Fringe Again!

Alright, back to my epic attempt to see as many shows in the Minnesota Fringe Festival as I can this year!  So far we are up to about 24 shows and the shenanigans continue through this coming Sunday.  I'm finding that writing short reviews of the shows makes me think a bit more critically about them, so I'll continue doing that. 


Oh, and Town Hall released one of my favorite beers: Thunderstorm yesterday!  We had to take a late night stop there yesterday to partake.  Honey, lemongrass!  Yum!

There has been an interesting conversation going on in the Ultra-Passer's private Facebook group about rating scales for the Fringe shows. 
My own personal scale is this this:
1 star = Utter crap, why did I not walk out of this? Don't see this!
2 star = Not very good, some sort of fatal flaw, not recommended.
3 star = A decent middle of the road show with some redeeming qualities.  Worth a shot if you need to fill a slot in the schedule.
4 star = Really good
5 star = Top of the line, really do not miss this!

I've been finding that many of my ideal ratings would put me at half stars (mainly 3.5) but the official Fringe site doesn't let you use halves.  I tend to round up in those cases. 

1) Kafka Nuts.  Up front, I really like these guys, in fact some of my all time favorite Fringe shows have been from them.  Having seen them at their best, I felt a bit disappointed in this show.  Bits were funny, and it had lots of puns and one-liners, but lacked the total over-the-top action that the description of the show in the program described.  This is family friendly, and I appreciate the modern nod to the old Vaudeville styles.  I have to give it a 3 (good but not great.)

2) The Tiger in the Room.  This is the third show we have seen this Fringe with Natalie Wass in a main role and she continues to impress.  This show was a bit more cerebral than some, spending a lot of time on different memories and relationships of varying types.  Well written, well acted, at times quite poignant.  I recommend this as a good psychological drama. 4 of 5.

 

 

3) The Death of Brian: A Zombie Odyssey.  I had heard mixed reviews of this show, but decided to take a risk.  I was pleasantly surprised!  Ricky Coates really takes risks with this dark and often disturbing show, pushing himself and the audience to the edge of what they can take.  True live horror with impressive physicality.  I'm a horror fan and this "Did It" for me.  My only real gripe with the show was that the audio clips that the actor "interacts" with were very loud compared to his own performance. 

 



More Fringe 2014 Reviews

Ok, so I posted some proper beer stuff yesterday to appease my beer-folk.  Now, back to my coverage of Fringe Festival 2014! 

No travelogue today, just a bunch of reviews!  There is still plenty of time to check out some of these shows since Fringe goes through Sunday the 10th of August. 

Old school Fringe show advertising!  Who needs the Internet?

1) Green T's 2001: A Space Odyssey.  I'm not going to lie, I'm a big Science Fiction geek.  The movie 2001 was one of the first legitimate serious Sci-Fi movies made and holds a special place in my heart.  But it was cerebral, slow, and frankly sometimes a bit boring.  This production is somewhere between a play and dance--using human bodies as props and showcasing some really interesting movement.  The ability of the cast to simulate weightlessness on stage was impressive!  These folks managed to consolidate the lengthy movie/book into a pretty good version that actually made more sense to me than the source material.  Thank you voice-over exposition!  I'd rate this a 3.5 on my own scale but the official Fringe site only lets you use whole stars...I'll round up to 4!

2) Failure: A Love Story.  Frankly, this show was going to be just a gamble/slot filler, but both my wife and I quickly realized we had found one of our favorite shows of the day!  This story of lost love in the 1920's was at times funny, ridiculous, and truly heartfelt.  Difficult to describe, but the show really stuck with both of us, returning to our Fringe conversations all day.  Fine acting, use of movement, and ukulele that I actually didn't hate!

3) Jumpin' Jack Kerouac.  I'm not a huge fan of dance, but I like a lot of the authors involved in this performance--so I sucked it up and gave the show a chance.  The premise is taking authors (many of whom have never danced) and using their written input and Windy Bowlsby's choreography in a synergy of styles.  I was impressed.  Since my biggest nightmare is having to speak or dance on stage, seeing some of these folks go with it and risk humiliation was impressive.  One piece having to do with fathers was particularly well done to great emotional impact!  Keeping in mind the amateur nature of the dancers, this show really worked for me.

4) Austen-tacious!  I do not like Jane Austen.  At all.  But we needed to fill a spot and my wife does.  Trying not to think of the source material, this modern retelling of Emma was enjoyable.  The dating scenes were funny and some short musical numbers were well done.  Acted well, but at times overdone.

5) Uptown Bank Heist.  This was an entertaining heist play, but lacked polish.  Some of the character interaction was done well, but some of the dialogue just seemed forced and unnatural.  Plot lines got too convoluted at times and characters seemed to change personalities at times as well.  Entertaining way to spend a hour, but could be trimmed and straightened up into something better.

6) Everyday Hustle.  Since seeing one of Erin Sheppard's other dance pieces a few years ago I have become a huge fan.  This is from someone who really doesn't understand or enjoy most dance.  A great use of music, motion, and story.  In between numbers the hilarious Shannon Custer did readings from Sam L. Landman that were over the top comedy goodness.  It looks like there is a guest reader on different days and it would be interesting to see the differences...  This was a great show all around and I highly recommend it.  I'm looking forward to Erin's next crack at the Twin Cities Horror Festival!

7) Waitrix: Dominatrix Waitress.  I wasn't sure what to think about this going in and I'm still kind of in the same place after seeing it.  I enjoyed the show overall and it certainly had laugh-out-loud moments, but parts of it seemed a bit off to me.  Is this part really happening?  Is this a weird dream sequence?  I think that the actors did a good job with it, the restaurant critic was perfect, stealing the show for me.  I would rate this a 3.5 of 5.

8) Kitty Kitty Kitty.  We saw this one purely because Sam Landman was in it.  This is probably the most "Fringy" of the shows we've seen this season.  I'm honestly not sure if that is a good or bad thing! I'm left with plenty to think about…some things I wish I could stop thinking about!  But well acted and taken to the limit for sure.  We took some friends to this one, and I'm thinking they may not let us choose future shows for a while.  Still because of the unique factor I'm going with a 4.  Later that night at Fringe Central they did an Improv skit with Sam doing a scene from the show and another actress improving lines to fill the gaps--Almost better than the real thing!

9) Human-Nature.  Straight up, I'm not knowledgeable about dance, and do not search it out with any frequency.  This was a set of dance pieces, some linked and some not, that seemed a bit scattered for me.  Some of the pieces also just seemed to go on too long.  One set near the middle was obviously a tribute to a dance teacher and I actually connected to that one, but the others just didn't do it  for me.  I've seen other dance shows this Fringe that I enjoyed more.  Kudos for the hard work it must take to perform this type of show.

Fringe Festival Day 3!

Day 3 of the Fringe!  Saturdays are a busy one, with the first show starting at 1:00 in the afternoon.  Our first stop this fine day was to the Theater in the Round (just down the street from Town Hall and Republic 7 Corners) for a showing of The Tourist Trap.

Need some bloomers?

The Tourist Trap was a really well done production and quite creepy and disturbing, differing from the glut of comedies I've been seeing.  This one would have fit in just fine to the Twin Cities Horror Festival.  Full of disturbing twists, I would recommend this if you like serial killers, gore, and great acting!

Our second show was in the same venue, so we filed out, got in line for our tickets and then back into line for seating.  This time we were seeing Mainly Me Productions' Our American Assassin; or You Can't Handle the Booth!  I've loved every production these guys have done, and this is no exception.  Bordering on the ridiculous at times, this show covers the assassination of Abraham Lincoln from the point of view of the actors in the play he was seeing at the time.  Some great music cues as well.  Silly, funny, an all-around great comedy!

Sj entering the massive eyesore that is the Rarig Center!

Next we trucked it over to the Rarig Center to catch a showing of CIRCULATE.  Last year we saw CLOCKED by this group and found it to be one of the best dance pieces we had ever seen so we tried them out again this year.  Circulate is a bit less about dance and more about movement and physicality. A mix of skits and dance, the show focusses on the news in all its forms, with some excellent improv thrown in as well.  Worth a viewing!

Back to the Theater in the Round!  This time to see Fifth Planet.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this show but had seen actor Edwin Strout and Director/Producer Jean Wolff in my favorite Fringe show of all time The Friar and the Nurse, so I took a chance.  A slow burn of a show, starting quietly and slowly, but building up to a fine and rewarding end.  Both of the actors did an amazing job of handling this understated but very real story of friendships, astronomy, and love.  Great sound and lighting as well.  See it.  Seriously.

Back to the Rarig for Stuck on a Truck: A Hooch Crixby Mystery.  This was a bit of a wild card show for us, filling a blank spot on our well-planned schedule.  Both my wife and I enjoyed the show, but it isn't in our top list.  A fun red-neck murder mystery but not incredibly deep.  There were a few missed cues in our showing, but overall still a decent show.

Yes at this point we actually ate dinner.  A great duck burger at Republic paired with a Founders Devil Dancer for me and I was ready for one last show!

Our final show was The Sex (ED) Show!  By the Dirty Curls.  Banjo toting Courtney McLean fronts this band of ladies (and one guy on bass) who teach us all about sex in song, dance, and storytelling.  Funny doesn't begin to cover what these gals do.  I had tears of laughter draining out of the corners of my eyes through much of the show.  At one point Courtney's banjo strap broke but she went with it-- playing her banjo balanced on one leg like Ian Anderson in Jethro Tull!  Crass, dirty, an occasional boob, this one is not for kids!  In the smallest stage in Rarig, so I would pre-order tickets if you plan on seeing them--they are likely to sell out!

Minnesota Fringe Festival Day 2

Continuing my slipshod coverage of this year's Fringe Festival.  Please check out yesterday's entry for more info on the fest!

Escaping from work early on Friday we beat some of the traffic (but not much…) from Waconia to the 7 Corners area near the University of Minnesota.  This area was to be our base of operations this fine but hot summer evening.

Our first show was at the Rarig Thrust theater, one of the largest venues at the Fringe, and just one of 4 different theater spaces in the Rarig building.  We ended up seeing Fotis Canyon, a one man storytelling show by Fringe favorite comedian Mike Fotis.  I've loved his humor and spontaneity in the past, so we always try to get to his shows early in the festival so we don't miss them.  This year's show was a little less wacky than some of his works, but was also much more introspective and rewarding.  This is a well known comedian starting out with humorous but realistic stories of his past, but moves toward a surprisingly emotional and heartfelt end.  This is the best thing Fotis has done in my opinion!

From the raring we booked it over to the Southern Theater to see a terribly named show called Marie-Jeanne Valet Who Defeated La Bete du Gevaudan.  Both my wife and I put this on our question-mark lists, but went ahead and took a chance since the timing worked.  We were both very pleasantly surprised with the result.  A moody quasi-historic tale of a giant wolf terrorizing a famine-ridden town in France, this had some very good acting, especially from the two main characters.  There were a few areas of silliness that I think detracted a bit from the overall vibe, but the show was well worth the time.

Our final show of the night (because we are weak and actually take time out to have dinners) was at the Mixed Blood Theater.  Real Dead Ghosts was a very well acted show featuring a couple staying in a dark cabin in the woods.  The emotion in this piece was impressive and both actors did an impressive job of getting me emotionally invested in such a short time.  One of the best shows I've seen so far this Fringe!

From here we had a very late night dinner at Town Hall Brewery, and of course a great couple of beers!  That Citra Mania is wonderful!

Fringe 2014 Begins!

OK readers, this next week and a half is where most of your usual scheduled beer-centric programming goes down the tubes and is taken over by ART! 

Sj ready to Fringe!

The Minnesota Fringe Festival started Thursday the 31st and runs until 8/10/14.  For those unaware of this amazing performing arts resource right in our backyard here is a quick primer!  Fringe festivals take place all over the country (and even other countries) but Minnesota's is one of the largest, hosting 169 different shows across 19 different theater venues scattered across the Twin Cities.  Each of these 169 shows gets 5 different performances spread randomly over the week and a half of Fringe, with an extra bonus show on the final Sunday for the highest attended show at each different venue.  This is an unjuried festival and entrants are chosen randomly: this results in more variety (and less nepotism) but also can lead to some questionable shows.  Many actors and theater troupes return from year to year and it is fun to search out shows by folks you have liked in the past.  It is also fun to see random shows and take a chance! 

To gain access to any Fringe show you need to by a Fringe button (usable for the whole festival, and often used for discounts on other theater events later in the year.)  After that each 60 minute show is purchased at the individual theater box office (opening 30 minutes before each show) for $12.  Discounts for students!  After seeing an increasing number of shows each year Sj and I have taken the plunge in the last few years and bought the all-access Ultra Pass.  This allows you to get to as many shows as you can manage (we did 42 last year!) but you still have to wait in line and get your tickets with the rest of the folks. 

Some shows are popular and have big lines--get there early if possible!  30 minutes in between shows doesn't leave a lot of time for transport--schedule your shows with as little travel as possible!  Read reviews on the website as often you can pick up on good ones (or ones to avoid) by checking that out.  Talk to other people in line and get recommendations.  Sj and I actually have friends that we only see once a year during Fringe and look forward to catching up each year!

I'm writing these for local folks to check out, but also adding these reviews to the Fringe website.  Seriously check some of these out: get yourself some CULTURE!

Moody shadow shot from the nearly deserted office building after hours...

Thursday we stayed at the New Century Theater in Downtown Minneapolis, fighting traffic and struggling to find parking.  We saw three shows there, taking a brief break for a bite to eat and a Surly Furious across the street at Lyon's Pub.

1) A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant

This was a somewhat strange show with an all child and teen cast, set as a pageant exploring the life and times of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.  The cast did a good job with this, though being child actors and also the first show the fringe they had a few slightly missed cues.  All of the actors were very earnest and the subject matter was frankly a little creepy and weird (more so than usual) coming from this cast!  Entertaining for sure.

2) Fiddlestick Conundrum

This performance was a straight stand-up comedy act by the very Midwestern Ben San Del, who is a favorite local comic.  He did a great job handling stand-offish Minnesotan crowds and managed to tie his whole show together in an interesting way by the end of the set.  Well worth a visit if you like stand-up!

3) Four Humors Does Every Show in the Fringe

Four Humors is an amazing theater group that is one of the more sought after in the Fringe over the past few years.  Their version of Lolita last year was possibly the funniest thing I've seen in years! This year they got into the lottery very late (someone canceled about a week ago) so they had to throw together something fast.  Masters of Improv, they centered their show around having an audience member draw a ball from a Bingo container and performed the corresponding show from the 2014 Fringe program based purely on the name, picture and brief description there.  Our performance was Cursed!  The group did an amazing job of physical comedy, on the fly puns and wacked out humor.  I think I might have to see the show again since every one will be a different experience!