Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "H.G. Wells' THE INVISIBLE MAN"

Day: 3

Show: 7

Title: H.G. Wells' THE INVISIBLE MAN 

Category: COMEDY / PHYSICAL THEATER / SCI-FI / LITERARY ADAPTATION

By: [Un]Qualified

Created by: Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan

Location: Southern Theater

Summary: An adaptation of the 1897 novel The Invisible Man, in which a scientist becomes invisible, in a playful physical theater style.

Highlights: I don't think it's a coincidence that playwright/director Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan and one of the actors, Brendan Veerman, performed the roles of "the clowns" in Lyric Arts' 2021 production of The 39 Steps. This production uses the same sort of physical theater, clowning, prop work, and fast pace as that show, to great effect. Don't worry if you're not familiar with the source material (which was adapted into a film in 1933), neither was I. The story of the scientist whose experiment goes awry is clearly told in under an hour, as he travels around London trying to resume his work, and running afoul of the law, again. Doni Marinos plays the titular character, either appearing completely clothed and wrapped up, including face and hands, or staying behind the shower curtain under the Southern Theater arch and providing the voice for the unseen man. Brendan Veerman, Courtney Vonvett, and Tucker Brewster Schuster, dressed in trousers with suspenders and a white tank top, play a dizzying number of characters, and probably burn about a thousand calories per show as they run around the stage donning different costumes and accents, one after the other. The physical work, costumes, sound and lighting design, and use of props is so fun, playful, and clever. One particularly delightful recurring gag is going up and down stairs, another highlight is Brendan, a gifted physical comedic actor with a rubber face, in a fight scene with the invisible man, throwing himself all across the stage. This super fun and clever creation is a must-see.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"The World Over" at Open Window Theatre

It's been almost four years since Open Window Theatre lost their space in Minneapolis due to a conflict with the landlord that resulted in a multi-year lawsuit, which they eventually won. Now they're back in a brand new space in Inver Grove Heights (about ten miles south of St. Paul). They're presenting two shows this spring in what looks like a strip mall in the suburbs, in which they've created a nice space with an intimate theater. The World Over, which opened this weekend and runs through March 15, is a fitting story of overcoming obstacles in pursuit of a singular goal.