I only saw one fringe on Sunday. Interestingly (to me), it was also the encore performance, so it would be repeated later that evening. Perhaps that's why the house wasn't full at 1:00. Then relaxed a bit with Johanna, went to Trivia (we came in second), and got a lot of sleep. I will need more, but in the meantime:

Where Egos Dare: The Musical ****

Shakespeare Rehearsal: The Musical

Alumni and campers join together and strut their stuff. Everyone wants to be the star, and everyone goes off-script to show how talented they are. Breaking into inappropriate songs at appropriate moments is hard to get right, and this show does very well, though the songs are often just a line or two. The actors draw their characters well. The singing is fabulous. Lots of ego trips, though there isn't enough time to really develop all six storylines. Still, I don't think I'll ever watch the death scene from Romeo and Juliet in quite the same way ever again. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

The script needs tweaking, but not by much. And while the performance as scripted fit nicely into 50 minutes, I felt that the show could have used more of the songs and developed the characters a little more to flesh it out to 90 minutes without too much work. I could have heard more of the singers, especially in duet.

Final Tally: 41 shows. I gave 13 five kitty ratings, but eight of them were four and a half's rounded up. This list is more-or-less in order of quality (or at least my enjoyment) but they don't really compare directly and shouldn't be considered an strict ranking.

Sideways from Wayside School xxxxx
Best Little Crackhouse In Philly xxxxx
The Traveling Musicians xxxxx
Death Camp Diaries xxxxx
Was My Brother In Battle? Songs of War xxxxx
-------
Parry Hotter xxxxx
Jurassic Dork xxxxx
Crescendo xxxxx
The Morning After the Summer of Love xxxxx
Untitled Duet with Housplant xxxxx
An Intimate Eveniing with Fotis xxxxx
The Harty Boys xxxxx
Like A Virgin xxxxx
----
Storm Still xxxx
Re: Trace xxxx
Pipa xxxx
Squawk! xxxx
Animal Cracker Genocide xxxx
Where Egos Dare xxxx
Comedy of Errors xxxx
Bard Fiction xxxx
This Show Will Change Your Life xxxx
Red Tureen xxxx
Tech Support: The Musical xxxx
Holding Patterns xxxx
AfterLife xxxx
The Twisted Grin xxxx
Alice Unwrapped xxxx
------
Comedy Go! xxx
casebolt and smith xxx
Dream Time Down Under xxx
Citation Needed xxx
Livelihood xxx
My Sinking Ship xxx
Rumspringa xxx
Your Lithopedion xxx
Seasons In The Sun xxx
The Actor's Nightmare xx
Mansion of Dust xx
June of Arc xx
The man who turned into a dog x

Reevaluations:

I was probably too hard on "casebolt and smith". The dancing was great, and I was put off by technical issues. On a different day, in a different mood, they would get four kitties.

I may have been swayed by public opinion on "Bard Fiction". In retrospect, I wish they had done the last two scenes (the spear missing Travolta/Jackson, then the restaurant) and then taken the idea to do chunks of other movies in Elizabethan mode. The four kitty rating will stand, but hindsight hasn't been good to them.

Grading on a curve would hurt "The Morning After The Summer of Love". I had a good time, and the performance was very good, but they didn't whip up the crowd like "This Show Will Change Your Life" or "Like A Virgin", and their anti-war messages paled next to "Songs of War" and "Death Camp Diaries". I don't regret bumping them up to a five, if only to encourage their return, but they might be listed a little lower in that section.

The two "fringiest" shows in my listing only got four kitties: "Storm Still" and "Re:Trace". Both were great, in their own way, and unique. It's hard to rate iconoclastic shows that are unlikely to be experienced in quite that way ever again. I generally try to make the bring-your-own venue shows, but there were a lot of them this year, and too many fell by the wayside as I needed to choreograph my days.

I don't regret seeing any of the 13 shows rated three or under. The Fringe is all about experimentation. This isn't the Guthrie, and every artist deserves consideration. I'm happy to recommend my favorites for others, and steer people away from poor shows, but everything I saw had something worthwhile, if only to provide grist for the mill.

I still have all the interviews to work on (and maybe a few more), and will post the rest of the pictures on Facebook (and eventually a full gallery on romm.org) and so on. For now, I think I'm done with Day 11 and will deal with Real World (tm) issues, starting with lunch.

Continued from Day 10: A spectacular finish

All that work to schedule Thursday and Friday really paid off with a spectacular Saturday.

Saturday is my last major day at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. I generally catch up to a few missed priorities on Sunday, but for the most part my fringing is done. Reviews from Sunday can't help anyone decide what to see. Indeed, these reviews from the second-to-last-day are curt, as I'm just adding to the buzz and statistics without setting a standard. Meanwhile, Sunday is for decompressing. I have to work on pictures and interviews, and go to Trivia.

Fortunately, all five shows on Saturday were great, including two more legit five kitty shows (for a total of 5 out of 40 seen), a four and a half rounded up and two four kitty shows. In a different mood these ratings might have been a bit different, but not by much.

Screm Blue Murmur, Ootiefest, 7/29/09 Some of the Irish poets who performed The Morning After The Summer of Love, at the Out of Towners Showcase, Bedlam Theatre

The Morning After The Summer of Love *****

Controlled cacophony

The lilt of Irish poetry combines with bongo rhythms in this examination of the peace movement and the civil rights movement then and now. A dash of audience sing-a-long spices up the show. Four and a half kitties, rounded up for the CD and to encourage them to come back to the Minnesota Fringe. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

The poets from Belfast were great. For the record, I wanted to entitle the review: "I stuck my tongue down the throat of terrorism" but it was too long for the field (and I'm not sure of the exact quote from the poem; hard to write in the dark). While the crowd wasn't quite into it as much as they'd hoped, the poetry and songs were very good. I have their CD, and cuts will pop up on podcasts and mixes soon.

I hate to grade on a curve. Each fringe should stand on its own, so I left the "rounded up" part from my notes. Certainly, it was one of the better shows at the Fringe. Still, the anti-war subject matter didn't choke me up in the way that "Death Camp Diaries" or "Songs of War" did.

Candy Simmons of Afterlife, Ootiefest 7/29/09 One of the three characters portrayed in Afterlife, caught here at the Out of Towners Showcase, Bedlam Theatre, the day before the Fringe officially started.

AfterLife ****

Three connected stories

Candy Simmons effortlessly puts on three characters to tell their interesting stories from the first person. Each story stands on its own, and together they form a strong narrative. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

I didn't see how the middle story directly linked from the first to the third, though clearly that was the notion. If you missed the slides of the birth and death years of the characters, the connections would be harder to make. Still, all three stories were well told, the first being my favorite; I guess serial killers were a theme at this year's Fringe. Karmic retribution is a bitch.

David Gompper, Ootiefest, 7/29/09 Keyboardist and composer for Songs of War (see earlier LJ for picture of Stephen Swanson) at the Out of Towners Showcase, Bedlam Theare, 7/29/09

Was My Brother In Battle? SONGS OF WAR *****

A strong voice and a strong narrative

I can only hear "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" so many times a year. David Gompper and Stephen Swanson do powerful versions of anti-war songs originally conceived in anger at the remarkably poor media coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They will never be on Fox or CNN. A few brave musicians cover Tom Lehrer; fewer are brave enough to cover Charles Ives or Flanders and Swann. I look forward to listening to the CD... after a time. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

For a Fringe dominated by comedy, musical comedy and conceptual dance, at least in the ones I went to, the most affecting shows were the first-person accounts of the aftermath of war. Swanson sung "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" at the Ootiefest, which immediately made "Songs of War" a priority, but for later in the Fringe. It still chokes me up just hearing it in my head; yes, I'm a romantic. "Death Camp Diaries" on Thursday acted as fulcrum to these songs, and I have a hard time talking about that one as well.

Maybe I need to scream at injustice, literally. I should go to a town hall meeting and engage, loudly and verbally, with the morons who are yelling lies and right wing political correctness. I'm normally a calm person, but sometimes you just have to get their attention, and if it provides catharsis for me so much the better.

John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson, 8/7/09 The actors who parodied them in Bard Fiction, anyway. Here caught at the Rarig before a performance on Friday, 8/7/09.

Bard Fiction ****

Kill Playbill

Too many years have passed for me to catch all of the Pulp Fiction references, but I retained enough to follow along. Even if you haven't seen the movie, much works. A clever idea well handled. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Yet another show you'd think would be right up my alley that I didn't rate as highly as some. Oh well.

Sideways Stories From The Wayside School *****

"Do your homework"

Hilarious, silly, scary, touching and whimsical all in one package. The acting and stagecraft are flawless. The story of the 30th floor of the Wayside School touch adults and kids on different levels. Whether a synchronized *gasp* or being turned into an apple, the kids' comedic timing will have you in stitches. The adults are in charge of this strange world, and not always on the side of the kids. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

The best show of the Fringe, which is saying a lot. Noah Bremer and the Four Humors are spectacularly on target. I've never encountered the Wayside School books, but just might have to now. Also, the most crowded I've ever seen the Rarig Thrust, though it lost out to "Bard Fiction" for the Encore spot on Sunday.

*whew* What a ride. I'm scheduled to see one more, "Where Egos Dare", which will actually be shown twice on Sunday, as it's the Encore show at the Theatre Garage. I'm seeing it at 1:00, then winding down the day with Johanna and Trivia. Oh, and posting this...

Continued from Day 9: Gambols lost and won and continuing on to Day 11: coda and overview.

Friday was the hardest day to schedule. There were plenty of shows I wanted to see, but no two of them were back to back in the same (or nearby) venue. I spent days working and reworking Friday. I moved some shows to Saturday, which helped, but still left large holes. Finally, I decided that the priority was the Noah Bremer show at 10:00, which pretty much kept me on the West Bank all day. I gambled a bit and scheduled three shows at the Augsberg. All three looked interesting for completely different reasons. They were, indeed, interesting for different reasons and I didn't regret any of them, but none were great.

Still, a day of slow movement was set.

Sarah Broude and Kevin McLaughlin of Your Lithopedion The two principle actors in "Your Lithopedion", after the show in the Augsberg Studio, 8/7/09

Your Lithopedian ***

"I love 80s rock"

Ann Landers said something like, "relationships are made in heaven when the rocks in his head match the holes in her head." In this case, the rocks are really rocks, and the calcified baby that is the title character (look it up) is a serial killer and his wife is alternately a harpy and an enabler. Some clever bits of stagecraft and good acting don't really help the script, which is interesting but doesn't go anywhere. In many respects, this is the counterpoint to the Fringe show June of Arc, but that's a different discussion. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Most people liked June of Arc better than I did. So be it. I thought the examination of a woman coming apart was lacking, rehashing old ground and not very well. In Your Lithopedion, we see a couple coming apart. The Lithopedion is a confessed serial killer, but the wife just refuses to accept it. Serial killers are not my favorite subject, so any play about them better rise above the material pretty quickly, and this one doesn't. A good show, well acted (though neither actor was June Cleaver good) but not a great show.

Citation Needed ***

Women to watch

Uneven but fun, proving once again that the Fringe is the recreation of vaudeville: A place young performers go to hone their craft. Mary Cait and Lisa invent some really clever skits (and a few so-so ones) around the concept of improvable Wikipedia factoids, all without any props. The two have much talent, and I hope they're around for next year. Three and a half kitties rounded down for a 35 minute show. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Various people had recommended this to me, though I should have been suspicious because the web site reviews were much more positive than the live comments. The concept sounded interesting, and my word-of-mouth informants were right: Some good sketches.

Augsberg, Foss Center The Augsburg's two theaters in the Foss Center were new venues for the Fringe this year. The Mainstage line was on the left (entrance in the door on the far wall) and the Studio line on the right (entrance down the hall). 8/7/09

Seasons In The Sun ***

Love is a dish best served cold

I've never been a fan of Rod McKuen's poetry, but I've always liked his song lyrics, especially the translations of Jacque Brel. The show never mentions any names, but follows the journey of one lonely man who sings about and with his lost loves. Unfortunately, he doesn't quite have the chops necessary to carry the songs. Fortunately, she does. While much of the performance was affecting, they massacre "If You Go Away" and and don't quite understand that "Seasons In The Sun" is a solo paean. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

A moving show if you ignore the missed notes. I was annoyed at their interpretation of the Brel songs, though other reviewers seemed blown away. I think too many people were gaming the Fringe web site ratings. (As of Friday morning I was leading the pack with 30 reviews, tied with David Trudeau. At the moment, he's leading with 38 to my 35, but we're pretty close on almost all the shows both of us have seen, so I don't mind.)

And here I had a break. My plan was to see the three shows at the Augsburg, eat at the Jimmy John's on the way to the Rarig, and wander around doing interviews or just decompressing. Well, after three unchallenging shows, or perhaps just boring Rod McKuen poetry, I was feeling less burnt out than when I started the day. As I chomped on the sub, I realized that I could make a show in the unfilled slot. As long as the show wasn't sold out by the time I got there. But which one? I had done a lot of fretting about this slot, and knew more-or-less what would appeal to me. I gamboled over to the Rarig, and right inside the door was the ticket line for "Alice Unwrapped". I had been considering "Alice", for the subject matter and the length. I hopped on the short line and was in.

Alice Unwrapped ****

One woman aria

Alice is the 15-year-old child of a soldier MIA and a mother who's losing it. She's a rebel, wearing combat clothes despite the ostracizing in school and the admonishment of her 8-year-old sister. A one-woman show sung as much as spoken by Jill Anna Ponasik, accompanied on piano by Michael Pierce Donley, the performance is affecting and feels real. When she complains of helmet hair or her sister wails, "I want a normal family", the lot of our fighting forces comes home. Only 35 minutes long, it still deserves four kitties. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

The day suddenly improved. I saw a good show without adding to the stress of the Fringe. I was ready for Noah Bremer. As much as you can be ready for Noah Bremer. Pleasantly, the minnehahas had also designed their day around this show, and we hooked up.

Noah Bremer and Baron Dave Noah Bremer of "Untitled Duet With Houseplant", started the show by interacting with the audience. "I haven't seen you in a long time!" he says, and leaps into the seat next to me. He takes a picture with his camera. I take one with mine. Rarig Proscenium, 8/7/09

Untitled Duet With Houseplant *****

Ignoring the fourth wall

Some performers break down the fourth wall. Noah Bremer just ignores it. Or goes under it. Or lets Tom Jones take a thwack. Or something. Untitled Duet is a masterwork by a Fringe favorite. Four and a half kitties rounded up for sheer inventiveness. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Noah's a clown with perfect somatic sense. Every muscle on his body is under complete control. He's willing to spend time building up to a punchline, and it always pays off.

Well! What started as a fill-in day, more quantity than quality, worked out pretty well. Five fringes, all at least okay, ending with a really good one.

Today, Saturday, is another tricky day. Once again Johanna is free and we're scheduled to see:

The Morning After the Summer of Love (Intermedia, 1:00)
AfterLife (Intermedia, 2:30)
Was My Brother In Battle? Songs of War (Playwright Center, 4:00)
Bard Fiction (Rarig Thrust, 7:00)
Sideways from Wayside School (Rarig Thrust, 8:30)

All five of these are fairly high priorities, the first being the highest. The odd one out is at the Playwrights Center. The hop from Intermedia to the center shouldn't be too bad on a Saturday afternoon, but is definitely the one to skip if we're feeling rushed or burnt out. That gives us two slots in between, which is a long time.

And on Sunday
Where Egos Dare (Garage Theatre, 1:00)

Traditionally for me, the last Sunday is an easy day, filling in only as needed. I'm often feeling burnt out and want to deal with photos or just catch up on sleep and go to Trivia.

If I make these six, that will be 41 fringes, smashing last year's record of 39. Even if one falls off, I'm up to 40, and it's possible (though not probable) that we might slip in another on Sunday. We'll see, shall we?

Continued from Day 8: Running Around and continuing to Day 10: A spectacular finish,

Wednesday was designed as an easy day. My major priority was "Death Camp Diaries"; Jimmy Hogg was great last year, and the Harty Boys show was getting good buzz. The middle slot was a bit problematic. What do you see after exploring Nazi concentration camps? I decided to go with an improv show.

Real Life (tm) intruded. I spent a large part of the day paying bills and dealing with Comcast. I headed to Cedar-Riverside later than planned, and completely screwed up parking. Oh well. I went into an expensive lot, had a rushed (but delicious) meal at the Malaysian/Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant K-Wok, and headed to the Rarig in a less than optimal mood. Fortunately, the first show was loads of fun.

Arnie Roos, Rarig basement, 8/5/09 Arnold Roos, who plays The Platypus in "The Harty Boys in The Case of the Limping Platypus", is a longtime actor, here caught after his show right before "Death Camp Diaries".

The Harty Boys in The Case of the Limping Platypus *****

"This is no time to act your age"

Supremely silly with lots of local references. The Harty Boys are a little more than a children's show, but not by much. The kids are important, the fourth wall smashed, the wrong lessons learned. Four and a half kitties rounded up for simultaneously hewing to the child detective genre and bending all the rules. Oh, and the platypus costume. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Many people have taken on the children's detective genre, with varying degrees of success. This one succeeded largely because the writers clearly love the books and also love theater. Sorry I couldn't get Arnie in his Platypus costume.

Howard Lieberman, after"Death Camp Diaries" Howard ends the powerful show in the dehumanizing outfit all death camp inmates wore. Note small figure of a golem on the table.

Death Camp Diaries *****

A personal journey

A self-described "devoutly agnostic secular Jew" discovers he's a member of the tribe whether he wants to be or not. He goes to places in Europe made infamous by the Nazi death camps to see for himself just how people could do that to each other. He has no answers, and has only slightly better questions. This show is not for everyone; if you've already made up your mind, in either direction, stay away. Remembering the evil of the Nazis is relevant to the evil being perpetrated today, and if you care you will remember too.

This narrative is beyond ratings. I want to give it neither a zero nor a five, I just want it to be. For the sake of the Fringe website, I'm giving it five kitties, and feel I'm cheapening the experience. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

I often go out of my way to avoid Holocaust stories. I know about it; I lost relatives. But evil never quite goes away. "Remember" is important. One of the reasons I still consider myself Jewish is the Passover seder. We are charged that if injustice happens anywhere in the world, we personally are responsible to rectify the situation. No, we don't have to drop our lives and rush to Africa or Iran, but we as Jews do have an obligation to care and to help where we can... and remember. Too many goyim just don't get it.

Howard said, over and over, that he doesn't know what it means to be a Jew. I can only advise on one small part of it: To be a Jew is to be The People of the Book. We have a sense of history; a sense that to understand the present and to amble into the future, we must understand the past. Stressing the importance of a living history is not unique to Judaism, but is our charge from our creator.

So: Thanks, Howard, for being a good Jew.

Okay, how do you follow that? I nearly skipped the next show, but decided that some comedic randomness would be a good counterpoint to deliberate evil. And it was.

Comedy, Go! ***

"Allow me to remain an enigma to you"

I saw this right after "Death Camp Diaries", and it made me laugh anyway. Improv is always a bit uneven but Ferris McSpeedy and a female guest star [Lauren Anderson] did pretty well. They took one suggestion from the audience and then rattled on for fifty minutes, nonstop. Three and a half kitties, rounded up for never letting it sag for long. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Next, a quick dash to the Mixed Blood. On the way, I kept meeting people and being too rushed to say more than a quick hello.

Band outside the Rarig, 8/5/09 I forget which show they're in, but they promote their Fringe gig by playing outside the U of M theaters. Percussion is handled by banging on his silvery leggings.

Like A Virgin *****

A more effective bee

Jimmy Hogg is as frenetic as Craig Ferguson: bouncing around the stage, talking to imaginary people, interacting with the audience, swiping at moths. It seems his younger self didn't know quite how to deal with girls, and he revels in embarrassing stories. Judging by the high pitch of the giggles, the women found it funnier than the men. And we found it pretty funny. Four and a half stars rounded up for filling the hour at a 10 o'clock show. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Thence home. A good Fringe night, but despite three five star shows and one gigglesome four, I wasn't buoyed. Maybe it was the day's activities affecting the night's. Maybe it was needing to steel myself for the death camps that set my emotional distance. Maybe I'm getting burnt out. I've now seen 27 Fringe shows in 7 days. I've got tonight's schedule set, but really haven't decided on Friday's final lineup. Anyway:

Thursday 8/6
Rumspringa (Augsberg Studio, 5:30)
Comedy of Errors (Bedlam Parking lot, 7:00)
Squawk! (Gremlin , 8:30)

Plan is to park at the Bedlam, have dinner somewhere nearby. Go to the show at the Augsberg, jaunt down to see the show in the parking lot where my car is, hop in the car and dash to St. Paul.

It's possible, but not probable, that I'll stay for the next show at the Gremlin, but I need an early night.

Continued from Day 6: A cracked day and continuing on to Day 8, Running around.

Day six is the midpoint of the Fringe Festival. Already, I want to see more fringes than I have time for. Today was a bit of a cracked day: Three shows in three venues, one across town. The Traveling Musicians and Fotis part III were priorities, and I added the earlier show, An Actor's Nightmare from reviews on the web. Frankly, one of the reasons I went was because a reviewer mentioned it was only 40 minutes, allowing more travel time. Nothing else in that time slot appealed to me, and nothing between the latter two shows looked good enough to get me to dash.

Unfortunately, my reservations didn't take. I was really only nervous about the middle show, the only one I couldn't get to early. Fortunately, it all worked out. In the time between the second and third show, I did interviews. But now I have no time to edit them down...

ASL at Intermedia Arts for "The Actor's Nightmare" Before the performance at Intermedia, the ASL person reserved some seats for the hard of hearing. She had been at Convergence, and recognized me. During the play, which was largely dark, a spotlight was on her as she signed to at least one appreciative person.

The Actor's Nightmare **

Why we do improv

The show was written nearly thirty years ago. It doesn't feel dated, but it does creak. Someone -- we never find out who -- is put in a position where they should know their lines and don't. Pretty embarrassing, but almost any actor who has any improv training would rise to the job better than this guy. As a writer/actor I felt his pain, but laughs were few and forced. The cast is okay, the writing is literate but doesn't coalesce into a play. Two and a half kitties rounded down for a forty minute show. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

According to the playbill, the play was written in 1980 by Christopher Durang as a companion piece to "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All To You". Which I have never seen, and now have no desire to. The reviews were all positive and the premise sounded interesting, but it just never came together for me. The guy innocently gets to replace Edwin Booth in three very different plays. He's really bad, of course, not having a clue as to what to say or do. He gets a little help from the stage manager and other actors, but really: He should just have walked away. There were some laughs, but it got old by the third play. It comes to an ending but not a resolution. I thought it was dumb.

So... a mad dash across town to Cedar-Riverside. I almost screwed up the driving, but managed to get to that part of town just as someone pulled away from a great spot in front of Mixed Blood. The parking meters don't need to be fed after 6pm. So a quick saunter over to Nomad. After all that fretting, I was early.

Cat, Dog, Rooster of "The Traveling Musicians" I caught up with three of the musicians in the basement of the Nomad Bar. (The Donkey was in another show almost immediately and took off.) Wait for their interview to be posted. Katie Melby, Cat; Katie Hartman, Dog; Andrew Lynch, Rooster.

The Traveling Musicians *****

Almost an opera

A terrific cast uses the Nomad Bar to perfection. The animals each have their own personality, and each are a little bad in their own way. The songs are all original, and the story of the animal band is brought to life through the music. You will be singing and clapping along. Beer and pizza available at the bar, too, just the thing for busy fringers with little time for dinner between shows. Another sassy musical gets a true five kitty rating. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Three Sticks Theatre Company have done other great Fringe shows including Mythed and The Gypsy and the General. This show is just fabulous. Everyone is multitalented, singing alone or in harmony, playing many instruments and pandering to the crowd. They tell the story of the band, and why they broke up and why they're back. A terrific concert, and they are on at 7:00 every night.

The second show that would get five kitties (vs. 4 1/2 rounded up) is also a musical that steps more than a little outside the norm. Whee!

Mike Fotis, displaying his trading card 8/4/09 After his show at the Mixed Blood, Mike was giving out his Rockstar Storytellers card. Collect them all!

An Intimate Evening With Fotis Part III *****

"Life annoys me"

If you liked his previous shows, you'll love this one. As before, curmudgeon Fotis just sits there, reading, with a bass accompaniment, as if Mr. Wilson finally got so pissed at Dennis the Menace that he ran away to become a beat poet. He tells three stories, each funnier than the last. Each story rambles a bit, then winds up in a more comfortable space, like a nude hike down the Appalachian Trail winds up in Argentina. This year, he was even more intense. He stumbled over his words in his haste so really gets four and a half kitties, but I have to round this up to five in case I start writing like him. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

With the Fringe more than halfway over, it's time to get down to business and make priority shows more of an, um, priority. Some shows just don't fit into any reasonable choreographed day. On the other hand, I have nothing scheduled for Sunday yet.

Both Monday and Tuesday slid by and I'm not feeling burnt out at all. I gambled a bit an slotted in four shows tonight.

Wednesday planned shows, fringes 24-28
The Harty Boys (Thrust 5:30)
Death Camp Diaries (Xperimental 7:00) (This is the show I designed the evening around)
Comedy Go! (Thrust 8:30)
Like A Virgin (Mixed Blood 10:00)

Continued from Day 5: An easy day and continuing on to Day 7: oddly dispassionate.

Johanna was mainly available for Fringing on the weekends, so I blew off Trivia and scheduled five shows on Sunday, spread out over seven slots. The long day felt much more comfortable, and we were able to go to the Gremlin in St. Paul and have a leisurely time wending our way to the Southern Theater and have time to park.

By the fourth day, reviews and word of mouth have drawn crowds to popular shows and warned away others. We were still picking from the showcases and descriptions. So fringes 13-17 had been selected on Friday. Still, a remarkably successful day: When the worst show you go to is a Scrimshaw production, you've done well.

John Skelly, "Jurassic Dork", Fringe-For-All #1, 7/13/09 The preview was without toys or props.

Jurassic Dork *****

"It's all a flea circus"

John Skelly recreates all the characters, all the dinosaurs and all the special effects from the movie based on the book. The first half of the show is little more than a recitation of the best lines and reminders of the best scenes: Lots of fun but just quoting. Then he takes a break, listens to his iPod, gets a pep talk from a professional actor, and really turns up the heat. Four and a half stars rounded up for a strong finish. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

I thought the previews at the Showcase was only okay, so didn't have this as a priority. Johanna liked it better, and added it to our day at the Southern, picking the first slot with an empty slot afterward. This turned out to be a good idea all around. Jurassic Dork itself was great. I was enjoying the first part, comparing it poorly with Parry Hotter as it was just mugging characters to regurgitate lines, with a few fun props. Then he kicks it up a notch in the second half, getting more into all the characters, having all sorts of fun being dinosaurs, playing with the props and making snarky comments on the way. He's got two shows left, and both will be packed.

Sara and Joseph Scrimshaw, "Mansion of Dust", Southern Theatre, 8/2/09 Before their show, in the lobby.

Mansion of Dust **

Good opening, poor follow through

The first few minutes are fun, as two dusters with outrageous accents challenge each other and then duel with dusters and mops. But the rest of the show doesn't go anywhere. I expect a lot from a Scrimshaw show, and this didn't deliver, alas. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Sara is a very good dancer and Joseph is a very good physical comedian. There were laughs to be milked, but they didn't deliver on the promise of the beginning. This is one of the reasons I don't rely on the showcases: a poor play can be great for three minutes, whereas a great play might take a while to build. The showcases are a good idea and worth doing, but its a bit of a crapshoot.

casebolt and smith ***

Too many pauses

Three great pas de deux, all of which expand the vocabulary of dance, in a clunky presentation. The dancing is superb, and I'd normally round this up to four stars, but missed cues and long waits in the dark took their toll. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Taken just as a dance piece, the show was marvelous. I try to avoid judging a show based on missed lighting cues, and indeed I think mine is the lowest rating in all the reviews. Oh well. This was their second show, you'd think they had worked out some of the kinks. Nonetheless, if you're into dance, this is a great show.

"Best Little Crackhouse in Philly", Fringe-For-All #1 7/13/09 You can't always tell a great deal from a three minute preview, but their excerpt at FFA#1 is what put them higher on my priority list.

The Best Little Crackhouse In Philly *****

My favorite show at the Fringe (so far)

Okay, I can well understand why some don't like this show: It's offensive, perverted and disgusting, showing the downside of laissez faire capitalism. But the grime and the crime are all used to great effect. The marvelous singing and dancing are a bouncy counterpoint to the wretchedness of their lives. The plot spares no one. Heck, the necrophiliac is the closest thing to a hero. And the ending is just perfect. I was deeply affected. Some rough edges don't take away much: Out of 17 fringes I've seen so far, this is the only true Five Kitty show. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

I'm not sure why I liked this so much. The actors were certainly into their roles, and were believable as singing crack whores. Not that I have a lot of experience with non-singing crack whores. The story and the music are outstanding. The drug sequence is evokes the right mental state. But what really got my eyes all teary was the ending. A perfect coda to a piece that ripped out your heart.

The first show we saw, The man who turned into a dog, was very poor but they insisted that the difficulty American audiences have is good, a "challenge" to the audience. No, "boredom" is not a "challenge". A "challenge" is getting you to sit still for an hour of perversion, drug use and death to drive home the theme.

The show was well attended but didn't play to a packed house. They have one more performance left. No, this isn't for everyone, but few Fringe shows have reached in this direction.

	Monica Rodero & Dan Schuchart, "Holding Patterns", Ootiefest, 7/29/09 They did a little bit of their show the day before the Fringe started. Her sign: "I'm frustrated." His sign: "I'm the light of your life". See next.
	Monica Rodero & Dan Schuchart, Bedlam Theatre, 7/29/09 I talked to them last year, and we caught up a bit after the Ootiefest.

Holding Patterns ****

Fluidity of motion

I didn't understand much of what the dancing was trying to say, but even the parts I didn't get were gorgeous. The more obvious (to me) messages were well constructed. The two main dancers from Milwaukee were joined by a third local dancer, and all were graceful and fluid in movement. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Seventeen shows in four days, many of them great. I can relax a little, and prevent burnout by picking 3-4 shows in nearby venues. It's getting harder to pick follow the highest rated shows without a lot of rushing across town, so some will fall by the wayside.

On tap for tonight:

Animal Cracker Genocide (Augsberg Mainstage, 7:00)
Livelihood (Rarig Thrust, 8:30)
Pipa (Rarig XPerimantal, 10:00)

Continued from Day 3: A Solid B+ and continuing on to Day 5: An easy day.

We had an ambitious schedule for the weekend, but only made five of the six shows. The Rarig Center, part of the University of Minnesota, houses four theaters, and it's easy to go from one venue to another. Some of the theaters are among the largest at the Fringe, and while no show was packed, the musicals wouldn't have fit in most Fringe sites.

My Sinking Ship Lifeboat that is the setting for "My Sinking Ship", just before Fringe show at the Rarig, 8/01/09.

My Sinking Ship ***

Stories of vengeance

The autobiographical stories were fun: She spent time on two continents and experienced leftover sex detritus, scuba diving, bats, sharks and more. Sometimes, the show seemed like an excuse to tell old stories, and I've seen her tell these better. Good stuff but uneven. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

When Allison is hot, she's really hot. This show seemed tepid. In other formats, the stories were longer and more effective. She seemed constrained and edited for the Fringe show.

June of Arc and emcee A costume parade was held at the Bedlam Theatre, Fringe Central, late in the evening. 8/01/09

June of Arc **

Pseudo-feminism doesn't work

An attempt to bring June Cleaver to life by exploring her days before marrying Ward and having her tv family. The recreation of 50s tv commercials were the best part, but there was little attempt to connect the whitebread facade of the era with the dark inner workings of a repressed housewife. June is complicit in her sitcom life, and no stressor is presented to break her. Some good ideas aren't fully realized in the 35 minute show. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Heather Stone, as June, and the other actors were pretty good. But the story never went anywhere. I recognized some of the commercials, though others were probably well before my time. June's story starts in WWII, before tv, so the influence of pre-tv advertising and cultural norms were missing.

Allegra Lingo at the Rarig Allegra comes out to schmooze the crowd before her Fringe show. Note pictures of U of M alumni actors along the walls. 8/01/09.

Crescendo *****

Weaving a story

Allega Lingo takes the dog for a walk, reflecting on life, Daedalus and her writing career, with Aaron Copeland providing the music. She is an expert at weaving the threads of her narrative into one story, and the emotion and humor emerge unforced. A terrific, brave, performance. Four and a half stars rounded up for hitting all her music cues on the money. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Allegra is a long-time Fringer and staff of the Fringe, and I'm very glad to have caught her show at last. She's one of the Rockstar Storytellers, and very comfortable in front of an audience. The music evoked different emotions for some, but she used it very effectively.

The Red Tureen ****

Starving Irish can still sing

Marvelous ensemble singing transcends a thin story. The reality behind the Irish Potato Famine, and English complicity in starving out the locals, is complex and feels stuffed into the Fringe hour. The actors range from good to very good and the singing ranges from very good to great. Four and a half stars rounded down due to sound problems. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

An ambitious project that doesn't quite work within the constraints of the Fringe. Even in a longer format, the plot would be familiar and formulaic. Here, it seemed rushed and trite. Still, the singing made up for a lot.

A bee in the flowers Saturday was a gorgeous day, which helped Fringing immensely. Even the bees (the small spot almost dead center) were enjoying the weather. Roughly Riverside and 19th at the U of M, 8/01/09.

Tech Support: The musical ****

We can relate

The plot is slight but the laughs are genuine. We can relate. The story has more to do with customer service (or lack thereof) than tech support and a Google search would have cleared up most of the miscommunication, but hey. What really makes the show is the singing. Every vocalist is great, the ensemble singing is exceptional, and the counterpoint songs are wonderful. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

Apparently, this was a shorter show expanded for the Fringe. While it didn't feel padded, not much actually goes on. I felt about Tech Support in much the same way I felt about The Red Tureen: Thin plot, great music.

After five fringes, we decided to skip the 10:00 show, missing Sarah and her Ovaries. The Fringe promised a Costume Parade at Fringe Central, which was pretty wimpy. So we left.

Up for today, if we last:

Jurassic Dork (Gremlin, 1:00)
Mansion of Dust (Southern, 4:00)
casebolt and smith (Southern, 5:30)
Best Little Crackhouse in Philly (Southern, 8:30)
Holding Patterns (Southern, 10:00)

Continued from Day 2: A remarkable success and continuing on to Day 4: Great heights in unexpected places

Even though I've given each of these only 4 kitties, I'd recommend all of them... for completely different reasons.

This Show Will Change Your Life ****

"Life Lessons In 50 Minutes"

Two years ago, a similar theme was presented in "The Opportunity". This year, the message has been honed down to the comedic nub: Motivational speakers that make too much sense. Very funny, though the audience interaction doesn't quite work. They had me at Bess... Four and a half kitties rounded down for a weak ending. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

A lot of laughs delivered well, and this was the first showing. Needs a shade of polishing, but a rollicking good time. Easily the funniest of the three tonight, and also the least fringy.

Re: Trace ****

I wanted the title to be: The most time I've ever spent in a women's restroom but it wouldn't fit, so:
Places you don't normally think about

Very fringy and highly recommended. Six women wordlessly explore several levels of converted warehouse space. They writhe on the floor, climb walls, create shadows, run though the crowd. All viewpoints are unique. Precisely what they're doing and why is never explained, but you won't look at office space in quite the same way again. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

A bit too free form with no coherent plot or theme for me to appreciate it as a dance piece, but the conceptual artist in me really got into the use of space, light and movement. I took a bunch of pictures (I asked, and it was okay if I didn't use flash) and am only going to post three here. See FB gallery.

	Re: Trace Dancers use the space at the Colonial Warehouse for the Fringe. 7/31/09
	Re: Trace: The longest I've ever been in a women's restroom Dancers use the space at the Colonial Warehouse for the Fringe. 7/31/09
	Re: Trace: Rolling UP the incline Dancers use the space at the Colonial Warehouse for the Fringe. 7/31/09

Day 2 was designed as an easy day, in anticipation of an intense weekend. As it was, with all the Showcases and such, I was starting to feel a little burnt out and needed a rest. Johanna and I skipped a slot and had dinner at the Jerusalem. Somewhat to my surprise, a belly dancer came on. "They normally only have belly dancing Friday and Saturday." "It's Friday, Dave." "Oh yeah."

The ecdysiast wasn't particularly good, and didn't seem to be trying hard; I don't blame her, much of the crowd was drunk and few were paying attention to her with any sort of pleasure. It reminded me of just how valuable the Fringe is: Even dance pieces I don't like have moxie.

We finally made it to the show I had been anticipating for a long time.

Storm Stills ****

Probably brilliant

As is often the case with the Nonsense Company, understanding is less important than letting the sound and images wash over you. Ignore the description. It's sort of about King Lear or about the play King Lear or about people playing characters in the play King Lear. Among other things. More choreographed than acted, the sound and lighting design is integral to the plot. If there is a plot. Perhaps they are communicating with their communication skills. Perhaps whatever is going wrong can be cured by hydrotherapy. The unique venue both adds and subtracts from the experience. Steel yourself for a long show at the end of a long evening. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

We didn't have to sit in 2nd grade desk chairs, but the auditorium seats were hard to take for and hour and a half. The show was fascinating to watch and parts of it seemed to cohere, but only parts. So... not for everyone. I'm glad I saw it on an easy day.

Continued from Day 1 and continuing on to Day 3: A solid B+.

The 2009 Minnesota Fringe Festival is off and running. Last night was the Out of Towners Showcase, aka the Ootiefest. I saw many of my favorite people, and met some new ones. My 2009 Fringe Festival Gallery over on Facebook will be added to over time, but let me expound on three of them here.

	Andy Gricevich, Andy is part of the Nonsense Company, and also part of the Prince Myshkins. I caught up with him at the Ootiefest and did an interview.
The Nonsense Company did Great Hymn of Thanksgiving/Conversation Storm a few Fringes ago, one of my favorites. They are always a Must See for me at the Fringe. This year, they're in a small space, a classroom holding 30 people (where Calculus, the Musical was). I interviewed a very tired Andy Gricevich (mp3, 5:40) just before the Ootiefest got underway.
	Sigal Shoham, Sigal is at her first Fringe, a late addition, from San Francisco.
So there was this woman in the corner playing banjo. While waiting for Andy to come back with some food, I introduced myself. Later, she sought me out. As the last addition (maybe) to the Fringe, Sigal is a bit worried about publicity and general Fringe matters. She's a motivational speaker herself (among other things) and wanted to do a show that poked fun at infomercials and modern day medicine shows. Sigal Shoham (mp3, 3:32)
	Stephen Swanson of Stephen sings an excellent version of "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" during the Ootiefest. His playlist is on the Fringe website. Bedlam Theatre, 7/29/09
Stephen's song propelled "Songs of War" into my Must See Category.

Tonight, unless plans go awry, four shows at the Augsberg's two theaters:

5:30, Mainstage: The man who turned into a dog/Poet in New York
7:00, Studio: Dream Time Down Under
8:30, Studio: Parry Hotter and the Half-Drunk Twins
10:00, Studio: The Twisted Grin-Assorted Tales to Amuse and Alarm

*whew*

*Whew* It was a long struggle, but I wrestled them to the ground. I was going to do a nice, small, gallery of the 2008 Fringe when I realized that I never made a gallery of the 2007 Fringe. I posted LJ reviews and made three podcasts so my presence was felt. Unfortunately, that made it harder to post the galleries, as I linked the LJ reviews and the Shockwave podcasts to the pictures. Then made one gallery of two pages, so each year gets one url for the thumbnails.

Yes, I'm a geek. Anyway:

2007 Minnesota Fringe Festival | 2008 Minnesota Fringe Festival.

As always, corrections and emendations encouraged.

Phillip Low, writer
All Right's Reserved: A Libertarian Rage
Center for Independent Artists, 8/29/08
Leading up to the RNC, I've talked to Democrats, Republicans, Independence Party, elected officials, candidates, dancing tweens and MoveOn.org members. Perhaps I was prepared to talk to Liberertarians libertarians. Phillip Low remounted his Fringe show All Rights Reserved: A Libertarian Rage, back in it's hour-and-a-half original format. It was part of two shows loosely built around the theme Rolling Out the Welcome Mat: Artists Respond to the Republican National Convention. More on that in a bit.

I was a libertarian, briefly, early on in the Reagan administration. For a while libertarians were conservative about the military and economic issues and liberal about social values and the environment. Then the small-l-libertarians got hijacked by the Survivalists to become the capital-L-Libertarians which were mainly tax-dodging gun nuts. I can safely ignore (and make fun of) Libertarians but my libertarian leanings come out now and again.

Phillip Low, excuse me, phillip andrew bennett low, has crafted a show tries to offend everyone and probably won't offend anyone who hasn't already been put off by the title of the show. "Is it too early to make fun of ____?" asks the opening song, with subjects ranging from 9/11 to global warming. "Bleep no!" is the work safe answer.

Low is concerned that someone might try to shut him up, and the rage is set in three acts: Language and Politics, Language and Art and Language and Religion. (The latter section was mostly cut out for the Fringe.) He doesn't really care what you say but he'll defend to your death the right to say it. The acting is sharp, the songs are nicely sung and the politics are nicely slung. Everyone plays multiple parts, wandering around in underwear or going to peace rallies or waving guns.

One of the best sketches is the most heavy handed: The Mayor of Zombietown. Two unctuous zombies are running for mayor, and the only human in the race is nearly shut out. The two major party candidates smoothly thank the moderator and the organizers of the event as they explain their plans to most efficiently eat people. The third party candidate, aghast that no one is standing up to the zombies, interrupts and rages and produces pie charts. The outcome of the election is... well, you'll have to see that yourself.


Courney McLean, in both shows
against some unused murals, Center for Independent Artists 8/29/08
The audience was small, but the cast gave it their all anyway. They'll be playing two more nights at the Center for Independent Artists, the mural-laden building at 42nd and Bloomington. If you liked the Fringe, you should go. If you want a dash of inoculation for the RNC, this will sit well.

The second show of the evening was The Rockstar Storytellers. They are a group of 12 excellent performers rotating their rants/songs for a different show every time. Tonight had Low telling a ghost story, Courtney McLean (above), who was in the Libertarian Rage, in a monologue, and two of my favorite political musicians, The Prince Myshkins of The Nonsense Company, doing songs old and new. Loads of fun. Again, recommended.

The Nonsense Company will be reprising last year's Fringe show Great Hymn of Thanksgiving/Conversation Storm which is amazing and has to be seen. It will be at the Bedlam Theater, which had served as Fringe Central for the 2008 MN Fringe, at various times Aug. 31-Sept. 6. Check their site for times.

The Bedlam Theater will be hosting other performances as well. One of the few acts that might pull me away from being at the RNC would be Roy Zimmerman and the Prince Myshkins. Roy is one of the great political songwriters of our time, and is always on target. He's a fast and facile writer who will have things to say about events that haven't happened yet but will have by Monday.

More pictures when I post the podcast of the last couple of days worth of interviews, probably later today.

Phong Yang Pham and Kim Miranda Trang
K-Wok Restaurant, Cedar-Riverside Mpls, 8/7/08
I've been eating at K-Wok Restaurant across the street from the KFAI studios ever since we moved to our current Cedar-Riverside location in the early 90s. It's a great place. The couple who owns/cooks/everything's the place is Vietnamese (I think). The restaurant is nominally Chinese, but it also has a Vietnamese menu (largely Pho, though it changes) and a Malaysian section. I usually eat off the Malaysian menu.

And their lunch buffets are amazing, in a home-cooked way. The selections, which are (mostly) different every day, range from very good to great. Kim is the cook, and she'll just whip up whatever she feels like. When one dish runs out, she may just make something else to fill the buffet tray. Sometimes, I ask what a dish is, but that doesn't help very much. They don't speak English very well, even after 15 years. (First generation immigrants rarely do; too many debating the Mexican border situation forget that their grandmother spoke German/whatever around the house.)

While I've been there a lot, and watched their son grow up (he's now graduated from High School), I rarely had a camera with me and didn't get a shot of them if I did. For the Fringe Festival, I was in Photo Mode. K-Wok is between the Bedlam Theater (Fringe Centeral) and the Rarig. At last!

I printed out a copy of the picture above, plus a cropped version centering on just the two of them. I went down there for lunch today, partially to give them the pictures. They loved 'em, and effused. I asked their full names, and had them write it out. "Are you going to put this on the internet for the restaurant?" Well, I mainly wanted their names for my records, but sure, I'll do that.

I like this shot, capturing the lush mirrored decor of K-Wok. They're standing in front of the cash register, the spot with the most atmosphere. Really it's a simple place, relatively small, with lots of windows. Yum!

The 2008 Minnesota Fringe Festival: Rolling Along is the second of three (most likely) podcasts featuring Fringers.

The cast of “Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead
Bartender/Set Designer at Theatre de Jeune Lune
Debra Constantine, “White Bread”
Henry Epp, “My Hovercraft is Full of Eels”
Jason Ballweber, “The Spaceman Chronicles”
The cast of “Deviants”

I'll update the Fringe page ASAP. ETA: Done.

There. I just updated the Fringe Festival page on the Shockwave Radio Theater site. I added all the 2008 coverage (three KFAI news reports, one podcast so far). The final KFAI report will air tonight, so LJers can hear the news before it happens, or something.

I'll have at least one more podcast, probably two. I also updated the information on the master Shockwave Audio page.

And a bonus Fringe Picture!


Fringe Festival van
parked outside the Bedlam Theater 8/7/08
I was unable to track down who owns this vehicle (not that I tried hard), but it was parked at Fringe Central for a long time so must be one of the ooties company's van. If you know, tell me and I'll amend this posting.

On the side of the van, from front (right) to back, the dotted line connects "Knew York" (crossed out), "Washinton" (crossed out), "Kolumbus" (crossed out), "ST Luis" (crossed out), "ChiChahgo" (crossed out) and "Miniappleus" (as yet unmarred). There are further dots heading toward a blank spot, so presumably they have another venue after this one.

Day 11

The last day of the Minnesota Fringe started early and ended early. A B+ day, overall. I took in three shows at the Rarig, all three on recommendations and I was expecting all three to be good, and was only disappointed in one.

39 Fringe show, 17 interviews (so far), two news reports on KFAI (so far) and one podcast (so far; definitely more coming). More later.

In the meantime, the Rarig is a great place to Fringe but a lousy place to catch performers for pictures, so I didn't get any. So here are three zombie pictures:


David Pisa as a zombie in Shakespeare's Land of the Dead
Fringe For All 7/21/08
(mp3 of interview with David Pisa from 2006 re 1926 Pleasant))


Co-artistic Directors of the Walking Shadow Theater Company
l-r: John Heimbuch (Shakespeare), David Pisa (see above), Amy Rummenie (director)
Southern Theater after a completely different show 8/7/08


Matt Foster, Communications Director for the Fringe
Technically not a zombie in the Elizabethan sense
but the Fringe staff got pretty fried near the end
Intermedia Arts, 8/9/08
10.01 Post 9.11: Laughter In The Aftermath ** 1/2

Might have been funnier in 2003

Painfully bad opening skits drag down the better material at the end. The parody of "The Raven" nearly worked, though the only really good sketch was the last one, "Terrorism's Gays" with the Rev. Graham Cracker and some flaming stereotypes. Two and a half stars rounded down for stale political references.

This came very close to being my first really bad show, but the last skit had people rolling in the aisles. Like Republicans, Fringers have a short memory and the end justified the means.

The Nosdrahchir Sisters *** 1/2

"Stop! You're running over my tail!"

Innocent waifs inhabit a quirky world and invite the audience. Kids won't get the music cues, but they'll enjoy watching the silliness. Three and a half stars rounded up for using the Arena Theater's multi-level stage.

A lot of people liked this a great deal more than I did. The two women were cute and fun to watch, like Melissa McNamara in Leaving Normal. The laughs were genuine and some of the situations worked better than others. If you see them, you'll enjoy yourselves. The kids in the audience sure did.

An Inconvenient Squirrel **** 1/2

"Too much cellulose."

Silly and unpretentious. The squirrels are what they are... except for one ugly duckling who says "I think I can!" So when Blofeld comes on with his plan to... hmm... I better not say any more. The show is consistently funny and well-paced for kids and the inner kid in most of us. Four and a half stars rounded up because it was the last of 39 Fringe shows I saw and I'm thankful to end on a strong note.

Whee!

Reflections, more pictures and maybe some audio tomorrow.

Day 10: Pictures!

A mental health day, as I only saw three shows on a Saturday and hung out with friends in the evening. I had a fourth scheduled, but am fending off burn out. Successfully, at the moment: I saw two five kitty shows in a row (the last one yesterday and the first one today) so my Fringe-O-Meter is still pinging.

I'll finish with three tomorrow afternoon and blow off the evening parties to go back to Trivia. (My Sunday eve Trivia team sorely needed me last week...)

If I make all three Fringes tomorrow, that will be 39, beating last year by the one dress rehearsal I caught before the Fringe officially started. Oy. That's a lot. Anyway...

An Intimate Evening with Fotis: Part II *****

"I'm NOT putting a bat in my freezer."


Jen Scott, bass player for Fotis
Outside Mpls Garage before show, 8/9/08


Mike Fotis, before Fringe show
Mpls Theater Garage, 8/9/08
Mike Fotis is expressive, self-deprecating and willing to dish. He sits there, reads from a three-ring binder, with a bass in the background, and spins his life into hilarious stories. Funnier than Part I and I can hardly wait for Part III.

This Fringe has some very good storytellers, but no one does quite what Fotis does. His material is great, but it's his reading that brings it to life. He fearlessly exploits his fear and smoothly articulates his dumbfoundedness. Four stories: Video Fight games, bats in the house, rejection and music, payback and blogging. All great, and all would probably be okay in printed form, but you really need to hear him for full effect.

Dandelion ***

"I'm a shadow puppet, for Christ's sake."


Playwright Zach Kolodjeski helping to tear down set of Dandelion
after last performance, 8/9/08
Cleverly written and well-staged play about a 17-year-old from a broken home with a vivid imagination. A very brave script. The performance is a slow-moving High School psychodrama that takes a while to warm up. There are several bright spots, notably Pamela Yang as the ingenue.

Another kids play that had lots of family members in the audience. I sat between Zack's grandparents and his uncle's family. This was the last performance, and it wasn't going so well, then ratcheted up in the middle and came to a rousing conclusion. More than just a teen angst scream, the show handled adult themes well. He's a playwright to watch.

In Rehearsal ****

"He was all beef and I was a vegan."


Alison Vodnoy
After Fringe performance 8/9/08
A one-woman show on relationships that fail, from both sides. The script is funny and touching; it feels true. Her performance is stellar: When she's her lithe Jewish main character, she's a feast for the eyes with yoga positions and ballet moves. As other characters, she dons simple costumes and uses lighting cues to have the characters interact.

The battle of the sexes theme continues to provide fodder for playwrights. As well it should. Part of the trick to keeping it fresh is the delivery. Alison spends the first part of the play prancing around, which enhances her storytelling. I don't know if there's a direct connection between her words and her movements except to wonder why she isn't attracting a better class of guy. (Note to Alison: I'm available at the moment, and I'm Jewish...)

Bonus picture for LJ:


Evening companions at the Common Roots Cafe after Fringing 8/9/08
l-r: lsanderson, mizzlaurajean, davidschroth and laranjal (see this entry)

A B+ Day. All four shows were around four stars, and I kept bumping into old friends. This was another semi-lucky day, as I'd tagged three of these based on their Showcase performance and/or meeting them, and one that was recommended by several people and was in the right place at the right time to make for three shows at the Rarig and a quick hop to the Southern.

Leaving Normal *** 1/2

"I'll do anything for a moment"


Melissa McNamara
After 8/7/08 performance
Xperimental Theater, U of M
Melissa almost dances her way through the show, shifting gravity and closing herself into luggage. I've never seen a performer with their back to the audience as much, though she more than makes up for it by interacting with and crawling through the attendees. She changes personalities to tell an odd, interwoven set of stories that didn't really gel but were fun to watch. Three and a half stars rounded up for the cookie.

Melissa is terrific with the audience and has a pleasant innocence about her that masks the physicality of the show. I wish the story were more understandable, though it's possible I just missed something and that another performance will be clearer.

Sun Tzu's, The Art of War ****

Fun Concept, Terrific Playbill

Except for the beginning and ending bits, this is read directly from Sun Tzu, with ninja demonstrators and a mambo to break things up. Who knew that Stooge Fu was invented by the Chinese 2500 years ago? While episodic and slow moving at times, it's authentic and you might learn how to defeat your enemy. Almost a whole kitty goes to the playbill and Fringe website write-up.

This Play Is Trash ****

Street Vignettes


The cast of This Play Is Trash
outside the Bedlam Theater after the Ootie Fest 7/30/08
Nicely done character studies of various people on the street or waiting for a bus, all dealing with some aspect of garbage though that was rarely the main focus. Funny and sometimes sad, inspired by a true garbage event in New York. The drummer and sax player were great street musicians.

Gone, Gone, Gone ****

Pas De Deux With Tape and Paper Towel


Monica Rodero & Daniel Schuchart
Ootie Fest, Bedlam Theater, 7/30/08
Two excellent dancers create a sensual flowing synergy. I don't know what the title means but the duets were funny, flirtatious, earthy and true.

If you're counting, that makes 30 Fringes. if you're not counting, it's even more, adding in the Showcases. Four in a row is sometimes hard on the viewing psyche, but the venues were all close. Beforehand, I had a nice dinner at K-Wok, one of my favorite restaurants. And I had a camera with me! Ah, but that's a story for another day...

Three more days left. I don't consider it a true Fringe Festival until I've seen something I don't like, and so far it's all been good. Too good. I've now seen most (but by no means all) of the shows I had flagged to see and may just randomly pick shows just to see what happens. Tomorrow is the Vikings game to avoid, so I'm trying to stick to venues far away from the Dome. And I have almost nothing down for Saturday. Ah well.

A C+ day. Yes, dreamshark, I'll rate on objective technical expertise, but the deciding factor is how much the show entertained me. I try not to let my mood affect reviews, though of course there's a certain amount of subjectivity. I don't grade on a curve over the course of the Fringe -- I've given more five star reviews this year so far than in any other year and there's more to come -- but I do rate shows vs. their potential.

Boom ***

The Butterfly Bomb


Andrew Connor in "Boom"
after the 8/6/08 performance in the Minnesota Fringe Festival
Arena Theater, University of Minnesota
Andrew Connor give several virtuoso performances. He creates both sides of conversations, separating his characters by voice and posture alone. The theater in the round is used well, telling a good story with a few laughs which could have been tighter.

This is a good example of rating a show on its own merits, though comparisons are inevitable. Andrew and Mike are terrific in Cody Rivers, so I know what can be done with the talent. I felt Boom could have been better as a shorter bit. It was fun, and gave me three kitties worth of entertainment. Stay tuned for Andrew as part of a Shockwave Radio Theater podcast.

Oens *** 1/2

"Ines et Morte"


Wilson Loria of "Oens"
out of costume after the 8/6/08 show
Interact Theater, Minneapolis
A voyage from Portugal to India by Vasco de Gama is used to make a point about globalization. Wilson Loria schmoozes with the audience, sings a song in Spanish, slings some heavy-handed commentary about the Bush administration before settling down into a very affecting story about Ines de Castro. Three and a half kitties rounded down for taking so long to get to the good parts.

Wilson's excerpt in the Ootie Fest was good, so I had flagged this. It wasn't quite what I expected from the bit, which is fine. The Interact is a small, intimate, venue and he worked the crowd well.

Strawberry Fields Temporarily *** 1/2

"Sometimes comfort is a trap"


Ben Sandell at the Interact Theater
Minnesota Fringe Festival, 8/6/08
Ben Sandell is a better writer than performer but the autobiographical stories are poignant and funny. Three and a half kitties rounded up for sustaining a monolog for a full hour.

Three very different shows that I felt were about the same number of kitties. The 2008 Fringe ratings don't allow for half-kitties, and I had to do some rounding. A gentlemanly C all around, with variation.