Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "The Abortion Chronicles"

Day: 2

Show: 4

Title: The Abortion Chronicles

Category: Drama / Spoken Word / Storytelling / Historical content / Political content

By: Mermaid Productions

Created by: Ariel Pinkerton

Location: Rarig Arena

Summary: A collection of true abortion stories.

Highlights: I've seen this show twice before, once in the late Obama years, once shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned, but unfortunately it's never been more necessary, as women's rights are continually chipped away at, especially in the area of reproductive health care. The show is well constructed, centered around a clinic, with women coming in for consultations or abortions, escorted by a volunteer through the protestors outside. We hear stories from the clinic nurse (played by Christy Johnson) and the volunteer (Patti Gage), as well as the women (and a few men) who come through. Some of the stories are performed by the people who lived them, some by actors, and I honestly cannot tell which are which. All of them feel truthful, real, and raw. Every abortion story is different and specific, but also all the same. As they say in the show, "I'm pregnant and I can't be, the rest is window dressing." But that window dressing is complex and intricate and very human. Whether or not you've seen this show before, it's worth seeing to hear these stories. It may be one of the most important shows in the festival this year.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

"The Abortion Chronicles" by Mermaid Productions at Haus of Loring

The Scarlet Letter A does not always mean Adultery, it can also stand for Abortion. Something to be ashamed of and never spoken about. Or at least that's how it used to be, but lately it's become more common for women, and men, to share their abortion stories. That was the impetus behind the 2016 Minnesota Fringe Festival show The Abortion Chronicles, created by Ariel Pinkerton, Ruth Virkus, and Ben Layne. At the time I wrote "40+ years after Roe v. Wade it's important to be reminded why legal abortion is a necessity, especially in such a human and relatable way as this." It never occurred to me that six years later, legal abortion would no longer be available in many parts of the country after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Which makes The Abortion Chronicles even more necessary now, as it simply, honestly, and with humanity shares real stories of women making the choice to have an abortion. You can hear these stories Fridays and Saturdays at 7 at Haus of Loring, on Lake Street just off Bde Maka Ska (click here for details).

Fringe Festival 2016: "The Abortion Chronicles"

Day: 2

Show: 6

Title: The Abortion Chronicles

Category: Something Different

By: The Red Letter Society

Created by: Ariel Leaf, Ruth Virkus, Ben Layne

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: A collection of real-life stories about women's (and a few men's) experiences with abortion.

Highlights: This is a powerful, moving, important piece giving voice to women's stories that aren't often told. At least not in public, with honesty and no shame. About a dozen stories from health care workers, friends, and the women themselves give a varied picture of the reasons for and effects of abortion. There's the American traveler in 1968 Germany who witnesses her friend's illegal abortion, the couple who made the difficult choice about a baby with severe heath issues, and women who just were not in a place to support a child and made the tough but right choice for themselves. Everyone in the cast beautifully delivers these stories (particularly Dana Lee Thompson as the Planned Parenthood employee who ties the stories together), some of which they wrote themselves and some of which are others' stories, but all emotionally felt. 40+ years after Roe v. Wade it's important to be reminded why legal abortion is a necessity, especially in such a human and relatable way as this. Kudos to Ariel Leaf, Ruth Virkus, Ben Layne for collecting and sharing these stories. I don't know what else to say but go see it, bear witness to these women's stories, and maybe be inspired to share your own story.