Minnesota Fringe Festival 2024: "Pants on Fire"

Day: 7

Show: 23

Title: Pants on Fire

Category: Improv

By: The Project Factory

Created by: Sarah Broude

Location: HUGE Theater

Summary: A game show in which two teams try to guess if the story someone is telling is a weird truth, or an elaborate lie.

Highlights: What a great idea for a show. If you've heard of "two truths and a lie," it's like that, but each participant only has one chance at a story, with the opposing team guessing if it's true or a lie. It's a nuanced game, in which the storyteller not only has to tell the (possibly made-up story), but make the others believe it's true when it's a lie, or vice versa. And the even trickier thing is that sometimes part of the story is true, but not all of it. The evening is hosted by Sarah Broude, with help from Music Director Chris Perricelli and a delightfully bored assistant (whose name I didn't catch), throwing snacks at the guests, changing outfits frequently, and giving occasional side eye. Each performance has different guests, all pulled from our talented comedy/improv scene. I went (not coincidentally) to the show that featured the Four Humors: Ryan Lear, Brant Miller, Matt Spring, and newest Humor Allison Vincent. This group never fails to crack me up, and this was no exception; in fact I think it's the hardest I've laughed at Fringe this year. They were split into teams with captains Dale Peterson and Katie Kaufmann (who I gather are at every show), and each one got to tell a story, from getting kicked out of a Bozo the Clown show, to being part of a pregnancy reveal gone wrong, to childhood pranks. Watching these six weave a tale on the fly, and the others respond to it and ask questions, is sheer joy and hilarity. Highlights of the evening include watching Matt mime milking a cow, Brant reenact a Santa Experience, and hearing Ryan recite all the books of the Bible, after making us think he couldn't (but of course he can). The point system is a bit suspect, with math and word problems thrown in arbitrarily, but it's all in good fun. Great fun actually.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

"Rasputin" by Four Humors Theater

Other than their participation in last year's Minnesota Fringe Festival Five-Fifths fundraiser, I haven't seen a Four Humors Theater production since before the pandemic. Which is way too long to go without seeing their uniquely clever and ridiculous original work, often adaptations of literature or history. They debuted a new work at Twin Cities Horror Festival last fall, but I missed it, so I'm happy they're remounting Rasputin at Open Eye Theatre so I could see the show my fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers raved about. It's just as smart and silly and hilarious as expected, with a bit more blood than usual for their shows. As a bonus, I caught one of two encore performances of their 2013 Minnesota Fringe hit Lolita, which made for a pretty great double-billing. They have a pretty loyal following, and lots of buzz from TCHF, so some shows in their short two-week run are already selling out. You can see Rasputin through May 18, with one final performance of Lolita following the Saturday night closing performance.

"The Last Days of Commodus" by Four Humors Theatre at Strike Theater

Four Humors Theatre brings their thoughtfully ridiculous interpretation of history and/or literature to the Roman Emperor Commodus, a by all accounts horrible ruler who brought an end to the era known as "Pax Romana" - no more peace and stability for Rome under this egotistical tyrant. Playwright and company member Matt Spring sets the story as a play-within-a-play, which allows for commentary and exposition around the story that's being told, breaking down all the complicated history into a palatable 90-minute story. It's the type of zany fun I've come to expect from Four Humors, perhaps with a bit of social and political commentary if you look past the silliness. The Last Days of Commodus continues through next weekend only at Strike Theatre in Northeast Minneapolis.

"One Man, Two Guvnors" at Yellow Tree Theatre

About the Guthrie's 2012 production of The Servant of Two Masters I wrote, "If you don't enjoy the feeling of laughing until your face hurts, you must avoid it at all costs." The same goes for Yellow Tree Theatre's production of One Man, Two Guvnors. The 2012 Broadway hit that gave us James Corden is a 21st adaptation of the aforementioned 18th century commedia dell'arte classic. "Commedia dell'arte" is an Italian term which roughly translates as "outrageously wacky fun," which is exactly what One Man, Two Guvnors is. Reminiscent of YTT's 2014 production of the also wacky 39 Steps, which garnered them two Ivey Awards, 1M2G brings back the Ivey-winning director of that show, Anne Byrd, along with half of the Ivey-winning comedy duo, Tristan Tifft. Under Anne's expert direction, this incredibly talented cast (which also includes three of the Four Humors) take the audience on a ridiculously fun ride of crazy antics, physical humor, audience participation, delightful '60s-style music, and much hilarity. Highly recommended for those who don't mind their face hurting from too much laughter.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" by Four Humors at the Southern Theater

"Why would Four Humors do The Importance of Being Earnest? We acknowledge what is happening in the world right now, and we do not believe in running from our problems. However, we do believe taking a break from our problems is a very healthy thing. There is a theory that when we laugh, our mind is cleared and we are able to see our problems with fresh eyes. We hope this production will achieve this renewal and allow all of us to leave the Southern Theater with our heads held high, ready to tackle our challenges with renewed vigor and purpose. The act of art alone is worth fighting for. We hope you come play with us today, so we can continue our work tomorrow." I wholeheartedly agree with this statement by Four Humors, and their perfectly delightful production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest definitely meets this goal. In this classic play, subtitled "a trivial comedy for serious people," Wilde brilliantly satirizes the high society of Victorian England in this absurd comedy of mistaken identities, and the consistently funny theater troupe that is Four Humors is the perfect company to bring us a good laugh in these... unusual times.

Twin Cities Horror Festival at the Southern Theater

This is the fifth year of the Twin Cities Horror Festival at the Southern Theater (or so I gather from their TCHFV acronym, unless V stands for Vampires). TCHF is an 11-day festival of theater, film, music, and dance in the horror genre. Not being a fan of this particular genre (I haven't celebrated Halloween since elementary school, and avoid scary movies and TV shows), I've never attended before and didn't think it was something that would interest me. But my friends at Minnesota Theater Love are big fans, so they convinced me to give it a try this year. The structure and schedule is similar to the Minnesota Fringe Festival (hour-long shows with half hour breaks in between), but unlike the Fringe, TCHF happens right in the middle of the busy theater season, so I was only able to spare one day. I picked two companies that I was familiar with, and happily neither show was particularly gory. Below are a few thoughts about each show. I'm still not convinced this is the event for me (much like sadness, I don't do horror), especially with so many other theater choices right now. But it's a fun alternative to the usual theater scene, and if you're a fan of the horror genre, you should definitely check it out.

"The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha" by Four Humors at the Guthrie Theater

When the ingenious gentlemen of Four Humors apply their unique, clever, and hilarious storytelling style to a classic such as The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, it's a thing not to be missed. And even though I've experienced many such unique adaptations by Four Humors, as well as original work, last night's world premiere opening night still gave me something unexpected. As the play points out, everyone knows Don Quixote, even if you're never read the book or heard the name Miguel de Cervantes (as for myself, I've only seen the musical adaptation Man of La Mancha, natch). Four Humors tells the classic story about honor, chivalry, and madness in a unique way using puppetry projection (and thereby possibly inventing a new art form?) and by making Cervantes a character in the play, allowing the characters to step outside the story and comment on it. I believe this is Four Humors' debut at the Guthrie, which will no doubt expose a new audience to their often accomplished mission "to create art that celebrates the humor, stupidity, and beauty of our world by letting the artist connect with the audience in a vulnerable and honest way."

"We Gotta Cheer Up Gary" by Four Humors at the Southern Theater

Are you feeling a little down? Need to be cheered up? Let the trained cheerologists of Four Humors lead you through your one-on-one (or one-on-many) cheersultation! I know they always make me feel better! Now you can sign up for one of their intimate sessions held behind the arch at the gorgeous Southern Theater, where cheerologists Jason Ballweber (silent Gary), Mike Fotis (angry Gary), Ryan Lear (accident-prone Gary), and Dario Tangelson (the Gary in charge) will lead you and 40-some other Garys through a series of jokes, magic tricks, improv, and physical comedy that is sure to leave you cheerier than you were one hour before. All this can be yours for a low price, or free as part of Southern Theater's ARTshare program. With everything that's going on in the world, couldn't we all use a little cheering up?

Fringe Festival 2015: "We Do Every Show in the Fringe"

Day: 2

Show: 8

Title: We Do Every Show in the Fringe

Category: Comedy

By: Fat Bottom Jones

Created by: The Performers of Fat Bottom Jones

Location: New Century Theatre

Summary: Local improv comedy experts choose one of the 174 Fringe shows at random and perform it based on the photo and description.

Highlights: Last year it was called Four Humors Does Every Show in the Fringe, but despite the name change, it's the same performers and concept, which is a combination made for hilarity. Last night the ball chosen was Really Spicy Opera's The Clever Artifice of Harriet and Margaret, described as "Opera by women, about women, featuring nothing but women! Harriet and Margaret meet for tea... or do they? Hidden agendas and secrets lurk behind the rivals' smiles, while their inner voices reveal the truth." This all-male cast riffed on the idea of inner voices and the phrase "or do they," under the leadership of "director" Jason Ballweber who would occasionally interject to steer the show in a new direction. Brant Miller was Harriet and guest performer Andy Kraft was Margaret (or vice versa, they kept getting the names confused), while Nick Ryan and Matt Spring were the inner voices, standing just behind them and voicing their inner monologues (which, let's face it, we all have running at all times). Ryan Lear filled in all the other roles. At one point even the inner monologue had an inner monologue, and that inner monologue had an inner monologue, and that inner monologue had an inner monologue, which perhaps says something profound about the inner psyche, or else it's just silliness. This being an opera, there wasn't as much singing as I (or keyboard accompanist/sound effects man Nic Delcambre) would like, but at least we got a big closing number "Inside Paul's Brain" - yes, they eventually broke down and introduced a male character in this story about women. If you go you will not see this show, but something just as surprising and clever and laugh out loud funny.

"Nature Crown" by Theatre Forever at the Guthrie Studio Theater

I went to see Theatre Forever's newest creation Nature Crown not knowing what it was about. I left the theater still not knowing exactly what it was about, except that it's lovely, delightful, innovative, poignant, creative, and incredibly moving. The original fairy tale deals with the ideas of home, place, and change, but I'll let creator and director Jon Ferguson explain it: "It's about returning to a source or place of origin, honoring that place and letting it go, all at the same time. It's about love and change and re-connection. And that's what I hope for everyone. Through the experience of this play I hope that this story and this place becomes yours. I hope that we find parallels between us, to better understand each other, and ourselves, in order to live better together."

The story centers around a typical working man named João (Diogo Lopes) who is fired from his job, sending him off on a life-changing adventure (or dream?) in a village on the other side of the woods. He meets a mysterious woman (Aimee K. Bryant) who he later learns is Nature or the Earth herself, and chases a boy (13-year-old Lorenzo Reyes) to a quaint little village preparing for a once in a century celebration, at which point everything is destroyed and life begins anew. After presenting himself to the King (Brant Miller) and Queen (Catherine Johnson Justice), João remembers the village and doesn't want it to change, so he believes the royal assistant Rupert (Tony Sarnicki) when he tells him he must slay a monster in the woods to prevent the village's destruction. Things don't go as well, but "this is a fairy tale, so everyone gets what they need." João returns to his life forever changed, with the memories of this place and this experience bringing a new energy and joy to his life.

the villagers (photo by Eric Melzer)

But this plot summary does not even tell one-tenth of the story. This is one of those pieces that's difficult to put into words, because what is created in that in-the-round space by the 14 members of the ensemble, four musicians, and the six-member Artemis Chamber Choir* is beyond words. It's so creative, and playful, and physical, and fun, and unabashedly sincere and hopeful. The village is created by little houses mounted on backpacks, so of course the castle is a suitcase. It's England so there's lots of tea pouring and drinking. Two young villagers (Paul Rutledge and Ben Mandelbaum) learn to transform themselves into trees and logs and rocks. A mysterious backpacked man (Peter Lincoln Rusk) and his apprentice (Nick Saxton) help to guide the events as they're supposed to happen. Flower petals represent leaves and blood, depending on what's called for. Things pop up out of the floor when needed. A spoon is a recurring motif. None of it makes any sense, but somehow it all makes sense.

"Home is where the heart is," the saying goes. Or perhaps the heart is where home is. We all carry places around inside of us, places that meant something to us at different times in our lives. Places that we may never see again, or places that we may return to and find them not at all how we remember them. "You can never go home again," goes another saying, but this piece seems to say that we can carry the memory and spirit of that place inside us, to give us courage for what lies ahead.

If exploring the ideas of home and change and courage ("be brave or you'll miss everything") with music, movement, delightful props, heartfelt performances, and much theatrical innovation is intriguing to you, go see Nature Crown, and be reminded of those places that lie inside your heart (continuing in the Guthrie's Dowling Studio through April 4).



*The Artemis Chamber Choir performs in the lobby of the Dowling Studio before the show, and the acoustics of the space combined with lovely harmonies create something quite haunting.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story" at the History Theatre

"That'll Be the Day." "Peggy Sue." "Oh, Boy." "Maybe Baby." These iconic songs by '50s rocker Buddy Holly are so much a part of our culture that everyone knows them, even those of us born long after his tragic death in a plane crash in 1959. Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, a jukebox musical that uses Buddy Holly's music to tell his story, premiered in London in 1989 before crossing the pond to be seen on stages around the country. It's a fitting choice for the History Theatre, which brings varied and sometimes obscure pieces of Minnesota history to life on stage. What does Buddy Holly have to do with Minnesota? His doomed plane was on its way from Clear Lake, Iowa to Moorhead, Minnesota when it crashed, killing Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. This production, which premiered at the History Theatre a few years ago, is back this year with much of the original cast of actor/musicians and director Ron Peluso. It's a fun celebration of the all too short life and career of this pioneering rock-and-roller, enjoyed equally by those who remember first-hand his life and death, and those who only know the legend (although the audience skews much more towards the former).

The show follows Buddy's life from his early days in Lubbock, Texas, breaking out of the country-western genre and creating something entirely new, through a failed recording contract, his unprecedented string of hit songs, a whirlwind romance and marriage, and finally, to that fateful last concert in Clear Lake, Iowa. Along the way we hear many of his best hits, along with other songs of the era, including Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper's biggest hits, "La Bamba" and "Chantilly Lace," respectively. Despite the fun music, there's a slight sense of foreboding as the audience knows how the story ends, even as Buddy and friends move towards it unaware of their fate. But we're not down for long, a brief moment of silence with a single spotlight illuminating a frozen Buddy in his final concert, and we're back to the party, with several songs continuing through and after the curtain call to leave the audience in a good mood.

Nicholas Freeman as Buddy, and the ensemble

Nicholas Freeman returns as Buddy, and fully embodies the rocker's spirit, voice, and trademark glasses (even if he does look a little more like Stephen Colbert than Buddy Holly). His experience with and dedication to this show are evident, as he brings this long ago legend to life and makes him seem like a real person. He's supported by a large and talented ensemble, many of whom are current or former students at the McNally Smith College of Music, with which the History Theatre shares a building. The students dancing on stage before the show and in the aisles during some of the numbers bring an authentic youthful energy to the show. Buddy's drummer and bass player are played with great musicianship and personality by Zac Spicer and Ryan Janssen. Lynnea Monique Doublette and Munyaradzi Tirivep embody the spirit of the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem and rouse the crowd with "Shout!" The excellent ensemble includes Charles Fraser as several music industry people; Andrea San Miguel, charming as Buddy's sudden wife; Four Humors' Brant Miller as the Big Bopper et al.; Bryan Porter, making the most of several small roles; and Mariah Trimm, with a hilariously Midwestern version of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Refreshingly for a musical, the actors are not miked, but use retro style microphones for the big numbers. This also allows for a few lovely unplugged moments, including Buddy singing to his new wife. The stage is set up to look like a '50s stage, and the period costumes include poodle skirts, crinolines, and bow ties galore (sound by C. Andrew Mayer, set by Justin Hooper, and costumes by Lynn Farrington).

If you remember where you were on "the day the music died" and long to reminisce about the days before that loss of innocence, you'll want to catch this show before it closes on December 21 (or later, I hear it's going to be extended). If you only know of it from the song (or, for you other children of the '80s, the 1987 movie La Bamba about Ritchie Valens), this is a chance to learn a little bit more about the legend and imagine what it was like to be a bobby soxer. Either way - a good time was had by all.

Fringe Festival: "Four Humors Does Every Show in the Fringe"

Day: 8

Show: 31

Title: Four Humors Does Every Show in the Fringe

Category: Comedy

By: Four Humors

Created by: Four Humors

Location: New Century Theatre

Summary: Rather than creating an original piece as Fringe faves Four Humors usually do, they're improving a different show every night based on the title and description of another Fringe show chosen at random.

Highlights: I'd watch these guys do anything (these guys being Ryan Lear, Brant Miller, Nick Ryan, and Matt Spring). And when you go see this show, that's pretty much what you can expect - anything. A big show was made of the random drawing of the numbered ping pong balls (numbered shows listed in the program - no cheating), and the lucky winner was Fish Stories. Somehow guest performer Tim Hellendrung heard "the one that got away" and immediately thought - Katie Holmes. So these fish stories included a grocery store meet-cute, a wish-granting time-traveling poorly mimed fish, a fight scene between said fish and Tom Cruise, and an escape to post-apocalyptic Canada. In between shows Tim read some "audience reviews" of the show, which was a hilarious spoof on what these reviews sometimes are. This show is silly and fun and inventive, and it's a joy to watch these guys work. And I'm not alone in that opinion - this show is the best-selling show at New Century, with an encore performance tonight at 8:30.

"The Big Show" by Theatre Forever at the Southern Theater

I grew up on game shows. Shows like The 10,000 Dollar Pyramid, Hollywood Squares, The Joker's Wild, and my favorite, Family Feud. Theatre Forever's The Big Show hearkens back to those good old days, and it's great fun. But it also digs a little deeper as popular host Jackie Cartwright takes the opportunity of his final show to look back on his life and the sacrifices he made to get where he is. In addition to being funny and entertaining, The Big Show is also sad and poignant at times, with some really beautiful images created in the gorgeous space that is the Southern Theater. Unfortunately the show is closing tonight, so let me get right down to it:

• Brant Miller as Jackie Cartwright is, as always, so funny and inventive and totally committed to his character. Jackie is a combination of every game show host from the 70s, with more than a little Richard Dawson and his penchant for kissing the ladies and the catch phrase "survey says!" But there's a desperation just underneath the big personality, as he contemplates what his life will be like now that the show is ending after he pushed everything aside for it.
• This wonderful ensemble (who also helped to create the piece along with director Jon Ferguson, Dominic Orlando, and Brant Miller) includes Joanna Harmon and Tony Sarnicki as game show contestants, as well as Jackie's wife and son; Katelyn Skelley and Leslie O'Neil as the game show assistants/dancers with their perfect 70s hair; and Mark Benzel and Robert Haarman as a couple of stagehands that help to set the scenes both in the game show and in Jackie's life.
• The trippy 70s vibe is fantastic, and the women's costumes are especially fab, from the flowy pastel dresses of Jackie's assistants, made for twirling, to Joanna's super cool floral jumpsuit.
• The lighting (designed by Per Olson) helps to create the mood of reflection, with some really lovely effects created by the hanging light bulbs and light bulbs on sticks wielded by the cast. Various props are also put into effect, my favorite being the single feather that softly and elegantly falls from the ceiling. Jackie has an obsession with the night sky, which comes into play in the beautiful ending. 

A note in the program summarizes the impetus for the show as such: "Brant wanted to make a game show, Jon wanted to make a piece about afterlife, and Dominic wanted to make a piece about a nervous breakdown on television." Mission accomplished on all fronts. Fresh and original, with a touch of nostalgia, tons of humor, and some really lovely moments such as the one below.

Fringe Festival: "The Nose"

Day: 7

Show: 20

Title: The Nose

By: The Piltdown Men

Created by: The Piltdown Men

Location: Illusion Theater

Summary: A politician's nose is accidentally cut off by his barber, and the nose takes on a life of its own - running for office against him and stealing the woman he loves.

Highlights: Based on a 19th century short story, The Nose is a delightfully absurd piece, well-performed by the three-man cast (Theo Langason, Matt Spring, and Brant Miller, the latter two also a part of the three-man cast in Four Humors' Lolita). With rapid-fire dialogue, odd and amusing dance interludes between scenes, musical accompaniment that provides a soundtrack (by Alex Kim), zero props or set pieces, and fully committed performances by the three actors in multiple roles, it's just a highly entertaining show. For only the second time in the Fringe, I forgot to take notes after about 5 minutes, so enthralled was I by the show. What else can I say?  It's great - their last show is tomorrow (Sunday) and it's well worth fitting it into your Fringe schedule if you haven't yet.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

Fringe Festival: "Four Humors' Lolita: A Three Man Show"

Day: 3

Show: 8

Title: Four Humors' Lolita: A Three Man Show

By: Fat Bottom Jones Productions

Created by: Four Humors Theater

Location: Illusion Theater

Summary: A typically Four Humors adaptation of the 1962 Stanley Kubrick movie Lolita, based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov, with three men playing the titular 12-year-old girl, the middle-aged British professor who's obsessed with her, and every other character.

Highlights: This is a brilliant and hilarious adaptation of this crazy story (which I've never previously seen or read). The three actors throw themselves into their roles wholeheartedly, Brant Miller as the precocious 12-year-old girl (see photo above), Ryan Lear as the professor with the breathy English accent, who also serves as the narrator of the story, and Matt Spring stealing every scene as many different characters. They occasionally break out of the story to comment on it, the funniest when Brant realizes what the story is really about, which leads to a long discussion about whether Lolita is "filth," or whether, "as artists, don't we have an obligation to follow the story wherever it takes us, as long as it gives us more information about what it means to be human?" The staging is simple, just two folding chairs with spotlights creating shadows on the back wall, and the choice of music is spot-on, including such songs as "Don't Stand So Close to Me," "Young Girl," "Go Away Little Girl," and "Suspicious Minds." Bottom line: Four Humors' Lolita is a must-see, it's just fantastic.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Red Eye Theater

Last night I walked into Red Eye Theater (a new venue for me) to find the large open stage area strewn with dried leaves, backed by a fence with bare trees painted on it. It set the scene for a delightfully spooktacular and silly story to play out in an innovative way - Walking Shadow Theatre Company's new version of the short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. While parts of it I didn't quite get as much as the rest of the audience seemed to (similar to how I feel when I try to watch Saturday Night Live - I just don't get it), there are also parts that I found to be funny and whimsical and clever. Written by co-Artistic Director John Heimbuch and directed by Jon Ferguson, it's inventive and creative storytelling, which I always applaud.

You all know this story - 18th century schoolteacher Ichabod Crane arrives in the small New England community called Sleepy Hollow. The town is full of ghost stories and legends, including the one about the headless horseman who haunts the woods. Ichabod vies with a local man Brom Bones for the affection of the lovely young Katrina Van Tassel, and soon becomes a ghost story himself when he supposedly encounters the horseman and disappears without a trace. Walking Shadow tells this story with exaggerated dramatic effect - audible gasps, extreme facial expressions, and wild gestures - which makes it more campy and funny than scary.

Things I enjoyed about the show:

• The set and costume design are fantastic and really couldn't be better. Erica Zaffarano's set and props (the aforementioned leaf-strewn floor and bare tree fence) are simple and natural and creative - a stack of books for a chair in the schoolhouse, sticks and branches to form a horse. Lori Opsal's costumes are gorgeously distressed and dusty, looking authentic but aged. The hair and make-up is the icing on the cake, the pale faces and dark eyes and lips of the actors accentuating their already over-the-top reactions.
• At the Sunday church service, the ensemble sings a wonderfully dark hymn, "Death! 'Tis a melancholy day, To those who have no God."
• Ryan Lear is fantastic as Ichabod, he really embodies this character and is a delight to watch. He's backed by a great ensemble (many of whom helped create the piece in its first incarnation at the Jon Hassler Theater in 2010), including Brant Miller as the bully Brom, Joanna Harmon as the ghoulish coquette Katrina, and Casey Hoekstra as the enthusiastic preacher.
• All of the physical storytelling bits are really clever and effective - the various ways of representing the horse and horseman, the strange little puppet show, the wind blowing Ichabod's coat, and my favorite, Ichabod and Katrina's walk through the woods while remaining stationary in space, with one or the other falling behind when the conversation gets tricky.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow continues through this weekend only. Check it out for something different.

Ryan Lear as Ichabod Crane, with the wind blowing his coat

Fringe Festival 2012: Candide

Day: 1

Show: 4

Title: Candide

By: Four Humors Theater

Written by: Nick Ryan

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: A fast-paced and farcical adaptation of the 18th Century novel Candide by Voltaire. The title of each scene is announced before it begins as quick changes occur during blackouts, and as the play progresses, the scenes get shorter, faster, and more absurd.

Highlights: I'm not familiar with the source material, and I have to admit, I wasn't quite sure what to make of this one at first. But once I realized that it's a farce, and let go of any attempts at logic or rationality, it grew on me and I quite enjoyed it. It's worth seeing this show for the cast alone; Anna Hickey, Matt Spring, Ryan Lear, and Christian Bardin create many wacky and memorable characters throughout the short play (I particularly loved Christian Bardin's silly, funny, and poignant little song as the old woman who's seen too much in her life). Brant Miller is the one constant as the affable title character. It's an absurd, funny, entertaining romp.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections...