I've seen 19 now. It's all starting to run together... hard to find time to post what with watching plays all the time. Not to mention working.
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Tuesday, August 8 - no clinkers! Also, dragged old friend Mark M into the craziness. "Wonders of the World" blew his mind and now he's hooked too!

7:00 PM Duchess of Devonshire - not bad, but pales by comparison
Presented by LAB Theater Company at Mixed Blood Theatre

8:30 PM The Wonders of the World: Recite - totally awesome! 5 stars
Presented by Totally Realistic Productions at Mixed Blood Theatre

10:00 PM Deviled Eggs - also really good. 4.5 or 5 stars.
Presented by Four Humours Theatre at U of M Rarig Center Thrust

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Wednesday, August 9 - I'm going to stop doing that thing where I see an absolutely great show and then get talked into seeing one I know is going to be mediocre. Better to end the evening on a note of artistic exhilaration.

8:30 PM Phyro-Giants! -- fantastic! 5 stars
Presented by They Might be Phyro-Giants Productions at Acadia Café

10:00 PM Hot Springs, Cold Sex…Good God! -- eh. Maybe a 3. I wish I'd skipped it, but I wouldn't go so far as to warn everybody against seeeing it.
Presented by Loosely Affiliated in Northfield at Bryant-Lake Bowl

I only saw this one because it was right after the one I'd come to the Theater Garage to see, but I loved it! It's got a dopey name: something about Hot Dogs and Corncobs. Three sketches about hitchhiking, featuring various combinations of the 5-person troupe. Superb writing, impeccable acting. The crowd was small but wildly enthusiastic. These guys definitely deserve a wider audience. I think they suffered from some negative early online reviews. I'm going to the Fringe site right now and write them the review they deserve!!

Tonight, I'm going back to the Theater Garage to see Sock Puppets. This wouldn't have been high on my list, I admit, but a friend of mine really wants to see it. And really, if you have an Ultrapass, you have no excuse for refusing to attend your friends' favorite shows. We might hang around to see other shows in the same area. At least once during the Fest I want to get to the 11:30 Deadly Sins story-telling show at the Theater Garage.

Tomorrow I would really like to get some friends to join me for the walking mystery thingie at 1926 Pleasant, 2:30. Only 18 people can go through the thing at once, so if you're interested, get there early for tickets. I'm guessing that once this one gets some buzz it's going to be really hard to get in.

Fringe Festival starts tonight!

The geographical center has shifted since last year. In 2004 and 2005, the area with the highest density of participating theaters was Loring Park. R and I rode our bikes to the park on a Saturday or Sunday and spent the day there, ambling from theater to theater. Both years, our Loring Park Day was the highlight of the fest. Not necessarily the best shows, but the best overall day, hanging out in the park, eating at outdoor cafes. We also spent a few evenings in Uptown, stopping for snacks at that tapas place between shows.

This year, I'm sad to see that most of the Loring Park venues have dropped out, kicking the stuffings out of Loring Park Day. There no longer seems to be critical mass in the uptown area either: just Bryant Lake Bowl and Intermedia Arts.

Having to get in the car and drive from show to show is way less fun than wandering about on foot. So it looks like this year's hot spot is going to be the West Bank. Mixed Blood was an isolated venue last year, so I don't think we ever made it to a show there. This year we have Mixed Blood, Southern Theater, PLUS multiple stages at Rarig Center. I think I'll be spending more time on the West Bank than I have for years! Starting with tonight.

R and I are planning to meet up with barondave at the Southern Theater for "African Roads, American Streets" (7pm), have dinner, then "Die Clowns Die" at the Rarig Center. Anybody want to join us?