Sub-Total
2018 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member:
Company: Loom Lab
Show: The Middle Keeps Moving
Venue: Southern Theater
Holy crap! SO GOOD
Yes, I was that gal in the front row crying my eyes out over how moving this piece was. I felt a lot of the pain in the main dancer's journey. It's obvious to me that there is a theme of mental illness and connection to others -- and disconnection. That feeling that "you're the only one" but really we all feel the tough stuff. Ah! I don't want to spoil any more. If you can get behind modern dance you NEED to see this show!
Company: Colleen Somerville Productions
Show: Not Fair, My Lady!
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Passionate and talented cast, witty writing
Everything about this production was done well. Impressed with the writing and acting especially. Fringe is a great place to put up a show like this, about sexism in theater. It serves as an educational show about classic Broadway shows and their lack of representation, and is poignant for theater newbies and theater nerds alike. The passion and raw emotion that came through the acting made it all the more powerful. You can tell everyone in this production really wanted to be doing this play, and that alone brings me joy. Reserve your tix and see this show at Fringe - these gals are gonna be famous someday.
Company: Ruckus Productions
Show: Sidesplitting
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Campy on a camping trip
As a lover of camp (True Blood, anyone?) and over-the-top horror (Evil Dead, anyone?), I enjoyed this modern and young take on both genres. Yes, the characters are a-holes, but that's the point, ya dig? I appreciate that the writers and director made it clear they were exaggerating the moral ambiguity of the characters. Which, by the way, is something inherent in the camp genre: "Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting aesthetic attributes such as beauty, value, and taste through an invitation of a different kind of apprehension and consumption." [from Wikipedia: Camp (style)]. This show brought a unique genre to the Fringe that we wouldn't normally see on a theatre stage, and they killed it (pun intended). I am in awe of the actors skill level and commitment to being campy. There is a strong element of self-awareness in the writing and directing as well, which is important when toeing the line between goofy and serious. The use of a tent as a room on the round stage was impressive. Props to the director on that one. And yes, I used another pun. I want to see more from this group!
Company: Paper Soul
Show: SOFT
Venue: Ritz Theater Mainstage
But I'm a creeeeeeeeep
Motz and his crew take on a doozy of a subject in the wake of 2018: toxic masculinity. A risk, but also a relevant time. I was impressed by the inclusion of women in the production of this: the guest stars and director, Shalee Coleman, add just enough perspective to the show that I didn't feel suffocated by a man's story of being a man (because let's face it, there's enough stories like that to fill a million stages). This story challenges us, and especially men, to see the violent outcomes of sexism on both sides. Yes, it is creepy at times, but honestly I cringed harder when Chewy calls the guest star "sweetheart" than I did at the fake blood. The creepy staging and props are great metaphors for the creepy story. Bottom line? Don't be a creep like Chewy. But do go see this show and watch Chewy suffer at the hands of his own ignorance. It's satisfying, and a great display of how men can take up space on a stage without leaving women in the dust. Motz and the director, Shalee Coleman, are a dream team. Please do more shows together!!
Company: FredPictures
Show: The Breakfast Club: The Musical!
Venue: Southern Theater
It's fun, you'll have a blast
I'm not a huge fan of musicals or the Breakfast Club, but I enjoyed the fun staging and songs so much. The actors are incredibly talented and the hour flew by. Need a break from heavy emotional shows? Go see this upbeat and high energy show based on an iconic coming-of-age story.