"Dickens' Holiday Classic" streaming from Guthrie Theater

The Guthrie Theater has been presenting Charles Dickens' classic story A Christmas Carol for over 40 years. The show has gone through many iterations - different adaptations, different directors, different casts, different uses of music and dancing. 2020 sees yet another new version of the classic - a virtual one you can watch in your own home (for just $10 per household). Starting from an adaptation written by Dickens himself for the one-man-show he performed, Guthrie Artistic Director Joseph Haj teamed up with #TCTheater artist E.G. Baily, who also has a film company, to adapt and direct this piece, creating something entirely new. Not exactly theater, and not exactly film, the show combines bits of both media for an experience that is smaller, quieter, and more intimate than the Christmas Carol we're used to seeing on the Guthrie's thrust stage, but just as lovely, engaging, and moving as ever.

Virtual Holiday #TCTheater Shows

Well friends, we've nearly made it to the end of a very strange year, one filled with tragedy, grief, awakening, and maybe a little hope as we reexamine how and why we do everything, and have the opportunity to do it better. The holiday season obviously looks a lot different this year (and not just because there's no snow in Minnesota). But one thing remains the same - #TCTheater has produced an abundance of holiday offerings, virtual of course. Read through the list below (some of which I've watched already, some of which I plan to) and find one (or ten) that look appealing to you. Some are free to view or listen to, some are offered in exchange for a small fee, but regardless, please consider a donation to your favorite theater(s) as part of your end-of-year giving, if you're in a position to do so. I have great hope that theater will return in 2021, and donations help ensure that theater companies will make it through to that time. One thing I've learned this year is that artists will find a way to make and distribute art, no matter the circumstances they find themselves in.

"CenterPlay" - an audio play from Jungle Theater

The second of Jungle Theater's three-part "Jungle Serial" series is now available: CenterPlay is a 30-minute audio play from #TCTheater artist Vie Boheme, who wrote, directed, and performed in the piece. It's another engrossing audio experience, best enjoyed sitting or lying still with eyes closed to be fully absorbed in the story.

"Is Edward Snowden Single?" streaming from Jungle Theater

Jungle Theater's first ever virtual play Is Edward Snowden Single? is one of the best uses of this new medium that I've seen. Playwright Kate Cortesi wrote the play before this pandemic shut down all live performance, but the Jungle team has turned it into something that feels like it was written for this form that is sort of theater but not really, and sort of film but not really. Combining illustrations, animation, and fantastically versatile performances by two actors in front of green screens in separate locations, not to mention some pretty great voice acting, they tell this story of two best friends trying to navigate life, love, work, and the truth in a truly fresh and innovative 2020 kind of way.

The History Theatre's Virtual New Works Festival "Raw Stages," Fall 2020

Every January, the History Theatre hosts a new works festival called "Raw Stages." Most of their programming is original works, so they rely on these annual workshops and readings as part of the development process. Faced with a long closure of the theater space due to the current and seemingly never-ending pandemic, they decided to hold another "Raw Stages" festival this year - virtually. Workshops and readings are done over Zoom, with the each of five recorded readings available for streaming for a week, spread out about a month apart. I missed the first one, Not In Our Neighborhood (which was supposed to premiere in the spring of 2020), but I've watched the other four. The most recent and currently streaming is the delightful Betty Crocker Musical, with a live talk-back on Friday. Read on for details of all five new works and how you can watch them.

"Family Dinner" streaming live on YouTube every Saturday from Huge Theater

Everyone's favorite improvised holiday* show returns this year! But instead of parodying that awkward in-person holiday dinner with family and/or friends, this year Family Dinner is parodying that awkward holiday zoom call with family and/or friends - what could be more perfect for 2020?! A new dinner is streaming on Huge Theater's YouTube page for the next three Saturdays at 8pm. I watched it last Saturday night (bonus: if you're a morning person like me you can watch it in bed and not have to worry about staying up past your bedtime) and it's just as hilariously awkward as always. The show is free to watch, no need for tickets or reservations, but if you watch it please do consider donating $10 or $15 or more to support these artists through this extended intermission.

"Mondo Tragic" - an audio play from Jungle Theater

The first of Jungle Theater's three-part "Jungle Serial" series was released recently. Mondo Tragic is a 30-minute audio play written and performed by Eric Micha Holmes, with seamlessly integrated sound design by Omar Zubair. It's an intense and mesmerizing exploration of race, racism, and racial identity, that traverses from the Mondo films of the '60s and '70s to Rachel Dolezal. I recommend listening while lying on the floor with your eyes closed to let the sounds, story, and ideas wash over you without any external distractions.

"A Cattywampus Christmas" - a radio play from Yellow Tree Theatre and A.D. Players at the George Theatre

2020 has been a year like no other. But one thing remains the same - fans of Yellow Tree Theatre can return to the charming and quirky (fictional) Minnesota town of Christmas Lake. Co-Founder and Interim Artistic Director Jessica Lind Peterson has written another very Minnesotan holiday* comedy, this one as an audio play, which I listened to whilst putting up my Christmas tree. For those of us who have grown to love Christmas Lake resident Martha Knutson and her tater tot hot dish, her pet lizard Katherine, and her obsession with Little House on the Prairie, listening to A Cattywampus Christmas feels like going home for the holidays.

"The Empathy Project" streaming from Full Circle Theater

This past weekend, Full Circle Theater Company premiered a new play they've been working on for several years. Playwright and Full Circle Core Artist Stephanie Lein Walseth interviewed about 20 people around the state about empathy. She noted in a post show discussion (which followed all four showings of the recorded zoom reading) that she first had the idea for this project prior to the 2016 election, and started interviewing people about a year ago. Out of each interview, she pulled a short story, looking for moments of surprise or something that challenged our stereotypes. The stories are woven together in a structure she compared to the docu-theater style of a Laramie Project or Yellow Face, or like a story circle. The result is incredibly moving, and is well suited to the virtual format as it focuses on one person telling a story.

"Tears of Moons" streaming from Park Square Theatre

#TCTheater artist Antonio Duke first wrote his solo play Tears of Moons in 2016, and it's now being produced by Park Square Theatre. Virtually, of course. But he did perform it on Park Square's basement thrust Boss Stage, a recording of which is being streamed over Zoom just three more times this weekend. This powerful and affecting piece is described thusly: "Join the poetic journey of a man traveling through time, witnessing our country’s shared history and the ongoing violence against Black people. Both personal and expansive, Tears of Moons interweaves African spiritual figures and mythology with Greek epic theatre to reckon with the past and share a vision of strength."

"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).

"Liberty Falls 2020" web series by The Moving Company

The Moving Company is remounting their absurd comedy Liberty Falls 54321 as a four-part web series called Liberty Falls 2020, and I couldn't be happier about it. We revisit the specifically odd characters from the play (last seen in early 2017) in the specifically odd year that is 2020. The first three episodes are free to view, and if you like what you see, the fourth episode can be viewed for only $6.99. The talented and hilarious original cast (plus a few welcome additions) has reunited in creative ways to bring us wonderfully silly story, not without some social commentary. Click here to watch.

A Love Letter to Theater

I sent this letter, along with two paper cranes, to Broadway Up Close, a tour company and gift shop in NYC, for their "Broadway Paper Crane Project," in which theater lovers all over the world are making cranes with a wish for the return of theater. They're a great follow on Instagram (or Facebook, where you can find details of the Crane Project) that's helping me feel connected, at least a little bit, to Broadway and theater in general. I also ordered some of their merch, including a beautiful custom engraved wooden magnet representing the ticket stub from when I saw Hamilton, and a Broadway passport in which I've recorded the 60+ shows I've seen at the 41 Broadway theaters over the last 20 years, which I hope to add to next year.

"Flip the Script: The Great Divide IV" an audio play series by Pillsbury House Theatre

"During the 2016 presidential election, the American political landscape ruptured into one of the most heated divides in recent history. In response, Pillsbury House Theatre began The Great Divide project, commissioning five new ten-minute plays each year tackling the rising political tensions in America. As we head towards the 2020 election, on the heels of a pandemic and a global uprising, that divide has grown even larger. For the fourth and final installment of The Great Divide, Pillsbury House Theatre has invited five former Great Divide playwrights to write a companion piece to their earlier work that imagines a way to move forward, beyond the divide. By pairing playwrights' earlier work with pieces written in this election year, Flip the Script is a powerful examination of the past, present, and future of our political divide."

"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.

"Everything Changes: A Parking Lot Concert" by Yellow Tree Theatre in a parking lot

Everything changes, and that's perhaps never been more true in my lifetime than this year. But what hasn't changed is people's need to share stories and music, and the connection that it brings to us. Yellow Tree Theatre's outdoor drive-in parking lot concert entitled "Everything Changes" is a prime example of that. A parking lot full of cars, five performers on a makeshift stage, some speakers and a radio frequency - an unconventional set-up but a familiar and beloved experience of audience and artists sharing stories, music, energy, and light.

"A Pickup Truck Opera; Volume One: The Odyssey; Episode Three, The Song of Telemaco" by Mixed Precipitation at Various Outdoor Locations

One of my favorite summer #TCTheater traditions is Mixed Precipitation's delightfully playful mash-up of classic opera and pop music, performed outdoors with passed small bites of delicious food. While the "Picnic Operetta" (which I've attended for the last six years) is on hiatus this year due to the pandemic, Mixed Precipitation is still bringing us fun and and accessible outdoor opera in the form of what they're calling "Pickup Truck Opera." In a 2011 royal blue Ford pickup, they've been "popping up" all over the Twin Cities with their 25-minute performance of yet another opera/pop mash-up. I was lucky enough to catch one of their 11 performances, at a little not-park in St. Paul on a perfectly gorgeous fall afternoon. Their final two performances will be as part of Park Square Theatre and Steppingstone Theatre's "Family Day Out" event on October 25.

"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.

"The Cafe" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company Outdoors at Gremlin Theatre

Since 2013, Collide Theatrical Dance Company has been creating original dance musicals that really blur the line between dance, theater, and music (their name refers to a collision of art forms). Most of their shows tell a story strictly through dance and music (typically pop songs performed live), with little or no dialogue. In February they remounted their adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, which I didn't see because I had seen the original in 2014 and I was so busy with #TCTheater that I couldn't fit it in (can you even imagine?!). But in the last 6+ months my life has become the complete opposite of that, so my schedule was happily free and clear to see their new production, being performed outdoors for a limited time only. In fact only one performance remains, tonight, and can be viewed in person or virtually. I saw it in person last night and was smiling under my mask for 60 minutes! Click here for all of the details of how you can take in this delightful dance show.

"Live at the Loading Dock: Ordway Cabaret" outdoors behind the Ordway Center

St. Paul's Ordway Center for the Performing Arts had planned a 2020-2021 Broadway season that included touring shows and original productions, classics and new musicals. But as this extended intermission is lasting longer than any of us had hoped, due to a pandemic that isn't slowing down, at least in this country, their plans have changed. The only show on the schedule as of now is a summer 2021 Ordway Original production of RENT, which of course is still dependent on what happens with the virus between now and then. To celebrate this season-that-wasn't, and to show their commitment to producing these shows at some future date, the Ordway is presenting an outdoor cabaret concert consisting of songs from the planned upcoming season, as well as one cancelled show from last season. Live at the Loading Dock is performed outside behind the theater in the loading dock area, which is really a perfect outdoor venue. Seeing this show nourished my theater-starved soul and gave me hope for that day in the future when we can all gather together safely to share music and stories again.

"An Evening with Kate Beahen" at Crooners Lakeside Cafe

What good is sitting alone In your room?
Come hear the music play.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Come to the Cabaret.

I don't know about you, but I've been doing more "sitting alone in my room" the last six months than any six-month period in my entire life. For someone who's used to going to the cabaret, i.e., theater, 3-5 times a week, that's quite a change. As I told someone last night, life just feels a little empty right now. But fortunately, there are still cabarets that are safely happening; one of the few places is at Crooners Supper Club, which has a couple of different options for outdoor concerts. I've been to enough of their drive-in concerts that the workers recognize me and/or my bug, but this was my first time attending a concert at their lovely Lakeside Cafe, to see the one and only Kate Beahen.

"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.

"Roseville in Bloom" Art Display in Roseville

Since there's not a whole lot of #TCTheater going on during this seemingly never-ending pandemic, I'm trying to find art in other places. Fortunately the city of Roseville has made that easy to do with their "Roseville in Bloom" campaign - 20 statues of 6-foot tall roses beautifully painted by local artists scattered around the Northeast suburb. While I've never lived in Roseville, I've lived adjacent to Roseville for 24 years, so I'm pretty familiar with the neighborhoods. This past weekend, on my way home from attending a play for the first time in six months (MJTC's wonderful 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother) I found 9 of the roses. I went out on my bike another day to visit 6 more, and saw the final 5 today (via car). I don't know if this was planned pre- or post- pandemic, but either way it's a fantastic safe activity to do right now; a fun way to experience art outdoors and appropriately distanced. Take the map, your GPS or Google Maps, sunscreen, and go find some art! (You can find more details, as well as deals at Roseville businesses, on their website.)

"25 Questions for a Jewish Mother" by Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company at Harriet Island Target Stage

The last time I saw a play was on February 22. In fact I saw two plays that day (as I sometimes had to do to fit everything in in the good old days) - the Children's Theatre's new original play Spamtown, USA, and Theatre Pro Rata's production of Silent Sky at the Bell Museum. If someone had told me that I wouldn't see a play live and in-person for almost six months, I would not have believed them. I would have said that's impossible. But a few days after seeing those plays, I left the country to spend two weeks in paradise (aka New Zealand), and returned home to find that the world had turned upside down. We found ourselves in a global pandemic that we're still very much in, with theater being one of the first things to go, and unfortunately one of the last to return. The good news is some #TCTheater companies have gotten creative in this time (see also Park Square Theatre's delightful original Zoom play series RIDDLE PUZZLE PLOT). Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company is opening their 26th season with an outdoor, masked, socially distanced play. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to gather together again and listen to a story, simply and beautifully told. To anyone else who's craving that, go see this play! And not just because it's the only thing out there right now in terms of live theater, but also because it's a really moving, funny, relatable, heart-warming play.

"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.

Leslie Vincent's Album Release Concert at Crooners MainStage Tent

I paid my third visit to Crooners MainStage Tent last night; for someone starved for live entertainment, it's been such a gift. Dinner and a show, great live in-person entertainment, listening and laughing amidst other human beings. It almost feels like normal life. But not quite, because I stay in my car (you would too if you drove a convertible), the staff are all wearing masks, and so are the people sitting at tables under the tent spaced well apart. We're not even close to being out of the pandemic woods yet, but moments like this give me what I need to keep trudging along. And when you have performers as talented as Leslie Vincent and her fabulous six-piece band, and a perfect Minnesota summer night, it's about as good as it can get right now, which is pretty great.

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.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "RABET MYND"

Location: Nightly Fringe (Aug. 9)

Length: 30 minutes

Title: RABET MYND

By: Rogue & Rabble Dance

Summary: A dance piece performed live in nature.

Highlights: To be honest, I wasn't even aware when this one started. I logged into the zoom webinar maybe five minutes before showtime, with the camera pointed at a lush green landscape and music playing. I was looking at my phone and didn't even realize when the show began, but maybe that's the point. Dancer/choreographer Jesse Schmitz-Boyd seemingly just appeared out of nature, interacting with it as he moved across the screen. Almost like he were an extension of the natural landscape, which was pretty lovely.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "Lauren and Nissa Present: Fun Times"

Location: Nightly Fringe (Aug. 9)

Length: 40 minutes

Title: Lauren and Nissa Present: Fun Times

By: Special When Lit

Summary: A series of comedy sketches, performed live over zoom (natch).

Highlights: This was just a really fun show for the last night of the festival. Nissa Nordland and Lauren Anderson are both very funny women, and they work well together. The running gag was that since this was on the internet, who knows if anyone's watching, so they can do whatever they want with "no consequences!" Sketches included a spoof of a work zoom meeting with a surprise appearance, Lauren afflicted with "cool disease," Nissa singing a silly song, and my favorite - a Jane Austen spoof called "Dignity and Displeasure." And as a (former) clarinetist, I very much appreciated Nissa's playing between scenes, and her pre-show covers of such classics as "My Heart Will Go On" and "Music of the Night."

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "Proximity"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 50 minutes

Title: Proximity

By: Pones

Summary: A series of dance pieces, or maybe one long dance piece, in and around the beautiful city of Cincinnati.

Highlights: This piece is beautifully shot, and makes me want to visit Cincinnati to see all the gorgeous architecture, art, murals, gardens, and natural spaces. A few moments of spoken words highlight the strangeness of this disconnected time. The dancers, mostly outdoors, never touch or even come close to touching, but yet somehow this piece makes me feel like we're all still connected.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "The Art of Opposition"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 50 minutes

Title: The Art of Opposition

By: The People Project

Summary: A series of dance pieces celebrating and exploring the idea of opposition.

Highlights: This show includes some pieces recorded previously on a stage in front of an audience, some recorded outside, and some recorded pieces of individual dancers. All are really lovely, but the one that stands out to me is a performance in a lobby at Gustavus Adolphus College's Nobel Conference last year. The performers used all areas of the space, with movement inspired by and in response to a speech by teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "i'm not playing"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 25 minutes

Title: i'm not playing

By: WHO'S LOUIS?

Summary: A break-up causes drama among roommates, scene from a variety of viewpoints.

Highlights: What a clever and unique concept, and really well executed! The play can be viewed from five different rooms in the apartment (living room, two bedrooms, the bathroom, and the perspective of a White Claw). The viewer can switch back and forth between rooms at any point. Now, I'm a linear person who needs to watch every episode of a TV show in order, but I was still able to have fun with this. You could sort of follow where the action is going, and if you feel like you've missed something you can rewind a bit in that room and catch up. The plot is fairly simple - Jess breaks up with Jeremy and tells him he needs to move out of the apartment. Meanwhile roommate Caitlyn is applying for lots of jobs from the bathroom, and roommate Dev is secretly in love with Jess. It all blows up in a game of Sorry. Without the multiple viewpoints this would be an amusing little play, but with the multiple viewpoints it's a really fun and interesting experiment in online theater.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "Fruit Flies Like a Banana: Virtual Style"

Location: Nightly Fringe (Aug. 8)

Length: 60 minutes

Title: Fruit Flies Like a Banana: Virtual Style

By:  The Fourth Wall

Summary: A zoom version of the Fringe hit (and one of my all-time faves).

Highlights: Boston-based music/movement/theater trio The Fourth Wall has been a regular at the Minnesota Fringe Festival (and others) for the last several years. I see them any chance I can (see also the recording of their delightful new show Fallen from the Toy Box in the Digital Hub), because I've never seen anyone do what they do - play instruments beautifully while doing all sorts of crazy stuff. This live zoom show was a bit different, but still lots of fun. The zoom audience chose the order of the pieces (as live audiences often do), some recorded from past performances, some newly recorded, some solo live pieces (they're quarantining in different places). And as always, they featured other Fringe artists in some of the pieces. This is another example of artists making the best of the less than ideal situation we find ourselves in, and I can't wait to see them live in person again!

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "My Big Gay Debutante Ball"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 1 hour 15 minutes

Title: My Big Gay Debutante Ball

By: Kinetic Dust

Summary: A solo show about a woman's coming-out journey that's really a celebration of finding and being who you are.

Highlights: It looks like this was performed and recorded live for the Providence Fringe Festival, which was also virtual this year. Meg Anderson tells stories and sings songs about her coming-out journey, at times painful, at times sweet. She re-imagines her story with a "what if" - what if she had grown up in a world in which two women could walk down any street holding hands, in which one's coming out was celebrated like a Debutante Ball. She performs live on an empty stage, using recorded and looped music along with live singing and keyboard. The live performance is occasionally interrupted by recorded videos of Meg playing other characters in her story. There are some weird moments, as well as some poignant moments, all culminating in a celebration in a big poofy princess ball gown (well, sort of) and a dance party. It's not the Fringe without a very personal, real, heartfelt solo show, and this one fits the bill.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "Nature Creature"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 50 minutes

Title: Nature Creature

By: Ruth MacKenzie / Jacqueline Ultan / Elizabeth Alexander

Summary: A gorgeous concert recorded at Open Eye Theatre in 2016.

Highlights: Composer Elizabeth Alexander has set some beautiful writing about nature to music, and accompanies vocalist Ruth MacKenzie, along with Jacqueline Ultan on cello. The result is something special. Ruth is such a passionate and expressive singer, and along with the haunting cello, everything about this is just gorgeous. At times humorous, at times deeply moving, it's just a really lovely 50 minutes of music. (And it was fun to see the charming little stage at Open Eye again.)

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "Paul & Erika's HOUSE SHOW"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 35 minutes

Title: Paul & Erika's HOUSE SHOW

By: Theatre Mobile

Summary: Paul Strickland and Erika Kate MacDonald do a show from their house to your house.

Highlights: This one's a real charmer, and surprisingly poignant. There are several different segments, or start-overs, the first with an impossible director Sterling Spoon (an actual spoon) complaining about their lack of skills. They call it a "we don't know how to make a movie but I guess we have to now" production. I love that they fully acknowledge this is a weird and wrong way to do and watch theater, but it's all we've got, so let's make the best of it. And they do, in a great example of creative artists adapting their art to fit the times. They sing, tell stories, do fun edits, share outtakes, in a mostly silly and fun show. Until they brought tears to my eyes at the end when they talked about how much they miss performing in front of an audience, and that "we tried to make a show that shows what a show is in a time of no shows," but that the real "show" is what happens in the space between the performers and the audience. A space that seems cavernous right now. I really hope Paul and Erika come to a live in-person MN Fringe, because I'd love to watch them do what they do in person!

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "Love and Other Lures"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 44 minutes

Title: Love and Other Lures

By: Dr. Dour & Peach

Summary: A funny and quirky musical show featuring the dour Dr. Dour (pronounced do-er) and the naive Peach.

Highlights: The show begins when Peach (Rachel Spicknall Mulford) takes the audience out of a box and she and Dr. Doer (Toby Mulford) greets us and show us around their living room. From there it's songs, stories, and silly diversions. With bright costumes, clever edits, puppets, a little man in the wall, and multiple stringed instruments, they entertain the audience as they sing songs about love monsters. Songs about people being lured into danger by love or sirens or some such thing, which eventually even the two of them fall prey to. There's a fun dynamic between the two and the original songs are great. You can also watch their web series.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "The Bathtub Play"

Location: Digital Hub (available on certain days)

Length: 33 minutes

Title: The Bathtub Play

By: The Feral Theatre Company

Summary: A woman with a broken foot is stuck in a bathtub.

Highlights: This is a sweet, funny, endearing, and very human little play. Written by Becky McLaughlin and starring Erin Gassner, it's one long monologue (it appears to be one long take but there might be a subtle cut or two). Our heroine recently got out of the hospital with a broken foot, and decided to take a bath. Except that now she can't get out. Worse, her "Elena" (generic "Alexa") is having trouble connecting to the internet so she can't call anyone for help. She starts talking to Elena, confessing things from her childhood, and the real reason she was up in that tree that she fell from. She talks about her new boyfriend, her insecurities, her hopes, in a way that makes her likable and relatable. It left me with a smile on my face.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "The Champagne Drops: The In-Between Years"

Location: Nightly Fringe (Aug. 6)

Length: 40 minutes

Title: The Champagne Drops: The In-Between Years

By:  The Champagne Drops

Summary: A cabaret celebrating this duo's "in-between years," aka middle school.

Highlights: The Champagne Drops are Leslie Vincent (whom you might have seen Monday night in TV Tunes) and Emily Dussault. They used to perform around town, and now they perform around the internet. This show was inspired by their journals, letters, and other memorabilia from the horror known as middle school. But the show is anything but horrible. They each performed a live cover of a song they loved in middle school, and played a few recordings of original duets they wrote based on the theme (because singing harmony live over the internet is inadvisable). It's lovely and funny and charming and a little bit cringey, and their friendship and enjoyment in singing together are evident and only make the show better.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "Edith vs. Quarantine: 89 & One Tough Cookie"

Location: Nightly Fringe (Aug. 5)

Length: 35 minutes

Title: Edith vs. Quarantine: 89 & One Tough Cookie

By: Amanda Erin Miller

Summary: A live zoom call with a bored octogenarian.

Highlights: Amanda Erin Miller plays Edith, staying in character throughout the call. The character being one of those fabulous women of a certain age. She shares with us how she's been keeping busy in quarantine (with a montage of recorded scenes) - from the usual things like baking, reading, and eating, to the less usual things, like acting out her favorite shows Julius Caesar and Into the Woods, and starting a dating app for seniors. It's fun and silly and relatable, with a positive message of  "we can handle more than we think" and "stay connected to the things we love." Wise words from a wise woman.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "Climbing My Family Tree"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 59 minutes

Title: Climbing My Family Tree

By: The Adventures of Les Kurkendaal Barrett

Summary: A storytelling show about a Black man's search for his family, and the surprising things he found.

Highlights: This is a fascinating story, and Les tells it well with a building of suspense. I'm kind of obsessed with those genealogical shows (e.g., Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are), and that's really what this is. After taking an Ancestry DNA test, Les meets his long-lost grandfather, as well as some distant cousins, and discovers he's descended from some pretty amazing and surprising people, of both African and European descent. It makes me want to research my own family tree to see what I might find. But the best part of Les's story is that in the end, what he discovers is that "racism is stupid, because we're all related anyway." Amen.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "The Cut-Out Bar"

Location: Nightly Fringe (Aug. 4)

Length: 60 minutes

Title: The Cut-Out Bar

By: LandmanLand

Summary: A very special episode of Sam Landman's nightly quarantine show, in which he listens to an album and discusses it.

Highlights: #TCTheater artist and Fringe favorite Sam Landman has been keeping himself busy during this extended intermission by listening to an album every night that he's never listened to before, typically an obscure album from the past. And he streams it live every night from his basement. He asks for votes between two albums on Facebook and Instagram (with the show live streaming on both). The boozy pre-show party starts at 7:45, and at 8pm he plays the album and gives the audience his honest reaction, which can range from disgust to delight. I've caught the show several times over the past few months, but what I realized last night is that a big part of it is people connecting in the Facebook comments chat. That sort of connection, really any sort of connection, is something we've all (even introverts) been missing the last few months, and The Cut-Out Bar gives people a place to gather, connect, and talk about something silly. You can watch the Fringe episode on the Facebook page, or any number of past episodes, or better yet - tune in tonight and take part in the conversation.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.