Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "Romeo & Juliet Are Dead"

Day: 4

Show: 15

Title: Romeo & Juliet Are Dead

Category: COMEDY / DRAMA / MAGIC / LITERARY ADAPTATION / SHAKESPEARIAN ELEMENTS

By: Blinking Eye Theatre

Created by: Riley Parham

Location: Rarig Arena

Summary: A play that explores what happens after the ending of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, when they're together in the afterlife.

Highlights: I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, and was utterly charmed by it. Riley Parham, an Augsburg grad now based in Portland, wrote what sounds like a lost Shakespeare play, and also plays the role of Romeo. When Juliet (played by fellow Portland artist Ezra Veenstra) joins Romeo in the afterlife, where he's been counting the... counts until she arrived, they speak to each other in flowery rhymes that sound like an extension of Romeo and Juliet. But when they realize that they can draw things into existence with the chalk they found there, they begin to discover that maybe they want different things in life, or death. It turns out you don't really know each other very well after just five days together and only talking about love, not about who you really are and the things you like (leapfrog). Then Juliet finds out about Rosaline, and begins to wonder just what words of love mean to Romeo. This is where things turn modern, as Juliet loves Romeo but doesn't want him to be her whole life. It's a clever concept that's beautifully written and performed, with no props other than chalk and two mysterious rings, and sepia toned period costumes (designed by Ezra) that allow for lots of movement around the space and a little fighting. This is Shakespeare fan fic done right.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "Climbing my family tree"

Day: 4

Show: 14

Title: Climbing my family tree

Category: COMEDY / IMPROV / SOLO SHOW / STORYTELLING / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION / POLITICAL CONTENT / RELIGIOUS CONTENT

By: Kurkendaal Barrett Presentations

Created by: Les Kurkendaal-Barrett

Location: Rarig Thrust

Title: Climbing My Family Tree

Summary: A storytelling show about a Black man's search for his family, and the surprising things he found.

Highlights: I first saw this show as part of the virtual 2020 Minnesota Fringe Festival, and have seen him perform live since, so I was eager to revisit this piece live (what follows is borrowed from my review of the virtual show). This is a fascinating story, and Les tells it well with a building of suspense. I'm kind of obsessed with those genealogical shows (e.g., Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are), and that's really what this is. After taking an Ancestry DNA test, Les meets his long-lost grandfather, as well as some distant cousins, and discovers he's descended from some pretty amazing and surprising people, of both African and European descent. He learns about an aunt that was a founder of the Black Panthers in New Orleans, his many generations removed French Duke ancestor, and mixed race couples in a time it was illegal and dangerous. He's accepted with open arms by all of the cousins he meets, and feels a real kinship with them. This story of genealogical discovery is interspersed with his grandfather's story that he tells Les the one and only time they met, about how he once killed a man ("he just wrote my next show for me!"). But the best part of Les's story is that in the end, what he discovers is that "racism is dumb, because we're all related anyway." Amen.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "Lost In Bear Country: Birth, God, Death, Berenstain Bears"

Day: 4

Show: 13

Title: Lost In Bear Country: Birth, God, Death, Berenstain Bears

Category: COMEDY / IMPROV / SOLO SHOW / STORYTELLING / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION / POLITICAL CONTENT / RELIGIOUS CONTENT

By: Phil Gonzales / Raffish Ripoff Productions

Created by: Phil Gonzales, Willow Piotrowski, Mitzi Gonzales Gravitz

Location: Rarig Xperimental

Summary: A solo show that uses the Berenstain Bears series of books to explore deep topics in a light-hearted way.

Highlights: Phil Gonzales isn't not obsessed with the Berenstain Bears, he's infected with them. At the beginning of the show, he reveals a game show spinning wheel with various topics like birth, death, God, family, sports, race, and love, and a bulletin board with photos, words, and connecting string, like something Carrie Matheson in Homeland would have. In fact, Phil is not unlike Carrie. Recently diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety, he jumps from one topic to the next, speaking in a stream of consciousness style about seemingly unrelated topics, one tangent leading to the next. But just because his brain works a little differently doesn't mean that he's not speaking the truth. Every show is different, as Phil spins the wheel (which just keeps spinning and spinning, allowing time for awkward silence and non sequiturs) to determine the next topic. I don't think we got through even half of them; I'm pretty sure he could have kept talking twice as long, as he delves into his childhood growing up in Texas the son of a Mexican father and a White mother, his life in the theater, and how the Berenstain Bears new religious line helped him connect to something larger, even as an atheist. And he has visual aids - manilla envelopes with each topic written on them in sharpie, containing multiple books related to the topic (and other visual aids). It's a very funny, wild, all over the place kind of show that in the end kind of makes sense and is even a little inspiring and enlightening. Who knew the Berenstain Bears contained so much. 

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "Fire in My Veins: Blazing through Life with Invisible Illness"

Day: 3

Show: 12

Title: Fire in My Veins: Blazing through Life with Invisible Illness

Category: COMEDY / DRAMA / SOLO SHOW / SPOKEN WORD / STORYTELLING

By: Allison Broeren

Created by: Allison Broeren

Location: Strike Theater

Summary: A solo storytelling piece about living with an unseen chronic illness.

Highlights: Allison Broeren is one of the founders of Strike Theater, which this year is a serving as a venue for seven independently produced shows. In her very personal solo show, she tells her story of living with an autoimmune disease that you've probably never heard of, unless you or someone you know has an autoimmune disease, or you work in the field. She was diagnosed almost 20 years ago when she was in her early 20s, and shares details of the diagnosis (which took 10 months), treatments (steroids and chemotherapy drugs), and what it feels like (somedays fine, other days not great). I attended one of the special extended performances that was about 75 minutes long, but it didn't feel long at all; it's a thoroughly engaging and compelling show. Allison shares all of the details of her experience, and gives you a glimpse of what it might be like to live with a chronic disease, for those of us lucky enough not to have that experience. She also illustrates the shortcomings in our health care, health insurance, employment, and other systems in terms of giving people with chronic illnesses the support and respect they need and deserve. She talks about tiring easily, using the spoon theory to illustrate spending energy on certain tasks, but in her show Allison is full of energy and spirit, in an ultimately hopeful and positive show about a disease with no cure and treatments that can be toxic. At its best theater can share the experience of people who are different than we are, help us feel connected to them, and engender empathy. This show does that in spades, and is funny, relatable, and moving.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "The Windblown Cheeks Of Lovers"

Day: 3

Show: 11

Title: The Windblown Cheeks Of Lovers

Category: COMEDY / DRAMA

By: Mike Fotis Productions

Created by: Mike Fotis, Rita Boersma, and Tim Hellendrung

Location: Strike Theater

Summary: A mocumentary about the making of a fictional miniseries from the '80s.

Highlights: The 1980s were prime season for melodramatic TV miniseries, some based on books that few people read. This show spoofs them gloriously. It begins with a family settling down to watch their favorite show - The Windblown Cheeks of Lovers, which we later find out was loosely based on the book The Wind Blows on the Cheeks of the Dead by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. When the TV turns on, these three brilliantly funny actors (Rita Boersma, Tim Hellendrung, and Mike Fotis, who also wrote and directed) step in front of a camera with a cheesy painted backdrop of a tree, and the footage is displayed live on the TV screen. Then we jump to the other side of the stage, where we watch a modern-day documentary about the making of the series, complete with backstage drama, a tragic death, and a sentient killer tornado. The three actors play all of the roles, changing character by adding one simple accessory attached to their waist by one of those pullout ID badge thingies, and donning an outrageous accent. The documentary reveals recently discovered backstage footage, achieved with another camera off to the side that displays on the TV screen in black and white. It's a fun and unique experience to watch both the live scene and the footage on the TV. There are a lot of moving pieces, a lot of characters, and a lot of accents, that combine for a ridiculous multi-media ride of a show. 

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "CHRIS DAVIS DOES STUFF"

Day: 3

Show: 10

Title: CHRIS DAVIS DOES STUFF

Category: COMEDY / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

By: Chrisdavisdoesstuff

Created by: Chris Davis

Location: Strike Theater

Summary: A solo comedy storytelling show that's both personal and political.

Highlights: Fringe favorite Sam Landman convinced his friend Chris Davis of Birmingham Alabama to make the trek to Minnesota to do his show. Sam's word is good enough for me, and he does not lead us astray here. Chris is doing not one but two shows during the run of the Fringe. I caught Just Black Enough, which he's doing in the first three slots. The only thing I didn't like about his show is that it was too short, coming in 20 minutes short of the one-hour limit. He's funny and personable, talking about growing up being told that he doesn't sound Black or act Black, and then proceeding to explore, in a disarming way, what that means. Aided by signs that he flips through, from "Semantics make things taste better," to "We made a Graves mistake," to "Book make me sad," he talks about issues of the day in a relatable and funny way. His second show Seriously, I'm Not Gay, which he's doing in the final two slots, is sure to do the same thing, this time taking on issues around identity. Chris is a stand-up comic, and this show feels very much like a funny and relevant stand-up comedy routine.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "What If We Hugged?"

Day: 3

Show: 9

Title: What If We Hugged?

Category: SOLO SHOW / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

By: Comedy Suitcase

Created by: Levi Weinhagen

Location: Strike Theater

Summary: A solo show from Fringe favorite Levi Weinhagen about fatherhood, heart disease, and what it means to be a man.

Highlights: You're probably used to seeing Levi, as he says in the show, running around and falling down as part of Comedy Suitcase (with Joshua English Scrimshaw). There's none of that here, instead it's a funny, personal, and relatable storytelling show. Having been raised by TV (in addition to his mother), he sets up the show in that familiar sitcom structure, compete with improvised commercials (I think my love language is TV sitcoms). In the "cold open" he tells us about what to expect in the show, in an informal and personable way, like he's just telling us a story over drinks in a bar, a style he continues throughout the show. Act I of this sitcom is the story of the somewhat traumatic birth of his daughter some 17 years ago, and his habit of passing out in times of great stress (it's a medical condition, and his love language). Act II recounts his experience with heart surgery, despite living a heart-healthy lifestyle for decades (it's in the genes). Even though the show is scripted, the stories don't sound rehearsed, they sound charmingly natural as he responds to audience reaction, speaking directly to us. The show is laugh out loud funny, full of pop culture references, and also speaks to issues of connection, relationships, politics, and the general stresses of being a human. He's vulnerable about his thoughts and fears and insecurities, in a way that makes us feel it's OK to feel those things too. And like at the end of those TV family sitcoms, sometimes a hug makes everything better (but only if it's consensual).

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "My Only Hope for a Hero"

Day: 3

Show: 8

Title: My Only Hope for a Hero

Category: COMEDY / DRAMA / SOLO SHOW / STORYTELLING

By: Rogues Gallery Arts

Created by: Duck Washington

Location: Southern Theater

Summary: A solo show by actor/director/improvisor/writer Duck Washington about his lifelong search for a hero.

Highlights: I was warned to bring tissues to this one, sage advice that I pass on to you. It's not a total tearjerker; it starts off as a very funny and personal story about Duck's love of all things Star Wars and G.I. Joe, which inspired his love of heroes, and his deep desire to be one. He shares a few quotes about heroes, trying to get to the bottom of what being a hero actually means. The title of the show is from one of Duck's favorite movies, Joe vs. the Volcano (which I now need to watch), uttered by Tom Hanks as Joe. Things take a more serious turn when talks about his father, who fought in Vietnam, the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, his mother's health issues, and the time he encountered a young woman about to jump off a bridge. He comes to the conclusion that you can't wait around for a hero, you have to be one in your own life and the lives of those you encounter. In what becomes a call to action, he asks us to help him, to stand up for people who need help. It's a passionate plea that doesn't feel preachy or judgmental, and after an hour of stories and pop culture references, with charming two-dimensional set pieces for illustration, it's impossible not to be on board. This is solo show that's playful, fun, and funny, but also meaningful and moving.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

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.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "Let Me Say This About That"

Day: 2

Show: 6

Title: Let Me Say This About That

Category: COMEDY / IMPROV

By: Imaginary Podcast Network

Created by: Raffi Jarvis, Heather Meyer, and Danna Sheridan

Location: Rarig Xperimental

Summary: A trio of improvised podcasts based on audience prompts, complete with those ubiquitous podcast ads.

Highlights: Fresh from the Tuscon Fringe Festival, where they won a couple of awards, local funny women Heather Meyer and Danna Sheridan host a podcast! Because everyone has a podcast now (including me - listen to Twin Cities Theater Chat here or on your favorite podcast platform). The three podcasts at the show I saw it were a witchy podcast, a sciencey one, and one about sexy history, natch. Self-described "tech boy" Raffi Jarvis plays the producer, who also takes part in the shows, sometimes as an experienced producer telling the newbie podcasters what to do, sometimes as an intern being bossed around by the podcasters. Heather and Danna play said podcasters, donning different names and personalities, riffing off each other and audience questions. It's a whole lot of fun and silliness, spoofing the podcasts that we all listen to obsessively (no? just me?).

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "Boy Crazy"

Day: 2

Show: 5

Title: Boy Crazy

Category: COMEDY / IMPROV / MUSICAL THEATER / STORYTELLING / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

By: Madde Gibba

Created by: Madde Gibba

Location: Rarig Arena

Summary: A solo show about dating that combines storytelling, original songs, and scenes acted out with audience volunteers.

Highlights: This show made me laugh until I cried, and then later get a little teary-eyed with genuine emotion. Fringe vet Madde Gibba, a self-described "bad picker," tells the most horrifyingly hilarious stories about the men that she's dated. It's a great mix of songs (accompanying herself on the keyboard in singer/songwriter style), storytelling pieces (the one that had me crying - a terrible public breakup), and scenes that an audience volunteer draws out of a basket and performs opposite her (more mild stories like making out with a bartender on the streets of New Orleans). Stories come from her time living in NYC, or living and performing on a cruise ship (an odd and fascinating lifestyle), or here in the Twin Cities. Madde's got it all - she's hilarious, she knows how to tell a good story, she has a great voice, she's honest and vulnerable, and she writes beautiful songs. Because in the end, it's not about all these boys she loved and lost, it's about her, and being happy with her life and the things she has regardless of who she's dating, or not. As Whitney reminds us, it's the greatest love of all. It's only day two of the Fring Festival, but this one is my favorite of the shows I've seen so far.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "The Shrieking Harpies"

Day: 2

Show: 4

Title: The Shrieking Harpies

Category: COMEDY / IMPROV / MUSICAL THEATER / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

By: The Shrieking Harpies

Created by: Lizzie Gardner, Justin Nellis, Taj Ruler, and Hannah Wydeven

Location: Rarig Arena

Summary: An improvised musical based on audience prompts, new every night!

Highlights: The Shrieking Harpies are another sure thing good show. What you see will be different from what I saw, which was a family friendly gay period piece. But what will be the same is three talented performers, and one talented musician, creating a brand new musical storytelling show before your very eyes. It's so polished, with recurring musical themes, multiple characters played by just three actors, and a plot with beginning, middle, and end, that it's almost hard to believe it's improvised. But the trio of Lizzie Gardner, Taj Ruler, and Hannah Wydeven (with Justin Nellis on keyboard accompanying not just the songs but also providing underscoring for all of the scenes) have been doing this so long that they can finish each other's... harmonies. Like any good improv troupe, they can follow along and see where the others are going, and somehow create a compelling and entertaining story (this one about two lonely men in Jane Austen's England, one with seven sisters, one of whom is pregnant - this might come up a lot since Lizzie is too), with surprisingly great music that I'm still singing in my head ("you're not alone," "go off the edge with me," "white gloves without a spec"). If you've never seen The Shrieking Harpies before at the Fringe or TC Horror Fest or any of the other places they perform, you're just not doing it right. And if you have, you know how much fun their shows always are.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.