Erik Blair

I'd been told to go see this show, so I finally made time to do so--and I'm glad I did. In 45 mins, these four actors did an AMAZING job of improvising several scenes of Shakespeare where they didn't know which character they would be until that show began. Now let's be clear--that means they know ALL the lines and characters for ALL the scenes, so it's not like they're making it up from scratch. But even still, to have all the possible combinations and then have to leap into it at a moment's ... full review

All I knew about this show before I went to see it was that it was "kids doing Titus Andronicus" and they'd been banned from going into Fringe Central. So when I walked into the theater and my program was entirely in-character and then the teacher walked onto the stage, already having a meltdown over his cheating wife...I knew I was in for a great time. I was absolutely right. From its opening moments to its terrifying, dark and shocking ending, this play is a joy to watch. It's like Shakespea... full review

Somehow I managed to get all the way to the opening moments of JonBenet Ramsey: The Musical without realizing exactly what I was getting into, without understanding the play I was about to see. And that turned out to be a great thing--because if I'd actively known that I was going to be seeing a parody musical about JonBenet Ramsey's death that would cast her mother as a maniacal, power-hungry madwoman with delusions of being Professor Moriarty-level smart while singing Broadway show-tune melodie... full review

Having seen Macdeth, I was eager to see whether the comedy performed by the same team would have the same impact on me and be equally as funny. And for the most part, it was. If you're interested in seeing a great, funny, fantastic show of bawdy, sexual-innuendo filled jokes that weave together a love story that could easily have been told during Shakespeare's time--come see this show. It's a great, fantastic parody of Shakespeare's comedies--covering the mistaken identities, the goofy and sud... full review

"Come see us destroy Shakespeare's Scottish Play!" they said. "It's a comedic version of the play," they promised. For days, people in kilts had been (nicely) assaulting me whenever I was trying to get to a play on Theater Row. Finally, like the indoctrination of a new cult member, I gave in and went to see this play. And I am very, very glad I did so. Because Macdeth is an absolutely brilliant experience. From the opening audience interactive moment to its closing monologue, this is a true ... full review

This is a show that has some fun potential to it. A live mind-reader starts trying to do his show, fails, and turns to his mentor--an animated character who helps him read minds IN REAL TIME. A Neat idea, for sure, and one that's family-friendly and capable of amusing all ages. The performance I saw was, indeed, amusing--but at the same time, there were things that kept it from being as much fun as I hoped it would be. The pacing was slower than I would have hoped. There were a few mistakes in... full review

Gilda Radner wasn't a comedian that I had much of an opinion about one way or another before I saw this show--I wasn't a big fan of or a a hater against her. Helena Cosentino's top-notch solo performance that celebrates Gilda's life, death, attitude and comedy is so good it made me into a Gilda fan. That's clearly the goal. Helena is a life-long Gilda fan (admitted so as part of the show) and this play is clearly her way of both celebrating that admiration of Gilda's talent and helping to rais... full review

John Belushi was chaos incarnate. So it sort of feels appropriate that a play about his early career should also feel like chaos incarnate. The question however, is whether that chaos is happening purely ONSTAGE or also behind-the-scenes. And while I really, REALLY liked Jack Zullo AS john Belushi himself, I wasn't entirely sure about where the chaos was coming from in the rest of the current version of this production. It's a giant cast of actors who are playing comedians I know--but I can't... full review

Theresa Stroll has enormous talent. And Hollywood is going to notice her--but first, she's going to have to figure out how to make them notice more than the fact that she's also a big girl. That's the essential story of this show--and Theresa tells the story of a larger woman struggling to make it in Hollywood in brilliant comic and music form that is pretty much guaranteed to make you walk out smiling. It's a charming, fun hour of a story from her arrival in the city to her determination to make... full review

A goofy comedy that makes fun of fairy tales and is a parody? Sign me up, please! Welcome to the Princes Charming, the feelingist-goodiest fairy-tailiest comedy happening during this Fringe season. And believe me, there is a lot to feel good about in this show and a lot of fun to be had in this tale. So let's begin... Once upon a time there was a Fool. His name was Bob. Bob wanted to be a stagehand in the theatre, so he got a job for a show called "The Princes Charming". But being a fool, he w... full review