Minnesota Fringe Festival 2021: "On Air: The Wuppet Time Murders"

Day: 4

Show: 8

Performance Type: Virtual

Location: Streaming Anytime

Length: 60 Minutes  

Title: On Air: The Wuppet Time Murders

By: Melancholics Anonymous

Summary: A delightful spoof of true crime documentaries that features gruesome murder of puppets on the set of a local cable children's weather educational show.

Highlights: I loved this group's show at the virtual Fringe last year, the sweet and poignant children's grief counseling session, so I was eager to see more of their work. This doesn't bear much resemblance to last year's show, except for the clever concept and spot-on execution. With deadpan seriousness, a true crime documentarian (voiced by Claire Chenoweth) investigates multiple murders that happened in 1999 on the set of a children's puppet show called Wuppet Time (a questionable show that cheerily warned children about snow-related disasters and head trauma from falling staircases). Like any good docuseries, it has interviews with survivors, found footage of events, and people obsessed with the crime who have tried to piece together what happened on that tragic day. The truly funny and absurd thing is that the weather puppets in the show (played by Claire Chenoweth, Gillian Gauntt, and Matthew Humason) are treated as people - the victims and possible perpetrators of the crime. Watching a jaded puppet of a raindrop smoking a cigarette as they reminisce about a tragic event in their youth is just ridiculously amusing. As are the two humans in the cast (played by co-creators Rachel Ropella and Timothy Kelly), one of whom is a controlling jerk with anger issues, the other of whom tries to share the nuance of the situation. Like Avenue Q, casting these sorts of familiar human dramas in puppets just makes everything funnier.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2021: "For a Limited Time Only"

Day: 3

Show: 7

Performance Type: Virtual

Location: Streaming Anytime

Length: 35 minutes

Title: For a Limited Time Only

By: The Feral Theatre Company

Summary: A $5.99 unlimited breadstick deal at the Italian Garden Factory turns into a nightmare for a couple when they're told they cannot leave until they finish the bread.

Highlights: Because nothing lasts forever, except for bread of course. Written by Daniel Prillaman and directed by Isabella Dunsieth, this absurdist dark comedy imagines a world in which the promise of unlimited breadsticks is a threat. Arlo (Christopher Jenkins) and Val (Sky Turiello) are stuffed after their dinner and cannot possibly eat another bite, and therein lies the danger. Their server (Daniel Collette) tells them he can't bring the bill until they finish the bread, and then he brings them more bread. They decide to just leave, only to discover there are no doors. All of their plans for an escape fail, including calling 911 (no signal) and violence (can't do much damage with a butter knife). Eventually they resign themselves to the fact that they're never getting out, and begin living their life together in the restaurant. A sweet, believable couple and an amusing rumination on making the most of the life you're given.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2021: "AWAY, NOW - The World's Most Desired Destination"

Day: 3

Show: 6

Performance Type: Virtual

Location: Streaming Anytime

Length: 60 minutes

Title: AWAY, NOW - The World's Most Desired Destination

By: Theatre Mobile

Summary: This video travel guide of a mythical place called Away, Now, where everyone wants to go, is a collection of songs, stories, and many puns.

Highlights: I loved Paul and Erika's House Show at last year's all-virtual Fringe, so I was eager to check out more work by this Cincinnati-based duo, created in their apartment. They've actually done AWAY, NOW as a live show in a couple of places this summer, but they also created a virtual version using all of the charming tricks and techniques they discovered making last year's show. This one is pure silliness, including some great silly songs, like the man who fell in love with 3:12am. It's all framed as a travel guide to the city of Away, in the county of How 'Bout, in the state of Now. Where smellsniffing is recommended when you get tired of sightseeing, the dead end road is an endangered species, people are not ashamed when their feet fall asleep and snore, and the letters c-o-n are pronounced but (that's but-cerning). They again close the show with a moment of poignancy, that if you have half of a heart, you can fill the other half with patience, kindness, and listening, as we contemplate What Next. But mostly, it's just a lot of fun.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2021: "Fruit Flies & Friends"

Day: 1

Show: 1

Title: Fruit Flies & Friends

By: The Fourth Wall Ensemble

Performance Type: Virtual

Location: Streaming Anytime

Length: 60 minutes

Summary: The team behind the national Fringe hit Fruit Flies Like a Banana collaborates with their equally talented friends to create a collection of short pieces combining classical music, movement, and theater.

Highlights: I never miss a chance to see the Massachusetts-based company The Fourth Wall Ensemble, even if it's a virtual show a year and a half into the virtual theater world that's growing a bit tedious. This ensemble of flute (Hilary Abigana), trombone (C. Neil Parsons), and percussion (Greg Jukes) mixes classical music, acrobatics, theater, poetry, boomwhackers, and other unexpected things in such an innovative way that it's irresistible. While they have recently returned to live performance, this format allows them to safely create and collaborate with each other and with friends and colleagues from the Fringe scene, many of whom will be familiar to Minnesota Fringe audiences. This show is a collection of short pieces, mostly in the now familiar zoom box style, featuring all instrumentals or with vocals, sometimes accompanied by dance or movement, or spoken word, or imagery. It's a wonderfully eclectic mix with that familiar Fruit Flies magic but incorporating some new energy too. 

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Ghostlight Series: "The Rap Pack" streaming from Theater Latte Da

With so much summer outdoor live performance going on right now (click here for a full list), I almost forgot about Theater Latte Da's Ghostlight Series of virtual cabarets. Beginning in January, when things were still pretty dire in the pandemic world, they began releasing 30-minute virtual cabarets, with a new one coming out about every other month. They released the fourth show a few weeks ago and I watched it over the weekend. It's so different from the other shows, which have all been unique, and it's so much fun. The Rap Pack features a group of the same name, consisting of rappers GQ (Gregory Qaiyum), JQ (Jeffrey Qaiyum), Jax (Jackson Doran), and Pos (Postell Pringle). Their show is an engaging mix of comedy and hip hop done in that famous "Rat Pack" style.

"Audrey Saves the Universe" streaming from Children's Theatre Company

This Friday, Children's Theatre Company is releasing a new original web series called Audrey Saves the Universe, and I was lucky enough get an advanced viewing of this fun, silly, and sweet show. Entirely created/filmed/edited by company members Autumn Ness (playwright) and Reed Sigmund (director), who are conveniently married, this 90-minute saga is split into seven easily digestible episodes as it explores the power of creativity. The show could be subtitled "what artists do when trapped in their house for a year," in the best possible way. They've created an entire universe out of what's available to them, even enlisting their kids and adorable pug in telling this story. Available through May 28, the entire series can be purchased starting at $15 and is a great way to stay connected to the work that CTC does during this extended intermission.

"Kodachrome" streaming from Locally Grown Theatre

One good thing to come out of this extended intermission from live theater is discovering new theater companies. I had not previously heard of Locally Grown Theatre, a community theater in "Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park, Newport, Grey Cloud Island, and the surrounding area," but this week I watched a virtual play in the zoom style of theater and quite enjoyed it. Kodachrome is a sweet little Our Town-ish play about life in a small town, with all the mundanity and profundity that entails. Even though they're each performing in their own little box, the seven-person cast (although disappointingly lacking in diversity) all give wonderful performances that create a feeling of community in this story of love and loss.

"DIGITAL" streaming live, by Emily Michaels King

image courtesy of Emily Michaels King

In one of the most innovative uses of the new virtual art media that I've seen, #TCTheater artist Emily Michaels King brings us a new creation called DIGITAL, streamed live via Zoom from her home to yours. Much like her solo show at the 2019 Minnesota Fringe Festival, DIGITAL combines various forms of art and media, is difficult to describe, is not always understandable, and yet is profoundly moving. As usual Emily puts her heart and soul into the performance, which is felt even from a distance through a screen. DIGITAL is definitely unique in the #TCTheater virtual space right now, and you have several more chances to catch it through March 6.

Ghostlight Series: "Twelve Blocks From Where I Live" streaming from Theater Latte Da

Theater Latte Da has launched a five-part virtual cabaret series called "The Ghostlight Series," with new installments to be released approximately every six weeks through the summer. The first one is out now and is available when you purchase a series pass, and can be viewed an unlimited amount of times through the end of the summer, along with the others when released. The series looks to be more than just a collection of great performances of our favorite musical theater songs, but rather an exploration of different ideas and themes using music. Which, of course, is something Theater Latte Da does very well.

"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.

"The Things They Carried" streaming from History Theatre

The History Theatre continues to offer recordings of past productions to stream during this extended intermission. Currently available is the 2017 production of The Things They Carried. I did not see this production, but I did see a 2014 production of this play, presented in rep with Lonely Soldiers: Women at War in Iraq. I hope that they stream the latter play at some point too, because stories of the sexual harassment and assault that women in the military face are just as important to tell as stories of the soldiers of the Vietnam War. But in the meantime, the roughly 70-minute play (with a 20-minute post-show discussion) is a powerful piece and a great choice to watch at home.

"Last Stop on Market Street" streaming from Children's Theatre Company

Like many theaters, Children's Theatre Company is offering recordings of past shows to be viewed during this extended intermission from theater. The current show is Last Stop on Market Street from 2018, a show I didn't see because there was so much #TCTheater happening I couldn't fit everything into my schedule (what a great problem to have). I watched it today and found it to be a sweet and entertaining show with a great message. It's available for a 24-hour rental through November 22 (ticket price beginning at $25).

"Operation: Immigration" streaming from Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company

One of the hits of last year's Minnesota Fringe Festival was #TCTheater artist Avi Aharoni's solo show Operation: Immigration, which was the highest selling Fringe show at Mixed Blood. Now, Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (where Avi has frequently performed) is offering an updated and filmed remount of the show as part of their 2020-2021 season, entitled "Theater Six Feet Apart." Avi and the creative team (including director Robert Dorfman, cinematographer Ryan Melling, sound designer Reid Rejsa, and lighting designer Todd M. Reemtsma) have done a great job transferring the on-stage show to a filmed production. One of the great things about the Fringe show is that Avi played very well off of the live audience, which of course is gone here. But he's still very personable as he tells the story of his twice-immigrant father, an Iranian Jew, and how delving into this story has influenced his own identity. One thing that remains true about this updated version of the show is this, that I wrote in my review last year: "This is a fascinating and inspiring immigrant story, about a man who sacrificed his whole life for his family's safety and security. But even more than that, it's a love letter from a son to a father, one that it was a privilege to witness."

"The Awakening of Spring" - a live virtual performance by Feral Theatre Company

Spring Awakening is one of my favorite musicals, so much so that 11 years ago I named my new kitten Moritz Stiefel. I've seen it on stage eight times, including twice on Broadway (the original run with most of the original cast, and the stunning 2015 revival by Deaf West). The musical is an adaptation by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater of the ahead-of-its-time late 19th Century German play Frülings Erwachen by Frank Wedekind. The play was often banned or censored due to it's frank (no pun intended) discussion of the sexual awakening of teenagers in an oppressed society. Feral Theatre Company is offering us this 100+ year old play for 2020, complete with zoom and masks. The themes of this play - suicide, abortion, sex education, child abuse - never lack relevancy, and are perhaps even more important now as we approach this election. It's an ambitious undertaking for a new theater company, and they do a great job bringing this story to life within the limitations of the current world, with a talented young cast that gives raw and vulnerable performances to a camera, nicely edited together with graphics of modern social media communication.

"Understood" by Trademark Theater, an Audio Play

Two years ago, Trademark Theater premiered the new play Understood, written by resident playwright Tyler Mills, about a divided couple and a divided nation. Now, when that division has only increased, and a global pandemic has made live performance dangerous, they've pivoted this piece into an audio play, updating it for 2020. It works remarkably well in this format. Removing the visuals and the staging allows the audience to really focus on the words, and what's in between the words. And this play is all about what's being said, or not being said, or how it's being said. Understood is available now through the election, and is such an advocate for the kind of communication, listening, and connection we'll need to survive the next few months.

"Minnesota State of UnFair" by Classic Alley Performers on YouTube

In another example of the performing arts adapting to this strange time, the sketch comedy group Classic Alley Performers has partnered with Strike Theater to bring us virtual performing arts, which they're calling "Minnesota State of UnFair." The 40 minutes of sketch comedy airs live on Strike's Facebook page this Friday through Sunday nights, but I got a sneak peek of this funny and topical show.

"RIDDLE PUZZLE PLOT" by Park Square Theatre on Zoom

Original post from July 25, 2020:
Friends, I am beyond thrilled to post my first #TCTheater review in almost five months. Yes it's a virtual performance streamed over Zoom, so it's not quite the same, but it's a chance to see some of my favorite artists being creative and having fun, while putting out new content during a pandemic that doesn't seem to be getting any better. That's cause to celebrate. And it's not too late to get in on the action. Park Square Theatre's RIDDLE PUZZLE PLOT is a new play written for this format by one of my favorite #TCTheater playwrights, Jeffrey Hatcher, about a group of actors connecting over Zoom during a pandemic (how meta!). It will play out over four installments, beginning this weekend, with a $30 ticket getting you access to all episodes, either with live and interactive pre- and post-show content on Friday or Saturday night, or to watch on demand later in the week. I watched it last night and it was truly delightful, and such a comfort to experience something akin to theater again.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: Wrap-Up and Favorites

The great experiment known as the Minnesota Fringe Virtual Festival 2020 has come to an end. Of course it wasn't the same as our usual beloved live, in-person, together Fringe, but it was better than no Fringe. The festival was, as always, well organized, with two components (Nightly Fringe, which included 1-3 live shows every night, and the Digital Hub, which included 50-some shows to stream). While I do wish they had kept the 60 minute time limit for all shows (truthfully, if I saw a show was longer than an hour I often skipped it, because I didn't want to devote that much time to one show out of so many), and it was a bit wearying with all of the different platforms, links, apps, emails, and passwords to navigate, on the whole it was a successful experiment. The best part was seeing how adventurous these artists could get within the limitations of a pandemic world. The result is: artists will find a way to do art, and audiences will find a way to experience it. Thanks to the Fringe for connecting us all in this weird weird world.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: DIGITAL HUB

The virtual 2020 Minnesota Fringe Festival has two components: Nightly Fringe, which includes 1-3 live shows every night from July 30 through August 9, and the Digital Hub, which includes 50-some shows to stream anytime (or at specific times). Here's a list of all of the DIGITAL HUB shows I've seen so far; click the show title to be read my mini-review. I'll be updating this regularly so keep checking back!

The purchase of a $5 Minnesota Fringe Festival button is required to gain access to the Digital Hub. Many shows are free to watch, some charge a ticket fee or donation of $5-20. Even for free shows, please consider a donation to the festival and/or artists.

• 3 Way Lovve by Maatology Productions
• A Circus Show by WeFlip Entertainment
• A Mermaid in Every Sea by Mermaid Productions
• Climbing My Family Tree by Les Kurkendaal Barrett 
• Cooking Heather's All-Out Nonsense Baking Time! by Heather Meyer
• Fallen from the Toy Box by The Fourth Wall Ensemble
• Fruit Flies Like a Banana: Virtual Style by The Fourth Wall
• i'm not playing by WHO'S LOUIS?
• Love and Other Lures by Dr. Dour & Peach
• My Big Gay Debutante Ball by Kinetic Dust
• Nature Creature by Ruth MacKenzie / Jacqueline Ultan / Elizabeth Alexander
• OMG! by Taj Ruler and Emily Schmidt
• Paul & Erika's HOUSE SHOW by Theatre Mobile
• Proximity by Pones
• Stuck in an Elevator with Patrick Stewart by The Theatre Cosmic
• Super Patriots! by Unreliable Narrator Theater Group
• The Art of Opposition by The People Project
• The Bathtub Play by The Feral Theatre Company
• The Graveyard by Second Star Productions
• The Scranton Strangler: An Office Musical by Literally Entertainment
• The Telling by The Electric Telescope Experimental Theatre 
• Trudy Carmichael Presents The Improvised One-Woman Show! by TruSongstress Productions
• Wash/Repeat by Meg Kirchhoff
• You Are Cordially Invited to the Life and Death of Edward Lear by The Winding Sheet Outfit

Click here for a list of all of the NIGHTLY FRINGE shows I've seen so far.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: NIGHTLY FRINGE

The virtual 2020 Minnesota Fringe Festival has two components: Nightly Fringe, which includes 1-3 live shows every night from July 30 through August 9, and the Digital Hub, which includes 50-some shows to stream anytime (or at specific times). Here's a list of all of the NIGHTLY FRINGE shows I've seen so far; click the show title to be read my mini-review. I'll be updating this regularly so keep checking back!

All Nightly Fringe shows are free to attend, but please consider a donation to the festival and/or the artist. Some shows are available to watch later.

• A Virtual Collaboration of Singing and Ice Skating (off-ice) by Heather Rae Music
• Break the Dice: The Improvised Campaign by The Bearded Company
• Edith vs. Quarantine: 89 & One Tough Cookie by Amanda Erin Miller
• FringeMiss (an artist-led fundraiser available to watch here, donations still accepted!)
• Good Grief (and other ways to process loss) by Melancholics Anonymous
• Lauren and Nissa Present: Fun Times by Special When Lit
• My Kehaani by SAATH
• RABET MYND by Rogue & Rabble Dance
• The Champagne Drops: The In-Between Years by The Champagne Drops
• The Cut-Out Bar by LandmanLand
• The Mystery of the Gryphon's Ears by Monster Science Productions
• TV Tunes with Leslie Vincent by Leslie Vincent
• Waiting for Hugs by Highlander Kitty

Pro tip: if you missed the live broadcast, scroll to the bottom of the Nightly Fringe page to get to the past shows, and click on the links to find many of them still available. Or check the company's Facebook page or YouTube channel.

Click here for a list of all of the DIGITAL HUB shows I've seen so far.