Sub-Total
2018 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member:
Company: Oncoming Productions
Show: Geminae
Venue: Southern Theater
Atmospheric as heck
There should be more sci-fi at Fringe, especially if it's as stylish and atmospheric as Geminae. The space-bound scenes made this feel like "Gravity" and the connection between sisters Emily Lindholm and Victoria Pyan was well acted. Special call out to the live score, which makes a lot of this work. Geminae is like watching a short movie play out in front of you. Very nice.
Company: Tom Reed
Show: Gunplay!
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Probably my favorite show at Fringe
With this title and theme, I wasn't sure about this show at first glance. Seeing the cast and producers made me interested enough to go, but I was surprised by how much I liked this show. The subject matter seems like it would be ripe for a "low-hanging fruit" polemic, and while there was some of that (very much no nuance in the horrors of the Machine Gun Association) the show itself was a sweet rom com that also hilariously lampooned high school drama departments, while still having real-world criticism of gun policy. Also, the cast--fantastic. Adelin Phelps was adorable. Lauren Anderson nails all three roles she has and is somehow funniest in the silent one. Tom Reed translates the "Aw Shucks" that's always been in his one-man shows into a role where that works so very well. Basically, this show is very sweet and also funny. Go.
Company: Sidecar Theatre
Show: Summers in Prague
Venue: Rarig Center Arena
This acting, mwah!
This show feels so rare when you see it. Most Fringe shows have some sort of gimmick or hook that gets you in, and I suppose this has the premise, but playing this premise straight and treating the characters as real people is something that you just don't get, usually. And here, the performances by Samantha and Avi feel like real, well rounded people, not just excuses for a plotline. The staging too deserves a mention, as it keeps two people talking for an hour continually interesting and fresh. Basically, when I was done with this, It was hard to believe I watched a Fringe show and not a full on play.
Company: The Skyline Collective
Show: Wasn't This Supposed to Be a Musical?
Venue: Ritz Theater Mainstage
La La Land for the Fringe
Don't be fooled by the title, this *is* a musical, and it's thrilling to see an original, non-gimmicky musical (i.e. not "Piece of pop culture: The Musical") at Fringe. This take on post-collegiate life choices struck a chord with me in theming, and was buoyed by the realism of emotions at the end of the show. The music was pretty great, though no particular song stuck in my head for long--the work has a sung-through feel to much of its music. There was a little too much of the "two people singing separate things at the same time" that made it a little hard to track plot details sometimes, but the show also wasn't confusing so it worked. Overall, I think this show will speak to most people who have been young adults, the music is excellent, and you'll go away charmed by the performances, set design, and vignettes like the silent movie scene. Worth seeing for sure!