5 Prisoners

Takes No Prisoners!

Fascinating glimpses into the concepts of the playwrights, wiht incredibly strong performances!

Prisoner of the Moment

Five different vignettes about captured persons. The acting was great! Each of the performers was a veteran actor, and they wove their tales wonderfully! The story about the plasma donator who then becomes the next "nurse" to take the donation was a little more odd than usual, but what the heck! It's Fringe and this was fun!

4 Out of 5 Ain't Bad

As a fan of the writers and actors involved, I had high expectations for this show and they were, for the most part, met. The performances were solid and most of the stories were clear in their intent and the exploration of the varied prisons, physical or otherwise, was thought provoking. Give this a watch!

A mix!

Not at all what I expected and that is a wonderful thing! Interesting concepts, excellent performances, humorous and pointed (sometimes at the same time) writing. Plus treats for those familiar with the history of performing and with Shakespeare. Would love to see what this becomes if the creators continue any of these stories.

Breaking Free of the Norms

This collection of 5 pieces involving 5 actors ranges from the historical to the metaphysical to the just plain weird. All 5 actors pulled out all the stops in every single role, adding up to a fun theatrical romp through time and space, with imprisonment in some fashion as the underlying theme. As some others have noted, the 4th piece (the one with the people tied in chairs) was a little too esoteric and I didn't get it, but the other 4 pieces took risks, went hard, and broke free of their performative restraints, which is exactly what the fringe is here to do.

This is good....real good!

I think that the reason why there are not more kitties given to this show is because we only give out 5 kitties because we liked it all. This is difficult when there are 5 different stories in this play and each one is very different. If we decide we don't like one or two of them, then we lower the score. I am giving this show 5 kitties because the acting and writing on several of these stories was absolutely stellar. Really made me think. I liked the first and last stories the best because Boo just completely acted her ass off in the first one and looked completely adorable in the last one (I would go to this show just to see Boo in an alien costume)! So go, you will love some of the stores, some of them will make you think, and some of them will have you going, "huh"?? That's what I love about Fringe! So 5 kitties! Go see it!

An exercise in nihilism?

By definition prisoners have lost most of their freedom of choice. But what if we are all prisoners to our instincts, non-conscious minds, societies, and randomness? Trigger warning: if you have ever been subjected to physical or mental pain at the hands of a more powerful person, you may want to prepare yourself to see this as desensitization rather than a re experience.

Thought-Provoking

"5 Prisoners" isn't the type of show I would normally seek out at Fringe, but with people I know in the cast, I wanted to give it a go, and I'm glad I did. Each of the 5 scenes gives the audience something to think about and explores the idea of being a prisoner, both in the traditional sense and in more metaphorical scenarios. Each has something important to say, but some land better than others. My TLDR: Good. Weird. But like, good weird. Worth a watch!

A poor script with mostly subpar acting

This is from seeing show #2. In one sentence: one of five Fringers holds down the fort of this marginal prose collection of what prison could look or feel like. In three sentences: The first of five vignettes set my heart ablaze, hooking my interest on how a prison could be seen in a physical or metaphorical medium. Then that hopeful candle dimmed and dimmed and dimmed, with an attempted "Twilight Zone" sci-fi writing style that might translate well to screen but frequently felt disjointed and awkward on stage. I am not sure who this show is truly meant for in its entirety, so I am not sure what kind of person I recommend this show to.

some compelling social commentary

saw this one because I had seen previous shows that Duck Washington is in. five vignettes, and some compelling social commentary. what worked for me the most was the final one, the debate about rehab and justice. the alien in the green costume also made it memorable. along with being caught off guard with the one where the medical pro scolds the blood donor. what didn't was the one where people were bound and gagged in chairs, while somebody shoots them. I was lost as to why it was part of the show. also seemed wrong to have one scene end with 'breaking the fourth wall' saying 'enjoy the rest of the show' as this wasn't a comedy. that being said, there still was enough of what I saw that I liked.

The Shorts Fringe Needs

I love short and pointed plays, and this themed compilation is excellent. Well-known, talented, and beloved local writers and actors give you 5 takes on Prisonerhood. Not all of the pieces may speak to you, but there are some great commentaries in the mix. I would love a Fringe that was more short-friendly. Until then, I hope Ghoulish, et al continue to produce themed compilations of stories like this because not every idea needs 55 minutes.

Solid Show

This ia solid anthology show, which 5 polished scripts and excellent acting. A worthy entry into MN Fringe and well worth your time.

Very well performed

Top notch artists doing what they’re absolutely great at. Huge fan of a couple artists and the reason why I saw it. There’s a lil bit of prisoner in all of us…

Strong collection of stories

Very strong cast! Solid writing. Based on other reviews, it seems like different people had their favorites. (I thought the first vignette was absolutely brilliant!) Given the variety, there will definitely be something that keeps you thinking afterwards.

Hmmm

5 vignettes about how people can be prisoners? Was that the deal? 2 of the 5 vignettes I didn't understand at all. The timeline was so disjointed that it was unclear what happened. Like... literally. Was this supposed to be a Twilight Zone type show? There are good actors in this show. The writing did not serve them.

Lots of talent on one stage

This was really thought-provoking, and these accomplished actors delivered some powerful performances. All of the pieces were incredibly smart, though some were more theatrical than others. All in all, a thoughtful meditation on what it means to be a prisoner. Excellent work!

Interesting Concept

I thought the premise of the show was very interesting, and thought the actors did a really incredible job! (My stand-out was Gregory Park). I thought it was interesting, but the writing was a bit hit-or-miss for me. Some of them landed really well (especially the alien one - such a touching commentary on the state of our "Justice" system), but others I had difficulty resonating with and understanding. It also personally took me a bit too long to figure out that the scenes aren't telling one cohesive story - and are instead disjointed scenes/tableaus exploring one theme. I think with a bit more workshopping, this could really hit home! Worth seeing for some interesting commentary, just don't go in expecting a cohesive storyline.

Thought Provoking Fun

Vignettes and short play collections are nice in the sense that you can touch on a lot of different things in a short period of time. 5 Prisoners examines what it means to be a ‘prisoner’ in a multitude of ways and settings, each presenting their own unique thought experiment of sorts. The bookend shorts manage to be the most timely to the state of the USA, despite not taking place in the modern US at all. Then the third short of the production was the one I personally found most mentally engaging. Though some shorts were stronger than others (also par the course for collections) the cast was extremely solid and made for an enjoyable hour spent.

Disjointed collection

The show as a whole felt disjointed and lacked a through line. Each piece vastly varied in its ability to keep my attention or hit its point within the time frame given. I feel that the actors did the best that they could given the material.

A little something for everyone

This show is a compilation show, of five short stories. Each one unique in a way that is thought provoking and engaging. And if you're not feeling one story, just wait a few minutes. Something new will be along! With great performances from everyone, it's a show you should definitely check out!

No Dilemma Here

This was my fourth show of this Fringe and the best I've seen so far. It was really well written, some of the themes were a bit abstract, but I love that stuff. The acting was excellent, as might be expected from this cast. Another highlight of the show, was the costume in the final scene. I highly recommend this show.