Sub-Total
2025 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Corrie Fiedler
Company: Dogdog-Beardog
Show: Ranger Jim
Venue: Rarig Kilburn Theatre
Traditional end to Fringe 2025: fine storytelling
We are bitter-enders (last show of 45 in 2025) and this was a fine end. Kudos for the storytelling chops. The stories were interesting, but seriously, not over-the-top interesting. Best of all, though, was the Jim served as a great role model for energy at his age!!
-2025-06-29-20-26-15.jpg?Action=thumbnail&Width=600&Height=400&algorithm=fill)
Company: angela olson
Show: Someone Always Pays
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Read the "Other Information" section SERIOUSLY
It seems like other reviewers may have been able to connect this work to dramatic concepts. But it flew way above our heads and was just confusing. Having run into other audience members afterwards, they were on the same page as I was. If this was meant to connect to other dramatic themes, wow, it needed more context to make it accessible. I did go back and reread the "Other Information" section, and it sort of made a little bit of sense then.
Company: 2HOOTS PRODUCTIONS
Show: Jon Bennett: AMERICAN'T
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
A fabulous comic storyteller (at Fringe Encore)
I'm not too much for comedy, but totally appreciated Jon's stories about ... well about everything, including living as an Aussie in the US and as a touring artist without a home. Great news that you can see Jon at the Fringe Encore at Hudson Phipps in two weeks.
Company: Rogues Gallery Arts
Show: Jewelry Power Elite
Venue: Strike Theater
See Lauren Anderson at Fringe Encore
I don't typically see much Fringe comedy, and am not a jewelry fan. But Lauren's show was just a delight: she is a fabulous storyteller and the organization of her show was top notch. You may gain a totally new point-of-view of a collection you have, or are thinking of starting. She is scheduled for the Fringe Encore at Hudson (WI) Phipps Theater.
Company: Tree.Lock//Productions
Show: The Professionals: A Broadcast
Venue: The Southern Theatre
Lots of dancing, not many ideas or story
The dancing was fine, but I'd come to this show for more inspiration and ideas about post-apocalyptic AI. There wasn't much depth or insight to be had!
Company: Wheeler In The Sky
Show: In The Garden Of American Heroes
Venue: The Southern Theatre
Wheeler at his best ... which is extraordinary
Like others, I am hoping we see a longer version of this go up at other venues in town! A great storyteller digs deep into the stories we tell ourselves. The first thing I said when I got home tonight was: "I want to go visit Little Bighorn National Monument to learn more." And the best part? Wheeler gave us a very inspirational call to action after the play was over.
Company: burnt ghost collective
Show: simone weil and the (insufferable) existentialist breakfast club
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Overly brainy for me...
I wish we would have had something in the "more information" to help us understand the differences between these existentialist philosophers! Otherwise, I loved the puppets, but didn't fully understand the implications of some of the dialogue.
Company: Third Space Theater
Show: Breach
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Nothing to add to other reviews: beyond fabulous
This was our 40-somethingth show this Fringe and we saw it at 10pm. None-the-less, it took our breathes away. One more show: strongly recommended.
Company: Twin Cities Trapeze Center
Show: Tapeze
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Always something TOTALLY new at Fringe
I see lots of shows every year at Fringe, and it has been decades since I have seen something like this. My favorite parts were the trapeze/tap cancan and the fabulous costumes in the tap walk. CREATIVITY = 5 (wow, how did they ever come up with the idea of applying to Fringe with this show???); PERFORMANCE EXECUTION = 4 (it is obvious from the program that we had performers from under 10 to over 75 (at least). Thus we had every possible quality of execution. though, as others have noted, little that will take your breath away). ACCESSIBILITY = 4.5 (definitely something for everyone, ).
Company: Tim Uren
Show: This
Venue: Theatre in the Round
You kind of had to know Tim or TC Improv History
I did enjoy the first part that (more-or-less) reminded us of the history of Improv in Minneapolis. The rest was deeply related to other parts of Tim's life and just didn't connect with me. And, the show was in Theater in the Round. While it is true, that over 50% of the audience was on one side, the rest of us mostly got to see Tim's backside and very little of his facial expressions.
Company: Michael Rogers
Show: That Which Is Green
Venue: The Southern Theatre
Symbolic story that hits on all cylinders
"That which is Green" hits on all cylinders. Writing = check; acting = check; allegoric relevance = check; singing = check. We especially appreciated the relevance to friendship, the movement back-and-forth through the stories (plural), and the singing. Oh my, the singing. Worth it just to listen to these wonderful voices!
Company: David Pisa
Show: The Show Must Go On: A Backstage Escape Game
Venue: Phoenix Lobby
Never been to an escape room? Try this one!
We are definitely Boomers, long time (traditional) Fringe goers, have never been to an escape room before, and really didn't have much of an idea of what to suspect. So we were a little nervous about attending "The Show Must Go On." But it was a blast!! While we maybe weren't key to solving the mystery (accolades to our 6 younger teammates for that) we really had a good time and will be far more confident next time we attend one (and there will be a next time).
Company: J&L Productions
Show: Make America Gray Again!
Venue: Phoenix Theater
Super high production values & great show!
We don't necessarily expect production values of this quality at a Fringe show. But what a pleasure when we stumble upon them! We hope this show (as other shows of its quality) ends up in one of our regional theaters in the near future. There is only one slot open (Saturday) and it is likely to be a sell out, so act now.
Company: Aethem Theatre
Show: Grief, It's What's For Dinner
Venue: Open Eye Theatre
'On a shoestring" but a healthy one
Aethem Theatre's "More Information" page says they perform "when they have the money." And, yes, it appears that "Grief" may have been developed on a shoestring. But while the puppets are not as sophisticated as in other shows, it doesn't matter at all, because the acting and writing are outstanding. We enjoyed (no! appreciated would be a better word) every minute. Especial call out to Sher U-F. She is identified as a "character acter," and it is a perfect description.
Company: The Church of Ratology
Show: Rat Mass
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre
Never heard of them? Neither had we!
So this was just a mystery. We attended The Church of Ratology's first show at 10pm on Fringe Wednesday. Large audience (a bit odd); unbelievably enthusiastic audience (even odder, especially since we hadn't heard of this troupe before and they didn't have much Additional Information on their web page); and an audience of mostly GenX/Y folks with artists' lanyards. Turns out that this group is a big deal in Chicago .... had we known the target audience in advance, we might have skipped it. Goofy, silly, and many of the jokes beyond our boomer mentality. Though my rating isn't particularly high, given the enthusiastic audience that is familiar with the group, I'm expecting lots and lots of high reviews.
Company: Michael Quadrozzi
Show: Against My Will
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre
Life experience story telling
There was a lot to like about Against My Will: Michael's impressions of his mother and of "the Kennedy who will not be named" were just great; the suitcase metaphor at the beginning worked really well. And it was obvious that Michael had worked through some extremely tough situations to finally own his own life. And maybe we were in the midst of "fringe personal story burnout" for our Wednesday evening show. For that risk, I just raised my 4 to a 4.5 (and a reminder for next year).
Company: Raffish Ripoff Productions
Show: Trust ̶E̶x̶e̶r̶c̶i̶s̶e̶s̶ Exorcises
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre
Engaging vignettes, but where is the dramatic arc?
Phil's vignettes and energetic style kept us fairly engaged through the hour, though we left wanting more: maybe a more explicit dramatic arc, though we do understand that the drama teacher's behavior impacted Phil's later life; or maybe some more detail about his research into the teacher's later life (even if he did fall off the internet radar). As we left the theater, we were chatting about how the prompts from the spinning wheel could have been better integrated into the story line.
Company: Paper Soul
Show: Boxcutter Harmonica
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Just over our heads ...
We are pretty well educated, but the contexts (plural) of Motz' work went over our heads which made the humor a tough one. The writing on the sheets helped a bit (but were hard to see from our seats once they were on the floor); the diagram of the decision we all have at four-way intersections helped more (but was hard to take in during the chaos of the show). The best part: while Motz' shows many not be our favorites, we appreciate his love and promotion of Fringe. We 100%+ agree on that.
Company: Cora Casper
Show: INSOMNIA DOGS
Venue: Mixed Blood
Hope to see a company develop from this group!
We hope to see a company develop from this group, so we can see more of the obvious personal connections and care for each other that we saw in Insomnia Dogs. CREATIVITY = 5 (who would ever think of writing a play about college women deciding to stay awake for days?? to enhance their creativity). PERFORMANCE = 5 (the five characters, though all college women, were very well defined. Thanks to the writing, their behaviors were consistent throughout the play). ACCESSIBILTY = 4 (a 10pm show for me and I got a little dozy since it was quite cerebral. And the ending didn't quite hit a home run for me).
Company: Pat O'Brien
Show: Our Zombie Town
Venue: Mixed Blood
Rational minds CAN differ
The variability of reviews for this charmer was quite the surprise (a 1 to 5s and everything in between! As for us (my sister and I): we loved it: political, clever, funny, great acting. Warren Bowles diatribe was fabulous (and funny) and George's physical Zombie acting equally so. OK, they muffed at least one line on Tuesday night, but this is Fringe (not the Guthrie).
-2025-06-27-04-08-34.jpg?Action=thumbnail&Width=600&Height=400&algorithm=fill)
Company: JexArzayus Productions
Show: La Tunda: A Reimagining of a Colombian Folklore
Venue: Mixed Blood
MN Fringe as it "used to be"
Many of us MN Fringe long-timers have commented on the quality of MN Fringe 2025: polished shows, creative pop-culture adaptations, and our favorite artistic troupes. Thus we were very enthusiastic to have seen La Tunda: an unusual story about which most of us are unaware; not quite "prime time," but close enough; and presented by a new, marginalized community. The action moved quickly, the characters were well done, and the fight scenes were some of the best in MN Fringe this year. Hope to see you all next year!
-2025-06-30-23-23-13.png?Action=thumbnail&Width=600&Height=400&algorithm=fill)
Company: Cornucopia Productions
Show: Your Hello To My Goodbye
Venue: Mixed Blood
Look forward to seeing Cornucopia as they mature
For us long-term MN Fringe goers, we walk back-and-forth past and through our Somalia community over-and-over again. What a pleasure to see a Somali acting company at Fringe surrounded by their community (wow, even at 10pm on a Monday night). As noted by others, some of the dialogue was difficult to understand and the ambiguous plot point of Saxarla's three other visitors could be improved. None-the-less, we hope we see this troupe at their next level of maturity in future Fringes.
Company: Theatre on the Rocks
Show: A Good Cancer to Have
Venue: Mixed Blood
Sam's story is full of hope
Sam wrote this during his cancer treatment. Not exactly what those less focused among us would emphasize during the boring, worrisome times of radiation exhaustion! But as other reviewers have noted, the work ends with hope. If I have a nit to pick (which I often do), it was with the sudden change of tone. We understand that part of the point was that when treatment was over, despair was replaced by hope. And the transition of tone from the silly, almost goofy, first 80% to the cheery, hopeful last 20% was awfully abrupt.
Company: Vaky Vaky
Show: A Song in the Dark
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
"Waiting for Godot meets angry political theater"
The show description (in my review title) is perfect. We had been looking forward to "A Song in the Dark" - not exactly for the political content - but more because Vaky & Vaky are such fantastic MN Fringe supporters. We see them over-and-over again: in the artists' lines, applauding and laughing at performances, and actively supporting other artists. But once we got into the theater, we greatly appreciated the creativity of their work and their acting chops (oh, and dancing, did I mention dancing?).
Company: Philip Simondet
Show: Fall of the High School Valedictorian
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre
Outstanding and tough and dark
As Phillip noted, it is almost wrong to say we "liked" this work or even to applaud after the musical numbers. But we are heartfelt in our appreciation for Phillip's talent and openness about mental illness and self-harm. Phillip's singing with guitar accompaniment was a highlight, though his story telling and story arc were also great. We appreciate that he wore a suicide prevention t-shirt with the phone number on the back.
 copy 2.png?Action=thumbnail&Width=600&Height=400&algorithm=fill)
Company: Microplastics Productions
Show: The Writers Room: A failed documentary
Venue: Open Eye Theatre
Sketches that didn't connect or land
CREATIVITY = 2 (maybe a theme tying these together, or more skit workshopping would have helped me see this as a creative endeavor rather than a "bunch of stuff". Though I will call out the Wesley Anderson piece as being sort of creative) PERFORMANCE EXECUTION = 3 (the MC at the beginning and the Wes Anderson piece were excellent, the rest ....)
Company: Alisa Rosenthal
Show: Big Honor Student Energy
Venue: Open Eye Theatre
Alisa: a pro storyteller & stand up comic
As the genre summary describes, Alisa's show is a blend of story telling and stand up comedy. Trouble is, that I love story telling and am not so crazy about stand up. None-the-less, she is a pro and had her (regrettably small) Sunday evening audience at Open Eye in stitches for the hour.
Company: Sophia R.B. White
Show: White Noises
Venue: Open Eye Theatre
The best Fringe shows drive post-show discussion
Yes, this was a mystery to both of us, but we were sharing points-of-view for the rest of the evening which is the sign of a great artistic experience. I put it in the genre of "post modernism" ("characterized by skepticism towards grand narratives, objective truth, and universalism, emphasizing instead difference, plurality, and subjectivity" per Google). My book club has read a couple post modern books lately and had the same reaction = "huh, what was that about." My sister had a totally different point-of-view (I won't include it here to preclude a spoiler).
Company: Scarlett d. Jones
Show: The Year of Sluttery
Venue: Open Eye Theatre
Our mandatory "Raunch" show for 2025 MN Fringe
But when we walked out, we both report "that wasn't so raunchy" (we've been going to Fringe for 15+ years and have seen it all). Somehow I was expecting a sex worker, but that wasn't close to true: Scarlett is a woman stuck in an unfulfilling marriage for a long time just looking to have a good time. The stories were fun and well-written, she is adorable, and her stories hung (together) well (no pun intended). I suggest that she work with a director to sharpen a few things up to bring her storytelling up to the same level as the rest of her performance.
Company: Sufian Zhemukhov
Show: An Immigrant's Guide to America
Venue: Open Eye Theatre
Storytelling from a Russian immigrant experience
We attended the Sunday afternoon performance and found that each performance is different. That said, we enjoyed Sufian's hour-long telling of experiences as a Russian immigrant dating in the US. CREATIVITY = 4+ (Sufian's Russian immigrant perspective provides a different point-of-view than a typical Fringe storyteller). PERFORMANCE EXECUTION = 4 (Sufian is a delight in every way, and as we left, we wondered why he spoke so slowly. You might want to consider picking it up a bit to move the story along) ACCESSIBILITY = 5 (the ebb and flow of the vignettes and music worked well).
-2025-05-02-11-18-31.png?Action=thumbnail&Width=600&Height=400&algorithm=fill)
Company: Ethan Nienaber/ GJ Media
Show: What We Wore
Venue: Open Eye Theatre
20 shows so far, and this is one of the best!!
I was expecting sort of a fashion show, so just went back and read the show summary. In short, it was EXACTLY as described: [she] "digs into her family's vintage clothing to connect with the past, explore womanhood, and share the WILD world of life online." All of that, and more. CREATIVITY = 5+ (this is what Fringe is about: offbeat, quirky, and lots of fun) PERFORMANCE EXECUTION = 5+ (though she suggested it "didn't take," Gabby did study theater in college and it shows. Her acting and storytelling skills are convincing. ACCESSIBILITY = 5 (I was not all that interested in the show that I expected (a fashion show), but her segues into the issues with being an online personality and into 1950-60 feminism were super interesting and very accessible.
-2025-06-01-01-12-46.png?Action=thumbnail&Width=600&Height=400&algorithm=fill)
Company: Amber Preston
Show: FERN
Venue: Rarig Kilburn Theatre
Far more stand-up comedy than storytelling!
These are the toughest reviews to write: After 15+ years of MN Fringe and writing reviews, we typically have a pretty good idea of the shows we should attend (solo shows, storytelling, drama). But somehow FERN caught us unaware. It is hard to give few Kitties for a show that didn't meet our expectations (e.g. it was more stand up and less storytelling, though I'll cop that the line is grey). On the other hand, it was sort of rambling and I'm not sure about the song at the end. Just not my cup of tea, though it may be yours!
Company: Griffy LaPlante
Show: Salt
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Let's do the Time Warp again!
I usually call out our excellent out-of-town Fringe shows to help bring some (at least geographic) diversity to our fly-over territory Fringe. But Salt is different: they are local but this was a far different cast and audience than I typically see at Minnesota Fringe. When I walked into the restroom prior to the show, I knew I was in a "Time Warp" and the feeling persisted. The cast and audience were 50+ years younger than I am, but it felt like we were back in the mid-1960s. They did an outstanding job creating character, plot, and mission on what seemed like a shoestring. Thanks for bringing diversity to MN Fringe and bring others like you to Fringe next year!!
Company: Brad Lawrence
Show: The Big Secret
Venue: Rarig Kilburn Theatre
Love masterful storytelling? See Brad!
Brad had a relatively small audience on Saturday afternoon, but we noticed several of Fringe's best storytellers in attendance. We couldn't help think that they were there to learn from a master. He held us in his grip for the entire hour. My only gripes? 1) The secret was maybe not as earthshattering as we expected, though as I sit here and write this review, I realize the the secret was not the point. Rather the impact of the secret was the point; 2) Brad didn't add "Cast and Crew" and /or "More Information" fields to his Fringe page. Maybe not a big deal to many, but it almost made us skip this one (since we use that info to guide our schedule)!
Company: Jennifer Vosters
Show: Songs Without Words (or, The Mendelssohn Play)
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre
A tour de force of staging and acting
Even if you don't know Mendelssohn (or more correctly, "the Mendelssohns") from, say, U2, put this on your list anyway. The acting and use of music in this score are beyond fantastic. Jennifer so dominated the stage, that when we saw her later in the evening at another Fringe work, we didn't even recognize without her stage presence.
Company: Steven Nicholas
Show: Mind Reader
Venue: Rarig Nolte Xperimental Theatre
Mind reader is mind blowing!!
Steven's show is way, way beyond pedestrian mindreading & magic!! And, even if you are not a typical fan of magic and/or mindreading put this one on your list. It is breathtaking, and you will be supporting another out-of-towner, who was generous enough to personally thank his "Minneapolis hosts" from the stage. [And, Steven, we saw the Saturday show. Half the audience was just giggling about the audience member you chose to select a face card: Jack, Queen, or King. Good intuition]
Company: Snikt! Bamf! Thwip!
Show: Invasive Species or: In Space No-One Can Hear Your Steam
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre
Came for the steampunk, stayedfor the horror
CREATIVITY = 5 (who would have ever thought of setting Alien on a sailing ship from Victorian England) PRESENTATION = 4.5 (Acting was excellent. The puppets were well done and automatons were adorable. The Thrust is a relatively large theater and we missed some of the lines!) ACCESSIBILTY = 5 (I have a special love for Steampunk aesthetic which was extremely well done. However, like another reviewer, I don't know the Alien franchise, but Tim Wick and the actors translated it well enough that I found Invasive Species very accessible.)
Company: an alleged Theatre Company
Show: The Temporary Tattoo Trio
Venue: Rarig Kilburn Theatre
Another Fringe (very positive) suprise
Though I have been a Fringe attendee for 15+ years, I have never seen an alleged Theatre Company work until this one. I am just not a fan of comedy and audience participation. And, after the preview, it wasn't clear how these guys were going to turn actual temporary tattoos into an hour long performance. But wow, this was an amazing, complex comedy with lots of human impact. We enjoyed every minute (even at 10pm). Highly recommended. And Alleged, we will be back next year!!
Company: Literally Entertainment
Show: The Lasso Way: A Musical
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre
A great concept piece for Lasso insiders and fans
CREATIVITY = 5 (what a fringy, creative idea, this could have gone far!); PERFORMANCE EXECUTION = 4 (could have used some sharpening of staging and voice. Though I will cop to this might have been some of point of this work). ACCESSIBILITY = 3 (OK, I haven't had broadcast TV in my home since I graduated high school, 50+ years ago. After the show, my sister explained that Ted Lasso wasn't a real person and about the TV character leaving his son, and the English football team and etc. Just remember that your play will attract people without a typical background and a voice over at the beginning, or a paragraph in the program would be useful for folks like me)
Company: The Winding Sheet Outfit
Show: The Spirit Moves You To Color The Unseen
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre
So much potential!!
We are both quite familiar with Hilma af Klimt's work and life. And are crazy about The Winding Sheets' work. So maybe a bit of disappointment is driving my 3.5 Kitties. The costumes and physical theater were fantastic. And the second half (about Kandinsky and Hilda af Klimt's notebooks) was accessible and fascinating. The first half, though, was confusing: it wasn't clear until much later that we were seeing the director (Amber) at work as part of the play? and the chorus voices overrode Hilda af Klimt's dialog at the beginning. Finally the projection of her work on the brick were tough to interpret, especially the botanical drawings. Amber's comment at the end was hard to understand: was this the first time the projection worked, or the first time it didn't work?
Company: New Endeavors
Show: An Exorcism, Don'tcha Know?
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Take a risk at Fringe!!
Though we attend 40+ shows annually, we typically don't choose comedy or horror! Especially broad, almost silly, comedy. But we had an open slot and our minds are being opened with An Exorcism. CREATIVITY = 4; PERFORMANCE & EXECUTION = 5+ (fabulous acting and the accents were spot on "over the top"); ACCESSIBILITY = 5 (the story flowed well). We left with one question: did they enhance Reagan's screams? If so, how? And accolades to the sound engineer!
Company: Deconstructing Directing
Show: Director's Cut: Where Play Becomes Magic
Venue: Rarig Kilburn Theatre
Support an out-of-towner visiting w/a fab show!
CREATIVITY = 5: It isn't often that we get such an educational, but fun, experience at Fringe. I was mesmerized through the whole 60 minutes. PRESENTATION = 5: My sister commented that the acting wasn't great. YEAH, that was the whole point. Acting is hard and it was unbelievable to watch the three actors try to perfectly adapt to Andrew's direction and then try to put the 10 minute act together again. ACCESSIBILITY = 5: I'm not sure if they will use this material again (we saw it Fringe Day 1), so I won't say what it was. I was a little vague on the (well-known) play, but my sister wasn't. Andrew gave us enough of the backstory that we totally got what the actors were trying to communicate.
Company: Melancholics Anonymous
Show: Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre
How can something so funny have a great message?
Creativity = 5+ Presentation = 5+ Accessibility = 4+ This was so chock full of very, very funny lines that the actors moved through it a little fast to catch them all, especially with all the laughts. It did pass the usual "5" test: "would I go to see it again?" Yes, for sure, but part of that would be to catch some of the lines that flew by too fast. Slow down, guys, just a little.
Company: SUPERMOON
Show: All Your Shimmering Gold
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre
Just a little more background, please!
Creativity = 5: Wow and wow. No spoilers, but their backstory of how the Northrop Grumman folks ended up at the Rarig Thrust is just fun and funny. And once I saw the connection, it was so fringe-y. Presentation = 5: Michael Torsch is so believable as a corporate spokesperson that I wondered if I had walked into the wrong show. Accessibility = 3: I don't have a strong liberal arts background, but had fortunately read a very short synopsis of Das Rheingold beforehand so sort of got the point, but it was a stretch. My sister (who hadn't read the synopsis) said she smiled through the whole thing, but didn't really get it. Until the very last minute. Great ending!! I wish there would have been a short program or URL code to help us get how this all tied together.
Company: Mermaid Productions
Show: The Abortion Chronicles
Venue: Rarig Kilburn Theatre
A great surprise for an open slot
We had an open slot at 5:30 on Fringe Day 1 and Ariel's show wasn't really on our must see list. I have been pro-choice for so long that I hadn't really thought about some of the nuanced situations that impact women in the 2020s. As a result this group of 12 vignettes was educational, moving, and very well curated and directed. It was a big lesson for us to always think about our 'mid-list' choices!