2014 Minnesota Fringe Must-See List

The Minnesota Fringe Festival can be intimidating. I know, I avoided it for years because it was just too overwhelming. 169 shows - how can you pick which ones to see?! The answer is - just jump in and go. You'll likely see some duds, but you also will probably see something that will inspire, amaze, or delight you. The Fringe has a fantastic searchable website with info on all shows and venues, so I highly recommend spending some time there and looking for familiar artists or just browsing through shows to see what catches your eye.

If you need some advice, here are a few shows on my must-see list. I make no guarantees, some of these could be awful! But at this time they look promising to me, based on the cast, creative team, show description, or impression at the Fringe Preview this week (there's another one next week). I reserve the right to edit this list as I continue to review the spreadsheet (yes, as a member of the press I get a beautifully sortable and searchable spreadsheet) and attend more previews. Did I miss any must-sees? Add them in the comments below.

(NEW shows added July 22.)


11:11, SaMi Productions: many Fringe shows are played for broad comedy, which is fun, but it's refreshing to see something that's sincerely moving and poignant, as this story about a woman whose life changed in an instant seems to be.

A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, The Catalysts: this Obie Award-winning Off-Broadway musical, brought to you by the people who created past Fringe hits Fruit Fly and Shelly Bachberg, sounds like Book of Mormon for Scientology. And that's a good thing.

Amateur Hour, English Scrimshaw Theatrical Novelties: Fringe artists performing their very early work, including Joshua Scrimshaw reading bad poetry with perfect delivery - what's not to love?

Crime and Punishment, Live Action Set: this is one of the new "site-specific" Fringe shows and will take place in the dark and creepy basement of the Soap Factory. I love Live Action Set for their innovative storytelling style, but honestly this one scares me a little. I guess that's not a bad thing at the Fringe.

Failure: A Love Story, Campbell Productions: as if the director (the multi-talented Josh Campbell) and cast (Nathan Barlow, Andrea San Miguel, Emily Madigan, and Kim Kivens) weren't enough to convince me to see this show, the three-minute preview was also quirky and musical and fun.

Four Humors Does Every Show in the Fringe, Four Humors: It's a Fringe miracle! After the lottery back in February, the smart, funny, clever, and slightly bizarre people at Four Humors were number 54 on the wait list. And just this week they were added to the list of 169 shows! So what are they going to do? Randomly pick another Fringe show and perform it based on the image and show description alone. I might have to go to this one more than once.

From Here to Maternity, Shanan Custer & Joshua English Scrimshaw: need I say more than "created and performed by Shanan Custer and Joshua English Scrimshaw?" I thought not.

Hour Town, Dana's Boys: Thornton Wilder's classic play Our Town re-imagined as A Prairie Home Companion, complete with a spot-on Garrison Keillor impression? I'm in!

Into the Unreal City, Catalog Models: this site-specific show is a "musical walking tour" that begins in the Rarig Center, but who knows where it will lead? Sounds cool, right? Plus, I found Mark Sweeney's 2013 Fringe show The Unknown Matters to be quirky and lovely.

Jumpin' Jack Kerouac, Electric Otter Productions: Windy Bowlsby has choreographed a dance show starring a bunch of nerdy Fringe writers, which is sure to be awkward fun.

Kitty Kitty Kitty, Loudmouth Collective: who doesn't love kitties?! And you should also love Loudmouth, because everything they do is sharp, smart, funny, and perfectly cast. I expect this to be no exception.

NEW Mainly Me Productions' Our American Assassin; or You Can't Handle the Booth!, Malcolm & Jorge: the preview of this show about the assassination of Lincoln as seen from the perspective of the actors in the play he was seeing had me laughing more than any other preview I saw that night.

Marie-Jeanne Valet Who Defeated La Bête du Gevaudan, Sandbox Theatre: for those of you mourning the fact that Transatlantic Love Affair did not get into the Fringe this year, this one might ease your pain (you should also go see a reading of their new work at Illusion this weekend). Maybe it's just the inclusion of TLA company member and Sandbox Artistic Director Derek Lee Miller, but I see a similarity in the physical and imaginative kind of storytelling they both do.

Native Man the Musical, New Native Theatre: after the Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson controversy last month, I'm excited to see a New Native production and get the other side of the story.

One Arm, Perestroika Theater Project: an adaptation of an unproduced work by one of my favorite playwrights (Tennessee Williams), accompanied by original music, with a cast full of people I like (Aeysha Kinnunen, Bryan Porter, Adam Qualls)? Yes, please!

Reach, Nautilus Music-Theater: because of their fine track record in creating and producing new original music-theater, I will see everything by Nautilus that I can, including this anthology of new work by various artists.

Sex and Sensibility, Houdini Productions: I'd pay $12 just to watch Dawn Brodey play a woman bitterly bungling a reading at her ex's wedding again, so hopefully the full show will give us more of that hilarious biting humor!

NEW Shakespeare Apolalypse: A New Musical, Devious Mechanics: there's just too much goodness to pass up: the writer of last year's super fun Teenage Misery, a bunch of people singing about their dislike of the Bard (an opinion which I sometimes share), and a high energy cast that includes Carrie and Andrew Jackson.

Tales at Twilight, Actors Alliance Project: this group of actor/storytellers and one musician had me spellbound for three minutes by their unique story-theater experience, fun for all ages.

NEW The Frat Party: A Comic Opera in One Act, The Really Spicy Opera Company: I initially put "no" next to this one after reading the description (I'm way too far from my college days to want to spend 60 minutes at a frat party), but the preview changed my mind. It's entirely sung in operatic style, which creates a delicious juxtaposition with the modern topic of a frat party.

NEW Twelfth Night/What You Will, Rough Magic Company/Renegade Play-Reading Company: this is something I've never seen before at the Fringe - two complementary shows using the same cast and set, telling two sides of the same story - Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (sounds a lot like Hamlet/Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead, so brilliantly done in rep by The Acting Company earlier this year). I'd like to see the two shows back-to-back, but they only have performances on the same day once during the 11-day run of the fest, so I might have to settle for back-to-back days.


Repeated from last year, some tips for the Fringe newbie:

• Buy a button and make sure you have it with you, it's required for entry to all shows. You can buy them in advance on the website or at any venue.

• If you're going to multiple shows (and why wouldn't you?), buy a punch pass, available in quantities of 4 or 10, or unlimited if you plan on seeing more than 20 shows. It saves you $1-2 per show. Once you buy a pass, you can reserve a seat online at any show for $1.75, or just show up and present your pass (see below).

• If a show is particularly popular, or you really really want to see it, consider buying (or reserving a seat) in advance. You can also take your chances and just show up. Of the 25 shows I saw last year I only had reservations for a handful, and probably only needed them for a few (you can check the show's page to see if it's in danger of selling out).

• All shows are general admission, so get there early for best choice of seating.

• Shows typically run just under an hour, with a half hour between shows so it's feasible to get from any theater to any other in that time. But it's good to plan to see a bunch in one location to minimize transportation time; the highest concentration of theaters is in the West Bank neighborhood, with 8 theaters within a few blocks (4 in the same building - the Rarig Center on the U of M campus).

• Bring snacks, water, reading material, and sunscreen - you will be waiting in line, probably outside. And be aware of what line you're in, often there's one line to check in and get tickets, and another to enter the theater and get your seat. Ask one of the friendly volunteers in the Fringe shirts if you need help with anything.

• Keep an open mind - some of what you'll see is really weird. But that can be a good thing! And if you see a dud, well, that's part of the Fringe experience.
• Each show has five performances, and on the last night of the Fringe (Saturday August 10), the show in each venue that has sold the most tickets receives a sixth show. Keep an eye out for the announcement late Saturday and check out a popular show you might have missed.
• The Fringe website has pretty much all the info you'll need, so bookmark it on your smart phone for easy on-the-go reference!

Happy Fringe-ing!

Fringe Festival: "What You Will" and "Twelfth Night"

Day: 9

Show: 33 and 36

Title: What You Will and Twelfth Night

Category: Comedy

By: Renegade Play-Reading Company and Rough Magic Performance Company

Adapted by: Catherine Johnson Justice

Location: Rarig Center Thrust

Summary: Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night split into two shows, one focusing on the separated and disguised twins Viola and Sebastian, the other on the supporting characters.

Highlights: I was thinking this would be a Hamlet/Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are Dead kind of pairing, but rather it's really just Shakespeare's original, only split in two by subject matter. It's a fun idea, and well executed by director Terry Hempleman (who also appears as the Duke in one of the two shows) and the excellent large cast. I saw What You Will first, which tells of the shenanigans of the members of the lady Olivia's (Alayne Hopkins) household, including a delightfully dopey Sam Bardwell as Sir Andrew, the always entertaining E.J. Subkoviak as Sir Toby, a mischievous Katie Kaufman as Maria, and Sasha Andreev with some strong monologues as Malvolio, going from proud to ridiculous to pitiable. The second hour tells the main story of Twelfth Night, with Catherine Johnson Justice and Clarence Wethern as the twins getting mixed up in the wooing of Olivia by the Duke. The two stories are tied together by Emily Zimmer's ukulele-playing fool. It's a clever idea and a fun way to view Shakespeare in a new way, performed by great actors.

2025 Minnesota Fringe Festival Must-See List

This summer marks the 15th anniversary of Cherry and Spoon, which also means it's my 15th time attending the Minnesota Fringe Festival; I first jumped into this wild theater marathon in 2011 after my first full year of blogging. I started with seeing just 10 shows that first year, peaked at 54 shows (out of a possible 56) in 2016, and have since settled into the 30-40 show range, which I've found is doable for me, but still a fun challenge. There's really nothing like the Minnesota Fringe Festival for adventurous art and supportive community vibes, but you don't have to see double-digit shows like the pros, you can just see a few shows. The festival is very organized and well-run, with a comprehensive website that will tell you everything you need to know. Keep reading this post for my Fringe tips, after my annual Minnesota Fringe Festival Must-See List.

2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival Wrap-up

My house is a mess, there's no food in the fridge, my DVR is overflowing, my kitty thinks I've abandoned him, and I'm seriously sleep deprived. But it was all worth it! The 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival has come to an end, and I was lucky enough to see 37 of the 169 wonderful, frightening, charming, hilarious, disturbing, heart-breaking, heart-warming, inspiring, ridiculous, innovative, and/or delightful shows presented at this year's fest. Over 9 days (I gave myself two days off in the 11-day festival), I laughed, I cried, I meandered around the West Bank, I recoiled in horror, I tapped my toes, I enjoyed music both original and beloved, I learned about different religions and cultures, and my heart was broken open and put back together. Of course, not all of the 37 shows were great, but I did not regret seeing any of them. I also try not to regret the great shows that I did not see, because it's a given that you're going to miss something. This is only my fourth Fringe, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.

Here are a dozen of my favorite shows (in alphabetical order), with my favorite 2014 Fringe show being Failure: A Love Story because it was beautifully written, directed, and acted, and made me feel so many things.

Crime and Punishment - an immersive wild ride through a haunted house sort of adaptation of Dostoyevsky's novel

After seeing this show, or rather experiencing it, my initial thought was "I don't know what just happened, but I want to do it again!" I've never experienced anything quite like it; it takes theater beyond the boundaries we're comfortable with into a completely immersive experience that engages all of the senses. The sights of many little intricately detailed spaces around every corner, the sound of people whispering in your ear or shouting from behind a sea of white sheets, the touch of a hand on your arm as someone pulls you into another room, and the sickly sweet and fruity smell of fake blood. Since I'm not familiar with the source material, I didn't get much of a cohesive story, which is not necessary or perhaps even desirable in this case. And did I mention that the audience members have to wear masks? At first I was less than enthusiastic about it but soon came to realize that the masks are absolutely essential to the experience. Not only does it differentiate your fellow audience members from the actors, but it gives you something to hide behind and not worry about your reactions. I cannot even imagine the logistics of making this work, with so many things happening in so many places, in the dark! Kudos to Noah Bremer and the cast and crew for pulling it off. Crime and Punishment is a crazy brilliant theatrical experiment.

Failure: A Love Story - a whimsical, delightful, heartbreaking, and truly lovely story
It's the late '20s and the Fail sisters are going to die. That much we know, but watching it all unfold is a series of delightful and heartbreaking surprises. Director Joshua James Campbell and this beautiful eight-person cast have created the perfect tone for the show, walking that delicate line between lighthearted quirky comedy and heartbreaking and heartwarming love story. This story of an oddball family consisting of three sisters, their adopted brother (who may or may not be in love with them), and the charming young man they all loved is told through talking animals, epic swims, anthropomorphized clocks, charming ukulele music, tragic untimely deaths, and unexpected love. This show is everything I want from a Fringe show, really everything I want from theater - funny, quirky, whimsical, musical, poignant, touching, surprising, moving, and utterly heartbreaking. I was reduced to a weepy mess at the end of this show because it touched me so deeply in so many ways with its true and beautiful depiction of love in its many forms. "Just because something ends doesn't mean it wasn't successful."

The Finkles' Theater Show!!! - a brilliantly and hilariously awkward spoof of theater

Theater novices Carl and Wanda Finkles (Ryan Lear and Rachel Petrie) enter a festival and put on a show about putting on a show. What they lack in theater know-how they make up for with boundless enthusiasm. The charmingly awkward Finkles walk us through their journey of finding out they made it into the festival, holding auditions, rehearsals (complete with instructions on what differentiates good theater from great theater - don't break that fourth wall!), a big dance number (which starts out silly and peppy and slowly disintegrates as the Finkles tire when the chorus of "Holding out for a Hero" keeps repeating and repeating), all the way through to show night, when everything comes full circle. It's all very meta. But while Carl and Wanda may be theater amateurs, Ryan and Rachel are professionals and a true delight to watch as they effortlessly pull off this trick of looking like rubes. This could be the most brilliantly awkward 60 minutes of theater you'll see this year.

Four Humors Does Every Show in the Fringe - hilarious improv comedy

Rather than creating an original piece as Fringe faves Four Humors usually do, they're improved a different show every night based on the title and description of another Fringe show chosen at random. I'd watch these guys do anything (these guys being Ryan Lear, Brant Miller, Nick Ryan, and Matt Spring). And when you go see this show, that's pretty much what you can expect - anything. A big show was made of the random drawing of the numbered ping pong balls, and the lucky winner was Fish Stories. Somehow guest performer Tim Hellendrung heard "the one that got away" and immediately thought - Katie Holmes. So these fish stories included a grocery store meet-cute, a wish-granting time-traveling poorly mimed fish, a fight scene between said fish and Tom Cruise, and an escape to post-apocalyptic Canada. In between shows Tim read some "audience reviews" of the show, which was a hilarious spoof on what these reviews sometimes are. This show is silly and fun and inventive, and it's a joy to watch these guys work.

Hour Town - Our Town set in Minnesota with Garrison Keillor as the stage manager

This show is littered with Minnesota references, which I love. Everything from Joe Mauer's bilateral leg weakness to Jesse Ventura's recent court win, from Paul Bunyon to Little House on the Prairie, from pedal pubs to a list of Minnesota-made movies. But that's not the only thing that makes Hour Town unique. The creators have also added puppets, pop culture references, and music. While not everything works, enough of it does to make this show a delight. And while some of the poignancy of the original gets lost amidst the goofy humor, there's still a touch of it here, particularly in the repeated use of the song "Que Sera, Sera," which perfectly fits with Wilder's theme of appreciating life in the moment because you don't know what the future will be. The large cast does well with the many roles; Brad Erickson does a spot-on Garrison Keillor impression, and as the young lovers Drew Tenenbaum and Sulia Altenberg are fresh-faced and charming (and Sulia has a lovely voice and looks like a young Judy Garland, Minnesota reference not intended). It's a clever take on a classic and appeals to those of who unabashedly love (or at least love to complain about) our home state.

Into the Unreal City - a musical walking tour through the West Bank neighborhood

One of four all new "site-specific" shows at the fringe, Into the Real City takes place on the city streets and campus walkways of the West Bank neighborhood. Musician Zeke and writer Bet are happily married but struggling to find time for each other and their dreams. As we follow them, they run into younger and older versions of themselves. Not much happens; they sing a few songs, ask questions, and look forward hopefully into the future - "the doing and the learning and the figuring." It's unabashedly sincere and romantic - the cynical need not apply. Along the way you get to experience the sights and sounds and smells of the neighborhood in an immersive experience. Yes sometimes you can't hear them, or there's a bit of awkward silence while wait-wait-waiting for the light to change, but that's part of what makes this a wonderfully unique experience - just what the Fringe is for.

Jumpin' Jack Kerouac - a bunch of non-dancers share the joy of dance

In a show that could be subtitled "Dancing with the Writers," choreographer Windy Bowlsby turns nine writers, who are decidedly not dancers, into just that. And like that great pop culture icon that is Dancing with the Stars, even though some of the dancers might not be technically proficient, they perform with such joy and an open heart that you can't help but be moved by the dance. The brilliant thing that Windy has done is that she hasn't just forced dances upon these novices, she's talked to them and learned about who they are and what they want to accomplish or express in this experiment, and used that as an inspiration for the ten or so dances presented. And she shares some of those words with the audience to help us understand the inspiration. This is a Fringe show that will leave you smiling and happy, and perhaps give you the courage to dance your own dance.

Kafka Nuts - a screwball comedy in the vein of the Marx brothers

This show is a rapid-fire succession of puns and physical comedy, and it's just plain fun. Joshua English Scrimshaw and Levi Weinhagen are a couple of attorneys attempting to help poor pantsless Zeppo (Joe Bozic) when he's arrested for some nameless crime. There's a chase scene, a trial, a metamorphosis (into a mime), musical interludes (by the fabulous Rachel Austin), and lots and lots of puns followed by pointed looks at the audience. What else is there to say? It's great fun, good old-fashioned comedy, well performed by the cast (which also includes Kelvin Hatle as judge, priest, cop, etc.).

Marie-Jeanne Valet, Who Defeated La Bête du Gevaudan - innovative storytelling bringing new life to an old legend

This is Fringe storytelling at its best - creative, innovative, original, using puppets, props, and music to tell a story in a thoroughly engaging way. The four ensemble members - Megan Campbell Lagas, Theo Langason, Derek Lee Miller, and Heather Stone - not only created the piece (based on legend) but also play multiple characters and provide the sound effects and music. Red ribbons or cloths represent blood, two-dimensional puppets are used to illustrate the beast's killings, and sticks become rifles with bayonets. It's funny and amusing in parts, but also spooky or poignant at times. The beast is not the only thing terrorizing the town; the townspeople also suffer from extreme poverty and hunger. The King, who doesn't seem to care if his people starve, sends in soldiers, wolf hunters, and his master of hunt to kill the beast. Even after the beast is gone, the people are still hungry, and it's hinted that the upcoming French Revolution will kill the real beast terrorizing these people.

Now I See - a live reenactment of a 1930s radio broadcast

This story of a man who finally achieved his life's dream of becoming a manager of a boxing champion, but gave it all up, is a beautiful, powerful, intense drama, well told by the ten-person cast. It's fun to imagine this as a radio broadcast, but it's even better to be able to see it embodied before you. Sam Ginsburg tells his tragic story, to the listeners/audience, along with a series of flashbacks. Lucas Vonasek gives an emotional, compelling performance as Sam, with a great Brooklyn accent. Dave Berkman is sympathetic and likeable as the art student turned boxer whom Sam discovers and makes into a champion. The rest of the cast portray all the other characters - reporters, boxers, the crowd - and provide sound effects from trains to bells. The boxing scenes are well choreographed, with freeze frames at the pivotal moments, and fun to watch even though I'm no boxing fan. This radio broadcast turned live performance is a clever idea, and well executed.

One Arm - heartbreakingly beautiful and intense drama from Tennessee Williams
In this adaptation of a Tennessee Williams unproduced screenplay, a which a young boxer loses his arm and his identity, and turns to prostitution to survive. And like most Tennessee Williams plays, this one is a heart-breaker, full of tragic characters leading lives of despair. Ollie's (a compelling Bryan Porter) life is full of promise as a champion boxer until he loses an arm in an accident that kills two of his friends. Suffering from survivor's guilt and loss of identity, he falls into a life of hustling, traveling around the country to get by, not feeling anything. Until he ends up on death row, when the feelings come flooding back. The excellent supporting cast plays many well-defined characters in a series of perfect two-person scenes. One Arm is beautifully written, directed (by Joseph Stodola), and acted, with a well-designed and clever set, and feels like a full and complete story despite it's under 60-minute run time. This moving portrait of a beautifully tragic character and the equally tragic people he meets is completely absorbing, an extremely professional and well done Fringe show.

Shakespeare Apocalypse: A New Musical - a super-fun and Fringey musical
Similar to last year's Teenage Misery, writer Keith Hovis does not shy away from borrowing lines and themes from beloved musicals, from Little Shop of Horrors to Wicked. In the somewhat convoluted story, actor Peter goes on a rant about Shakespeare that goes viral, causing Shakespeare and friends to come back from the dead to terrorize the world, or something like that. The details don't matter, it's enough that the show is chock full of humor, great songs, and an energetic and talented young cast. Philip C. Matthews brings his usual passion and charisma to the role of Peter, Jill Iverson shows off her star power and gorgeous musical theater belt as Peter's friend, and Peyton McCandless is charming as a young blogger. Shakespeare Apocalypse is Fringe musical theater at its best.

I could go on and on, but instead I'll just list a few others I loved: Dreamboys, From Here to Maternity, Kitty Kitty Kitty, Mainly Me Productions' Our American Assassin; Or You Can't Handle the Booth, Natural Novice, REACH, Sex and Sensibility, Top Gun: The Musical, A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, and What You Will/Twelfth Night

That's it friends. I hope you enjoyed your Fringe as much as I enjoyed mine. Let's do it all again next year, shall we? "Just because something ends doesn't mean it wasn't successful."

Fringe Festival 2017: Mid-Festival Favorites

We're halfway through the 11-day, 15-venue, 167-show Minnesota Fringe Festival. I've seen 25 shows, with another 20-some on the schedule for the next five days. Here are a few of my favorites so far. I haven't seen everything on my must-see list yet, so be sure to check that out for more recommendations. And you can read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

There are five days left of Fringe - so get out there and see some shows! Full schedule, venue, and ticketing information can be found on the Fringe's handy dandy website.

My favorite 2017 Minnesota Fringe shows so far, in alphabetical order (click on the title for full show information):

Fringe Festival 2017: "What You Will"

Day: 3

Show: 11

Title: What You Will

Category: Drama

By: Jammed Desk Productions

Created by: Henry Ellen Sansone, Sam Bates Norum, Kiaran Hartnett, Danylo Loutchko, and Laura Torgeson

Location: Phoenix Theatre

Summary: An adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night focusing on Viola's transition to becoming Cesario.

Highlights: Examples of cross-dressing abound in Shakespeare's plays (maybe because all parts were played by men in his day), but what if it's not simple disguise but rather an individual exploring their gender identity and searching for their more authentic self? This talented group of young artists ask that question of Twelfth Night. They've created a short version of the play that still makes sense by cutting out all the stuff about Olivia's relatives and servants and focusing on the separated twins (Viola/Cesario and Sebastian) and those that love them, the Duke Orsino and the Lady Olivia. The five creator/actors (Danylo Loutchko, Henry Ellen Sansone, Kiaran Hartnett, Laura Torgeson, Sam Bates Norum) are clear and compelling as they recite Shakespeare's words, using lovely and haunting music to help set the tone (composed by Kiaran). The story plays out as usual until the end, when Cesario is supposed to transform back into Viola, but this time he decides to remain Cesario. Even though Cesario does seem to love Orsino, he chooses to leave and remain his authentic self rather than be forced to return to the life he left behind. This is a fascinating look at a classic and a new but legitimate interpretation. If music be the food of love, play on!

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Fringe Festival 2017: Favorites and Wrap-Up

Well friends, the Minnesota Fringe Festival has come and gone once again. As always, it was a crazy, exhausting, exhilarating whirlwind of theater in which I saw 49 shows in 11 days. By all accounts it was a successful festival, with over 46,000 attendees seeing 870 performances of 167 shows (see all the numbers and lists of top-selling shows here). There were many shows that I loved, and I'm sure many great shows that I missed. Most of all I appreciate the variety and diversity of the art that is showcased at the Fringe, much of which I don't have (or take) opportunities to see throughout the year.

You can read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here, and below is a few of my favorites (in alphabetical order). See you next year Fringers, and be sure to follow Cherry and Spoon throughout the year for other #TCTheater opportunities.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "Breakneck Twelfth Night"

Day: 9

Show: 30

Title: Breakneck Twelfth Night

Category: Drama / Musical Theater / Original Music / Physical Theater / Solo Show / Shakespearian elements

By: Timothy Mooney Repertory Theatre

Created by: Timothy Mooney

Location: Barker Center

Summary: Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, or What You Will, performed in one hour by one actor.

Highlights: Timothy Mooney is such a pro at this, and always impressive. The show truly is this familiar comedic play about a brother and sister separated by a shipwreck and mistaken for each other when the sister disguises herself as a man and woos the lady Olivia on behalf of the Duke, but at breakneck pace. And I don't think he really cuts out any plotlines, he just condenses everything. He walks us though the play scene by scene, summarizing some of the lines as exposition, but also speaking many of the lines as all of the different characters. He also provides some commentary, like the fact that Shakespeare always included male actors in drag, in particular this play with its double-drag, because women weren't allowed on the stage. And he fully performs each character, all distinct with different mannerisms and body carriage and style of speech, even singing the songs written into the script (this is the play that gave us the famous line, "if music be the food of love, play on"). He presents these 400+ year old classics so convincingly, so engagingly, so entertainingly, in this short time, that one wonders why Shakespeare ever needs to be more than an hour.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Fringe Festival 2017: "Much Ado About Nothing (as told by Dogberry and Verges)"

Day: 6

Show: 25

Title: Much Ado About Nothing (as told by Dogberry and Verges)

Category: Comedy

By: Rough Magic Performance Company

Written by: William Shakespeare (mostly)

Location: Jungle Theatre

Summary: A funny and clever and very meta adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing featuring an all female cast and creative team.

Highlights: Catherine Johnson Justice adapted and Sarah Agnew directs this perfectly delightful Shakespeare adaptation that starts with a couple of stagehands (Taj Ruler and Sara Richardson) wondering what to do when the actors don't show up. This is one show you'll want to show up early for as the comedy starts before the pre-show announcement. The stagehands soon take things into their own hands and tell the story on their own, with the help of actors Alayne Hopkins, Catherine Johnson Justice, Elise Langer, and Kirby Bennett, and a couple of puppets. The star-crossed love stories of Hero and Claudio, and Beatrice and Benedick, are clear and concise in the less than an hour time limit, while the occasional breaks out of the play within a play add interest and fun to the proceedings, and this cast is full of comedians with perfect timing and hilarious comic choices. After seeing this and the lovely Twelfth Night adaptation What You Will, I'm beginning to think Shakespeare should always be 60 minutes long.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"Twelfth Night" by Ten Thousand Things at Capri Theater

No one does Shakespeare like Ten Thousand Things. And though they also perform other classic plays, musicals, and new work, they often return to Shakespeare because "the stories allow for deep investigations of humanity in ways that speak to all audiences" (from a note in the program by Director Marcella Lorca and Assistant Director Peter Vitale). In the way only they can, TTT is able to distill Shakespeare's (and other) plays down to the emotional truth of the story, building it back up into something that's accessible and relatable for everyone - from experienced theater audiences to those in their performances out in the community. Twelfth Night, one of his most popular comedies, contains many of Shakespeare's favorite elements - twins, a shipwreck, mistaken identities, and fools. This incredible cast of eight plays all of the characters in the story and tells it with much playfulness, joy, and humanity. You can catch it at Capri Theater next weekend and next, or at Calvary Church November 17-19.

2015 Twin Cities Theater Wrap-up: What I'm Most Grateful For

This is the seventh year that I've listed my favorites in Twin Cities theater, and it's getting harder and harder to keep the list at a reasonable number. In 2015 I saw over 200 shows by about 70 different theater companies at over 50 venues around the Twin Cities (including the 44 Fringe shows I saw in one crazy week in August). Going through this long list of plays, musicals, comedies, dramas, and everything in between, my initial list of favorites numbered over 50. "This is going to be impossible!" I thought. But then I realized this post isn't about shows that I liked, or even shows that I loved. This is about shows that left me with the feeling of - theater is the most wondrous and magical thing in the world, and I'm so grateful that I get to do this! After five and a half years of writing about Twin Cities theater, I'm in the fortunate position of being able to see just about any local show that I want to - for free! How lucky am I?! So the theme of this year's favorites list is gratitude. This is my thank you to the theater artists that create such beautiful work, the many PR people I work with who kindly arrange for my tickets, and all of you who read, comment, share, and otherwise support Cherry and Spoon. Here are the things I'm most grateful for this year (click on the linked show title to read the original post).

2022 #TCTheater Favorites - Finally, a Full Year of Theater!

2019 was a fantastic year of theater, during which I saw over 200 shows. Then came 2020, and a global pandemic that shut down theater for much of that year and into the next. With increasing vaccinations and decreasing infection rates, theater came back in the fall of 2021, but not without cancelled performances and entire productions due to new variants and higher infection rates in the winter months. It hasn't been an easy road, with the COVID requirements put in place by Actors Equity (union) for the safety of artists and patrons, a significant decrease in theater attendance, and financial instability that caused at least two local theaters to suspend all performances. But if there's one thing we've learned the past few years, it's that artists will find a way to make art. I couldn't be happier that in 2022 I finally experienced a full year of theater again, with some really amazing and creative work by our intrepid local theaters. From the Broadway tour of Come From Away in January (during which they flew in cast members from across US and Canada to keep the show up and running in the high Omicron days), to my second viewing of Theater Latte Da's new holiday classic Christmas at the Local on New Year's Eve, I saw about 140 theater performances in Minnesota (not counting a few out of state theater trips and 23 Minnesota Fringe shows in 7 whirlwind days), which is a pretty great bounce-back from the last two years, if not quite up to pre-pan levels. And now I have the difficult task of narrowing down the amazing shows I saw this year to a small list of favorites. Here are my 10 (or so) favorite musicals, plays, new work, and more.