Dance of the Whisky Faerie

Uncorked and mischievous, the Whisky Faerie captures a wandering storyteller - together they dance, soliloquize and spar through bizarre Celtic tales. Will he get his whisky or will she keep her freedom?


Join husband and wife team Joseph Scrimshaw ("King of Comedy" -MN Monthly) and Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw ("lanky livewire" -mnartists.org) for a dance & storytelling exploration of Celtic myths - fun, quirky, and comic, with a few insights along the way. And in the end, who does end up with the whisky?

The cast

Joseph Scrimshaw
Role: The Storyteller
Joseph Scrimshaw is a full-time actor, writer, director and producer. Joseph can be seen around town as a for-hire actor, performing with his brother Joshua as the infamous Scrimshaw Brothers, as well as appearances on radio programs such as In The Loop. Joseph has created multiple top ten best-selling Fringe shows including "Die, Clowns, Die" and 2007's #1 best-selling show "Macbeth's Awesome Scottish Castle Party." Joseph's hit romantic comedy, "Adventures in Mating," has appeared in New York, Seattle, Indianapolis, the UK, Bulgaria, and every Monday night at the Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis. During Fringe, Joseph will also be appearing in his own show, "An Inconvenient Squirrel," a comedy for all ages at the U of M Rarig Thrust. Joseph has a full season of work coming up this fall including an interactive political theater comedy co-written with Tom Poole and produced by Jeffrey Hatcher entitled "The Wide Stance" at the Playwright's Center in late August; an October remount of his hit knitting based murder mystery comedy, "Stitch, Bitch N' Die," at the Bryant Lake Bowl; and a remount of last year's holiday show, "Fat Man Crying," at the Theater Garage in December.

Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw
Role: The Whisky Faerie
Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw has performed in the Fringe with groups including DRP Dance, John Munger's Third Rabbit Dance Ensemble, English-Scrimshaw Productions, and the American-Russian Dance Company. Around town she has also performed with the Minnesota Opera, the Scrimshaw Brothers, and many independent choreographers. Sara has also danced with the New Scotland Country Dancers in Edinburgh, Scotland, traveling to Germany and teaching American high school students the basics of Scottish dance technique. This Fringe, Sara can also be seen in the DRP Dance production, "Modern Muses," here at the Southern Theater.

"A lean, lovely powerhouse whose limbs finely etch lines in space" (Star Tribune)

Showtimes

Thu., Jul. 31 @ 10:00 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 2 @ 8:30 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 3 @ 7:00 p.m.
Tue., Aug. 5 @ 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 9 @ 8:30 p.m.

Show details

Venue: Southern Theater

Duration: 60 minutes

For ages 12+

Created by Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw and Joseph Scrimshaw

Website: http://josephscrimshaw.com

Genres: Dance, Spoken Word

Overall rating

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User reviews

Disappointing
by David Lee Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
I had seen the Joe and Sarah sketch after Fat Man Crying and loved it. I was expecting more of the same here and maybe that's why I was disappointed.
The dance really didn't connect with or support the text nearly as well as it could have.
And Joe yelled a lot. I was expecting this, and yet I still sat too close.

Entertaining
by Richard Stryker Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Beautiful dance, humor and a heart.

WHISKEY!!!!!!
by Katrina Perez Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I loved the show, it was funny and involved great celtic dance. Most of it I liked but some bored me, like the guy was shouting throughout the whole thing so that part I didn't like. But overall it was a great show, they did a really great job on it.

I am still reeling!
by Christopher Yaeger Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
The interplay between dance and story telling tickled my fancy. The dancing is strong and the cunning nature of the fairy is magical. She rides above his frustration only to live in her innocent need to play. I loved the modernization of the old tales. The southern theater was the perfect venue for this gem. The lighting, the timing, the music all blend together to provide a nightcap that could make us all wonder if the next bottle we open may change our world forever.

Funny and solid
by Katie Sopoci Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Great storytelling and lovely dancing. It is a solid show with a sense of humor... and it's about whiskey! Double treat!

He's Words, She's Movement
by Dave Romm Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
She's a marvelous, flowing, boneless dancer. He's a marvelous storyteller even when the stories aren't so hot. Nice celtic themes and music round this up to four kitties. A Shockwave Radio Theater Review.

I jigged all the way home
by Kris Man About Fringe Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Some of the acting was a bit overly hammy but the dancing and spirit was genuine and first rate. I like the nickname they have for Sara Stevenson 'lanky livewire" it sums her performance up to a tee.

The Beard Era Ends
by Ben Thietje Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
If you're into dance and story-telling, holy cow...jackpot!

Not a Fringe dance-goer? Try this!
by Florence Brammer Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw's dancing is lovely, the stories are told with Joseph Scrimshaw's usual flair and appeal, the venue is gorgeous . . . all the pieces are there for a very enjoyable hour. A nice entree into the increasingly impressive Fringe dance line-up for those Fringers who don't ordinarily choose dance shows.

Ho Hum
by Marlee Leebrick-Stryker Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
This show was quite interesting to me for many reasons. One, it was probably the most not over-the-top Fringe show I have seen in a while. The mixture of dance and story-telling was quite creative and I was drawn in almost immediately. But, though it was nice, I guess I was a bit dissapointed because of how much I had enjoyed "Macbeth's Awesome Scottish Castle Party" last you. I expected to laugh much more than I did.
So, in conclusion, a nice quiet show for a nice quiet evening.

Very Nice!
by Kristi Lawless Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I enjoyed this combination of stories and dance. Joe's timing is just perfect, and I love his little asides. And Sara's dancing as Angus was particularly fine.

++
by Gail Marquis Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
This is the first Fringe show I've ever seen, and I only attended this one because it was part of a school assignment, but this show makes me want to see more. Lovely, and quite entertaining (although I do agree with the reviewer who suggested it could've been one story longer...perhaps in exchange for a bottle of Jamesons).

What Can I Say!
by Richard Heise Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Joseph Scrimshaw's wit and storytelling and Sarah Stevenson-Scrimshaw's dancing are sure to create a hit. Hopefully we will see the two of collaborate on other projects in the future. Great show.

pleasant surprise
by Nancy Antin Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Added this show at last minute and very glad I did.
Fun story telling and delightful dancing.
Recommended even for those who "don't like dance"

Entertaining
by James Rone Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
I found the stories interesting, even if tales of the supernatural aren't my favorite--mostly because Joe would pepper them with contemporary references. The dancing and the music didn't add much to the show for me, but I can see others feel differently!

It's All Been Said
by Tim Voss Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I can't add a thing. Just go and enjoy!

What a suprise
by Richard Peach Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Who would have thought storytelling and dance would work so well together. While dance is not my preferred performing art, it made this show exciting, passionate, and entrancing, working well with the storytelling.

What Would You Do For It?
by Kale Ganann Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
'Dance of the Whiskey Fairy' incorporates some fantastical fun tales told by the inimitable Joesph Scrimshaw, and his wife, Sara Scrimshaw, dances beautifully throughout.

But it never quites meets greatness. Oh, it's very good, don't get me wrong. But, as my wife said, it seems Sara's dancing only has anything to do with the story about a quarter of the time. It's never not wondeful dancing, but most of the time it and the story never gel, so your attention is divided between the couple, never quite sure upon whom it should fix.

This is still a very good piece, despite not quite hitting the mark, and well recommended.

Joseph Scrimshaw dances!
by Dave Larson Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Sort of. He's the "guy with no rhythm" that's whipped around the stage by the Whiskey Faerie. He's also the story teller in the familiar (and funny) Joseph Scrimshaw way. Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw as the Whiskey Faerie does some nice, but not great, dancing to the reimagined stories by Mr. Scrimshaw. If you're a Scrimshaw fan, then this show is recommended.

I need more stories!
by Ruth Alkons Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Seriously, it could have been one story longer.

Dance
by David Rust Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I don't care for dance very much. I've only been to a few performances and I've never really been drawn into them.

Until now.

Not only is Joseph the brilliant comic writer everyone has seen before, but the dancing by Sara is really, incredibly good. She is alluring, dynamic, and able to match her dancing to the story at hand, seamlessly. By interspersing the dance with dialogue and telling a series of tales from ancient folklore (updated to the modern era) the show makes dance accessible to even those of us who don't -otherwise- enjoy it. I can't underscore this point enough: I don't care for dance shows but Joseph and Sara really knocked this one out of the park and made me love it!

good relaxing fun
by julie fossell Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
This is a good show to see at the end of the day--lots of pretty dancing and fun stories. I haven't seen Sara dance since college and she is really great! Way to represent the Gusties!

Nice!
by Jerome Marzullo Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Celtic music, stories that make you laugh (and think a bit), dance energy that was off the charts...what else could you ask for a perfect Sunday evening. And Sara, besides being an innovative and exciting dancer is just so damn cute as the Whiskey Faerie

WHISKY!
by Christopher Bauleke Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I loved the story telling, and the ending was perfect!

Shards of Laughter
by Patrick Pfundstein Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
The Whiskey Faerie was a no brainer for me, containing a couple of my favorite Fringe staples; the writing and physical humor of Joseph Scrimshaw (maybe I'm just old, but when I fall down like that, I get hurt), and the dancing of Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw (last year's DRP show was one of only two I saw twice, and this year's was one of the first I scheduled). The performance didn't disappoint as it provided tons of laughter and creepy tales with some beautiful dance, including a good dose of Celtic fun. Occasionally the seams between story and movement showed, but there were some really fine moments of pure fusion as well (including the points where each performer crosses a bit into the domain of the other). Definitely worth a shot!

A Gentle Sub-Text
by John Munger Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
He’s a physical sketch-comic renowned for his in-your face outrageousness as half of The Scrimshaw Brothers, plus being a delightful kids’ performer with Old Gem Theatre. She’s a dancer of consummate elegance and intelligence who has long performed with DRP Dance and with Third Rabbit Ensemble, among others. Put them together in a sort of Scheherezade tale in which she is the Faerie who has moved into his house and who demands stories from him in return for granting him access to whiskey. We get the stories, which she illustrates with dance, but does he get the whiskey? Sara the dancer has managed to meld immediately recognizable gaelic dance with its skips, heel touches and quick little pas de basques into a series of dances that move seamlessly through a range of evocative and varied solos that capture the flavor of the stories without ever being slavishly literal. Joe the story-teller could read the phone book with vigor and raunch, but here he gives us two sides: the true story teller with warmth, humor, outrage, tenderness, clowning, puzzlement or bravura filtered through the hard-drinking shameless male ranter, a persona he has developed richly over many years. But under it all, ever so gently ever-present, there is an abiding and tender love between The Faerie and The Storyteller. A major charm of this show is our growing awareness that this love is there, and that it is rich. This is an intimate chamber work that would never fit on a really big stage. But if I could rate it ten instead of just five I would. It is skilled work that makes the occasional dismissive tone of the local press about Fringe shows look a bit ignorant, tawdry and even “colonial.” See also my blog at tcdailyplanet.com. John Munger

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