Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Fringe Festival: "The Gravity of Ghosts"

Day: 4

Show: 13


By: Paula Reed Nancarrow

Created by: Three Storytellers and a Poet

Location: Woman's Club of Minneapolis

Summary: Three storytellers and a poet stand on a bare stage in front of a microphone and simply tell a story that has to do with death.

Highlights: Different than anything else I've seen at the Fringe, this show is storytelling at its most basic. Four authors read a piece that they've written, in a captivating and entertaining way. My favorite is Ward Rubrecht's harrowing and exciting tale of biking through the heart of the city (which, if true, makes me concerned for his safety!). Cole Sarar tells a creepy ghost story about a widow with secrets; Richard Rousseau (last seen in another ghost story at Mill City Museum) is the ghost of the captain of the Titanic, haunting the survivors; and Paula Reed Nancarrow tells a moving story about her grandmother and depression. Even though these stories are about death, in a way, they're also about life and hope. Bottom line: well-written and well-told stories about a topic that's familiar to all of us.