Sub-Total
2024 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Lee Samelson
Company: Jamie Brickhouse
Show: I Favor My Daddy: A Tale of Two Sissies
Venue: Open Eye Theatre
Really good, hope he does something similar again
I was glad I got a chance to see this performance on time after needing to bike all the way from Strike Theater to Open Eye within 26 minutes. At first it was a sexually exciting, account of coming out to oneself and then it went into some deep close family history. It concluded with some of the questions he felt he should have asked his father while he was still with us. Hard to say no to first person account of a meaningful story to tell, as it was genuine and internalized and spoken from the heart. As an artist who got the phone call that my father had passed on just minutes before I had left for my tech rehearsal, it struck a chord with me.
Company: American School of Storytelling
Show: More Better Stories
Venue: American School of Storytelling
Five Stars for the Irish Soda Bread!
Marie is a Fringe staple each year and is warm, inviting, humble down-to-earth. It was way better Irish Soda bread than most of what you could buy at a store - a family recipe. That is a touch that is a bit unique among Fringe shows. When Marie told stories, I may have been wondering for a bit where it is leading for a while. But it all comes together with a powerful end. I will say that each show here is unique and different with quite an extensive schedule.
Company: Amy Oppenheimer
Show: Looking for Justice (in all the wrong places)
Venue: Bryant Lake Bowl
A good history lesson, told in prose 1st person
A number of provocative questions. A story of expanding the scope of what is possible, shaking up the patriarchy and exposing where we have been conditioned to believe misinterpretations. It's amazing she remembers it all- as it must be from first hand experience. Since I did not opt to sit in the front row, I will say there were some moments where I could not quite hear or follow along. She moved a bit around the stage too much for a stationary mic but one would have been helpful.
Company: Alex Church
Show: Dutch: Made in America
Venue: Open Eye Theatre
Dutch The Magic Reagan ...
... Lived by the Sea... Well not quite a song parody we did have some laughs. There were some moments where it got intense for a few good surprises. It would be helpful to have something of a timeline as to which part of his life we are covering as there was one actress who played multiple roles and all the other characters, which was quite impressive. It sounded like he started with leading his class to go on strike and then it must have been Nancy's dad who turned him to the dark side politically. Still kind of curious what exactly happened at the end. One memorable line that I elaborated on a bit: "They don't want a jar of jelly beans, they want love"
Company: Mahmoud Hakima
Show: Two Bowls of Cereal and Some Bacon
Venue: Theatre in the Round
A Fringe Staple
Mahmoud is a yearly Fringe staple who is professional and really gets the expressions down right. A few witty sayings that made me laugh in a low key way. He really bounced around the stage and on one occasion, a bit beyond. I do have to give out another shout for the Mario Dance. But as far as the ending though... well I'd better not spoil it.
Company: Emily Boyajian
Show: Transition: A Story of Two Trans People Becoming Themselves
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Eye-Opening, Relatable
This gratefully takes on a very hot and relevant issue for the times that we live in. And even more so, it is an articulate expression on what it is like to be trans, and the way how it is laid out is something I could relate to. If I try to abide by someone else's hidden rules, I unknowingly go against someone else's. Whenever I try to appease someone tears into me for being too much of one way, someone else docks me for being too far the other way. So it is great for helping build awareness, which is valuable. There are 2 main performers who do most of the speaking backed up by quite a few musicians. One interesting twist to take this in the future is an intersectionality on what it is like to be on the autism spectrum at the same time.