By Alan Jozwiak
For this opening weekend of the 2025 Cincinnati Fringe Festival, I saw ten (yes, ten) shows–two on Friday and four each on Saturday and Sunday. This year, as in past, there is a wide range of shows. They span topics as diverse as a road trip where two sisters steal a horse carriage from a Renaissance Faire (Velma & Clarice – a.k.a. The AMAZING Amazing Race Roadtrip) to mercy killings using buttercream frosting (Arsenic and Old Spice).
Several shows earn high designations. Top Picks are for shows that are must-see shows that blew me away with their performance or presentation. There are a number of other shows that I liked, and are definitely worthwhile seeing, which did not completely blow me away. I’m creating the designation of See This Show because they are still some of the best of the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.
Here are my first 8 reviews–simply in the order of seeing them:
Top Pick–1 Gay Wedding and Absolutely No Funerals by Ben & Justin Presents at Know Theatre
I saw the opening night performance of this show and it ended up being the first sold-out show of the 2025 Cincinnati Fringe Festival–with very good reason. In this comedic play, a happy gay couple, Charlie (Ben Miller-Jones) and Ryan (Justin King), wake up in their hotel room on the morning of their wedding to find the dead body of their Maid of Honor in the bathroom. What follows is a mix between a screwball comedy and Weekend at Bernie’s as the couple try to salvage their wedding plans by trying to hide the body. With the help of their Best Man Mike (Kieran Cronin) and Wedding Planner Kate (Tashauna Ajoi Jenkins), they figure out where to stash the body and keep the truth from Ryan’s mother Amy (Micha O’Connor-Perez).
This play has some incredibly touching scenes between Charlie and Ryan, as well as some laugh out-loud moments as the couple figures out what to do with the body. Costuming and set pieces which comprise the living room area of the bridal suite show meticulous detail. It is very seldom when I can compliment a Fringe show on costuming, but I love the black and white contrasting silk pajamas for Charlie and Ryan, as well as the couple’s wedding attire.
While I may have some quibbles over the ending, the total effect of this piece is a beautiful comedic character study of how love is put to the test–if that test is trying to hide a dead body until after a wedding.
Top Pick–Plan V: The Rise of Reverence by Eleanor O’Brien and Dance Naked Creative at Know Theatre
This show is a three-show Limited Run special event. O’Brien is taking this show across Canada beginning the first week in June. A mashup of the best parts from two previous shows, Plan V is set in the year 2035 where a fascist state is battled against by an underground movement of those who worship female sexual reproduction (what O’Brien refers to as pussy). Mama V (played by O’Brien), who is the leader of the group, conducts pussy meeting on Zype (similar to Zoom and Skype) where she tells her story, explains the fecundamentals [sic] of the movement (such as Pleasure Shared in Pleasure Squared and Pussy is the antidote to apathy), hears from Zype listeners, and provides an extended Ovamonial from a character called Eleanor (also played by O’Brien) on how pussy empowerment has changed her life.
Part of the greatness of this show lies with the amazing PowerPoint presentation that appears both as a preshow and during Mama V’s presentation. Director Nate Jenkins is responsible for the PowerPoint slide show and kudos for him for creating a strong and compelling set of slides that kept my attention. There were mentions of groups for the Plan V electorate to join and two stood out to me–one I cannot mention in this review (it has the initials CCC) and the Ovaries Owners Manual.
Not your Average Reviewer
You would think there is no room for a male perspective in Plan V. O’Brien counters this by extending pussy love into love of one’s genitals (be their male or female) and tapping into what she calls Big Pussy Energy, the cosmic power of being, reproduction, and pleasure. While billed as a satire on Trump-era rigidity of thinking about sexuality, the fecundamentals [sic] of her movement are solid and really needed in today’s society. O’Brien has been creating art about sex for the last 20 years in an attempt to tell sex-positive stories and she does a great job doing so with this piece.
This limited run of this show is a dress rehearsal for her Canadian tour and in talking with the director after the show, the show will cut down on the long list of Zype people who show up (all played by O’Brien herself) because they slow down the action. In short, Plan V is an eye-opener of a play in which I both learned and laughed. More power to the Pussy!
Trumpets! A Pretty Gay Video Game Play by The Studio Apartment Theatre Collective at Gabrielle’s Corners
Trumpets! is a piece that honors an epic fan fiction within the Pokemon universe written by Pocket (played by the playwright of the piece Remy Elton-Alexander) concerning the unfolding gay love story between the leader of Team Land, Maximilius Pinecone (John Llewellyn) and the leader of Team Water, Aquabald Oarfish (Andrew Hartman). As this story unfolds, Pocket also tells the story of their own evolving sexual-identity and how this piece of fan fiction aided them in that process of sexual self-exploration.
On one level, Pocket’s story is typical of coming out narratives that I’ve seen in previous Fringe shows. However, it stands out because the fan fiction storyline acts as a parallel to Pocket’s own emotional tribulations. That ability to show the coming out of Maximilius Pinecone as a stand-in for Pocket themselves is a rather sophisticated writing move that underscores Pocket’s angst and turmoil.
A standout in the cast is Andrew Hartman, who plays the outrageous Dr. Pinecone. Part Dr. Robotnik and part Dr. Silvana from Shazam! Hartman beautifully sculpts the growing sexual attraction to Oarfish with great skill and fun.
Trumpets! is a show not really for my age group. It is really for millennials who grew up with Pokemon and can appreciate the subtle nuances of the fan fiction. There is enough here that millennials should really enjoy this play. I will also advise that the over-the-top nature of the fan fiction scenes may be off-putting to audiences not invested in the world of Pokemon. However, Trumpets! is a valiant first outing for Elton-Alexander. I hope we see more of them in future fringes.
Top Pick–Eleanor’s Story: Life After War by Ingrid Garner at the First Lutheran Sanctuary
If you saw Garner’s Fringe show last year, then you know her grandmother’s family moved to Nazi Germany just before war broke out and were stuck there until the Soviet occupation of East Berlin. Life After War picks up with Eleanor getting a visa to go to the United States with her father and brother. It is a story told in flashbacks; her life in Germany contrasts with experiences returning to the United States.
Part of the genius of Garner’s Eleanor plays is that the audience quickly gets invested in the world of Eleanor, both with the minutia (learning about a sock hop) to life-and-death matters (finding a close friend has been slaughtered by the Soviets). Eleanor suffers from PTSD and this play is her coming to grips with the trauma of living in Nazi Germany and taking her first steps to deal with her trauma through the written word.
Since the First Lutheran Sanctuary is not a traditional black box theatre, the venue made it difficult to see the different light cues between the German flashbacks (done in a cooler white light) and the American scenes (bathed in a warmer yellow light). I did not clue in on these until halfway through the play. I am hoping these contrasts can be clearer during the run of the show.
While not as compelling as the survival narrative of the first play, Garner paints an unforgettable picture of her grandmother that is compelling and timely. Grandma Eleanor turns 95 sometime during the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, so be certain to write some birthday wishes on cards provided at the exit of the show.
See This Show–The Squid and the Octopus by Jim Julien at First Lutheran Basement
The Squid and the Octopus uses both shadow puppets and hand-held puppets. It tells a delightful tale on how a squid and an octopus find their way back to their coral reef. This play is like Finding Nemo with shadow puppets. Along the way, Julien also provides interesting cephalopod facts, such as that Octopi have a small brain controlling each tentacle as well as their main brain which controls their entire body.
Overall, I enjoyed this production. It is an all-audience puppet show, so both children and adults can partake in the wonder that Julien is able to convey through his gentle storytelling. Each type of audience will leave with something suitable for their age range. There are also some surprises, such as a famous sea celebrity making a cameo appearance as Death.
Part of why I put this show in the “See This Show” category is that for opening night, Julien had a number of technical difficulties with different elements of his show. It is almost as though he was doing a show that required an assistant single-handedly. I deliberately overlook these issues. However, some of his shadow puppets could have a better angle so that they project fully onto his screen. For instance, it was hard to see the Science Fun Facts about each cephalopod.
As I mentioned within my Fringe preview piece, this is an intimate show. His screen is about two feet square, so it pays to be up close to see this show. Hopefully these technical details get resolved during the later part of the run. The Squid and the Octopus is a thoughtful show for all-audiences that is both fun and thought-provoking.
See This Show–The Family Crow: A Murder Mystery by The Pucking Fuppet Co. at the First Lutheran Sanctuary
Adam Francis Proulx has created an adult solo puppet murder mystery show in which Horatio P. Corvus, Sorter Outer of Murders, has to untangle a series of murders within the Crow family. Proulx is a pun-loving puppeteer who ladles LOTS of crow puns throughout his show, including in the names of the different members of the family crow. I particularly enjoyed the mother’s name (see the show to find out what it is).
Unique for this production is his use of desk lamps for illumination. He has six or seven desk lamps arranged in a semi-circle and turns them on and off at different points with his foot so as to highlight different elements of his murder mystery. (Hopefully he works out a cleaner system for keeping the chords tied together. It looked like an accident waiting to happen during his first show.)
Proulx moves his story along at a good pace and he has an expert way of interacting with the audience. His crow puppet is also delightful, as with his costuming. It resembles a 19th century undertaker’s suit with glam rock highlights. My only complaint with the production comes with the story of the murder itself. As a new fan of murder mysteries, some of the plot points could be cleaner with more misdirection as to who might be the potential murderer.
In short, The Family Crow is a fun show which can fulfill anyone’s need for a crow-related murder mystery. You can even say that it is crow-tastic (I can also make crow puns within this review ;-).
Somewhere Over the Holler by Pones at Gabrielle Corners
Pones has a history of producing dance pieces which defy description or deliberately break boundaries. In their latest Fringe outing, they break boundaries through their subject matter (rural queer stories) and dance (the use of drag and burlesque). They tell the stories of LGBQ+ residents of the rural town of Lebanon, KY. Recorded stories of actual queer members of that town are interspersed with Pones dancers doing dances inspired by the rural queer experience or burlesque performers doing their performances out of the drag brunch tradition. (For those who don’t know, a drag brunch is an inclusive safe space which allows queer and straight individuals to be entertained, dine, and interact with one another).
I will admit that I am not a fan of burlesque, so I gravitated to the non-burlesque dance pieces more than the burlesque ones. Perhaps my favorite piece is “There is Meaning in the Dirt,” which is a mediation on Kentucky coal miners and their difficulties. A lone performer gets a mining costume on while talking about what it is like inside the mines. It is a powerful moment that connects me to my father’s side of the family who came from a rural Ohio mining community.
While I feel the piece needs to be a bit tighter (I do not see how a few of the burlesque numbers fit into the overall theme of the piece), I enjoy seeing Pones focus on an area of the region that normally is forgotten.
A final note: The QR codes on the Pones buttons that should take you to the digital program do not work for most patrons. Be certain to get one of the larger QR codes from a Pones staff member before the show.
Top Pick–Arsenic and Old Spice by Silver Linings Production at Gabriel’s Corners
Playwright Liz Coley serves up a devilish theatrical confection that is more like a mashup between Sweeney Todd and Little Shop of Horrors. Instead of having a murderous barber or giant people-eating plant, Sweet Buns Bakery (love that name!) has a line of “special” individual cakes with cyanide buttercream frosting which they sell only to customers wanting to provide a quick and tasty end to their elderly parents. Owners Neville (John Simpson) and Barry (Zak Kelley) are a gay couple who have slowly gained a reputation in their town as buttercream angels of mercy. However, this side business is at risk when a small boy eats half of one of the “special” cakes meant for his grandmother.
Neville and Barry are a wonderful sort of an Odd Couple. Barry’s bravado in his desire to provide these cakes is offset by the angst-ridden Neville who frets over every sale. Simpson and Kelley work well off each other and come across as an actual married couple, despite their noticeable age difference. Director Gina Kleesattel does a good job setting up the contrast between the two characters and clearly clarifying the relationships between the different characters.
Part of the fun of this play comes with whether Neville’s daughter June (Eileen Earnest) and the local sheriff Tibbs (David Little) will eventually reveal the murderous intentions of the Sweet Buns bakers. Arsenic and Old Spice is a wonderfully fun piece of theatre which proves the old saying–Never judge a “special” cake by its frosting.
Happy Fringing
For more reviews of all of these great Fringe shows, check out the LCT Review Guide HERE. For more information and tickets got to the Fringe website HERE.
