Benjamin Schwartz (he/him)

Mandy Rubeli examines the fragility of life in her newest play, All Cats Go To Hell. The show is packed with punchy dialogue, uninhibited performances, and very, very dark themes. Right in my wheelhouse. Rubeli is an especially talented writer and now having seen her previous work, I recognize the gift she has for developing a plot. I love the rapid-pace, the quick line pick-ups, and interjections that were directed with intent to maximize the natural quality of the dialogue and boost the comedy... full review

The tension in the air is palpable as we witness two sisters dig... deeper and deeper into the trunk. Is something sinister approaching? Why am I feeling so tense, when nothing scary has happened...yet? This story will have you on the edge of your seat, leaning in as the twists of the story take its turns. No spoilers here. Filled with fast-paced natural dialogue, this two-hander unravels with precise direction, honest performances, and stellar execution. Go see it!... full review

Poignant, hilarious, and creative. Wonderful job of establishing the "rules" of this production with the inverted lighting from the start - Our entry point is a silly farce that ends up that seems like it's all going to be played for laughs until the theme starts to creep its way into the story. Only in retrospect, we see that every choice is intentional, playing into its thoughtful message about navigating sexual identity, despite being in a committed relationship. It's these character arcs that... full review

Some art is there to entertain, and some exists to inform. "Gatzby Is." can't be bothered with the former and it seems to exist in its own vacuum of words and images that are a slurry of the abstract fusing with our reality in a search for truth and what's real. And what are we left with? Something that resembles truth? Do we even have access to the truth? What even is it? Crepes are truth. Blazing all day with your buddies as the world crashes down around you... you know that's truth. The great... full review

I've never seen a Fringe show like this. With a blend of multimedia, hip-hop, and storytelling this production was akin to something I would expect to see from The Weeknd or Childish Gambino. The tech behind this show was impressive, and with all these sound and light/projection cues matched up seamlessly it's quite an undertaking, which is pulled off with precision. This is an adventurous piece of art and a really unique way to do a solo show - go check it out!... full review

A true dark comedy through and through about one of the most dysfunctional families you'll ever see on stage. Snappy directing and standout performances - notably from Davis and Legget, with Legget's exit as one of the funniest moments I've seen from this year's fringe. No spoilers, as the story takes some serious turns!... full review

Extremely creative, spooky, and at times, thought-provoking. Incredible use of space and highly effective lighting/sound cues. Stage tricks/illusions are believable and immersive. Reviewing this show without spoilers is difficult - going in as blind as possible to this production is the way to go. If you like chilling, mind-bending tales then this one is for you... Go!... full review

Utterly charming from start to finish! Musicals at Fringe are extremely hard to do and this team pulls it off with major success. Structurally, the book is close to perfect and I love the themes explored. The crowd was hooting and hollering as characters make pivotal decisions to stand up for themselves in an attempt to break the social norms and establish gender equality within the video game industry - a workplace known for its toxic masculinity. The songs perfectly capture that 80's power anth... full review

This review is for the 6/14 - 10pm performance. I will be updating this review after I watch the show again. Christian Levatino is unlike anything theatre artist I've ever met. The work he is able to do within days would be simply impossible within the time frame for most writers - some might even take years or a lifetime to accomplish what Levatino can do with less than a week. Incredible. This is the fourth play I've seen from Mr. Levatino and it appears to be his most personable yet. Ins... full review

A high-concept, high energy journey into the mind of a timorous writer, and the multifaceted identities that conflict and complement each other to create one complicated human. Cleverly disguised as a "five person solo show", the play opens up with a "am I in the right theater moment?" Then, while things start....shifting (trying to keep this review spoiler-free).... the audience has an nice "aha" moment when the whole concept is revealed and the plot really starts to step on the gas from ther... full review