Jim Hanna

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

If you didn't see Heather's first solo effort, "Unemployed Finally,"and wondered what made it so popular that it was nominated for Best of Fringe in 2015, this new production, "Fertile" will give you a good idea why. This is an even funnier, more poignant, more polished production. Her writing is always great, insightful and hilarious but it's her work as an actor that really shines here. With no direct narration to the audience, Heather spins a beautiful tale with just the menagerie of well defi... full review

A clever, high concept hook sets this script apart from the jump. You essentially see the same play twice, once from inside the all night diner where these characters loiter and, following an actual flip of the set half way through, watch the same time frame played from outside the diner as the characters wander out for smoke breaks, etc. Genuinely clever, genuinely entertaining. The cast is solid with a standout or two and Susan Lee's thoughtful direction makes for some funny, touching, uncomfor... full review

Already a front runner for my favorite show at this year's Fringe. This is the exact blend of smart comedy, dumb comedy and dark comedy that I'm always craving. Mitchell is a funny writer and an excellent actor and I'll be Goddamned if this isn't the weirdest play I'm likely to see this year. Loved every second of it!... full review

The endlessly affable Spencer Frankeberger stars in his original musical, a genuine and charming love story set in the place all true love blooms: A Jamba Juice. Great performances by Olga Desyatnik and Jack De Sanz (and Spencer!) lead a strong cast in a brisk, engaging good time.... full review

Hilarious, tightly scripted/directed silliness in service to some pretty biting social commentary. The direction was on point and allowed this very talented cast to zip out joke after joke in Matthew's truly funny writing. This is a classic late-night-at-Fringe fun but holds up as a very serious, solid, entertaining production no matter when you see it.... full review

An inventive take on the solo show phenomenon. Not one but many short, individual solo pieces, all played over a brisk and entertaining hour. These writer/performers certainly justify the "personal" in the title, with an excellent array of deep dives on self-image, insecurity, identity, relationships and any other damn thing you can think of that makes up the human experience. Some are deep and contemplative, some hilarious, some a little of both and all are compelling. Producers Liz Kummer and R... full review

A simple set up with lots of complex (and hilarious) emotional terrain beneath it. Both silly and deep. The tight direction of a concise and spot-on script is fully kicked to the next level by truly funny and committed acting. Lots of stuff going on behind the rapid fire jokes. Hell, even the clown adds some lower-the-boom gravity to the madness. Big recommend! ... full review

Probably the best show I've seen at Fringe this year. The greatest trick it pulls off is essentially being a drama while still making me laugh harder than any Fringe offering thus far. Heartbreaking and hysterical with amazingly grounded performances. Both actors are remarkable with Matthew Scott Montgomery giving the finest performance I've seen at HFF17 yet. Go see this!... full review