2018 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member:
Company: Minneapolis Ballet Dancers
Show: Activate
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Several interesting pieces
This show felt like a mix of dance recital and dance concert, which didn’t always quite jell. The performances are solid, with a couple of inspired ones; seeing ballet in the round was quite interesting and enjoyable.
Company: Wayward Theatre Company
Show: Far Away by Caryl Churchill
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Well-realized dystopia
This is a dark vision of the future. It’s more of a vignette than a story (it doesn’t have the clear arc that many plays do), but it’s very well done. The live music is excellent, and they manage to have it not be overwhelming or deafening (and I was sitting right next to the band). Well worth your time.
Company: Oncoming Productions
Show: Geminae
Venue: Southern Theater
Amazing and disturbing
This is an incredible production. It makes great use of sound and lighting effects, and the staging is first rate. It’s well-acted and a tight script. The story is very dark and disturbing but perfectly portrayed. This is one of the best shows I’ve ever seen at Fringe.
Company: Tom Reed
Show: Gunplay!
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Great take on a tough subject
Tom Reed’s satire hits the mark, with solid music, great performances by the entire cast, and witty, fun, tight script. Each performer is rock solid, and they’ve clearly worked hard on the little things, like reactions (which matter so much!). I was particularly impressed by Lauren Anderson, who plays the high school principal, the president of the National Machine Gun Association, and high school student Alicia; she made each character clearly distinct and uniquely funny, even when switching back and forth quickly between them. This is a great show - don’t miss it!
Company: Martin Dockery
Show: Martin Dockery: Delirium
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Martin Dockery is a brilliant story teller
Martin Dockery is a master of the art of story-telling. I would listen to him read his grocery list; based on his shows, I suspect it would be a fascinating and amusing experience. These three stories are amusing and moving and enjoyable. He crafts clear narratives with lots of detail, and his energetic delivery is funny and engaging. His shows are consistently highlights of the Fringe for me, and this one is no exception. Go see it!
Company: Backyard to Broadway Productions
Show: Right, Wrong or Bomb! A Dating Musical
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Hilarious and well-done
This show made me really grateful I’m married and don’t have to worry about this whole new way to date. It’s well done, funny, tightly written, and well-acted. The songs are varied and well-performed. This is a relaxing and uplifting show. #Blessed
Company: Kevin Williamson + Company
Show: Still or I've Been Choreographed
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental
Very well done piece
This is an interesting and somewhat dark dance piece, expertly performed. I can’t honestly say that I liked it, but I don’t think that matters - I was impressed by the artistry and the emotion in it, and it made an impression on me. Worth your time.
Company: Rooftop Theatre Company
Show: The Complete Works of William Shatner (abridged)
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Funny
Shatner is funny, which is a great starting place; this parody makes good use of some of his more ridiculous roles and the ....issues.... of low-budget tv shows. The script could be tightened, but it’s an enjoyable hour.
Company: Comedy Suitcase
Show: Slapdash Panic: Comedy Suitcase ended up in the Fringe Festival with 3 weeks notice and no show!
Venue: Strike Theater
Funny (of course!)
Josh and Levi are funny, funny men, so even with very little time to prepare, they’ve put together an hour of good-natured, light-hearted humor. They unapologetically rely on the audience for material, and it mostly works. While there were a couple of slow parts, I laughed so hard I cried more than once. Definitely worth an hour of your time.
Company: Paper Soul
Show: SOFT
Venue: Ritz Theater Mainstage
Well done
As a previous reviewer stated, Motz’s ability to create a character that’s just on the wrong side of likeable but very recognizable is what makes this show work. I enjoyed the staging, and while the effects are not mind-blowing, they are effective; despite the several comments about predictability here, the audience certainly gasped at the first sign of blood.
Company: Life-sized Meme Productions
Show: The Moirologist
Venue: Ritz Theater Mainstage
Much darker than I expected
Based on the preview, I was expecting a more light-hearted comedy about funerals (because, well, Fringe). This was a lot darker than that - it’s still funny, and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. Andy Rakerd does an excellent job portraying John Morton, and the set and lighting work well to support the story.
Company: Hit the Lights! Theater Co.
Show: WHALES
Venue: Ritz Theater Mainstage
Excellent production (but LOUD!)
Hit the Lights uses such a simple concept for their shows, but they employ it so expertly that it’s transformative. This is a mix of shadow puppetry, live songs (think rock concert), and audience participation; I was entertained and learned things about whales and whaling that I wasn’t expecting. Be aware that it is very loud in parts (again, think rock concert) - this isn’t a criticism, but if you’re sensitive to such things, you might want earplugs. You should definitely go see it, though!
Company: Weggel-Reed Productions
Show: Couple Fight: The Musical!
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Funny and optimistic
One of my favorite things about the Couple Fight shows is that they are inherently optimistic: they acknowledge that there are moments that are hard in any relationship, but the relationship is worth fighting for anyway. Adding music worked for me, and the writing remains witty and very funny.
Company: Gabriel Mata/Movements
Show: DREAMING
Venue: Southern Theater
Gabriel Mata
Gabriel Mata is a joy to watch. Like some of the other reviewers, I wouldn’t have been disappointed if there had been more dancing, but I enjoyed the spoken parts as well, and I think the combination of exposition and dancing worked well.
Company: GIRL Theatre
Show: Gay Hot American Summer
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Funny but not cohesive
There are parts of this show that are very funny, but it felt disjointed to me. The actors work hard and well, though, and they did make me laugh.
Company: The Bearded Company
Show: Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Funny and nerdy
The guys putting on this show are funny people, which makes it accessible for those of us who *aren’t* hardcore D&D fans. Entertaining to watch, but since each performance is only 1/5 of the story, it doesn’t end up feeling complete to me.
Company: Flash Grenade Productions
Show: The Flashlight Zone: 20 Science Fiction Plays in One Hour
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Well done and some great moments
Three minutes per story (average) doesn’t give you a lot of time to get a point across, but these talented actors made it happen. All 20 stories were well told and clear; some of them were fascinating and I’d love to see them developed into full length plays (partly so I could see what happened next). Recommended!
Company: Ghoulish Delights, LLC
Show: The Screaming Skull
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Great acting with great effects!
Eric Webster does a phenomenal job with this script, and the addition of live sound effects (vs. recorded) really made the atmosphere work. The simplicity of the setup makes the story so much creepier. Definitely go see this one!
Company: Tyler West
Show: ABEYANCE
Venue: Strike Theater
Amazing to watch
Tyler’s ability to create (and inhabit) a world using nothing more than a handkerchief and a chair is staggering. Definitely worth seeing - funny, super clear even though there’s pretty much no words spoken, and highly energetic. Strongly recommended.
Company: Fearless Comedy Productions
Show: Deep in The 100 Acre Woods: A "Pooh"-dunnit?
Venue: Minnsky Theatre
Interesting concrept, but didn’t click for me
Turning a beloved children’s story into noir mystery is a gutsy thing to do, and the risk mostly pays off here. I struggled to understand some of Christopher Robin’s lines - he talks fast and doesn’t project as well as I’d like - but the plot is clear and easy to follow. I wanted more comedy, and I’m not sure that I’d pick Pooh as my gangster-of-choice. Generally well-done show.
Company: So Shall I
Show: Estate of Affairs
Venue: Ritz Theater Studio
Hilarious and well done
Funny farce, with tight timing and good acting. Go see this one!
Company: Grand Island Theatre
Show: Hamlet, but Hamlet's a Chicken
Venue: Minnsky Theatre
And there’s singing and dancing!
While this may not be the most complete Hamlet I’ve ever seen, it’s definitely the funniest and most engaging. The “To be or not to be” soliloquy was especially mesmerizing.
Company: Fearnot Dance
Show: Stark Dance: Politics Religion Sex
Venue: Ritz Theater Mainstage
Great dancing!
Out of the fourteen shows I’ve seen so far, this is my favorite. Three interesting pieces expertly performed - engaging from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend it!
Company: Snikt! Bamf! Thwip!
Show: A Family Friendly Pulp Fiction (Not Appropriate for Families)
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Great impressions, but know the movie
This is very funny, and Duck Washington’s impressions of Samuel L Jackson and Ving Rhames were spot on. I’m very glad I watched the movie earlier this week, though; without it I’d have been lost.
Company: The Winding Sheet Outfit
Show: Blood Nocturne
Venue: Southern Theater
Stunningly good
Winding Sheet Productions does such a beautiful job with such disturbing material. Really amazing performance - tight writing,clear acting, great singing, live music. This is first-class theater.
Company: Navel Gaze Productions
Show: Fringe Orphans 4: Back in the Habit
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Funny; enjoyable
Short, stand-alone pieces. Some gelled for me, while others worked less well. This is pretty much the distillation of Fringe into one hour.
Company: Mosaic Productions
Show: Hidden in This Picture
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
Solid and funny
This is a good rendition of a funny script. The actor playing the director had a tendency to talk very quickly, which required close attention, but all four actors were quite enjoyable (especially the one playing the writer).
Company: Custer & Schmidt
Show: Our Best Life
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Funny
I think if Shanan Custer read her grocery list on stage, it would be hilarious. There are times when this feels a bit like that’s what she’s doing, but she pulls it off. I thoroughly enjoyed the hour.
Company: Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society
Show: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Versus the Nazis
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust
Great voice acting
Great to listen to, and fun to watch. Go see it!
Company: Monster Science Productions
Show: What To Do In Case Of Dinosaur Attack
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Great show full of helpful tips
Never again will you be forced to cower in fear, paralyzed by the possibility of dinosaur attack. Matt Kesson’s helpful tips and powerhouse PowerPoint will provide all you need to know to reclaim your life, secure in the knowledge that you too can stand strong in the face of saurian mayhem.
Company: Pacific Midwest Ballet
Show: Zombies And Pirouettes
Venue: Southern Theater
Best zombie dancers ever
Well-danced and clear story about, well, zombies. And a wedding. The “green” zombie is amazing to watch.