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Thursday, August 8, 2019

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2019: "Because I Said So"

Day: 6

Show: 21

Category: COMEDY / DRAMA / ORIGINAL MUSIC / STORYTELLING

By: Schmidtshow Productions

Created by: Emily Schmidt and Pat Robinson Schmidt

Location: Rarig Center Arena

Summary: Sketches, songs, and stories about the mother/daughter relationship, as told by local funny women and their real-life mothers and/or daughters.

Highlights: Emily Schmidt has written some really funny, clever, Minnesotan comedies for the Fringe (e.g., last year's Lakes 4), but this year she's doing something different. Along with her mother Pat Robinson Schmidt, she's gotten together some of the funniest women in the Twin Cities to talk about their moms and/or daughters. And the result is not just funny and relatable, but also very moving and sometimes serious. The show opens with Samantha Baker Harris singing a sweet little song with her young daughter Maya, and closes with a song by Samantha, Maya, and Samantha's mom Lynn Baker. It's a beautiful full circle moment, and in between are sketches and stories, based in truth, by Shanan Custer and her daughter Kate, Alex Byrne and her mother Maura, Taj Ruler (speaking about her strained relationship with her mother), Laura Zaber and her daughter Irene, Pat (Emily performed at the first couple shows but I assume has gone back to L.A. where she lives and writes), and Lauren Anderson and her mom Jinniece. It's a well curated selection that covers many of the facets of the mother/daughter relationship.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.