Fringe Festival: "These Old Shoes"

Day: 4

Show: 12

Title: These Old Shoes

By: Transatlantic Love Affair

Created by: Diogo Lopes and the ensemble

Location: Music Box Theatre

Summary: Using their trademark physical theater style, Transatlantic Love Affair tells the story of a man packing up his belongings and memories as he prepares to move into an "old folks home," with the help of his loving granddaughter.

Highlights: Transatlantic Love Affair never fails to make me cry. The pictures that they create and the emotions that those pictures evoke are so beautiful; it's difficult to describe if you haven't seen them. The seven actors are on a completely bare stage with no set or props, dressed simply, but manage to create a rich and varied world in which to tell their stories. With only their bodies, voices, and facial expressions, they represent everything from furniture to trees to the characters in the stories. And they always use music very wisely to enhance, but never distract from, the story (Dustin Tessier on an expressive electric guitar). Without giving away too much, the story they tell here is one of aging, memory, regrets, and second chances. The entire cast is wonderful, but Derek Lee Miller and Peytie McCandless are especially lovely as they portray characters at various times in their lives. There's so much going on, such exquisite attention to detail, that it's impossible to see everything. I wish I had time to see this again* so I could drink it all in. My favorite of the Fringe so far, and I doubt anything else I see will top it.

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*And maybe I will see it again. They're continuing their trend of expanding Fringe shows at Illusion Theater with last year's Ash Land, to be presented at Illusion in February 2014. Dare I hope for These Old Shoes at Illusion in 2015?

Fringe Festival: "Dear Madde"

Day: 4

Show: 11

Title: Dear Madde

By: Gigglepus Productions

Created by: Madde Gibba

Location: Red Eye Theater

Summary: A "Dear Abby" type reads and sings letters written to her by people asking for advice, mostly about their love lives. She also answers a few letters from the audience.

Highlights: Madde Gibba is funny and charming as she reads letters in different voices, from a 5-year-old boy, to a teenage valley girl, to a TGI-60 woman. Most of the letters are funny, one is sort of sad. She sings a couple of original songs, beginning with "Dear Madde" (a mishmash of various letters she's received) and ending with "Dear You" (say what you feel). In between, previously written material is mixed with improv based on letters from the audience (including the made-up-on-the-spot song "put on a knee brace and mount an otter"). Accompanied by Peter Guertin on keyboards and Josh Kaplan on drums, she sings comically well (a skill I always admire). Bottom line: it's a funny, sweet, and entertaining show. If you have a problem you need help with, go and ask Madde. She might give you a helpful answer, or she might just make everyone laugh.

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Fringe Festival: "They Called Her Captain"

Day: 3

Show: 10

Title: They Called Her Captain

By: Less Traveled Productions

Written by: Dawn Brodey

Location: Playwrights' Center

Summary: A local actress plays her mother, who joined the Army in WWII and became a captain, as well as almost a dozen other characters in telling the story of this remarkable heroine.

Highlights: First of all, this is a true story; who knew that women were in the Army in WWII? Maybe I'm ignorant, but I didn't. Second of all, she's still alive (and was in the audience), and her daughter is the sole performer in this show. That's pretty cool. But besides that, it's a great play, in fact it's the first Fringe show I've seen that's just begging to be expanded into a full-length play. The subject matter is so rich that they could easily fill two hours, and I hope that they continue to work on the piece so that we get to see it again, in a fuller version. Maggie Bearmon Pistner plays her mother, Jeanne Goldoff Bearmon, during her years as a young Jewish woman from Brooklyn who decides to join the Army. After boot camp, she's sent to London to work in the personnel department, and eventually travels all over Europe. We hear about this through her best friend in the States, her friends overseas, her host family in London, and other people she meets along the way. Maggie effortlessly transforms into these diverse characters with the help of the costumes (by E. Amy Hill), adding a jacket or hat. It's an inspiring story told by people directly involved with it. It left me wanting to know more.

NOTE: the show I attended was sold out, so if you want to see it you should make reservations in advance (see the Fringe website).

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Fringe Festival: "Hickory Minimum Security Correctional Facility Presents: Hoosiers: The Stage Adaptation"

Day: 3

Show: 9

Title: Hickory Minimum Security Correctional Facility Presents: Hoosiers: The Stage Adaptation

By: Ferrari McSpeedy Theatrical Productions

Created by: Mike Fotis and Joe Bozic

Location: U of M Rarig Center Thurst

Summary: To save their Indiana prison from being shut down, a warden and his director of arts and leisure decide to enter a prison theater competition with an adaptation of the hit basketball movie Hoosiers.

Highlights: I've never seen the movie so I probably didn't get a lot of the references (I gather that the plot and characters in the play mirrored those in the movie), and I wasn't laughing nearly as much as my neighbors, but I still found it amusing and entertaining. How can you go wrong with "competitive prison theater?" The cast is great, led by Sam Landman, who portrays the warden with utter conviction and sincerity, and Mike Fotis, the straight man amidst all these crazy characters who populate the prison. And I enjoyed seeing double-Fringe performer Andy Kraft (who is also in Comedy vs. Calories: FIGHT!) as the "Jupitor Jesus" worshiping inmate. My favorite scenes were the clever montages, something you see often on film but rarely onstage. It's well-done silliness.

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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.

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Fringe Festival: "RT + MPLS: The Legend of RT Rybak"

Day: 3

Show: 7

Title: RT + MPLS: The Legend of RT Rybak

By: Black Market Doctor

Created by: Heather Meyer

Location: New Century Theatre

Summary: A love story between a man (R.T. Rybak, three-term and current mayor of Minneapolis) and a city, covering everything from courtship to break-up to making up again.

Highlights: This is a charming love story, even though one of the parties is a city, not a person. A puppet R.T. Rybak (Michael Krefting) tells us of his romance with the beautiful, complicated city of Minneapolis. Since the puppet has limited mobility, the part of R.T. is played by Ryan Nelson, hilariously charming as he woos his fair city, whom he loves "from the stone arch of her foot to the cherry and spoonbridge of her nose." Anna Weggel is Minneapolis in human form, first rebuffing R.T., then falling for his charms (like helping to rebuild the 35W bridge and instituting the "nice ride" bike system), feeling heartbroken as he leaves her to run for governor, and finally rejoicing in his return. I don't live in Minneapolis so I don't know that much about the mayor (who was in the audience when I saw the show), but reading the R.T. Rybak Wikipedia page, it's amazing how many things about him they've incorporated into the show, from crowd-surfing to cross-country skiing. The show is chock full of local jokes and references, including poking gentle fun at sister city St. Paul. It's charming and funny and very Minnesotan.

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Fringe Festival: "Shelly Bachberg Presents: How Helen Keller and Anne Frank Freed the Slaves: The Musical"

Day: 3

Show: 6

Title: Shelly Bachberg Presents: How Helen Keller and Anne Frank Freed the Slaves: The Musical

By: The Jansonowicz Players

Created by: Michael Gruber, Nikki Swoboda, and Max Wojtanowicz

Location: New Century Theatre

Summary: A musical satirical look at politics, politicians, and history, in which a Minnesota congresswoman reads from her new book (see title), a fresh interpretation of "history."

Highlights: The creators of last year's Fringe hit Fruit Fly: The Musical return with this completely ridiculous (in a good way) offering, featuring a fantastic cast. The always delightful Kim Kivens is perfectly cast as the wide-eyed and misguided congresswoman. She begins to read a story about the inspiring American Anne Frank (played by Caroline Innerbichler as a spunky Nancy Drew type), who just happens to live upstairs from Helen Keller (a hilariously deadpan Mary Fox, stumbling around the stage randomly groping whatever's in front of her). The two become friends and set out to free the slaves, visiting Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln (both David Darrow), his wife Mary Todd, and Marie Antoinette (both Whitney Rhodes) along the way. Eventually right wins out, as our heroines triumphantly "Fan the Flames of Freedom." The show is jam-packed with mixed up historical stories, songs that are fun and lively (despite their messed up messages of "truth"), rousing ensemble numbers, and costumes that are way above average for a Fringe show. Shelly says "I'm not here to talk about facts, I'm here to talk about history," bringing to mind my favorite Wicked quote: "Where I'm from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true. We call it history." It's scary because it's true. This show pokes fun at that notion in a hilariously entertaining way.

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Fringe Festival: "To My Son, Born Five Years from Today:"

Day: 2

Show: 5

Title: To My Son, Born Five Years from Today:

By: The Peanut Butter Factory

Created by: Christopher Kehoe

Location: Woman's Club of Minneapolis

Summary: A man writes a letter to his future son as he wrestles with the idea of what it means to be a man, told in words and movement.

Highlights: Christopher Kehoe enters the stage in a suit, barefoot. The stage is empty except for two folding chairs and a low table with a lamp and writing papers. He methodically and repetitively arranges the items on the desk, clicking his pen repeatedly as if he has OCD. He then begins to write, toss away ideas, and write again, while moving his tall frame around the stage with precise movements (choreographed by Carl Flink), occasionally pausing in his letter writing because "I have a story." By the end of the show he has managed to gather all these pieces together to create a beautiful picture. This show, to me, is the epitome of the Fringe Festival. An artist taking a chance and doing something unique and interesting and a little bizarre, that you might not see any other time of the year. I knew Christopher Kehoe was a brilliant writer from last year's Fringe, but he's also a captivating performer, commanding the stage with his physical presence and unique storytelling style. This show might not be for everyone, especially the Fringe or theater novice, but if you're looking for something different and unique - this is it.

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Fringe Festival: "Hello Stranger"

Day: 2

Show: 4

Title: Hello Stranger

By: The Newton Theatre

Written by: Tyler Mills

Location: U of M Rarig Center Thrust

Summary: Hmmm... how can I describe this one? It's a one-woman show with lovely original live music, shadow puppets, and audience get-to-know-each-other exercises, all of which ruminates on the idea of how strangers become friends.

Highlights: Debra Berger is charming and disarming as the leader of this experience, for experience it is. A voice-over narration dictates her actions as much as describes them, as she processes the complicated issues surrounding relationships. She asks the audience questions and invites them to participate in exercises to get to know each other. Half of the fun is watching the audience (and since I was sitting behind a couple of the guys from Comedy vs. Calories, I got a double show!). Debra sings three songs, offered as golden apples in the courtship between her and the audience. She is accompanied by one of my favorite local musicians (who also recently co-wrote a new original musical* at Yellow Tree Theatre), Blake Thomas (download his 2008 recording Flatlands for an example of a nearly perfect album). Playing various instruments, he provides a soundtrack throughout the show, sings harmony with Debra, and even entertains the audience with a silly song of his own while she's off stage. The songs are typically whimsical with a little touch of melancholy and that folky sound I love so much. This is a one-of-a-kind show, and I found it to be quite delightful. But be forewarned: be careful who you sit down next to, they might become a lifelong friend (or a Facebook friend that you unfriend in a week).

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*If you missed Stay Tuned at Yellow Tree earlier this year, don't worry, you can see an excerpt from the show at this year's Ivey Awards.

Fringe Festival: "Comedy vs. Calories: FIGHT!"

Day: 2

Show: 3

Title: Comedy vs. Calories: FIGHT!

By: Comedy Suitcase

Created by: Joshua English Scrimshaw, Levi Weinhagen, and Andy Kraft

Location: U of M Rarig Center Thrust

Summary: Three comedians consume one happy meal each, and then work for the rest of the show to burn off the calories they've consumed by exercising and performing comedy skits, often at the same time.

Highlights: In this fight, comedy wins! About a half dozen clever and hilarious comedy sketches are tied together around the theme of food, fitness, and body image, some of which are personal and poignant stories. But mostly it's just good fun; I was laughing so much my face hurt at the end of the show! Sketches include a discussion of plastic surgery, the woes of childhood sports, The Biggest Loser as a teaching tool, and a funny spoof of the Tom Waits song "The Piano Has Been Drinking." The show is interactive but not in a scary way. At one point the guys invite all the kids in the audience on stage to play dodgeball, which is super fun to watch from the relative safety of the audience. Bottom line: funniest show I've seen at the Fringe so far. My favorite line: "This isn't the Guthrie, we just ate a cheeseburger on stage!"

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Fringe Festival: "A Brief History of Irish Music"

Day: 1

Show: 2

Title: A Brief History of Irish Music

By: Snikt! Bamf! Thwip!

Created by: The Dregs

Location: New Century Theatre

Summary: Irish comedy band The Dregs perform a half dozen songs from their repertoire, from plaintive ballads to rousing drinking songs, and everything in between. The framework for this showcase is a book called A Brief History of Irish Music, which allegedly gives the history of each song they sing. Members also act out some of the stories behind the songs (with props).

Highlights: This six-person band might be full of jokesters, but the music is fantastic. The skits in between songs are silly, and they're better musicians than actors, but that's part of the fun. They don't take themselves (or the subject matter) too seriously, and have a lot of fun playing with the audience. But don't be fooled, they are serious musicians. And drummer Tim Wick does a great job leading the band through the show as he "reads from the book" and keeping things moving along. It's worth seeing for the music, with a lot of fun thrown in. (And my friend who's lived in the South wanted me to point out that they correctly use the phrase "all y'all," which is commonly misused by us Northerners.) 

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Fringe Festival: "Are You There God? It's a New Musical Review!"

Day: 1

Show: 1

Title: Are You There God? It's a New Musical Review!

By: Blue Umbrella Productions*

Created by: Suzy Winter

Location: Illusion Theater

Summary: As they peruse a used book sale, five singer/actors (Windy Bowlsby, Kathleen Hardy, Bill Rolon, Paul Whittemore, and Suzy Winter) perform songs about growing up, mostly from musicals. There is no dialogue or plot, but they do read a few excerpts from Judy Blume books, including, of course, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Highlights: This is a charming and entertaining show, with well-chosen songs to describe the growing up experience. The creators really did their research, as many of the songs are from little-known (at least to me) musicals, such as Snoopy! The Musical, Freaky Friday, Little by Little, and Bare: A Pop Opera. More familiar selections include "Something's Coming" from West Side Story and the quintessential musical song about the pre-teen years, "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" from A Chorus Line. Each cast member gets a solo or two, along with duets and ensemble numbers, nicely choreographed by Windy. They all sing well and with sincerity, with the tone ranging from sad and sweet to funny and tongue-in-cheek. I love that the cast is not made up of young kids; the fact that people who have been "grown up" for a few years are singing these songs somehow makes it more poignant, as if they're remembering what it was like to be a kid, and feeling things more strongly because of the time and distance.

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*It's no wonder I liked this show - these are the same people behind the tribute to TV theme songs that I loved so much two years ago!