Sub-Total
2023 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Jacob Hellman
Company: Destiny Davison
Show: DOLLY WHO?
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental
Hello, Dolly!
This one-woman masterpiece-to-be is brought to you by the letter D: the daffy Destiny "Dolly" Davison and her delightful drawings. Join Dolly for an adventure like no other, covering everything from amoebas to the entire universe. I felt like I really got to know Davison as a performer and a person; despite herself, she is fearless in front of an audience. Undeniably a true storyteller, she maintains control of the situation and is able to move the story along with well-timed jokes and bits but comes off fresh as a daisy as if she's doing it for the very first time. Keep the laughs coming and keep performing...audience members won't have to say, "Dolly WHO?" for too much longer.
Company: Noah Gundermann
Show: Write Me Letters
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
P. S. I Love You
An adorable pas de deux between George and his grandma (I don't think she had a name), writing and sharing their struggles with the uncertainties of life changes, from George moving to college to Grandma moving to an assisted living facility. The gentle music and heartfelt lyrics provided a rhythm that moved the story along with tenderness rather than being overly sentimental. With songs like "Tickin'," "Seasons," and "Life is Good," I could see this show being popular with anyone who's ever had a grandparent or been one.
Company: Gnarly Bard Theater Company
Show: Tales from the Fiefdom
Venue: Southern Theater
Come For the Fun, Stay Because You Got the Plague
A delightful romp through the countryside, Fringe-style. The entire company performs well, under the leadership of the brassy and classy Nicole Wilder as the perpetually sunny, problem-solving apothecary. From beautiful operatic harmonies to doo-wop to rock and roll, every number is quite the toe-tapper, my favorites being "The Pleasant Peasant," "I'm Not a Witch," and "Lance-A-Little." Creative and funny, this fiefdom will have you laughing, rocking, and bopping along with tales of everyday life in a wacky medeival setting.
Company: Clevername Theatre
Show: Mother Courage Bear and Her Children
Venue: Southern Theater
A Courageous Effort
Having thoroughly enjoyed last year's production by this collective, I was looking forward to what they had to offer this year. Even though I'm up on my Brecht and Mother Courage, I'm not up on my Care Bears knowledge and despite the helpful program guide, the references had me a bit lost. For some reason, the cuteness did not resonate as well with me, as MC's undertones of war and cruelty combined with the effervescence of the Care Bears didn't always line up smoothly. The performers, however, did a wonderful job with the material and characterizations, especially Sandwich Bear and Humanity Bear. The sound effects and music were way too loud and sometimes drowned out the actors but that's been par for the course with Southern's offerings at this Fringe.
Company: Clevername Theatre
Show: Mother Courage Bear and Her Children
Venue: Southern Theater
A Courageous Effort
Having thoroughly enjoyed last year's production by this collective, I was looking forward to what they had to offer this year. Even though I'm up on my Brecht and Mother Courage, I'm not up on my Care Bears knowledge and despite the helpful program guide, the references had me a bit lost. For some reason, the cuteness did not resonate as well with me, as MC's undertones of war and cruelty combined with the effervescence of the Care Bears didn't always line up smoothly. The performers, however, did a wonderful job with the material and characterizations, especially Sandwich Bear and Humanity Bear. The sound effects and music were way too loud and sometimes drowned out the actors but that's been par for the course with Southern's offerings at this Fringe.
Company: Sandbox Theatre
Show: Yes No Maybe (please explain)
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
I'd Circle Yes!
From the pre-show video bits to the quietly sweet ending, Yes No Maybe was a joy to watch. Kristina Fjellman's love note to her 90s childhood is something to which all of us who grew up in this era can relate, the joy of the written note, which she points out is a dying art, if not dead already. The ensemble of "Ambers" aptly provide a framework for the story, and as the stage fills up with paper, it is easy to picture yourself in Fjellman's quirky imagination.
Company: PB (&J) Productions
Show: Mischief in Ink: The School Prank of '03
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental
Something Mischievous This Way Comes
A throwback to the early 2000s is just what the doctor ordered, and the well-fleshed-out characters and easy-to-digest storyline feels cozy to this reviewer who spent his high school years watching Lizzie McGuire, Agent Cody Banks, and Even Stevens. Robert Paulson is the sleazy and cheesy school principal (and future presidential candidate?) Gary Johnson, attempting to play the three strangers off of one another in a hilarious way. Victoria Granger is cute as a button as the butterfly-clip wearing, cell-phone toting Candy Cane, who is thankfully more than a stereotypical girly girl. Alex Plagge as Kody Sanders is the epitome of sports-obsessed slacker with a bit of pathos. And Michaela Minock is not to be counted out as the brainy Peggy Wohlman, getting in a one-liner here and there, but I do wish the actress wore her cap a little higher on her head so I could actually see her entire facial expressions rather than just her nose and mouth. This minor criticism, though, says nothing about the brilliance of Minock's performance, along with the rest of this talented cast and the story they share with the audience.
Company: Helena K Cosentino
Show: Gilda: A Tribute to the Beloved Comedienne Gilda Radner
Venue: Southern Theater
Gilda Stays Golden
This one-woman show educates the audience on the hilarious characters and the too-short life of the legendary Gilda Radner. For someone like me, who has read Gilda's memoir It's Always Something, and has watched every one of her SNL sketches and many of her comedy show appearances online, it wasn't anything new...but come on, it's GILDA. Helena K Cosentino slips in and out of Gilda's classic characters effortlessly, from Judy Miller to Baba Wawa and everywhere in between. It would have been interesting to see Cosentino speculate on how Gilda and her characters might be in our current political climate (e. g. "what's this I hear about Trump getting invited? I thought he only went to parties at Mar-a-Lago, and he doesn't need an invitation to get in there! Or has it become so exclusive that they don't invite people who've had to file for bankruptcy...") but it's Cosentino's show and Gilda's world, so to quote Emily Litella..."Never mind."
Company: THEATRE23
Show: Coyfish
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
Coy Vey, What A Ride
Two lonely hearts in Minneapolis cross paths in this dynamic dual show. Keivin Vang plays the plucky and optimistic Benji, while Tri Vo's enigmatic Danie starts out cocky and conspiring but gains traction as the story progresses, leaving the audience member with thoughts on whose heart is truly broken, and how interpretations and misinterpretations can change a person's life forever. For those who were hoping for a happier ending...just like in life, sometimes the story you want to see isn't the story that needs to be told. The heartbreak is real here, but just which heart is broken and how much, is for the audience member to ponder.
Company: Madde Gibba
Show: Boy Crazy
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
CRAZY for Madde!
This musical/improv journey through the thrills and spills of Madde Gibba's dating life is a hoot and a half. Gibba has the stage presence and humor of Amy Schumer, the ivory-tickling talent of Fiona Apple, and the vocal range of Sara Bareilles. (Side note: I could EASILY picture this lady playing Jenna in a production of Waitress - can someone please get on that? thank you!) Whether on a cruise ship or in a ladies' bathroom stall, every vignette strikes a chord - tragic, comical, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and every emotion in between. You'll laugh, you'll cry, but overall, you'll want Madde Gibba to be your gal pal for life after seeing the sorrow, the sweetness, and the song stylings of Boy Crazy.
Company: Ghoulish Delights
Show: 5 Prisoners
Venue: Southern Theater
Breaking Free of the Norms
This collection of 5 pieces involving 5 actors ranges from the historical to the metaphysical to the just plain weird. All 5 actors pulled out all the stops in every single role, adding up to a fun theatrical romp through time and space, with imprisonment in some fashion as the underlying theme. As some others have noted, the 4th piece (the one with the people tied in chairs) was a little too esoteric and I didn't get it, but the other 4 pieces took risks, went hard, and broke free of their performative restraints, which is exactly what the fringe is here to do.
Company: Wet Splat Productions
Show: 20,000 Leagues Under the Telltale Heart
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
A League of Their Own?
The six actors who perform in this piece are all undeniably talented at what they do, and the sound effects were exceptional, but the night I went, it seemed like the same joke over and over again. I know that improv can be very tricky at times, and while they got a lot of well-earned laughs from the audience, the show just didn't do it for me. It was an interesting premise and concept, but a little too much dicking around on the stage and not enough of a story to keep me interested. I did love the opening number, but it went downhill from there.