Sub-Total
2025 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Marie Cooney
Company: Vaky Vaky
Show: A Song in the Dark
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Standby Me, Even if I Cry
This father and son duo succeeds at what my mother and I currently can't do. They break the silence. They call out the unacceptable. They dance to the music. They dance without music. They take on the darkness and shine in whatever light available, or not. In the end, I wanted the whole audience to stand and sing. It was a moment of tremendous hope, which made me cry. But they were healing tears. Thank you! Please support local and traveling artists.
Company: Paper Soul
Show: Boxcutter Harmonica
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Brilliant Script, Acting and Props!
This was Motz's most polished and brilliant script that I have see. The acting was superb. I loved each of the props displayed as evidence. The map of various times soul were or were not exchanged with the devil for some exceptional gift was great. I was in the front row and jumped out of my seat at the end! Bravo!
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Company: The Shrieking Harpies
Show: Shrieking Harpies Presents: Period Piece
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Shrieking With a New Twist
The Shrieking Harpies are always entertaining. Adding the twist of a period piece was great. I heard that the 1950s was an amazing improvisation. I totally enjoyed the French Revolution! Loved the relationship between the queen and her chambermaid, the clueless king, the bickering brother and sister arguing about the roles or women and philosophers, the philosophers dual, the thirteen year old girl "bleeding to death" and the transformation of the castle to passing on legacies of women. Sometime it is so funny to see the actors struggle at times to string ideas together and switch midstream to carry on. This show was amazing, because it truly felt like it was previously scripted AND improvised! I can't wait to hear what other period pieced they dove into and see if this continues as a new tradition. Congratulations all.
Company: Winnie Wenglewick/Dangerous Theatre
Show: Adulting Sucks
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre
Not Adulting Sucks More
Winnie takes us from the naive thoughts of childhood that being an adult means you can do and eat anything you want through winding paths of discovering porn, continuing through various paths of trying to live up to other peoples' expectations. This is a funny base from which she tells stories of truly becoming an adult by following your own dreams instead of the expectations of others. My two reasons for seeing and recommending this show is I love hearing stories and I believe it is important to support traveling artists. Go for the laughs and unexpected twists and turns. I bet she is a great Mom.
Company: American School of Storytelling
Show: More Better Stories
Venue: American School of Storytelling
Full Invested Day Super Saturday of Storytelling!
Invest a full day at the American School of Storytelling, founded by LOREN NIEMI and CHRISTINE MOUNTS. This Independent Venue is hosting a series of spectacular local and visiting storytellers. Today's lineup began with LAURA PACKER, stunned the audience with Adult Fairy Tales which were told in creative, hysterical, and stunning ways you cannot imagine with a feminist reinterpretation. Tonight's goodies included Beauty of the Beast, Jacque(line) and the Beanstalk, an amazing improve of a story with the audience shouting out various emotions spinning the tale on a dime. KORY MAY was then next hour, sharing various stories about things he learned through mistakes, beginning with telling people to turn their cellphones to Airplane Porn. Yes you read that right. I will never take another airplane trip without thinking about Kory and his various oh oops moments. There are plenty of places nearby for a MEAL BREAK or SNACK. Think ice cream. HANK ROUBICEK's 'Schmaltz on Rye' was about being a second generation survivor of the Holocaust, while also telling stories of those who survived the camps and those who perished. A greatest lesson he learned from his grandmother was the importance of listening. Full spectrum of stories of humor to never forgetting. THE TENACIOUS tARTS finished up the evening with an hour story about a theater ghost, told by the lovely Irish lass and playwright, Siobhan Kierans, and Karol Laux. If you feel the heebie-jeebies or the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, you just might be in the presence of ghost, friendly or otherwise. The lights might flicker, but the theater ghost light always remains on. I can assure others that stories told by LOREN NEIMI and HOWARD LIEBERMAN will also be exceptional throughout the next dozen performances that are left, including storyteller JON CARLSON, who work I do not know.
Company: Literally Entertainment
Show: The Lasso Way: A Musical
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre
Rip Roaring Fun, Done the Lasso Way X2
I loved the Lasso show. The musical about his pissed off son doing community theater instead of doing time in jail is hysterical. All the right characters: diva, guy who goes off script, quirky yet dependable stage manage, unexpected coach/producer, theater owner getting buy on a wing and a prayer while hoping for a miracle, V/O of judge over the god mic, and theater critic of course. A musical of laughs and swears.
Company: Melancholics Anonymous
Show: Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre
Joan of Arc with a Dash and a Splash
Chad Michael and the original group of beauty contestants are hysterical in the opening song and behind the scene pieces. While the historic Joan of Arc took on an army dressed as a man, in this modern twist Barb, the every pageant mom, is portrayed by a man dressed as a woman. Current day Joan of Arc is sent by God and the Archangel Micael to win a Beauty Pageant in the Midwest, arrives with a bang to a non welcoming group of women who have competed against each other forever, except for one newcomer. This funny, lighthearted, musical ends with a moral to the unlikely story. Come for the laughs and the invitation to participate enthusiastically as pageantry audience members.
Company: Raffish Ripoff Productions
Show: Trust ̶E̶x̶e̶r̶c̶i̶s̶e̶s̶ Exorcises
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre
The Exorcism of a Cult Abuser
It was difficult to hear the words cult, high school, theatre, and the name of a revered and feared teacher together. Phil Gonzales was very creative in using a spinning wheel to tell parts of a high school history that was more tragic drama than light hearted musical. The way Phil described a charismatic cult leader taking on a flock or needy followers was sad and disturbing as each level of the onion was pulled back. Equally disturbing was the fact that an abusive teacher was allowed to continue in a very powerful position despite warnings and concerns by parents and students. Where the abuser is today and how many victims did or did not survive is unknown. However, the courage of one person to say this is my story, might give others the ability to say, "Me too" and keep the movement of truth going forward. Thanks Phil.
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Company: Three Second Memory
Show: I Am Here
Venue: Rarig Kilburn Theatre
Symphony of Storytellers
There are five different lineups of performers as listed under cast and crew. I saw Thursday's opening performance. Familiar with the talents of at least half of these storytellers, any chosen night (or nights) is sure to leave audience members totally satisfied by the evening's performance or craving to come back for more. Don't miss seeing at least one performance if possible. Otherwise, it is a good thing that Fringe audience can also see these brilliant performers locally and beyond.
Company: Jennifer Vosters
Show: Songs Without Words (or, The Mendelssohn Play)
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre
Betrayal, Resurrection, & Requiem
Betrayed by her father, who could not accept and encourage Fanny Mendelssohn's extraordinary talents beyond the social norms expected of women of her day, was bad enough. The betrayal by her younger brother, Felix, who was inspired by his older sister who co-created as equals when younger, was beyond devastating. Like a prophet not accepted in her own land, Fanny and her artist husband had to move beyond the confines of her youth to experience resurrection enabling Fanny to hear her own music with and beyond her soulmate brother. Whether a stoke of genius or a cacophony of sound seizing the day, both are brain injuries, which is why I found this show especially meaningful as a person who has survived various Traumatic Brain Injuries. Jennifer Vosters was absolutely brilliant in her portrayal of these siblings and the music they wrote and conducted. Both the subtle placement and piercing use of the conductor's baton, to free and to restrict each of them was poetic. Thank you, Jennifer for your artistry in bringing their artistry alive beyond death. Disability Warning: I learned something new tonight. The flashing amber lighting from the closed captions screen caused significant pain to me, enough that I would have left if it did not mean crossing into the performance space. I am very grateful to have gone to the opening night of this show, but if other audience members experience debilitating migraines or other neurological challenges, you might consider skipping closed caption shows or bringing aids and medications.