Chairman Barnes

This darkly unhinged cabaret show delighted the hell out of me. As if Saturday Night Live were written by Brecht, Beckett and Buñuel. I knew nothing of Daniil Kharms going into the show. Thoroughly weird and enjoyable.... full review

The Sci-fi references from film, television and literature never stop in this smart, funny adaptation of Moby Dick. The special effects are astonishing for a show this size. One wonders how they were able to pull them off on such a small budget. They may never catch the elusive title of "Perfect Fringe Show", but they will never stop trying even if it means certain death for them and all their crew. Great job! ... full review

Clowning is hard! Silent clowning is even harder. But, Beau and Aero pull off their one-hour show with a breezy easiness that belies the difficulties of such a feat. What's even more amazing is that much of show is built around a simple, common party accessory. Their Punch and Judy antics, masterful acrobatic skills and delightful audience rapport make this a show well worth your time!... full review

Relationships are hard. The dizzy excitement of blossoming love cannot sustain and there are thousands of environmental factors that would keep it from growing UNLESS you can manage to keep them at bay. This funny and moving story examines the plight of a couple about to give in to those myriad destructive forces. Amy Tofte's writing is confident and clever as she guides her characters, Jay and Ellen, through a mediated divorce, supposedly the easy way out of their marriage. But, they soon di... full review

The only thing you need to know is that this is an actual (bad) screenplay that got submitted to a real Hollywood producer. The Magnum Opus players always do a fantastic job no matter which funky script they're skewering. They have single-handedly raised the slush-pile cast off to an art form. Having seen Magnum Opus many times over much of my amusement comes from observing new audiences react to what they're seeing. The shock and awe they express while witnessing these talented thespians brin... full review

Saw this on a whim and I'm glad I did. A fantastic concept and expert execution. I laughed heartily throughout as trope after trope of both Little Women and the HBO series Girls was thoroughly and lovingly skewered by this pitch-perfect cast. Highly recommended!... full review

Toddler Bangs America is a sharp, incisive satire of our every-day complicity in the rise of corporate oligopoly and the logical extrapolation of the consequences of Citizens United. Ed Goodman is Toddler Bangs; the charming, slick, fast-talking boyfriend you just can't manage to break up with even though you know you should. The rest of the cast, including MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE, are our surrogates; the victims/abettors/beneficiaries of Bangs' corporate juggernaut. CJ Merriman is hysterical a... full review

There are some REALLY funny moments in this horror-based sketch review. There are musical numbers that rock. And, your hostess, Hemophelia (the vivacious Lara Fisher) keeps things light and sexually charged during transitions with not just a nod but a sweeping genuflection in the direction of Elvira. Some of the premises are creaky and a smidge under-cooked. But, I saw the first performance and I have no doubt that things will get tighter and funnier as the show progresses. There is also so... full review

Are social networks and technology bringing us closer together? Or, are they creating new barriers to true intimacy and connection? Those questions are light-heartedly explored in #Hashtag. Steering our hero, Kit (Spencer Devlin Howard) through the rocky shoals of interpersonal relationships is the smarmy assistant to his new (and unseen) Hollywood agent (Nathan Turner). Other notables include Brian Paul Johnson as Ivan, the neo-luddite who has no idea what a hashtag is, and Katie Wilert as th... full review