Minnesota Fringe Festival

schedule

Show reviews by Fringivitis Vulgaris

Best Little Crackhouse in Philly (...or Crackwhore: The Musical!)
Yo, biotches, let's put on a show! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 5 kitties
Lots of great moments in this very polished production! If there was a soundtrack I'd put it in my headphones and learn to sing it all. Clever dialogue, talented dancers, and a knack for lampooning the cliches found in musicals.

A Cynic Tells Love Stories
True love truly suxx by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 5 kitties
Katherine Glover tells it like it is, from making out to getting down and from flirting to marriage and back.

Thrower of Light
Dynamic and glorious by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 5 kitties
Wonderful show! These are beautiful, well constructed dances performed by talented dancers who know that gravity is useful but clearly optional.

Foolproof
A Tangled Web by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 5 kitties
What an intense hour! This is a nigh-perfect Fringe show: dramatic tension, a believable story, actors who become their characters, unpredictable twists, and enough story to fill the time without feeling stretched nor stunted. I hope to see more such brilliance from this company.

The William Williams Effect
Local history becomes excellent theater! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 5 kitties
This show was riveting from start to end. I was surprised at the exceptionally good storytelling and sound fact that went into this tale. Historical accuracy is not usually a hallmark of Fringe productions, and this company has set the mark very high!

Monster
outstanding character voices by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 5 kitties
This was a wonderful first show for my 2009 Fringe experience! The characters had believable voices and their stories were tightly interwoven. The show was of the high quality I've come to enjoy from Theatre Pro Rata.

Silent Poetry 2
Beautiful physical storytelling by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 5 kitties
NO olive loaf required: these mimes are artists! From classic physical comedy (The Chase) to an amazing tumult of the soul (Sunday Morning) and the busking mime's desperate measures, this is a wonderful show.

Jurassic Dork
Carpe gluteus! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 5 kitties
Great fun is made from (and of!) a film that's already campy. John Skelley manages to keep the characters and voices distinct while maltreating a nice array of props. He even performs 4 different kinds of dinosaur. Guest spot by the esteemed "Sally Wingert" was a grand touch. Dork on!

Squawk
Silly Premise bunks with Solid Drama by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 5 kitties
The story is solid. The main characters are believable, even the puppet. This tale of competition, ego, failures, and fear of The Other is tightly written and acted.

Burning Man and the Reverend Nuge
Sex, drugs, and religion by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
...not necessarily in that order. Tommy Nugent weaves his own tale of a man-child whose passionate beliefs alter as he ages. I'll say a cheery Hallelujah for the Rev Nuge's "enough-ism"!

Hogg and the Humors
Dance Party by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
Let's get Hogg-Humored in here! It's a bunch of improv folks doing what improv folks do. Of course, it helps greatly that they're seasoned performers, fast with words and ideas, and clearly delighted to be playing around on stage for money. (OK, kind of weird to see it after seeing "Wayside School" it's true.) Improv stories, audience participation, and guest spots from other Fringe performes make this a very pleasant variety show.

Boobs
Great big round bouncy in-your-face show by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
This is a jolly two-woman discussion that puts the spotlight on the headlights. Contains coarse, frank, and awkward explorations of the merits and perils of life as a mammarily gifted person, with detours for best guesses at the male perspective. Their Fringe-shake brings all the boys to the Gremlin, and all the grrlz too!

An Intimate Evening With Fotis Part III
Slices of life from a regular guy by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
It's not that the stories are extraordinary, it's the telling of ordinary happenings in sharp focus. Scout camp, bad habits, anxieties, home ownership, family stuff, and pets: Mike Fotis dissects his experiences and memories so that he can put them back together for our ears.

Slow Jobs: Servicing America for $12 an Hour
amen and sing it by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
Yeah, we've all had Those Jobs. These folks talk about what they have done to pay the rent, how they discovered what work is all about, and how they occasionally erred. I laughed unto snorting - more than once!

Alice Unwrapped
Alice in Wounded-Land by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
Alice's mom came unraveled when dad didn't come back. Alice flails into adolescence with the grief and anger of someone forced to become the parent to both a parent and a sibling. This is not an easy story to tell, but the performer becomes Alice quite believably. The simple piano music fits the story without distracting the viewer. There were people wiping eyes when the house lights went up.

Bard Fiction
Ever so clever by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
Quite a polished show! The writers did a fine job of paring it down to a Fringey hour and hitting most of the highlights of the film. Good stage fights, even from the front row where fakes and failures are most obvious. The language rang true and the Shakespearean insults were well done. Set arrangements were also well done, notably the shifting tavern tables and the tinkers' wagon. Lost one kitty because the show only works if the viewer has at least passing knowledge of the movie.

Strange Weather
Bad touch, bad religion, bad weather by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
This creepy rural drama had nothing to indicate that it is "centuries into the future." There's an awful lot of more-than-familial pawing of the teenage girl. Religiousity that opposes science isn't exactly groundbreaking drama. "A Boy And His Dog" visit "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and come away with only crumbs of corn mush. BUT! But, I say, brethren and sistren, there are some righteous moments in this little play! It was better than I expected.

WTF in the Garden of Eden
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
That was an unexpectedly good time! It's a nice bit of alternative mythology that explores the ins and outs of one of the better known stories. Guaranteed to offend at least one believer, if only that one believer would attend this show. I particularly liked the Creeping Thing and Lilith. True fact: Chunky Monkey usually makes things better, swear to deity!

Like a Virgin
Manic Britannic by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
By the end of the show he was no longer a virgin... Show features adolescence, mime, topical detours, 80s pop, and tongue aerobics.

Your Lithopedion
Brilliantly creepy by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
Every person with problems can benefit from finding the appropriate support group. Every marriage has its challenges. Every bit of real estate can use some improvements! This story is not linear but coalesces nicely to form a semblance of the whole. Plenty of funny props too.

Men in Uniform
Just GO! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 4 kitties
This one-man show has a lot to say about the written and unwritten rules about culture and class in life along the Mexico-Texas border. This quietly intense performer expostulates on Customs detention, Driving While Ethnic, San Antonio invasions, and the border before and after September 2001.

Animal Cracker Genocide
Booya! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
One guy, many quips. For this Fringe run he works with short jokes that sometimes cycle back, rather than longer anecdotes. He doesn't hesitate to share his awkwardness, his phobias, and his dick jokes.

The Frog Prince: A Splashy New Musical!
Leapin' Doo-wop by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
Best doo-wop frogs ever! Best hats on frogs ever! Mishmashed Grimm tale collides with nightly news. High points were the Town Crier and the Nerdy Girl. Not sure the story needed a lawyer/hoochie girl though. Ensemble numbers were rather cluttered. Problems with the microphones didn't enhance the singing. But hey, those frogs are great fun!

Two Short Operas: Mr. Berman's Bath-Size Bar and There's a Mastodon In My Backyard
Dude, where's my bar? In the back yard?! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
I am not a fan of opera. I still had a fine time at this show, largely because of the sheer absurdity! I've spent enough time in hotels to appreciate the dubious "help" of some staff. I'm a big fan of the Smithsonian (psst, I mean the "Institution" not the "Institute"!) so the Mastodon tale was quite amusing. I saw several children in the sold-out crowd but I would NOT recommend this show unless the child is already interested in opera or is older than grade school; it's not fair to bore someone during Fringe!

The Return of LICK!
Sparkly! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
Rather cute, not very deep. The show was fun and funny. Big kudos to Booth Guy and to the choreographer of this sequined sexy-fest.

Sure to Cure, Dr. Amelia's Medicine Show
New Age meets old insecurities by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
If you've got "the itch, the stitch, the palsy or gout" this show wants you to buy the latest alternative treatment. No palliative is perfect, nor is the huckster on center stage, and she tells a lot about it. Not exactly a medicine show, and not enough banjo, but there is plenty to love about Dr. Amelia's therapeutic regimen.

Spermalot: The Musical
Love them, hate them, masturbate them! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
Musical theatre and puppetry collide with video in this cute riff on the Ultimate Quest Tale. The talents of the company are inconsistent but their enthusiasm is top-notch. They're happy to swipe any appropriate bit of pop culture in their pursuit of cervix with a smile. The performers don't restrict themselves to the stage either; audience members may become comic foils at any moment. Relax, get ova it and have fun!

Stray Pieces
Scattered pieces by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
Lots of ballet of course, with some irritating intrusions from faux hip-hop and odd bits of tap. Rather strange to notice how little the male dancers moved in comparison to the very fluid female dancers. Some ensemble pieces were beautifully performed and others had jarring inconsistencies of timing. There's beauty in this show, particularly when the dancers revel in what they know best.

Drinking Stories
Pleasant and delightful by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
The show started slowly, recycling RenFest bits. It got better as it moved along into more personal material. Only incidentally stories about drinking (and not always drinking alcohol) but plenty of toasts are included. This was a decent first Fringe piece for Jen Zalar.

Full Frontal Improv
It's hard work making comedy! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
These folks are clearly having a good time whether they're batting .900 or striking out, and with improv both things are equally likely. They'll tenaciously chase a laugh if they sense it's in the room.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School
missing some magic by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
I love the tales from Wayside School so I had very high hopes for this show. Adults looking like grade schoolers did a very nice job. All-purpose Stage Ninjas were really fun. This show just didn't quite have the gleeful absurdity I anticipated from a Louis Sachar story.

Untitled Duet with Houseplant
Cute clowning by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
Props and audience interaction were the high points. The bicycle and lights were very good shtick. The show relied rather too heavily on the recorded music and some very old physical humor. It was beautiful to watch Noah Bremer connect with some very young kids in the audience!

The Pizpor Show
Sleight of hand, slight of audience by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 3 kitties
This show is a low-key good time. Pizpor's self-effacing promotion may be a bit too convincing for the health of the show. These chaps claim to be setting the standard for Bottom of the Fringe; nah, they're not the bottom. The dreadful puns are great fun! Dan-the-Orchestra is charming as the embarrassed sidekick. Small illusions and classic tricks are the staples in this allegedly unrehearsed show. This show is ideal for the good-natured hecklers of Fringe because these guys can take it, appreciate it, and relish the interaction. Oh, and it's safe for kids too!

The Problem of the Body: Why is our society ashamed of bodily urges?
Oooh, look! Thingies! by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 2 kitties
It's a cute conceit with a basis in truth. Yes, we've got cultural obsession/denial problems. This show has the pictures and occasional sound effects to prove it. Not new information, but it's a nice assemblage. The Monday night show was plagued by technical difficulties and it threw off the performer just enough to leave a dent in the show. Still worth seeing if you've got a gap in your schedule and you're in the neighborhood.

Thin Mint
Toss the cookies by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 2 kitties
Gay slurs, ethnic slurs, hypocrisy, murder, maiming, melodrama and allegations of bed-wetting make this the "Fringiest" show I've seen this year. Playing to weak stereotypes was the feeblest point for this play. Strong point was the ability to play convincing adolescents - not a stretch for the young cast.

Auntie Dorris' You May Not Wanna Know but I'm Gonna Tell You Anyway A-thon
call a coroner, the show is DOA by Fringivitis Vulgaris
Rating: 0 kitties
I'd give it half a kitty for the sock puppets but I'm rounding down for the overwhelming failure to entertain or maintain consistency on any level. I'd like to remove more kitties solely for the offensive "successful black person as portrayed by fright wig" shtick, but I only have five and I've already taken them all away.