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Beowulf or Gilgamesh – You Decide!

I can't wait for the sequel
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 5 kitties
This is working out to be a fantastic Fringe for storytelling. Dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, Carlie Bethel took us back to ancient Sumeria for the epic of Gilgamesh. With his warm voice, enthusiasm, and wry asides, he succeeded handsomely in bringing this ancient tale to life. I'll be back for Beowulf.

The Pumpkin Pie Show

Funny, heartbreaking, and grotesque
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 5 kitties
This show--I'm not kidding you--is a testament to the power of the human voice. Using nothing more than their voices (no costumes, music, sets, or props beyond two red stools), they presented five randomly-chosen stories out of a possible 14, pulling the audience into the worlds of their characters.

Funny, heartbreaking, and occasionally grotesque, you might fool yourself into thinking that you know where these stories are going, but you're wrong, because they aren't structured to leave you smiling, but to brand images--an Oldsmobile, a tongue, a "bird feeder"--onto your brain. You'll come back to see what you missed the night before.

The Cody Rivers Show Presents: Stick to Glue

Wonderfully depressing
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 5 kitties
Watching Stick to Glue, I was struck by a sudden sense of depressing: I'm wasting my life, while Mike and Andrew create some of the most brilliant, mind-altering, perfectly presented comedy I may have ever seen. Beyond the pure physicality of their performance, which has the rapid-fire perfection of a cheer leading squad, there's the verbal complexity of two cryptographers trying to best each other, the heartbreaking tale of how an industrial conference influences many lives, and the rhythmic poetry of how great elements of the show is tied together. You must see this show.

An Intimate Evening with Fotis: Part Two

"I'm all talk..."
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 5 kitties
Mr. Fotis says he's all talk, and while he's referring to his relationship with women, it serves him well in this how where he delivers rapid-fire, hilarious monologues. Backed up by an expressive Bass accompanist, this is the local show you don't want to miss.

The Jamal Lullabies

Subtle and funny
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 5 kitties
It took me a few minutes to catch on to the idea that the Jamal Lullabies is not only funny, but it one of the most subversive and subtle shows in the Fringe. Four elegant women (portraying, I came to assume, high school girls) sing in absolutely beautiful choral arrangements about Jamal, a man who completely played them--a fact of which they are completely oblivious. There are moments of great poignancy in what may be one of the greatest displays of subtlety in the Fringe I've ever seen. Either that, or I'm a big jerk. Both ideas occurred to me. But there are too many great, understated comedic lines in Jamal Lullabies.

Mortem Capiendum

Out of the park
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 5 kitties
Four Humors has quickly become the gold standard of the Fringe festival. Another fantastic, hilarious show with all the elements perfectly aligned. Highly recommended.

An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein

Funny and dark as hell
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 5 kitties
Starting off with a lighthearted piece, "An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein" lives up to its title as the pieces get darker (but no less funny). A killer show, expertly performed in a tiny space. This is the one that a lot of people are going to be sad they missed. You're gonna need reservations.

The Rise of General Arthur

An amazing blend
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 5 kitties
Low hits the ground running with this retelling of the tale of Pellinore and the Questing Beast, recast into an Apocalypse Now-esque story of a man who goes to a desert war to seek his fortune. His multiple characters are all sharply drawn and the startling imagery will stay with you. Highly recommended.

Bard Fiction

This is the one
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 5 kitties
This is the first "must see" show of the Fringe season: a clever mashup of Shakespeare and Tarantino--combining the strengths of each. This is the one you'll be telling people about later, saying "You won't believe what you missed."

The Harty Boys in The Case of the Limping Platypus

Terrific Fun
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
Ironic takes on the 50s mentality is nothing new, but the Harty Boys finds a fresh take on this Boys Own Detective Story. With a great sense of humor and lightning-fast staging, this'll have you laughing and cheering the entire Harty family on. Smart stuff for kids and adults alike.

Idiosynchronicity

Neeeeerd
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
And that's a *good* thing. Callahan's storytelling is sharp, and just when you think you see where it's going, he throws a curve. No, wait, that's not a good metaphor that's nerdy as hell. Uhm... just when you think you've found a way through the dungeon, a wandering monster shows up. The show is tweet-friendly, but I didn't even bother; I was enjoying the stories too much.

My Mother Told Me

Tell me about the time...
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
It's an old, old story: a simple boy leaves his mother. The advice she gives him, both bad--so that he will run home quickly from the evil world that took her husband--and good--to protect his manners and his soul--comes to his aid in unexpected tale. It's not a magical tale, not in the way you might think, but it is mythic, reaching into something deeper than gingerbread houses and poisoned apples (though there are meetings in the wilderness and first kisses with unrealized consequences).

phillip low, Sarah Scrimshaw and dancers spin a yarn in words and motion. If there was one thing I'd change about this production, it's the venue: I'd like to leave the Southern and hear it, and see it, on a cold autumn night around a fire in the woods.

Hue and Cry

Solid acting work.
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
Strong, strong acting in this unusual one-act play. The characters are well-drawn and the relationship between them solid and believable. Henderson and Leeman embody their roles well.

Suspicious Minds

Bravo to the actors
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
Strong, strong, strong acting and some nice inter-character moments anchor this alternately sweet and bizarre script.

Among the Oats

Back in the oats
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
In this neuvo-surrealist play, three men live in a giant bowl of oats. But that's not the point--the point is how they interact with each other, how they deal with their situation, and most importantly, how they deal with the end of their ridiculous situation. They bitch, whine, and backstab, but to what end? What happiness does it all bring them?

Stupid Face

Pleasantly surprised
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
If the thought of a one-woman confessional makes you (like me) want to run screaming into the night, then pause, and consider Stupid Face, presented with great wit and simple humanity. This is not a show I would thought I would have enjoyed, yet her ability as as storyteller really struck me, while cutting through the great potential for "poor me" schmaltz. Good stuff.

Boys Don't Make Passes at Girls Who Wear Glasses

Nerdilicious!
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
Curt and Laura take us on a trip down Nerd Lane, with detours for bad breakups, first eyeglasses, and, of course, mail fraud.

There were some verbal stumbles on opening night, but they didn't seriously impair the storytelling ability of these two. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll think "seriously? You broke up over *that*?"

Boom

Truth and Beauty Bombs
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
What if bombs didn't just destroy? What if they could alter and shape? That's the intriguing premise of this satirical fable, as one idealistic bomb maker (who's dream project is a bomb to attract butterflies) who has to decide how far he's willing to go to protect his home town.

An Inconvenient Squirrel

Reviewer Squirrel
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
A delightful, energetic tale about finding yourself, told with humor for both kids and adults. Frankly I'm not sure which group enjoyed it more: it's family entertainment where--hey hey!--the whole family is entertained.

Musical the Musical!

A delightfully trashy romp
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
Okay, it's a musical filled with characters who know it's a musical. Fine. But it's also a ridiculous, over-the-top parody of musicals, replete with hilariously offensive characters, songs, and quite possibly the best joke about genocide I've yet heard at this year's Fringe.

Some of the songs could use a bit of polish, but the entire cast is energetic (Krystyn Spratz is a standout) and their voices are excellent.

The Nosdrahcir Sisters

I understand the mermaid's pain
by Bill Stiteler
Rating: 4 kitties
The lives of these two clownish sisters made for a fun hour of inspired strangeness.