A Reading of "Eat, Slay, Leave" by the Playwright Cabal at the Phoenix Theatre

The Playwright Cabal is "an ambitious group of female-identified professional playwrights who promote the development of new scripted plays in the Twin Cities and one another’s success." This fall, they're presenting a series of readings of new works by each the five members (Katherine Glover, Gemma Irish, Alayna Jacqueline, Heather Meyer, and Rachel Teagle). This program, entitled New Leaf, is free to attend, and includes pre- and post-show happy hour as well as a post-show discussion of the work presented. All readings are at the Phoenix Theatre in Uptown, and it's a really great way to see what our local female playwrights are up to.

Fringe Festival 2017: "Buffy the Bedbug Slayer"

Day: 8

Show: 30

Title: Buffy the Bedbug Slayer

Category: Comedy

By: Spike Tape Productions

Written by: Gina Musto

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: Retired from vampire slaying, Buffy must face an even tougher foe - bedbugs and an evil landlord namded Drumpf.

Highlights: This show combines Buffy fan fiction, a creepy bedbug tale, and political satire. Even though I have yet to see an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (it's on my list of shows to binge) and maybe didn't get all of the show references, I still found the show amusing. Seemingly all of the popular characters are included, including a creepy sexy villain (Rob Brecher) in the form of a bedbug who's working with evil landlord Drumpf (played by a big-headed tiny-handed orange-haired puppet manipulated by Daina Ali), until he convinces Buffy (Emily Fletcher, who really looks the part) to join with him to bring Drumpf down. There are some pretty awesome fight scenes (choreographed by Maria Tordoff) with Buffy (literally) kicking butt, and who doesn't want to bring down an idiot billionaire with dozens of lawsuits against him from unhappy tenants? (No one in this crowd.)

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.