Minnesota Fringe Festival

schedule

Show reviews by Karen Cooper

Like a Virgin
yes, go by Karen Cooper
Rating: 5 kitties
It's hard not to like someone explaining his first time viewing porn as "tumescent"... ah the erudite English. He pokes fun at his sexual coming-of-age (yes, I did that on purpose), and a bit at Middle Western Americans, Irish wedding guests, budgerigars, cool bikes, and rotten English school children. In all, a fine funny show, with giggles, snickers, guffaws, and laughs enough to please anyone for whom "doing it" was life's most cherished accomplishment.

Two Bowls of Cereal and Some Bacon
so strong by Karen Cooper
Rating: 5 kitties
I'm writing my review standing outside the theater. The show just ended. I was so moved by . the weird stories of what happens inside children's minds (because children see the world in their own way). But even more, I was touched by the brutal honest that Mahmoud brought to the stage when he talked about the family he grew up in. I think people who were abused children might want to cautiously consider this show, but for every one else: GO. You'll give a standing ovation.

Untitled Duet with Houseplant
sublime by Karen Cooper
Rating: 5 kitties
The apple. The boxes. The music. The pants. The absurdity. The rabbit. The expressions. And suddenly, we are all just a little braver at confronting the limitations we give ourselves. This is what we come here for.

Jurassic Dork
utterly silly by Karen Cooper
Rating: 5 kitties
I only saw the movie once about a million years ago and I still followed the story, partly because all of the nonsense plot points (ice cream is just one example)are so lovingly ridiculed. This was genius.

Blue Ribbon Burlesque
a romp by Karen Cooper
Rating: 4 kitties
My first burlesque, and it was a lot of fun: Sassy, knowing, funny, and almost-entirely-naked women. Recommended!

Made Up: Confessions of a Counter Girl
at last by Karen Cooper
Rating: 4 kitties
The secret truths of the department store make-up counter are revealed in this light comic piece. You learn so much at the Fringe. Recommended.

Habitat: A Documentary Theater Project
thoughtful by Karen Cooper
Rating: 4 kitties
A caring, respectful presentation giving voice to the stories of homeless people in Minnesota. The NIMBY character was especially forcefully played. These stories matter and I am glad I saw this show. It will stay with me.

Burning Man and the Reverend Nuge
excellent by Karen Cooper
Rating: 4 kitties
What a delightful tale to hear of someone finding a better, happier and more fulfilling path through life than the several kinds of Christian he started out as. Plus, The Funny.

Anansi, Brer Rabbit and Other Wily Characters
charming by Karen Cooper
Rating: 4 kitties
Effervescent storytellers create vivid mental images telling stories with African soul. There's plenty of trickster stories here, and plenty of smiles. I felt really involved in this show, and recommend it.

Paisley Poppies
youth by Karen Cooper
Rating: 3 kitties
Youthful experience here provides a story with a few really poignant twists and almost-too-snappy dialog. The story doesn't really firm up until near the end, and the play runs quite short. There's quite a lot to like about the show, especially its most silly and its most tender moments.

The Tenth Muse
story songs by Karen Cooper
Rating: 3 kitties
She has a lovely voice and a simple clean guitar style. Her stories were fairly entertaining but the whole magilla didn't hold together. A good show, but not a great one.

Secrets Revealed: Opera Bob Opens His Drawers
i still hate opera by Karen Cooper
Rating: 3 kitties
I went because this was supposed to be highly accessible to the opera-unschooled. And maybe it was. Someone gave me some Anna Russell .mp3s and that is the last chance for opera and me.

Murder on the Mighty Mississippi
oh, dear by Karen Cooper
Rating: 2 kitties
CJ Johnson seemed the most comfortable performer on stage, being natural and watchable even when he had no lines. And Hayley Saccoman had some engaging moments, too. Many of the other cast members seemed a little wooden, and the story was too busy.