Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "All Your Shimmering Gold"

Day: 5

Show: 18

Title: All Your Shimmering Gold

Category: Comedy / Drama / Horror / Musical Theater / Opera / Physical Theater / Literary adaptation / Political content

By: SUPERMOON

Created by: Michael Torsch

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: The defense contractor Northrop Grumman accidentally ends up in the middle of the Minnesota Fringe Festival with their presentation about their massive nuclear defense plans, so they perform Wagner's Das Rheingold to make it more theatrical for this audience.

Highlights: Friends, this one is weird, in the best and fringiest sense of the word. Michael Torsch makes the most unique entrance to a fringe show you will see this year, and then speaks to the audience as an executive from Northrup Grumman. He explains to us what our tax dollars are buying, a huge and extensive and terrifying plan for nuclear defense, describing what happens when one of these nuclear missiles go off, aided by a video playing on small screens above an arch. But since he knows we're a theater audience, he and his fellow employees put on a performance of Das Rheingold, about a greedy man who steals gold from the Rhine River, guarded by some river nymphs, and makes a ring to gain all of the power. Which leaves us to draw the parallels for ourselves. Michael and the cast (Mads Granlund, Caleb Byers, Simone Bernadette, and Genevieve Waterbury, one of whom actually sings) lip synch to the recorded opera, dressed in beautiful costumes, while the video of the opera plays on the screens. It's all just so bizarre and fascinating and not a little disturbing, and I'll be thinking about it for a while.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "In The Garden Of American Heroes"

Day: 5

Show: 17

Title: In The Garden Of American Heroes

Category: 

By: Wheeler in the Sky

Created by: Andrew Erskine Wheeler

Location: Southern Theater

Summary: General Custer is stuck in purgatory and lamenting not being included in the "Garden of American Heroes" being built for America's 250th birthday next year (that's a real thing).

Highlights: This is the third of Andrew's original solo historical pieces that I've seen, and like 2019 Booth's Ghost and 2022's WHOOSH! (a revised version of which is part of History Theatre's upcoming season) it's thoroughly researched, thoughtfully constructed, incredibly relevant to our current times, and performed with 100% commitment. All of these works examine controversial figures from America's history, and don't ask us to sympathize with them, but maybe perhaps understand how they came to be and how that's paralleled in things we're seeing happening today. We have to understand our history in order to not repeat it, and that's what this show does for Custer. To try to describe this show would not do it justice, it feels like a fever dream through this particular segment of American History. As Custer, Andrew speaks directly the audience, running through the aisles, disappointed in his exclusion from the Garden ("how bad do you have to be to be rejected by this administration?!"). He comes out dressed in Custer's full regalia, gradually shedding layers and arranging them on the floor, like the remnants of a life. This Custer does not apologize or ask for our forgiveness; he admits that he was motivated not by any sense of duty to his country, but by the love of killing. It's harsh and brutal, and endlessly captivating. As usual Andrew's prop work is detailed and thoughtful, with a saber, a spear, a wig head that holds those flowing blond locks. The lighting is almost like a character in and of itself, sometimes garishly bright, sometimes flashing, sometimes soft, Custer reacting to each change. The story starts and ends with his death in battle, and leaves us disturbed and questioning just what is an American Hero?

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "Hamluke"

Day: 5

Show: 16

Title: Hamluke

Category: Comedy / Drama / Puppetry / Kid friendly / Literary adaptation / Shakespearian elements

By: Nightfall Productions

Written by: Brad Erickson

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: The story of Shakespeare's Hamlet as told with the characters from Star Wars.

Highlights: Like The Book of Morder, this is a mashup that really makes sense and is cleverly done (written and directed by Brad Erickson, who also plays a few minor roles). But unlike The Book of Mordor, I'm really only familiar with half of this mashup. I've definitely seen Hamlet on stage more often than I've seen Star Wars movies or shows. I may have missed some of the references (there were several times when everyone laughed and I didn't know why), but I still enjoyed it and could appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into the character pairings (Darthius = Darth Vader + Claudius, Opheleia = Ophelia + Leia, Landocrantz = Lando + Rosencrantz, etc.) and coalescing of plot points. The lines feel like Shakespeare, including all the Hamlet greatest hits, but with Star Wars words and references thrown in. The cast is fantastic, with lots of familiar faces including but not limited to: Dylan Rugh, so beautifully earnest as Hamluke that I'd love to see him play Hamlet, except I'm afraid some of the Star Wars words would slip in, so similar, yet different, are the lines; Duck Washington as Darthius with the iconic breathing; Jay Melchior as the cocky Laersolo (casting Han Solo as Leia's brother making the flirting a bit weird); and Clarence Wethern as multiple characters include Polyodius with the cutest Yoda puppet in an Elizabethan costume. A soundscape of live music played by two musicians on various stringed and other instruments really adds to the storytelling and make it feel more special. The whole thing is so thoughtfully and cleverly created, including props and set pieces, much of which I probably didn't even catch. But even if you're not a Star Wars (or Shakespeare) person, it's a really fun and well done show.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "Shrieking Harpies Presents: Period Piece"

Day: 4

Show: 15

Title: Shrieking Harpies Presents: Period Piece

Category: Comedy / Improv / Musical Theater / Original Music / Audience participation / LGBTQIA+ Content

By: The Shrieking Harpies

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

Location: Barker Center

Summary: An improved musical, set in a period chosen by votes on The Shrieking Harpies' Instagram.

Highlights: Improvisers/singers/performers Lizzie, Taj, and Hannah are such pros at this (accompanied by Justin on keys) that this year they gave themselves a new challenge - a period piece! At the show I attended (the one and only 10pm show for this morning person, that's how much I love them) the period was the 1990s, which for someone who was a fully grown adult in the '90s doesn't feel like a period piece, it feels like a few years ago. So unfortunately I didn't really get the period piece feel from this show that I wanted; it was really just like any other Shrieking Harpies show. Which is to say - beautifully performed, ridiculously funny, with characters and storylines that come to a satisfying conclusion. Go see one of their final two shows, and be sure to vote on what period you'd like to see, hopefully one that's longer than 30 years ago.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "The Book of Mordor"

Day: 4

Show: 14

Title: The Book of Mordor

Category: Comedy / Musical Theater / Literary adaptation

By: Haute Dish Productions

Created by: Haute Dish Productions,

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: The entire Lord of the Rings trilogy told through the music of The Book of Mormon.

Highlights: This was perhaps the most anticipated show of this year's Fringe for me, and it did not disappoint! The Book of Mormon is one of my favorite musicals ("if theater is my religion, The Book of Mormon is my most sacred text"), and I've loved the world of Middle Earth since I was 12, having read the books dozens of times and seen the movies almost as many (I've even been to New Zealand twice and visited several filming locations). I was actually a little worried that my expectations were too high and the show would fall short of them, but I'm happy to report that it did not. If you're not familiar with The Book of Mormon or LOTR, well, you can probably stop reading this and go enjoy whatever subpar entertainment you like. But for the rest of us, this show is a thrill. In fact the two stories mash up so well (starting with the title) that I'm surprised no one has done it yet. The entire three-book 12-hour movie story is condensed into about an hour, of course skipping lots of character and events, but hitting all the high points we would expect. The score includes pretty much every song from The Book of Mormon, with very clever new lyrics written to fit the LOTR story. "Two by Two" becomes "Nine by Nine," "You and Me (but mostly me)" perfectly describes the roles of Frodo and the Fellowship, Merry and Pippin are "Messing Things Up Again," and in perhaps my favorite song adaptation, Eowyn and the hobbits "Man Up" (a clever play on Eowyn's famous line "I am no man"). Mankato-based writer/directors Kendra Braunger and Carissa Christenson (who play Pippin and Merry, respectively) have done a wonderful job with a brilliant concept, and the cast gamely throws themselves into what is an epic and impressive feat. I won't even dock them for singing to a recorded track rather than having a live band, because there's just so much going on (including really fun DIY costumes). The Book of Mordor is my favoritest mash-up in the entire history of Fringe mash-ups! Shows like this are one of the reasons fringe festivals exist, and thanks to Haute Dish for giving me the mash-up I didn't know I needed but seems so obvious now!

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "Final Dress"

Day: 4

Show: 13

Title: Final Dress

Category: Comedy / Improv

By: MDV Productions

Created by: Michael DallaValle & Sean Dillon

Location: Open Eye Theatre

Summary: An improvised final dress rehearsal, featuring a different "director" at every performance.

Highlights: The conceit of the show is that Michael and Sean are actors preparing to open a show, if they can find another venue after learning that the Theatre Garage is closed (RIP). In this fictional set up, Sean wrote the play, but the director, played at this performance by playwright/director John Heimbuch of Walking Shadow Theatre Company, is putting his own spin on it, in a late Sam Shepard / early David Mamet kind of way. What unfolded was a story of brotherhood with murder, adultery, and cannibalism, so that tracks. This is perhaps the most layered improv show I've ever seen, with Sean and Michael improvising lines and situations both as the actors and as the characters in this play (called The Chopping Block) that they're making up as they go. Every now and then John, the stereotypical director in a scarf and dark classes carrying a binder and making notes, would interject and ask them to do the scene again, or make suggestions on tone or line readings or positions, even calling out light cues on occasion. It's a very intricate operation, pulled off smoothly, hilariously, and sometimes cringingly. Guest directors for the final shows are Mike Fotis and Duck Washington, which should be very different shows.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "DOLLY WHO?'S HOLIDAY HORROR SHOW"

Day: 4

Show: 12

Title: DOLLY WHO?'S HOLIDAY HORROR SHOW

Category: Comedy / Dance / Horror / Improv / Original Music / Puppetry / Sci-fi / Solo Show / Storytelling / Audience participation / Kid friendly / LGBTQIA+ Content

By: Destiny Davison

Created by: Dolly Who? Productions

Location: Open Eye Theatre

Summary: A solo show combining comedy, improv, and illustration to celebrate a holiday.

Highlights: I've seen Destiny Davison in several improv shows, but never as her "Dolly Who?" persona. And she's a delight. Sweet and silly, with a unique use of her illustrations, both in the form of cute little stick puppets and illustrations that she does live. The theme of this show is "holiday horror," and she shares her love of horror movies and holidays of all kinds! The show is participatory in a non-threatening way, and she asks for our help in designing a new holiday (at the show I attended - the very appropriate "Moderately Clean Air Day"). We even help her decorate and design a new mascot, and one (un)lucky audience member gets to enjoy some holiday candy. Destiny/Dolly is really great at interacting with and reacting to the audience. In the horror portion of the show, she talks about the real-life things that are way scarier than any horror movie, which I guess is what attracts people to them. But this show is not scary; it feels comforting and familiar and communal.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "The Temporary Tattoo Trio"

Day: 3

Show: 11

Title: The Temporary Tattoo Trio

Category: Comedy / Drama / Audience participation

By: an alleged Theatre Company

Written by: Jake Mierva & Danylo Loutchko

Location: Rarig Arena

Summary: Three best friends named Tyler have a temporary tattoo business, and things start to go awry when secrets are revealed.

Highlights: This is a simple premise that is brilliantly executed. We're just watching three friends put temporary tattoos on people for an hour while they talk about their friendship. If this sounds boring, it's not, it's very funny and engaging. The three Tylers (Danylo Loutchko, Jake Mierva, and J. McIntyre Godwin) are so committed to the bit that it feels like we're eavesdropping on one long conversation between actual friends. And all the while, they are actually applying temporary tattoos to audience members' arms, while continuing their conversation. Or even better, we sit in awkward silence while they fume and apply tattoos. And the Rarig Arena is the perfect (perhaps only) venue for this; the performance space becomes the entire theater into the rows of audience on either side of the stage, the Tylers sometimes taking a seat while they hold a wet washcloth on someone's arm for several minutes. Things get even more complicated with the arrival of the Tylers' friend Taylor (Sarah Halverson), their favorite lifeguard from their favorite place on earth - Wisconsin Dells. Will these secrets break up this bromance trio? We never really find out, but maybe friendships have to grow and evolve as we age, maybe we can't be applying temporary tattoos and going to Wisconsin Dells together forever. But it sure was fun while it lasted.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "503"

Day: 3

Show: 10

Title: 503

Category: Drama / Original Music / Physical Theater / Sci-fi / Audience participation / Literary adaptation / Political content

By: Jackdonkey Productions

Created by: Jeffrey Nolan and Zach Christensen

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: An adaptation of the 1921 dystopian novel We by Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin about a totalitarian state based on numbers.

Highlights: As much as a society based on order, numbers, equations, and schedules kind of appeals to me, the world described in We, and 503, is not good. The multi-talented Jeffrey Nolan adapted and performs in this (mostly) solo show (with direction by Zach Christensen), playing all of the characters, er, numbers, in the story. In this strictly regimented world, everyone is referred to as a number; our protagonist is D-503, who is happy with his life until he meets a woman known as I-130, who shows him a different way that the world can be and convinces them to join the revolution. They need him because he designed the new spaceship Integral, which is part of their plans. D-503 is torn between his loyalty to the "One State" and his new love, especially when he hears of an operation that results in "perfect happiness" (if you're getting Severance vibes, you're not wrong). The story is clearly and succinctly told, Jeremy embodying every character and making them all distinct. The sparse set includes just a metal folding chair and a white screen for some scenes in silhouette. The daily schedule and directions for audience participation are displayed on the back wall of the theater (we become fellow numbers, stamping our feet, singing the patriotic song, and participating in the election), the visible tech person adding to the utilitarian feel. Hawken Paul provides a soundscape on violin and percussion, a short refrain announcing the beginning of each scene. He also plays a character or two towards the end of the play, which is why this isn't quite a solo piece. Like all of Jackdonkey's work, 503 is thoughtfully constructed with great attention to detail, and well executed by the cast and creative team. It's an engaging story that's not a little terrifying, showing a society with blind loyalty to the state and one ruler. (you can catch Jackdonkey's production of Shakespeare's Henry V at Theatre in the Round just after Fringe).

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "OPERA PUNKS"

Day: 3

Show: 9

Title: OPERA PUNKS

Category: Comedy / Improv / Musical Theater / Opera / Physical Theater

By: Kelly Shuda

Directed by: Kelly Shuda

Location: Southern Theater

Summary: Non-narrative musical improv.

Highlights: Non-narrative meaning instead of creating one cohesive story (like, say, the Shrieking Harpies), they create a bunch of short individual songs that may have some relation to the others but not clearly. In other words, it's just like a regular improv show, except that every word is sung, which makes it so much more impressive! Music director Kelly Shuda plays a wide variety of music, from opera to metal and everything in between, and this talented cast (Alsa Bruno, Isabella Dunsieth, Julia Weiss, Michael Rogers, and Nora Nelson) just goes with it, making up a new song that suits the musical style. They take a few suggestions from the audience, but it mostly just comes out of their weird and creative minds. They harmonize together very well both musically and improvisationally. I'm not even going to tell you about the songs I heard because they're so brilliantly bizarre, and you'll hear something totally different but just as bizarre! This show is pure entertainment, and this troupe (including Kelly who plays keyboard, guitar, and other instruments so enthusiastically) is so much fun to watch.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "Jewelry Power Elite"

Day: 2

Show: 8

Title: Jewelry Power Elite

Category: Comedy / Drama / Solo Show

By: Rogues Gallery Arts

Created by: Lauren Anderson

Location: Strike Theater

Summary: A solo show by actor/improvisor Lauren Anderson (a frequent performer at The Brave New Workshop) telling the story of her life through jewelry.

Highlights: I love jewelry, but Lauren Anderson really loves jewelry. She's turned it into a way of life, and crowned herself "Jewelry Power Elite." In this very funny and personal show, she talks about the history of jewelry itself, along with the origins of her love for jewelry (those '80s jelly bracelets, and a grandmother with an extensive jewelry collection that she inherited) and the way it's helped her in various phases of her life. She talks about her connection to her dad through their love of theater, and holding onto his dog tags from his Vietnam service to give her confidence. She talks about how putting on her grandmother's beads connects her to that relationship and her childhood. In the show-and-tell portion of the show, Lauren shares her five favorite animals and what they represent to her, and shows us a small portion of this animal-themed jewelry. She uses visual aids in the form of what looks like an overhead projector but is actually a camera projected on the wall, where she displays historical photos and actual jewelry pieces. Lauren is a born entertainer, and it's no surprise that she's very funny and personable in her first solo show. It's well constructed to take us through a series of stories from her life, and the different ways that jewelry can make you feel special, give you confidence, remind you who you are, or connect you with something bigger. I'll never look at a bracelet the same way again.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "Rec League"

Day: 2

Show: 7

Title: Rec League

Category: Comedy / Improv

By: Mike Fotis Productions

Created by: Mike Fotis and cast

Location: Strike Theater (a quick and easy 10-minute drive from Cedar-Riverside)

Summary: An improvised softball game between friends.

Highlights: I love baseball, but the only time I've ever played the game was a couple seasons in a co-ed softball league with coworkers some 20 years ago. The position I played was scorekeeper, and we weren't good (especially when the required number of women didn't show up and I had to take the field). In Rec League, I felt like I was back on that neighborhood softball field. Except with a lot more drama and humor. This troupe of eight improvisors (Allison Vincent, Anna Fotis, Bobby Gardner, Jim Robinson, Mike Fotis, Nels Lennes, Rita Boersma, and Tim Hellendrung) create a believable group of friends, and one enemy - Gary. This sets up some of the drama, as we learn why everyone hates Gary. We also have secret crushes, troubles at work, and new careers to discuss. All of this happens while the game is going on. We see players mostly in the first base dugout, heading off stage when it's their turn to bat. We hear the crack of the bat (and other sound effects the cast reacts to), see foul balls roll by, or watch the player sprint to first or walk sadly back to the dugout after a disappointing strikeout. Despite the fact that eight people are not actually enough for a softball team, especially when two people stay on the bench when the team takes the field, the baseball of it actually kind of makes sense. We get a few fun and intimate one-on-one scenes with the people on the bench, or in the outfield (when they actually make plays!). It's really quite impressive that they are able to juggle both the intricate storylines within the group and the plays of the game. But don't worry, you don't have to know baseball or softball to enjoy Rec League (although there are some fun Easter eggs if you do). It's about the joy of watching these talented improvisors create characters and relationships right in front of you, that feel genuine and authentic. Will the Wolves finally win a game? They've got three more games this season, if you go and cheer them on they just might.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.