I only had time for two shows today. It’s Monday. I teach a few piano students. My adult children are visiting, and I’m ushering for a live performance at Central Lakes College Performing Arts, outdoors, which I’ll review in a separate post. 

I wanted to watch a shorter presentation in the morning, so I chose Super Patriots by UNTG (Unreliable Narrator Theater Group), only 25 minutes long. The synopsis on the MN Fringe Digital Hub: SUPER PATRIOTS! Short absurdist plays about American leaders who loved their country so much that they unleashed reigns of terror upon it. Part 1, Senator Joseph McCarthy; part 2, President James Buchanan. (Adult language, Crude humor, Gun / Weapon usage, Violence) ~25 minutes

If you like political humor, and a bit of American history with a slant, you’ll enjoy this performance. The creators use cut-outs as puppets for the McCarthy episode, and live actors playing various parts in the Buchanan episode. Gives you a little glimpse into powerful men and what they can do when left unchecked as they rise to power. Adult language, a little bizarre, this one is more for grown-ups, more specifically young adults. You can also find them on their Facebook Page.

 

My lunch time show was A Mermaid in Every Sea by Ariel Leaf, Mermaid Productions, a long time participant of MN Fringe Fest. She is quite the storyteller! Her adventures abroad will make any parent confiscate their college student’s passport. Still, she lived to tell about it, and with wit, wisdom, and decadent details. This is definitely a performance for adults (I want to censor my own young adult children), yet fascinating and engaging. I enjoyed listening to Ariel describe a miss-step in travels that eventually led her to the exact place she intended to go, trips with friends, trips of another kind with friends, and a secret door at an airport that gave her the grace she needed. You can find her on her Facebook page, or follow her stories on Youtube.

 

You can check out other reviews of MN Fringe Festival, virtually, 2020, on the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers Facebook page, Rob from The Stages of MN, and long time Fringe reviewer Jill from Cherry and Spoon. 

Go. Create. Inspire!