"Worm Teeth" by Melancholics Anonymous at the Phoenix Theater

Worm Teeth is a sweet and silly little play written by Scotland-based playwright Kelsey Sullivan, but it feels very much like a Melancholics Anonymous show. Meaning a little weird, a little dark, but with a lot of heart and a deeper message about finding oneself and loving who you find. The play itself is only about an hour long (and very Fringey), but it's preceded by a half hour or so of music by "The Buggy Band," joined by a guest musician at every performance. It's a great evening of music and laughter, continuing at Phoenix Theater through May 24.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA"

Day: 2

Show: 6

Title: Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA

Category: Comedy / Drama / Original Music / Puppetry / Historical content / LGBTQIA+ Content / Political content / Religious content

By: Melancholics Anonymous

Created by: Rachel Ropella and Timothy Kelly

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: The teenage warrior saint Joan of Arc comes back to life to enter a beauty pageant in South Dakota.

Highlights: After selling out shows in smaller venues for the last few years, the Melancholics have graduated to the big stage of the Rarig Thrust, and they fill the space well with this really fun (and a little bit sweet) story of female friendship. What starts out as a stereotypically vicious and competitive beauty pageant, with a hilarious Timothy Kelly as the host, goes a little deeper as we find out each young woman's motivations (played to perfection by Anneliese Garner, Kate Cosgrove, Bee Davis, Meredith Enersen, and Claire Chenoweth in gorgeous gowns, a full face of makeup, and impressive hairdos). The entry of Joan (played by Samantha Miller) throws a wrench into the whole thing, as Saint Michael (Carson Uthe, who also plays the evil pageant "mom") tells her she has to win the crown. But of course, that's not why she's really there, and it turns into a sweet story of female friendship and community (with some minor violence, because this is Melancholics Anonymous, but no blood). I think this may be my favorite Melancholics entry in the fringe (with the possible exception of 2023's A Girl Scout's Guide to Exorcism). It's well written, directed, designed, and acted, and is a lot of fun to watch.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

"Endometriosis: The Musical" at Theatre in the Round

The Minnesota Fringe Festival* is a great place for artists to develop and showcase new work. But truthfully, even the best shows at Fringe usually work best within that framework (less than an hour in length, presented at an experimental festival). But every once in a while, you'll see a show that feels like it has life beyond Fringe. The smash hit of the 2022 festival, Endometriosis: The Musical, was one such show. I knew immediately that this was more than "just" a Fringe musical, and "it needs to be seen by more people than just five (likely sold out) Fringe performances." Thankfully, the folks at Theatre in the Round (the venue for the 2022 show) saw that too, and have worked with the creators (book by Maria Bartholdi, music by Kristin Stowell, and lyrics by both) to develop Endometriosis into a full-length musical. Sadly, a show about women's reproductive health and the increasing dangers to it, and our ever more broken health care system, has only become more relevant in the last three years. What better way to bring attention to these issues, and to talk (and sing) about periods and other things related to "lady parts," than in an original musical? And to do it in such a fun, funny, entertaining way. As I wrote in 2022, Endometriosis: The Musical is "beautifully and cleverly written, both hilarious and poignant, and utterly relatable for any human who has ever menstruated." If you're looking for a new, original, relevant, locally created, silly, sobering, highly entertaining musical, go see Endometriosis: The Musical at the oldest theater in Minneapolis, and one smart enough to recognize the potential of this Fringey musical. 

"Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche" by Melancholics Anonymous at Center for Performing Arts

The title says it all: Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche. Well, maybe not all. There's also an apocalyptic event, romance, tragedies, and secrets revealed, not to mention the fact that it's the 1950s, a time when it wasn't safe or acceptable for women to call themselves lesbians. Melancholics Anonymous' production of this funny, subversive, and a little bit gruesome play is a good way to spend 70 minutes on a summer evening. But hurry, there are only three shows left! (Click here for all the deets.)