Show: 12/13
Category: Comedy / Solo Show / Spoken Word / Storytelling / Historical content / LGBTQIA+ Content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.