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2019 Audience Reviews

Member Reviews

The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Corrie Fiedler

Company: One T Productions
Show: A Man's Guide for Appropriate Behavior in the 21st Century
Venue: Augsburg Studio

Motivating and well-curated

I attended the last performance (Sunday) and found it fascinating. Scott did a yeoman's job in leading the discussion. Had I seen this earlier in Fringe, I would have attended every session. The topics ended up being about theater's responsibility to create a safe place esp. given Fringe's recent challenge. That said, the panel was a bit echo chamber-y and binary (totally safe is totally good). I wish we could have heard & talked more about the spectrum of safety and 'safe for whom?'. I suspect few of the panel or audience remembers the Walker-funded, Ron Athey performance (1994) in which 'safe space' was a key argument that rose to Congress and eventually reduced NEA funding. In short, should our theaters be safe for uninformed homophobes? Or better said, who gets to decide the big question: 'safe for whom?'


Company: W.A.R. Theater
Show: Beat.
Venue: Crane Theater

Alot going on around an important event

So much activity: singing, vocalizing, band, dancing, miming, sound effects, cats & birds (?). a Greek chorus and some GREAT dramatic scenes (I'm remembering the scene at Lucian's apartment). Unfortunately the concurrent activities kept me distracted from the plot: I realize I had been watching the 'see no evil, say no evil, hear no evil' characters and had missed a key point. I'd love to see this work with a bit more focus on the main characters and theme.


Company: the semi-permanent tattoos
Show: Apartment, Darling
Venue: Ritz Theater Studio

Clever premise, sweetly presented

My favorite part was learning in the program that our actors are involved in housing affordability. What a great reminder that art can bloom from any aspect of our lives. And a great reminder to read the program before every performance!! While the acting and stage management was solid, the plot moved a bit too slowly for my tastes. And, like others, the spoken volume was too low (especially when actors were in the back of the stage).


Company: Andrew Erskine Wheeler
Show: Booth's Ghost
Venue: Ritz Theater Mainstage

An educational acting tour de force

There was so much history packed into this multi-dimensional script. Almost too much! It took me awhile to get a grip on the story and the plot arc. But I could watch Andrew Wheeler act all day. [His moment of silence and reminder of the similarities of Booth's story and current news was really well done. Thought provoking].


Company: Foxhill Studios
Show: Into the Ditch
Venue: Augsburg Studio

Creative story, strong leading actors

A slow start, but that is sort of the point. As the plot develops, the ideas become more intense. The two leading actors were fantastic: especially in facial responses. Other acting varied.


Company: Tristan J. Miller
Show: Manic Impressive
Venue: Ritz Theater Studio

Interesting & educational (not to mention funny)

I'm typically not one to fully appreciate stand-up comedy, but this was stand-up with a mission: understanding mental health diagnoses and empathizing with those so diagnosed. Other reviewers have commented on Tristan's reliability. I experienced that as well. Even the parts that were almost 'university lecture style' were presented so well that I was 100% engaged.


Company: Jesse Factor
Show: RELIC
Venue: Crane Theater

Creative and artistic

Not much more to say, but a tour de force of creativity, acting, and modern dance. Keep your eyes open for Jesse's future performances.


Company: Jackdonkey Productions
Show: The Zoo Story
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental

Think you've seen this before?

Think again! This is a creatively imagined and acted version. A few miffed lines (Sat afternoon), but otherwise absurd and intense = as advertised.


Company: Melancholics Anonymous
Show: 10 Minutes Between 1:50 and 2AM
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Real deal: creative, well acted, thought provoking

TWO-ACTORS, RIGHT OUT OF SCHOOL CREATE AN ENGAGING, UNIVERSALLY RELEVANT WORK. AND THEN ACT THEIR HEARTS OUT. That is the headline I would have written had I had more than 50 characters. Despite their age, they caught human nature (looping our memories) and dread (I'm sure I'm not the only person who had more macabre ending imagined). And they had enough energy to Fringe afterwards??!! (I saw them at two venues immediately following their show). Keep an eye on these two.


Company: Hercules Theatre Company
Show: Artificial
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Don't like SciFi? Don't worry!

Great plot that is (at least as much) about ethics, especially business ethics. Kelly was beyond awesome as Athena. Never a slip, perfect facial expressions, and believable verbal tics. Other acting could move up just a micrometer. Totally engaging!


Company: Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society
Show: Frankenstein: Two Centuries
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

Learn a lot, have a blast!

I suppose many of us have seen/heard Frankenstein adaptations over our lives. But kudos to MORLS for reminding us of the context of Shelley's story (though this part could have even slowed down MORE. It's complicated), and of the backstory of both shows (so we could appreciate the humor). The 2 story format worked great ... without that break, I bet my mind would have wandered.


Company: Marvel Ann Theatre
Show: Mighty Real
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage

Walk through history and experience the impact

Sweet and informative telling of GLBTX history 'in the day.' Enjoyed the heck out of this (and, yes, they deserve a much larger audience). I hope they continue developing this!


Company: shelby company
Show: All is Bright
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Warmly sweet....

… with first rate acting. My only comment: maybe just a bit more backstory about SantaCon for us fly-over folks. A pub crawl (from the summary) makes it sound like a gentlemanly endeavor (as one knows if your travel plans have overlapped with SC). Not so much. Thoroughly enjoyable.


Company: Tom Reed
Show: Game of Toms: One-Man Game of Thrones
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

Appreciate Tom's artistry

I was sad that the house wasn't sold out for the Wed 10pm show. It should have been. Haven't seen GoT (don't have a TV, much less HBO), but anyone who remotely follows popular culture will not have any problems. It has music, satire, parody, impressions, and more. Tom is an artist!


Company: The Importance Of Being Fotis
Show: Kind Of Funny But Also A Little Sad
Venue: Theatre in the Round

As for the minority opinion!

Two things I liked: 1) I loved that early sketch set at McD. The premise was really funny (at least the first time). 2) You were yelling so loudly several times (including at the audience sitting behind you) that the lights hit your saliva and made fun colorful patterns. What I cared less for: the loud, crude (without imagination or creativity), repetitive humor. I think of (paying) audience members rather than the cast and their friends when I write reviews. So if your tastes are similar to mine, you might want to skip this one. And, yes, cast, I caught your deprecating comments about reviews like this. Not intimidated.


Company: Rough Magic Performance Company
Show: Measure4Measure
Venue: Southern Theater

Accessible & relevant

Abridged Shakespeare can either be overly abstract, or confusing, or simplified beyond relevancy. This was none of those. It was accessible, interesting and completely relevant. Loved the projections (the best use of the Southern in the 30+ years I've been going there), the costumes, and the sound effects.


Company: Bollywood Dance Scene
Show: My Kahaani
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage

Motivating & educational stories

Stories were engaging …. and so motivating. A reminder to us all to treat newcomers with dignity and respect. And the events of Oct 1984 aren't well known to US born adults. I found myself reviewing this history right afterwards. Though, like many Fringe works comprised of several stories, the quality varied just a bit. The last story could have been sharpened to bring me closer to the emotion.


Company: Ian McCarthy, Michael McKitt, Domino D'Lorion
Show: STOOPIDITY
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental

Immerse yourselves in the artists' experiences!

Get your reservations NOW. This was sold out on Tuesday night, and the demand will only grow. A panoply of very related vinnettes and experiences rendered in acting, spoken word, rap, drag, dance and more. Enjoyed every minute, though I wish the struggles leading to the final drag vinnettes would have been more deeply portrayed.


Company: Ruckus Productions
Show: Aileen
Venue: Southern Theater

Easy to get lost in the many dimensions

Aileen's performance was outstanding: emotional and unhinged. The true story has so many dimensions: the attorney, the men, the lover, the guards, the charlatan.... I had seen the movie (Monster) and still had a hard time keeping up with the important aspects. The impact of this piece could be sharpened by focusing on fewer ideas.


Company: Sneaky
Show: BANK ROBBER
Venue: Southern Theater

A fabulous short sketch

A fabulous short sketch .... but didn't hold my attention for the whole hour. In fact, this could be repurposed as a 15 minute video on sales techniques. In that context: funny and creative. The humor is rapid fire, and the actors nailed every line. Not a pause or a swallowed line. Wow!


Company: Haute Dish Productions
Show: Chisago: The Musical
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

This show is a blast!

Chisago is a great palate cleanser! Sweet and goes down easy. We had a blast, every song took another (funny) turn. Top scores for the idea and fun hour. As others have noted, execution (singing and dancing) could have taken a step forward. I sat by the Open Captioning screen and am glad I did. The words go fast.


Company: Agatha Berlin & Co.
Show: Death of a Pen Name
Venue: Ritz Theater Studio

Much deeper than I expected

A true story: how addiction can destroy the purest art. This was a filler for me, and I enjoyed it far more than I expected to (based on the summary). The high reviews are the real deal! As others have noted, it took me awhile to sort out the narrator and scene Agathas, and more broadly, to sort out how all the characters related to the story.


Company: Sam Kruger
Show: Fool Muun Komming! [BeBgWunderful/YEsyes/4sure.Hi5. TruLuv;Spank Spank:SOfun_Grate_Times]
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Experience Fringe, see Fool Mun. Now!

The short summary doesn't even begin to describe this work. And reviewers struggle as well. Yes, it is sort of about an alien (but don't let that put you off). Yes, it is sort of mime (but there is lots of spoken word and fantastic sound effects). Love and loneliness. Yes and more. The 'day in the life' segment is absolutely riveting (though that doesn't imply that the rest of the show isn't). Sam, you are a gift.


Company: Rinky Dink Operations
Show: Mad as Nell, or How to Lose a Bly in Ten Days
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

The whole package (script, acting, concept)

Not much more I can say here …. the idea seems offbeat for a comedy, but as usual from this company, it works perfectly. Though there are quite a few speaking roles, they are finely drawn and you won't have a second of confusion. Only gripe? I missed the first line about equity actors, which meant that the other related lines were lost on me. I'm sure - in context - they were as funny as the rest of the show.


Company: Komedio Comedy
Show: Nerd Rage! The Great Debates
Venue: Crane Theater

Funny and silly

Like others, I attended based on the debaters for the evening. And I chose well (Natalie and Tim were great). Dave chose questions of fairly broad appeal (including the cell phone question opened things up). As often happens, though, in Fringe improv, the actors focus a bit too much on entertaining their friends in the acting community … and a bit less on speaking to the broader audience.


Company: The Feral Theatre Company
Show: The Tale of The Bloody Benders
Venue: Strike Theater

As advertised: true serial killer story

A genre I enjoy, and I definitely enjoyed this work! Unlike other reviewers, the staging ('dead' actors sitting forward on the stage) seemed like a logical solution to the question of 'what to do with the bodies?'. Time and place ended up being a bit confusing: the knapsack was clearly modern as were the coffee cups (doubling as apples?).


Company: Beardog Productions
Show: Turn Here--Sweet Corn
Venue: Augsburg Studio

Nailed every aspect

Idea, adaptation, performance. Outstanding in every way. But take care, the work moves slowly, and over a landscape that has been well trod (we are destroying the environment with urban development). Most in the audience were true believers and responded. There were a couple of plot points that were a bit lost for us who haven't read the book: the line about why he had to give up the farm (while Diffley was fixing the tractor) didn't carry?


Company: Breaker/Fixer Productions
Show: A Confederate Widow In Hell
Venue: Southern Theater

Weird, wonderful, and slightly confusing

Others have noted that this has morphed since they saw it at the Horror Festival earlier this year. And, I bet the next version will be even better. The first half was just a bit slow and disconnected for me. Enough that I dozed for a couple minutes. Great ending vignettes. Wonderfully creative in every possible dimension. [I'm sure you had a reason for the GG flag at the end, but it wasn't clear to me. A short explanation in your 'write a review, enjoy Fringe' talk at the end would have caused me to leave the theater feeling a bit more informed].


Company: Sheep Theater
Show: A Cult Classic
Venue: Southern Theater

Delightful and thought provoking

Absurdity and broad humor are usually not my thing. But (as usual) Sheep Theater brought subtle cleverness to the mix. Timing could have been improved just a bit (when the audience is howling, give us just a microsecond more to tune into your next clever line, thanks!).


Company: LC creations
Show: Botanical Dancing
Venue: Southern Theater

Great womens' empowerment

So uplifting to see the troupe of 8 young women doing it all for themselves: stage management, dancing, choreography. They were having a blast which is always a Fringe upper. The ideas were outstanding and many of the solos were great. The group scenes could have been tightened up a bit. I ended up distracted by dancers who weren't quite on cue. [For the record, I went to the wrong theater. So seeing Botanical Dancing was by happenstance. All of us long-time Fringe regulars should do this more often. See something by chance rather than by plan]


Company: Wandering Jew Productions
Show: Operation: Immigration
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Fabulous


Company: Snikt! Bamf! Thwip!
Show: The Lunch Bunch
Venue: Theatre in the Round

Not the lightweight you are expecting

Nope, hadn't seen the movie. Nope, don't love broad humor. Yup, I had meant it only as an early afternoon filler. None-the-less, enjoyed the heck out of every minute. Clever (rather than goofy), trenchant (politically), and insightful (about many current issues).


Company: Harmonious Music
Show: What Happened to Annie?
Venue: Augsburg Mainstage

Enthusiastic and heartfelt

These shows have always been a dilemma for me. Creative idea = yes (a Bollywood show about the impact of the dark web on young women. Wow!) Social impact = yes (see above) Fun dancing = yes Enthusiastic performers = yes, yes, and yes Execution = Agreed that the acting and plot could use more work-shopping.


Company: CSOC Company, LLC
Show: Blood Guilt
Venue: Ritz Theater Studio

A top Fringe experience (ever)

(My sister and) I have a very short list of 'the best ever' Fringe shows (and the list is over many, many years). The ones we'll always remember when we walk into that venue. And Blood Guilt definitely goes on that list. Two very awkward (and extremely well acted) high school students trying to organize their relationship through layers of angst and family stress each is working through. Serious = yes. Awkward = yes, but part of the point. Highly recommended.


Company: Elite Entertainment
Show: Looking Glass- A Shattered Cirque Wonderland
Venue: Minnsky Theatre

Not my cup of tea (pun intended)

This is a tough one. It was a 10pm 'Northeast' filler. And I'm definitely no prude. But I know now that the circus arts just aren't my thing. Those performers seemed well versed in their disciplines (especially the pole and rope performances). The dancing was 'so so' - more sensual and less organized. The audience was extremely appreciative and high energy. And others reviewers saw it differently than I did.


Company: Amanda Erin Miller
Show: The Jew in the Ashram
Venue: Ritz Theater Studio

Relaxing and interesting

Very glad I went. The participation yoga exercises lowered my stress and introduced me to something I know almost nothing about (don't worry, it isn't 'audience participation' in the usual sense). The humor is subtle and pace is slow. But it is a show about yoga, so I guess that makes total sense!


Company: The Winding Sheet Outfit
Show: You Are Cordially Invited to the Life and Death of Edward Lear
Venue: Crane Theater

Wildly crazed (and you'll learn a lot)

This sort of craziness hits my funny bone exactly (I don't care for goofy or silly or some of the other Fringe sub-genres of comedy). Acting and imagination first rate (and accordions?, my favorite on-stage instrument!). It seemed like some minor opening night line flubbing (but maybe that was part of the script, we'll never know). Most Fringe regulars will have already slotted this show in ... be sure to get reservations.


Company: Partizan Theater
Show: Backstory
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

A backstory, indeed.

Acting and script were tight and extremely engaging. It is not necessary that you understand the source material (remember, when you saw the film, you didn't know the 'backstory'). Enjoyed every minute. Must see!


Company: Devious Mechanics
Show: Edith Gets High
Venue: Rarig Center Arena

Still giggling!

Outstanding acting and score. Much goofier than my usual Fringe show but accessible to anyone (definitely a senior here, and enjoyed every minute). Two suggestions: (of course) get a reservation, and try to sit in a lower row. There was some action that took place on the floor that was lost on my (and many of those sitting around me in the second to the last row).


Company: Maximum Verbosity
Show: Get Thee Behind Me, Santa: An Inexcusably Filthy Children's Time-Travel Farce for Adults Only
Venue: Rarig Center Xperimental

A meat grinder of LOTS of ideas

Imagine putting some Dan Brown novels and the Night before Christmas (and others similar) in a meat grinder and reconstructing the elements afterwards. Wow, there would be some REALLY funny and incongruous lines. But the big picture? A bit lost (OK more than a bit). Even though I was lost in the incongruity for much of the show, Phil is an amazing actor. I look forward to seeing a repeat of this in years to come, perhaps with the story made just a bit more accessible.


Company: TROMPE L'OEIL
Show: The Dwelling Place
Venue: Rarig Center Thrust

Fantastic acting, slower story

A ++ for the acting ... the accents and acting were spot on (at least if my native Irish friends are any indication of typical). As others have noted, the script (and especially the scene changes) were a bit slow. The humor and emotion was primarily drive by the (again, excellent) acting and less by the script.


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