I'm Afraid, I Have To Leave

A Wonderfully Creepy, Funny Play!

As an out of towner, this was exactly the Minnesotan theater I was hoping to see! Fantastic performances with great direction that all has you on the edge of your seat, with a wonderfully twisted script to boot! Can't wait to see what Edwin writes next!

Do Not Leave This Unseen

The placement of the comma in the title intrigued me, but by the time the show was over I understood why it was there. This was a bit of a shaggy dog story, and the payoff wasn’t quite as good as I had hoped. What really makes this shine is the absurdist dialogue and stellar performances. Once you know the ending, it’s fun to look back to see how the pieces fit together.

Go to this show? You betcha!!!

No Spoilers - Don't miss this show. Picture if you willl, a Minnesotan version of Dantes Inferno. I enjoyed it on every level! Playful and sinister, chaotic and precise, over the top and nuanced, oh fer cute and OH JEEZ! A devious script coupled with bold and hillarious performances. The only thing missing is a hotdish.

Be Afraid of Family Dinners

Submitted for you approval: a normal family dinner in a small Minnesota town. It happens every evening somewhere. More often on weekends. Until sometime between dinner, the dishes, and the coffee and bars: there's a little more than meets the eye. Are they just parents desperate to relive their family's younger closeness, or it something more sinister: in the Twilight Zone. More than that would spoil the denouement. Good writing, good acting, and good sound and light queues all contribute to making a worthwhile hour at the Fringe.

Wonderfully Entertaining

This was a very well written, acted and directed show with excellent pacing. One thing I heard a person say after the show was "it's like Ole And Lena meet The Twilight Zone". I can't think of a better description. It was both very funny and an excellent thriller. A very clever concept that was executed beautifully. See it!

Cerebrally Engaging Triller

This three-member ensemble pulls you into a tight-paced thriller that pushes the boundaries of horror. Each entrance and exit adds wonder and worry as to what will happen next.

Fringe goers: Read the genre & description!

Creativity 5; Production Value 5; Interest (subjective) 4 I'll take the hit on this one: like another reviewer I was expecting a palate cleaner of "Minnesota goodbye" comedy. But the Fringe site genre is clear: Comedy and Horror. I also just watched the Fringe site video. Yes, again, the Horror was clear. That all said, the acting was fabulous and I was constantly concerned about what was going to happen next.

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…

Funny and twisted Minnesota Goodbye

No spoilers - This show is consistently funny and well acted! The script builds and twists and is always ready to undercut the "what is going on here?" with a punch line! The comedic timing from all three actors was impeccable; the balance between the more over the top parents and the grounded offspring was top notch.

The perfect mix of Minnesota and HP Lovecraft

Who knew bars and a warm up could foreshadow the advent of Cthulhu?! That scene in Ghostbusters, every time you try to politely leave your parent’s house at the end of a visit, Hitchcock’s Psycho, and a vague moment of wondering if there is a kill room upstairs... Worth it!

Oh, Jeez!

Loved the glossary in the program explaining some of the phrases. I laughed, I gasped. The plot twists in unexpected ways. Great use of sound and lighting.

We've all been here in a nightmare or anxious prep

This was great entertainment! It was so easy to identify with the adult child, returned home to see the folks and, having visited for a while and heard a lot of the same stories as in the past, trapped and unable to leave. While this adult child's experience was a fantastic exaggeration of what the rest of us have gone through, I think many of us could align with it. For me, it brought back many memories of family events, now tinged with great humor. Excellent script and acting. The daughter, magnificent!!

Super fun!

The actors knocked this one out of the park. The older couple perfectly captures the stereotypical overbearing parents trope, and the layers on top of that are incredible. I could feel every little passive-aggressive nudge in my soul. I think this show perfectly achieves what it wants to achieve, went above my expectations, would definitely see again!!

High tension fun

This is was exactly as described Minnesotan goodbye meets twilight zone. The older lady was a stand out character so funny. It got a little yelly at times but overall great 4.5 kittens

You should see this

For me it's a must-see show. It is suspenseful and full of jokes. The acting is phenomenal. Each persona is full of character but not overplayed. It hits a little too close to home.

A wonderfully familiar experience

This is a show any Minnesota native should attend with their parents who take just a bit too long to say goodbye to. The performances felt engaging and energetic, while not too over-the-top. I honestly would consider seeing it again if I had the time, and will definitely be on the lookout for more from them in the future!

ope lemme just scream at da horrors of spacetime

What if you weren't just socially trapped in a minnesota goodbye? What if you're being threatened into staying but maybe that knife is just to cut the cake and you're being ridiculous and paranoid? You think your own mother has turned into a serial killer alluva sudden? Fer chrissakes that's ridiculous. Sure, your parents have been acting a little strange all evening, pushier than usual, but that? Well...

Hilarious

Have Some Cake, Too!

A classic tale, rooted in many European folk traditions, set in that "final" [hint, hint] Minnesota-soh-ta cup of coffee before you leave. Full of laughs, mystery and suspense. Outstanding, detailed performances by Kira Pontiff, Edwin Strout (playwright), and Kathleen Winters, under Miriam Monasch’s fast-paced direction. Worth seeing!

Eerie Fun

Although we knew the references, we kinda adored the glossary on the back of the program. The charming performances were a fun watch, and the set, lighting, and sound were really effectively used to create a sense of place and...horror! I would've liked to understand the relationship between the characters more, I think that would have heightened the stakes a bit and maybe made the inevitable end more of a "no don't!" moment. The fight choreography could have been a bit more believable. The use of fight props, however, was very effective to create fear. Overall, it's a fun show! Go see it!

tense

A show like this is not easy to pull off because at lots of points it felt like she should/could have left, and mostly there was good enough tension to keep it interesting, even if it plateaued a bit from time to time. overall, it was well-done.

Great script, amazing actors, perfect direction.

I am stingy with my rankings of 5, but this one deserved it, not just for the Minnesota accents. Must see!

Perfect

I was laughing so hard and had such a fun time.

Minnesota Goodbye revealed

Still mesmerized by the eerie atmosphere outside the house.

Why Did I Expect a Comedy About 'Long Goodbyes?'

Next time, I should read between the show description's lines better, and look at the promo card before the show! I was expecting a subtle comedic take on the difficulty of saying goodbye - whether visiting family, talking on the phone, or trying to politely end a conservation with the insect-removal people at my door. But, despite many comedic lines and performances over the first 20 minutes, I should have realized the problem here, wasn't that she couldn't extract herself,m it was that they wouldn't let her leave. The more it became Lovecraftian, the harder it was for me ton embrace. All that said, kudos to the three-person cast themselves. Edwin Strout, thank you for your hard work; thank you to Kathleen Winters who reminded me of a Mom or two through the years; and a big thank you to Kira Pontiff for her excellence in this role.

5 Kitties only because it won’t let me give 6

Entertaining and absorbing throughout. I’m in awe at the acting (to a person) and the staging…and the story. I was worried, as I often am with a show like this, that they’re taking the audience on a journey that won’t (can’t?) have a satisfying destination. But, the payoff was there! Thank you.