2026 Audience Reviews

Company: Joking Apart Theater
Show: I'm Afraid, I Have To Leave
Venue: Mixed Blood

I’m going to be second-guessing myself now

As someone with lifelong experience in extended Minnesota goodbyes, this show was life-changing. Now every time I get stuck in a conversational loop, I’m going to catch myself wondering… what if? Hey, maybe I SHOULD stay the night. After all, there’s a storm in the forecast and they did just refill my coffee… maybe one more bite of cake won’t hurt…

Company: The Miller Conspiracy
Show: Bay Creek
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance

Fantastic Horror Show

This show was really excellent! Even though it's just one actor, he does a fantastic job inhabiting different characters throughout the show, so it never feels boring. The horror in the situation is never over-the-top, never too obvious. It's definitely present and apparent from the start, but the script and the performance do an excellent job of making the scale and danger of it build over the course of the show. I was sad to miss this one at the TC horror fest last year, but I'm so glad it came back around for Fringe this year! Definitely going to be one of my favorite performances of the whole Fringe, I can already tell.

Company: Jeffries & Brown
Show: Braingystics: Seize the Mind!
Venue: Open Eye Theatre

Seize your mind!

This show was comedic gold from the start, and had me laughing from the first minute until the last. I’ve never enjoyed a live infomercial so much!

Company: Budding Heads
Show: Scab for Hire
Venue: The Southern Theater

A fun idea, just needs a little more work

This show is actually two shows in one - the fist part, clearly inspired by old silent movies to depict the experience of the titular scab, the second a brief drama of a pair of podcasters discussing said scab. I like the first part better, being a fan of silent films, but the performers could benefit from a bit more guidance on clowning to really make those scenes pop. The second part was a miss for me - it has good bones, just not my preference. The film finale, though, brought it back around to the silent film inspiration and left it on a positive note. Overall an interesting core, but the execution needs a little massaging to make it hit.

Company: Moral of the Story
Show: A Real Piece of Work
Venue: Theatre in the Round

Fantastic!

A great, funny show! Incredibly well written, equally well-acted. The performances were comedic without being over the top, but still had an underlying layer of heart that connects beautifully with the theme of doing your best at what you love. If you like community theatre even a little, this show is a must-see!

Company: milk rat orchestra
Show: Fly Tape
Venue: Rarig Kilburn Theatre

Good core, participation iffy

The central theme felt very real and honest, and I appreciated the way the dynamic between the siblings was written. Very well-acted overall, and I think the whole squad brought a lot of heart to the show. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what the point of the audience interaction portions was - did we have the capacity to change the story? Or was that just to fill the gaps and make it more “fringe”? If the former, a preface would be appreciated to explain. If the latter, as much as I appreciated the energy of the auctioneer (and he really was a delight), that could probably be dropped if the show is ever revised or expanded.