Sub-Total
2018 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member:
Company: Gabriel Mata/Movements
Show: DREAMING
Venue: Southern Theater
Astonishing
A brilliant solo dance show incorporating movement, spoken word, and remarkable imagination. The best dance performance I have ever seen at Fringe!
Company: Threepenny Productions
Show: Fools, Errant
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
Funny and on point
A smart, witty comedy about politics, conviction, and ideology, this play makes campaigning look like the insanity it is. Very well acted and directed.
Company: Hot Chocolate Media
Show: Remy Raygun of the Space Brigade: A Build-Your-Own Space Opera
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage
Really enjoyable
A talented cast gives lots of laughs in this spoof of 1930s movie serials and space operas. Having a live theramin was a great touch.
Company: Say It Loud Productions
Show: Revolt of the Beavers
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Topical yet fun
It's easy to see how Republicans would be outraged by this play, which advocates for workers to get a fair share. This is a well acted "children's show" with plenty of attitude and humor. Fantastic!
Company: Flash Grenade Productions
Show: The Flashlight Zone: 20 Science Fiction Plays in One Hour
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Brilliant!
Imaginative stories well acted and presented.
Company: The Rest of Us
Show: An Odyssey Backwards and in Heels
Venue: Minnsky Theatre
A good first effort
This is an ambitious project with a lot of ideas going on. Some of the ideas are well planned and executed, and those ideas work; some have had less thought and don't. The songs are well written and have great lyrics. The book, however, has some structural flaws and leaves some much-needed exposition until the end of the show, and there is a huge section where there is no music and the show drags during that point. Although some of the actors are not up to the singing challenges, most of the performances (especially the ensemble numbers) are great. The title, which comes from the famous Ann Richards quote that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did only backwards and in heels, may give people the impression that this is a feminist show; it's not. But if you would like a show about First World White People problems that knows exactly what it is and isn't afraid to make fun of itself, this is the show for you.
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Company: Red Dice Collective
Show: Cyrano on the Moon
Venue: Ritz Theater Studio
Beautiful
An intelligent, witty, and insightful script that is obviously someone's passion project informs these tender and touching performances by a wonderful cast. This is one of the most articulate and intellectual shows I've ever seen at Fringe. There are a few minor quibbles - Cyrano is missing his most prominent feature, for example - but if you're in the mood for an evening of classic romance, this is the show for you.
Company: The Coldharts
Show: Eddie Poe
Venue: Ritz Theater Mainstage
A delightful display of immense talent
"Edgar Allen," the first play in this triptych, was a funny, creepy, challenging and intriguing beginning to this fictionalized version of Edgar Allen Poe's life, and this installment is no less so. Both performers are talented musicians, singers, and actors. They draw the audience into the story and never let them go. I was especially impressed with how they overcome some inconsiderate audience behavior - loud talking, inappropriate laughter, cell phones going off during quiet moments - but they blasted through the show with professionalism and panache. Highly recommended - but please turn your phones off before the show starts.
Company: Comedy Suitcase
Show: Slapdash Panic: Comedy Suitcase ended up in the Fringe Festival with 3 weeks notice and no show!
Venue: Strike Theater
As funny as I expected it to be
Most companies that get into the Fringe off the wait list with no time to prepare would do a show about having no time to prepare, but Comedy Suitcase has a lot of resources to draw from and they shamelessly do. Much fun is to be had by all, and unless you insist on a plot and a story in your Fringe shows this is for you.
Company: Libra Moon Productions
Show: There Goes the Gayborhood
Venue: Strike Theater
...what?
I really wanted to like this show because there is so little LGBTQ material in the Fringe this year. Truth is, the script may be better than I think it was; I only heard about a third of it. All the actors mumble and rush their lines, most of the time with very little expression, so it was hard to figure out what was going on. It's a great premise - the cast of a former gay reality show reunites to save their favorite bar - but stereotypes abound and nobody in this show seems to be having much fun. Truth be told, five days into the Fringe and they still seem unsure of their lines.
Company: On the Verge Theatre
Show: Boobilicious
Venue: Augsburg Studio
I don't have boobs, but I still enjoyed myself
A light, frothy and funny entertainment about the joys and travails of being a breasted person. Giant talking puppet breasts are featured more than once. A great highlight is a country western song about wanting boobs like Barbie. You will find something to laugh at, and you will leave smiling.
Company: JoZanephine Originals
Show: For The Love Of ...
Venue: Southern Theater
Therapy shows...
...work if they draw the audience into the experience of the personal story. This show didn't draw me into the story or provide something relatable for me to take away from it.
Company: GIRL Theatre
Show: Gay Hot American Summer
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
A mixed bag
This group of young actors is very committed to their work, and I enjoyed their passion for this project. The only character that gets much exposition, however, is the lead counselor. If this were only her story that would be fine, but since there are at least four stories here each character needs to be two dimensional. The show would be better if it spent less time trying to be funny and got a little more into the heads and hearts of these great characters. But still, a good effort.
Company: Oncoming Productions
Show: Geminae
Venue: Southern Theater
Great production with a lot of unexpected twists
From the people who brought you the 2017 Fringe show "The Last Bombardment" comes this intriguing sci-fi suspense story that turns into a genuinely frightening supernatural thriller. The cast is uniformly great, and the special effects work - every one of them. Both a cautionary tale about the dangers of corporate privatization and a thrilling tale of vengeance, this play deserves to be seen. A Must See!
Company: Mosaic Productions
Show: Hidden in This Picture
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Solid acting and directing
It's an Aaron Sorkin script, so you know you only have to worry about the execution. This cast meshes well and adds deeper layers to the Hollywood stereotypes depicted here. There is an issue with pace - some of the actors speak so quickly that their diction is impaired and one has to pay attention to the next line to figure out what the preceding line actually was - but in all, that's a minor quibble about an excellent production.
Company: Ruckus Productions
Show: Sidesplitting
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Where do I begin?
Talk about giving an E for effort...profanity and crude humor can work when used effectively, but in this show they end up taking the place of plot and good ideas. Nothing in the show actually makes sense, and none of the jokes set up their punch lines. The actors have a lot of energy, but rather than using it to carry the action of the show they just come off as hyperactive. I wanted to like it, but I ended up wanting my 45 minutes back.
Company: Sidecar Theatre
Show: Summers in Prague
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Beautifully done!
This lovely, bittersweet romantic comedy has everything one wants in a Fringe show: excellent script, talented actors, informed direction and a set that doesn't get in the way of the action. The pace of the show kept the story moving well, and the performances were so involving that I didn't want the show to end. This is a Must See!
Company: Ghoulish Delights, LLC
Show: The Screaming Skull
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Good effort
Horror is a difficult genre to successfully produce in theatre. This production sets the atmosphere very well with a creepy minimalistic set and sound effects produced live. However, the vocal quality of the actor didn't have enough variety to sustain interest. Someone behind me was actually snoring. Ultimately, the show builds to a climax that never happens.
Company: Monster Science Productions
Show: What To Do In Case Of Dinosaur Attack
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Welcome to the brain of Reverend Matt
Clone Stephen Fry. Keep all the wit and dry humor, but make him a complete nerd. That's Matthew Kessen pretty much all the way. What To Do In Case of Dinosaur Attack is a funny, absurd, delightful presentation of Matt's unique brand of geeky standup, and it's well worth the time spent. See him now, before he gets his own Netflix show and we can't afford to see him on tour.
Company: NEPTUNE
Show: A Farewell to Armadillos
Venue: Strike Theater
Brilliant!
Funny, imaginative, clever, and fresh, this show takes you to familiar places and then goes on more detours than the streets around Minneapolis. Definitely a Must See!