. He pulled the audience in to the point that folks were responding as though it were more of a conversation than a performance! It's a style of storytelling that felt warm and welcoming, and very much at home at the Fringe for a community of theater performers and theatergoers alike. It's always risky to go solo, and then totally bare bones solo. Motz successfully takes it all to the next level for a beautiful show.
Company: Black Lives Black Words International Project
Show: Baldwin's Last Fire
Venue: Theatre in the Round
The Fire This Time
It's such a gambit to write a play about one of the best writers of his generation, and Reginald Edmund pulls off a beautifully written, funny, suspenseful, and deeply meaningful work. I enjoyed the thrill of the murder mystery while also feeling disheartened and disgusted by the racial injustice at play, and the lack of regard for Black lives. I hope this play is staged more often, because as others have mentioned, it is an important work. Harry Waters fully embodies James Baldwin and directs a talented ensemble that moved fluidly through the very inventive staging. I walked away wanting to read more of James Baldwin's work, while feeling thankful that I could share in this beautiful show for the short time it was here.
Company: Pat O'Brien
Show: "Starved": The Astonishing True Story of the University of Minnesota Starvation Experiment
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
History with Heart
Richard Chin's script is the perfect combination of historical documentary and heartfelt storytelling. The audience is treated to a history lesson you won't hear in school, along with lived in, uniformly excellent performances across the cast under Pat O'Brien's thoughtful direction. The test subjects convincingly portray the gradual impacts of the starvation experiment in ways that are surprising, upsetting, and sometimes a bit comical. I am left wanting to learn more about this fascinating experiment. Go see this show!