"Lincoln's Children" by Fortune's Fool Theatre at the Crane Theater Studio

'Tis the season for political plays. First, the inspiring story of Texas governor Ann Richards, reminding us that the government works for us and we need to hold them accountable. Next, Fortune's Fool Theatre's world premiere production of Lincoln's Children, historical fiction about arguably our greatest president (but not without flaws), reminding us that we need to be constantly vigilant in the ongoing fight for justice and equality that Lincoln (and countless others) gave his life for. It's a well-written play (that would be a great 90-minute-no-intermission show, if not for the intermission) that ties history to the present, well executed by Fortune's Fool in the intimate space of the Crane studio theater. They've only got a handful of performances left, so get your tickets soon (because "intimate space" means sellouts!).

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2024: "5 Episodes of Minnesota Tonight; 4 Minnesota Fring3, it’s Minnesota 2Night’s 1st Time at Minnesota Fringe."

Day: 8

Show: 24

Title: 5 Episodes of Minnesota Tonight; 4 Minnesota Fring3, it’s Minnesota 2Night’s 1st Time at Minnesota Fringe.

Category: Comedy / Improv / Audience participation / LGBTQIA+ Content

By: Denzel Belin Presents

Created by: Minnesota Tonight

Location: Mixed Blood Theatre

Summary: A late night style show featuring stand up, sketch comedy, music, and interviews.

Highlights: This is a great idea for a show, and host Denzel Belin does periodically it throughout the year, but this was my first time seeing it. Unfortunately Denzel wasn't there the night I saw it, but fortunately guest hose Bailey Murphy was a delight, as was musical guest James Rone singing and playing guitar (who knew this great improviser was also a musician?!). Before the show started we had a warm up comedian, as you actually do at such shows. I didn't catch (or retain) her name, but she was fun and easy going and returned for a few bits throughout the show. The real show began with comedian Emily Bradley, also very funny, and then proceeded to Bailey's desk monologue. All the typical elements of a late night show are there - guest interview (esteemed Fringe artist Ariel Pinkerton), sketch comedy (by the funny and feminist troupe Smartmouth Comedy), banter, and bits. There's one final performance of this fun show on Sunday, and it'll be different from any of the previous shows. Follow Minnesota Tonight for news of shows post-Fringe.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2024: "A Monster Scientist and a Tattooed Anarchist Walk into a Bar"

Day: 4

Show: 12/13

Title: A Monster Scientist and a Tattooed Anarchist Walk into a Bar

Category: Comedy / Solo Show / Spoken Word / Storytelling / Historical content / LGBTQIA+ Content

By: Mermaid Productions

Created by: Rev. Matt and Ariel Pinkerton

Location: Comedy Corner - Underground

Summary: A double bill of Ariel Pinkerton's storytelling show Put a Needle in Me and Reverend Matt's Monster Science show, with a different topic at each performance.

Highlights: This independently produced show works a bit differently; it's actually two rotating shows, so you'll have to buy a ticket for each one separately. But it's worth it because both are great examples of what these two artists do so well. Ariel's new show (which premiered at Tuscon Fringe earlier this year) is the latest chapter in her very personal autobiographical storytelling career. While drawing from various periods in her life, this show mostly focuses on her most recent "mid-life crisis" involving a divorce, a pandemic, a new career direction, and a full back tattoo. Beautifully crafted and authentically delivered, as per usual, the show posits that maybe what people call a "mid-life crisis" is just reassessing where you are and what you want your life to be. Reverend Matt (aka Matthew Kessen) presents five different shows about various monster-themed topics. The one I happened to see was about evolution, which turned out to be a great (passive) choice. It wasn't just about evolution and the strange and interesting plants and animals that creates, but it's also about something called speculative evolution, which I didn't even know was a thing, but is quite remarkable. As per usual, Reverend Matt's presentation is thorough and detailed and wonderfully nerdy, complete with visual aids! I recommend seeing both shows back-to-back on Saturday or Sunday, and getting a bite to eat from The Corner Bar (which this intimate venue is below) between shows. Note: the Fringe website says you can order food and bring it downstairs, but some of the employees gave us different answers about that. Proceed at your own risk.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

"A Wrinkle in Time" at Theatre in the Round

Madeleine L'Engle's 1962 novel A Wrinkle in Time won many awards, as well as many hearts. It's been adapted several times, including a 2018 film. I remember loving the book as a kid, but no details about it, so I went in almost blind to Theatre in the Round's production of the 2010 stage adaptation. I found it to be a sweet story about the triumph of good over evil, of love over fear. A timely message indeed. TRP's production features an ensemble cast playing many roles, led by a trio of talented young actors, and a charming design utilizing low-tech theater tricks. It's a magical story and production that can be enjoyed by the grown-ups as much as the many youngsters in the audience (continuing through July 14).

"Bonehouse / Outsider" by Ghoulish Delights at The Crane Theater Studio

And now for something a little spookier, Ghoulish Delights is presenting a pair of short plays about two lonely individuals who are trying to escape. But don't worry, this isn't Twin Cities Horror Festival (although it is in the same venue - The Crane Theater's intimate studio space), so there isn't any blood or gore. But there is well-crafted storytelling, like a ghost story you'd tell around a campfire, that'll send chills up your spine. At just about an hour runtime, and a 7pm start time, stop by the Crane for some chills and thrills before going about your evening plans. If you can shake it; these two pieces cast a dark and contemplative spell that's a little hard to shake when you escape out into the still light evening, which these two protagonists were unable to do. Bonehouse / Outsider plays Thursdays through Saturdays until May 25, which a post-show discussion with the playwright of Bonehouse after the May 24 performance.

"Cold Planet Warm Heart" by Fortune's Fool Theatre at Crane Theater

Fortune's Fool Theatre's new original musical Cold Planet Warm Heart is billed as "a warm-hearted, family-friendly science fiction tale that explores themes of immigration, inclusion, and the need to both discover and follow our heart's desire." I found it to be really cute and sweet, and definitely appropriate for kids (although I didn't see any in the audience on opening night). It's a feel-good piece for adults too, about community, and finding love in unexpected places, and creating a peace-filled world. Teaming up again after 2017's lovely The Lady with a Lap Dog, Daniel Pinkerton (book and lyrics) and Robert Elhai (music) have created a fun musical with great songs that are both comic and poignant. The six-person all-female cast, some of whom play multiple characters, give earnest, heart-felt, and funny performances and sing the at times intricate score well. Check it out, with or without kids, at the Crane Theater in Northeast Minneapolis now through November 19.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "5 Prisoners"

Day: 10

Show: 38

Title: 5 Prisoners

Category: DRAMA / HORROR / SCI-FI

By: Ghoulish Delights

Written by: Pat Harrigan, John Heimbuch, Ariel Pinkerton, Tim Uren, and Duck Washington

Location: Southern Theater

Summary: Five short stories about prisoners that are either weird, funny, or terrifying, or some combination thereof.

Highlights: This was a fun show because each piece was just about 10 minutes long, performed by the same ensemble cast (Tim Uren, Duck Washington, Ariel Pinkerton, Boo Segersin, and Gregory Parks). Prisoner could be literal or figurative in the stories. In a historical piece, a woman is arrested for performing male roles in theater. In a horror piece, a woman donating plasma is inducted into a cult. There's a sci-fi piece in which a man is turned into a random number generator, a dark and disturbing piece about torture, and a fantasy piece about an astronaut captured by aliens. The five pieces vary in tone, cleverly utilize the same few set pieces, and allow us to watch actors playing different characters in the space of an hour. Well-acted, well-written, and an interesting concept - the mini-anthology.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "The Resilient Child"

Day: 1

Show: 2

Title: The Resilient Child

Category: DRAMA / MUSICAL THEATER / ORIGINAL MUSIC / SPOKEN WORD / STORYTELLING / LGBTQIA+ CONTENT

By: Fortune's Fool Theatre

Created by: Ariel Pinkerton

Location: Augsburg Mainstage 

Summary: Storytelling about resiliency, childhood, and parent/child relationships from four adults and three children.

Highlights: Ariel Pinkerton is a veteran Fringe storyteller, frequently sharing stories from her life and travels in solo shows. This time she brings along her daugher Fiona, her "fellow" Aaron Henderson and his children Toad and Eli, and grown-up #TCTheater artists Denzel Belin and Katie Starks. Each one of them tells a story of resiliency from their life - growing up in a bubble, the death of a beloved pet, a difficult or rewarding relationship with a parent, or rolling with the changes of life. The kids are brave and vulnerable and sweet, the adults funny or poignant or both. The stories are tied together with songs (accompanied by Aaron on steel guitar) that are appropriate to the topic, like "If Only You Would Listen" from the musical School of Rock and "Parents are People" from the album Free to Be... You and Me. The show is an interesting twist on the Fringe staple storytelling show, sweet and heart-warming and engaging, from experienced artists and young stars in the making. As Ariel says in her concluding piece, maybe kids are the strong ones.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"The Tourist Trap" by Ghoulish Delights at the Crane Theater

If you're excited about the Twin Cities Horror Festival, which just announced the lineup for its 12th season this October, you might want to check out The Tourist Trap at The Crane Theater (which will also host TCHF). Ghoulish Delights is remounting their 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival hit (which I didn't see), and it feels very much like an appetizer for the 11 days of onstage horror that is TCHF. Frequent readers of this blog may recall that horror isn't my favorite genre, so some of the blood and violence was a bit much for me, but what I do love is this talented cast, the creepily effective storytelling of this show, and the exploration of small town life and our obsession with cults and serial killers. If you're looking for a little fantastical horror to take your mind off the very real scary things in our world, The Tourist Trap is the show for you (continuing through May 20).

"The Abortion Chronicles" by Mermaid Productions at Haus of Loring

The Scarlet Letter A does not always mean Adultery, it can also stand for Abortion. Something to be ashamed of and never spoken about. Or at least that's how it used to be, but lately it's become more common for women, and men, to share their abortion stories. That was the impetus behind the 2016 Minnesota Fringe Festival show The Abortion Chronicles, created by Ariel Pinkerton, Ruth Virkus, and Ben Layne. At the time I wrote "40+ years after Roe v. Wade it's important to be reminded why legal abortion is a necessity, especially in such a human and relatable way as this." It never occurred to me that six years later, legal abortion would no longer be available in many parts of the country after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Which makes The Abortion Chronicles even more necessary now, as it simply, honestly, and with humanity shares real stories of women making the choice to have an abortion. You can hear these stories Fridays and Saturdays at 7 at Haus of Loring, on Lake Street just off Bde Maka Ska (click here for details).

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2022: "The Hysterical Woman"

Day: 6

Show: 19

Title: The Hysterical Woman

Category: COMEDY / DRAMA / HISTORICAL CONTENT / LGBTQIA+ CONTENT / POLITICAL CONTENT

By: Fortune's Fool Theatre

Created by: Ariel Pinkerton

Location: Rarig Center Xperimental

Summary: A collection of new and classic stories, news pieces, and poems around the idea of the historical and continuing diagnosis/accusation of "hysteria" in women.

Highlights: This powerful and moving collection includes pieces written by cast members, female writers like Mary Oliver and Emily Dickenson, and moments in history. Performed by a five-person ensemble (Ariel Pinkerton, Linda Sue Anderson, Rachel Flynn, Destiny Davison, and Andrew Troth), each piece is a little story unto itself, some funny, some tragic, all relatable. Stories about women at the doctor's office, or a conversation with her partner, or with a coworker. And when the interaction goes well and the woman is listened to and heard, the cast interrupts with "this never happens" and provides informative background about gaslighting, sexual harassment, or medical misdiagnoses. Which is funny because it's true, and we begin to expect it. Particularly impactful is the reading of Anita Hill's testimony at the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings, and a mash up of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" with Britney Spears's recent testimony to end her conservatorship. The staging (direction by Nicole Wilder) makes good use of the Xperimental space, and the individual pieces flow smoothly from one to the next, comprising a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. This piece illustrates the fact that the more things change, the more they stay the same. We still call women "hysterical" when we don't like what they're saying or doing, if not in so many words. 

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"Perfect Arrangement" at Theatre in the Round

Just in time for Pride Month, Theatre in the Round is bringing us the story of two gay couples in the '50s, and what they have to do be with the person they love and still have a career and acceptable public persona. What starts out as a comedy turns tragic as this Perfect Arrangement falls apart. As a time when LGBTQ+ rights are threatened, it's good to look back at history and the people who worked so heard to achieve those rights, to remember how much things have changed, and how much they haven't. But this is no dry history lesson, it's an entertaining comedy with an emotional pull that makes you feel for each of the characters as they navigate this sticky situation. A strong cast and spot-on design make this play a Perfect Arrangement indeed (playing weekends throughout June).

"The Bucket List of Booze Club" by Freshwater Theatre Company at the Crane Theater

In their first production in over two years, Freshwater Theatre Company is bringing us a new play by Michigan-based playwright Maureen Paraventi called The Bucket List of Booze Club. An odd title for a sweet and salty, funny and poignant play about female friendship and the mother/daughter bond, which couldn't be more appropriate for this Mother's Day weekend. This very real and relatable story is beautifully brought to life by the cast and creative team at Freshwater. But only 6 performances remain in this short run, so bring your closest friends, a parent or child, or yourself to the Crane before it closes on May 15 (click here for info and tickets). 

"The Red and the Bright" by nimbus theatre at the Crane Theater

photo by Todd Craig

nimbus theatre is celebrating 20 years in #TCTheater with their 50th production, the original play The Red and the Bright. From my first nimbus show, the original and locally historical play Bohemian Flats in 2013, to the harsh look at race and racism in America in Nacirema, to the breathtaking design of Ghost Sonata, to a fascinating look into art forgery in From Darkness, to many historical dramas and even a comedy, what I've come to expect from nimbus is something interesting, thoughtful, and unique. Sometimes a little weird, sometimes a little rough, but always intriguing, forward-thinking, and worth checking out. They often do original plays, as is the case with The Red and the Bright, written by co-Artistic Director Liz Neerland and directed by co-Artistic Director Josh Cragun. They began working on it before the pandemic, and it's finally seeing the stage, presenting a fantasy world that feels real and complete unto itself, from the language spoken, to the relationships amongst the tight community, to the detailed design. Only two more performances remain; click here for info and tickets.

"You Who I Always/Never/Once Loved" by Fortune's Fool Theatre at the Crane Theater

Last fall, Fortune's Fool Theatre presented a beautiful collection of storytelling pieces by local artists around the topic of having or not having children. They did it as safely as possible, but since the pandemic was still raging I watched the video recordings of To Breed, Or Not to Breed at home. Their follow-up this fall is stories about love in all forms, and since I'm comfortable going to see theater in a vaxxed and masked audience (as most are these days), I was happy to see the first weekend of You Who I Always/Never/Once Loved at the Crane Theater, which is another collection of beautifully honest stories. Performances continue through this Saturday, with another set of storyteller and stories next weekend (click here for details). After the run, they will also make the video recordings available to view online.

"Hopscotch: Pop-Up Plays about the Future" by Wonderlust Productions at Frogtown Farm and Park

Wonderlust Productions' newest project is popping up in St. Paul parks this weekend and next. They asked an intrepid group of playwrights to imagine a future world. Which, as co-Artistic Directors Leah Cooper and Alan Berks admitted in their pre- and mid-show talks, is a difficult thing to do right now. But these ten playwrights, some of #TCTheater's best, did just that. The result is Hopscotch, a series of ten ten-ish-minute plays presented in two sets. I caught one set on a perfectly gorgeous late summer afternoon in Frogtown Farm and Park, and it was an entertaining, inspiring, and at times worrisome look at our future, and through the imagined hindsight, our present. Click here for more information and to make a pay-what-you-will reservation for today's two sets at Frogtown, or next weekend at Newell Park.

"To Breed, Or Not To Breed" by Fortune's Fool Theatre at the Crane Theater and Now Streaming

Back in early November when theaters were open at limited capacity, just before the November surge tightened things up again, Fortune's Fool Theatre presented a new piece called To Breed, Or Not To Breed at the Crane Theater* in Northeast Minneapolis. I chose not to attend, because I've been very cautious since the start of the pandemic and don't anticipate returning to the theater until the vaccine is more widely distributed and/or local case numbers decrease significantly (maybe this spring if things go well?). But fortunately for us, Fortune's Fool recorded these performances and have made them available to view on YouTube for free, with a suggested donation if you're able. I watched all three 50-ish-minute installments this weekend and found this series of storytelling pieces about the choice to have or not have children very engaging, moving, relatable, and honest.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "A Mermaid in Every Sea"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 46 minutes

Title: A Mermaid in Every Sea

By: Mermaid Productions

Summary: Master storyteller and 21-year Fringe veteran Ariel Leaf tells five stories - four from previous shows plus one new one.

Highlights: It's really the simplest form of streaming theater - one person looking into the camera telling a story, without any props or sets or lighting tricks. If that sounds boring, it's not, at least not when the storyteller is Ariel Leaf. She's a captivating storyteller, telling tales from her life travelling abroad, past relationships, and her experience with drugs in the '90s. I also grew up in Minnesota around the same time as Ariel (although in the suburbs, not Minneapolis), and have also done a bit of traveling abroad, but her stories make me feel like I've led a boring and sheltered life. She's either led a very interesting life, or she knows how to spin a good yarn. I suspect it's a bit of both. This show is simple, straight-forward, and 100% engaging and entertaining.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

"Dog Act" by Fortune's Fool Theatre at Gremlin Theatre

Dog Act is a little like The Walking Dead, but with entertainers. Because even in an apocalypse (zombie or otherwise), we still need to tell our stories, and be entertained by storytelling. In Dog Act, produced by Fortune's Fool Theatre at Gremlin, a traveling performer and her dog/person try to survive in a post-apocolyptic world that, much like the TWD universe, consists of scavengers and worse, people who will stop at nothing to survive. Those are the ideas explored in this weird but oddly sweet play, well executed by the Fortune's Fool team.

"Immaculate Heart" by Freshwater Theatre at the Crane Theater

In their new original play Immaculate Heart, Freshwater Theatre thoughtfully explores issues surrounding faith (specifically, Catholicism) and sexuality (specifically, the last and often overlooked letter in the LGBTQIA alphabet - asexuality). Playwright Ruth Virkus has created a world and a situation that feels real and very human, and the three-person cast brings truth, vulnerability, and humanity to their roles. As a recovering Catholic, I'm familiar with the struggle between seeing the good that the church has done and the solace it is for so many people, and the many ways it falls short in the modern world with its intolerant and exclusionary doctrine. This play and its characters embody that struggle very well, as well as shed light on a lesser known aspect of the spectrum of sexuality.