Jim Hanna

I was looking forward to a solid, funny solo show about someone who moved from MO and had tales to spin about the people she knew there. This is instead something entirely different, entirely hilarious and far more entertaining. It's a hugely talented comic performer presenting what amounts to a series of comedy sketches with one character in each. There is no over arching tale to tell and yet, she manages to create something of a story just from well written, well acted characters performed with... full review

Monica Martin is rightfully adored at Fringe where she helps so many others realize their theatrical dreams. It is a goddamned joy to see her flexing her own skill and vision with her utterly engaging, precise and compassionate direction of a remarkable cast. Marjorie Knight delivers one of the finest performances at this year's Fringe with able support from a strong ensemble of actors, especially Omar Salazar. It's so great to see a solid, narrative play with out the bells and whistles of so ma... full review

The limitlessly engaging Marla Black has written a charming, hilarious, and sometimes terrifying show that's step above most of those in the genre. Her relationships within her family are fascinating and heart-breaking, but it was the final notes with her most cherished sled dog that got me most choked up. (Spiiirriittt! Nooooo....)... full review

I'd pay to watch a solo sketch show populated just with Lara's weird, wonderful, hilarious menagerie of characters (she does a lot of them and very well!). When they're deployed in service what is obviously a very dark and difficult time in her love life, it becomes something even more compelling and watchable. Lara is a gifted writer and performer and the high-energy direction propels her to some very terrible places, leaving me feeling like a weirdo laughing merrily along before being caught up... full review

In a festival filled with solo shows, cabarets, sketch shows and musicals (all great and welcome, btw), it was delightful to see a simple...play. A beautiful love story, no less, that imagines Andy and Sid from "Toy Story," after their childhood run-ins, falling for one another and working out their relationship well into adulthood. With gentle, grounded performances from the two leads and thoughtful, well paced direction (and script adaptation) from Lanchi Le, this play was touching, funny and v... full review

If you had the great pleasure of meeting Christi at any of the pre-Fringe social events, you already have a good idea of what to expect: endless good cheer, positivity and joy. I've had run ins with the dark stuff at a few shows this year and this show was like a blast of peppermint-scented air through my musty, gloom-addled brain. Beyond just good will, Christi brings sharp writing, staging and characterization. Bunny is relentlessly upbeat, but Christi layers in just enough poignancy and self-d... full review

In some ways, I'm the worst audience for this show because I know little about Star Trek/Klingons and classical works often test my attention span and I find my brain drifting as I try to follow the plot. But in the most important way, I am the BEST audience for this show because I'm a huge fan of the ambition, spectacle, madness, silliness, energy and insanity of School of Night productions. Klingon Tamburlaine slips neatly into their acclaimed portfolio of Fringe hits. The acting is huge and ag... full review

Three wildly different short plays that still have much in common beyond the common themes of identity, history and paper. Namely: tight direction, great grounded acting, incisive writing with beautiful touches of comedy and even melancholy throughout. A brisk, deep, thought-provoking slate of plays.... full review

So, you walk out of a show that knocked you on your ass and you try to tease out exactly what it was that made this remarkable production sing. It was a hell of a conundrum for me with Kelley Pierre's "The Same Room." With rare-air acting, directing and writing, this is one of the finest productions you will see this at this festival. Scott Golden's direction is is face paced with out losing a bit of nuance. The acting is fearless and deep with Pierre and Sheeks darting in and out of control of t... full review

The sheer, giddy joy Brett displays when sharing his love of baseball with his audience is the best part of the production. I can't imagine having more fun being inundated with the minutiae of a sport I only follow superficially. The audience, I'm sure full of fans and non-fans alike, was clearly engaged, entertained and rooting on this charming repository of baseball trivia. There was active hooting and frequent spontaneous bursts of applause. Truly fun, non traditional solo show magic.... full review