Sub-Total
2018 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member:
Company: So Shall I
Show: Estate of Affairs
Venue: Ritz Theater Studio
A Jolly Good Time!
It took me a few minutes to get into the tone and style of this play but once I did, I was onboard the whole way through to the end! The script, while predictable and unrealistic in certain ways, is refreshing in terms of it's handling of "coming out". Stereotypes abound in this play but it's handled so well and executed so perfectly that I didn't really care because I was too busy laughing. There was a moment in the latter half of the play where the energy seemed to drag and I couldn't tell if a line was dropped or if the transition to the next beat just wasn't clarified. But for the most part, this play clips along. A huge shout-out goes to Ali Daniels! Everyone else was good too but she really stood out, both in terms of character work but also in terms of her ability to remain a real person, really connecting with the others onstage.
Company: Paper Soul
Show: SOFT
Venue: Ritz Theater Mainstage
Good script, underwhelming performance.
First off, I really liked the script. I thought there was a good peppering of darker behaviors lurking just under the language. Sometimes, it seemed heavy-handed but for the most part, it was just right. I thought that Motz's acting was the weak point int he whole show. It felt like he was commenting on the show rather than living in the reality of the circumstances. The night I saw it, Boo Segersin was performing as the app and I thought she did a fantastic job at letting her sadism dribble out bit by bloody bit. Which brings me to the effects. The blood effects are cool but I wish they had had the technology to make them more shocking. Every time blood appeared, it was telegraphed a mile away. The ending was a bit anti-climactic, which was perhaps the point. There are two twists that I counted near the end but I think one would have sufficed. Also, props to the sound design; that shit was unnerving.
Company: The Winding Sheet Outfit
Show: Blood Nocturne
Venue: Southern Theater
Anything but torture
I loved this show! I thought it was extremely crisp, polished, and dark AF. But, the constant breaking of the 4th wall lets us in on the research that led to the development of this show. Which is a good thing and a bad thing for me. The good thing is that it lightens the mood and makes the disturbing parts even moreso, and vice versa. For myself, I would've loved a much more straightforward approach in storytelling. The acting is amazing; Emily and the rest are perfectly attuned to the tone of this play. The scenic elements are great, particularly a cleverly-placed flashlight-in-the-eye to reveal a neat little trick near the beginning. At times, the sound was a bit cacophonous and made Emily hard to hear but this was only in certain spots. Personally, I'd love to see this company remount this production.
Company: Mosaic Productions
Show: Hidden in This Picture
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Thought-provoking but not too heavy
The script was great and the acting was too. Although, I didn't buy the acting at first. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't until a few minutes in when the actors started to really live in the words and circumstances of the script. By the end, I loved it.
Company: Nightfox Stage Productions
Show: My 4 Bodies
Venue: Ritz Theater Studio
Just needs some polish
I saw this on opening night and the script was still in Erin's hand. This led to some confusion on my part (is this an aesthetic choice or what?) I later found out this was due to recent script rewrites, so I sympathize. Hopefully, the script will be out of hand later in the run. Despite the script in hand and a few line flubs, it's a lovely script, full of humor and heartbreak, and Erin Roberts does a fine job. I thought that the props were underused. I would have either liked to have seen them used more and with more specificity or simply gotten rid of altogether.
Company: Say It Loud Productions
Show: Revolt of the Beavers
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Strong leads, strong script
This play was really great, with particular kudos going out to Natalie Rae Wass and Meri Golden. I could watch the two of them read ingredient labels - they are damn-near masters of their craft and so engaging. The script, while heavy-handed, makes no attempts to be subtle and I applaud them for that.