Sub-Total
2024 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Molly Miller
Company: Light Bringer Productions
Show: The Light Bringer
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
One more chance to see this show- Take it!!
This spectacular storytelling show was a joy to watch and engaging at every turn. Laila playfully and somberly utilizes the stage and two distinct props (a lantern and a scarf) as well as her own body to fully realize the stories she tells. This isn't a standing by a music stand storytelling show, it is a vibrant movement, spot-on soundtrack, heart-filling show that I urge you not to miss! The only critique I have is that some of the Arabic words were difficult to hear clearly over the music. But that is such a minor detail and one that probably could be overcome by sitting a little closer to the stage. There's only one more chance to see this show, and I hope you take it!
Company: Emily Boyajian
Show: Transition: A Story of Two Trans People Becoming Themselves
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Wonderful opera music!
The music in this show is incredible and makes me want a full-blown trans opera! I wasn't expecting the music to be operatic, and it was a great surprise! I used to go to operas all the time and it really took me back! Especially the Gender Euphoria song- could have been straight out of a full-length opera! Please make this into a full opera or operetta! The live band was also just incredible and sounded so good! The exposition between musical numbers was very clearly the weaker part of the show. It was fine, but pretty straightforward and felt like just pure exposition/narration at times, rather than a scene (there was a lot of telling rather than showing). Despite this, the show is still worth seeing and expanding! (Did I mention I want this to become a full opera?)
Company: Amanda Ripley
Show: The Untold Myth of Medusa, The Musical; Part 1
Venue: The Southern Theater
Somewhat mediocre
I was really excited to see this one, as I am a Greek mythology nerd and all the reviews were *glowing!* Maybe that hype let me down, but I found the show unfortunately mediocre. The characters were pretty 1-dimensional, the script was predictable, and the humor sometimes fell flat. There were 4 songs: a prologue, a goofy love interest song, a frat party style number, and a dramatic ballad- all of which are pretty stereotypical and bland. There weren't any surprises or anything to really allow the show to excel. It is fine, but I hoped for more. I did really appreciate the subtle mythological references (such as Poseiden's horses, the addition of Echo, etc.). I hope that Part 2 does happen and that some more surprises and risks are taken to give it just a little more punch than Part 1 had.
Company: Greta Mae Geiser
Show: Antistrophe to an Andro-Sapphic Tragedy
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Intellectual and heartfelt.
The show felt like a Greek, abuse survivor version of Alice in Wonderland. The amalgamation of references, poetic prose, and playing with pronouns at times feels like trying to understand Tweedledee and Tweedledum. It is also obvious the script was the main focus for the show, as some details such as costuming seemed a bit thrown-together and there was a dance element at the beginning of the play that got dropped halfway through, leaving some blocking feeling meandering and unfocused. I wished the script was a little more straightforward and other production elements more complex, but overall well worth seeing!
Company: Loom Lab
Show: old growth
Venue: The Southern Theater
Whimsical and engaging!
I don't think I always understood this movement-based exploration piece, but I also don't think I necessarily needed to. I was swept up in almost everything the performers were doing. Lovely visuals and a gorgeous soundtrack. The only thing that caught me off guard was it was a very short piece, at only 35 minutes long. Well worth seeing, but be prepared for a shorter show.
Company: Vulva Va-Voom & Company
Show: TransMasculine Cabaret, Starring Vulva Va-Voom
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Man can that Vulva sing!
This show was not at all what I was expecting. The tone was jarring and confusing at times, but also intriguing. As a trans non-binary person myself, I thought I would relate to the content more than I did, but there are many different brands of non-binary and just because it didn't quite click for me (although it came close, especially at the more vulnerable moments) doesn't mean it won't click for you. Vulnerability is always upstaged by performance. Art reflects life. It got me really thinking about my experiences with my own gender and being perceived. And holy hell can Vulva sing!
Company: Paco Erhard | German Comedy International
Show: An Honest* History of Bullshit
Venue: HUGE Improv Theater
A very engaging workshop
Paco is incredibly funny and endearing and you can't help but want to follow his stories, quips, and absurdities. As I saw his first show, it was a bit scattered and he clearly didn't get through his entire repertoire. It was more of a workshop than a fully fleshed out show, but that's how the Fringe is and it was a wonderful workshop to be at! Very silly, a little crude, a little political, full of fun voices and charm- overall well worth your time.
Company: MaMa Faerie Productions
Show: Show Me Your Wings
Venue: Squirrel Haus Arts
Amazing music and visuals!
This show's production was incredible. The visuals, music, lights, experience- everything was spot on! I had a difficult time with this show because it attempted so much and everything that made it so much of what it was made it inaccessible to me. I can't stand for long periods of time, and the show spends the first 25-30 minutes in a room with quite literally two chairs. It was also incredibly hot and I have a medical condition where standing + heat = bad things. By the time we got to a place where I could sit, I was feeling not great enough that I wasn't able to enjoy the show as well as I wanted. The show itself is filled with white mystic feminism, so if that's your thing you'll love it- it unapologetically delves into an autobiographical vignette of metamorphosis layered in elemental symbology, metaphoric imagery, and Tori Amos-style music that is incredibly well performed. Clarissa Pinkola Estes' Women Who Run With the Wolves sat at the foot of an alter and there was deconstruction of the Medusa myth. If you know what those mean- and are excited about it- this show is for you. If you are able to stand, walk, write, sit on pillows on the floor, and aren't bothered by very low levels of AC, you will be comfortable in the show. For what the show is, it's so spectacular! I just wish it was more accessible to me.
Company: Abby Bland
Show: Godzilla's Not A Dinosaur
Venue: Bryant Lake Bowl
Cute, funny, relatable
Abby's energy and enthusiasm are contagious! The audience was swept up by quips and poems and tangents about Godzilla, gender exploration, and feminism. Abby is fun and the show is very fun and endearing. I found myself relating to (and snapping for) a lot of the poetry. A lot of it. They also used some fun visuals, which made the show more engaging. Overall a fun show and one to catch especially if you like Godzilla, get gender feelings, or want to learn a little bit of history!
Company: 8:20 Dance Company
Show: Pieces of Me/ Shadows
Venue: The Southern Theater
Moments of brilliance
Overall, I enjoyed this show. The dancers performed beautifully, with some really, really wonderful moments of expression and execution! I wish there was a little more variety in the pieces (they were all of a similar lyrical/modern feel) and it the structure of the show sometimes felt narrative, sometimes not, so I found myself wondering if I was supposed to be seeing a narrative flow or not. But the pieces were well danced, and the show was always visually interesting and emotionally engaging. The music was also very loud, which distracted me from the dancing in the beginning of the show.
Company: Clevername Theatre
Show: The Peter Pan Cometh
Venue: Theatre in the Round
I am glad I saw it!
Never a dull moment in this existential romp featuring the despondent echoes of beloved story-time characters. It truly delivers what its name foreshadows, eloquently threading Eugene O'Neill's nihilism into J.M. Barrie's literature, while sprinkling in a healthy dusting of humor! Well written, well designed, and well performed, this was a fabulous start to the MN Fringe!