To quote one of my favorite viral clips, June is bustin’ out all over – and that means Cincinnati’s Summer Theatre Party is here! It is time for the 23rd Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival and I have the pleasure of reviewing some of what it offers:
White Whale by Autumn Kaleidoscope & Mette Puppets (Cincinnati, OH)
I can’t be the only person who didn’t know Cincinnati displayed living whales in the late 1800s…right? Local businessman Albert Stewart set out to do the unthinkable in 1877 when he decided whales were what the Queen City needed to make her mark. Told through puppetry and other media, this one-hander is a wee snapshot of local history in just under an hour.
Remaining Performances at First Lutheran Church – Sanctuary:
- June 3 at 8:30pm
- June 7 at 8:30pm
- June 131 at 8:30pm
Limited Runs: Bloody Fairytales by Paul Strickland Presents (Covington, KY)
Just when you think Paul Strickland can not get any better, he does. This time, he’s back for a limited run with his new presentation of fairytales for adults. Featuring song and timeless fables, it offers everything you could want: beauty, suspense, the macabre, laughter, and (of course) a heartfelt lesson or two. Mr. Strickland’s talent for entertaining simply by using his greatest strength – his innate likability – is worth its weight in gold.
Remaining Performance at First Lutheran Church – Sanctuary:
- June 12 at 8:30pm.
Modern Butchood by Molly Gloeckner (Los Angeles, CA)
Right on the tail of one of our best storytellers is another up-and-coming artist who might give Paul a run for his money. Molly Gloeckner is sharp, engaging, and beautifully authentic. Telling the story of the restless girlfriend to a semi-famous Tik Tok creator on the “lesbian-Tok” side of things, Ms. Gloeckner takes the audience on an unexpected journey. She keeps it fresh and you will find yourself hanging on every word. Intimate theatre at its finest.
Remaining Performances at Miami Venue:
- June 4 at 8:45pm
- June 6 at 8:45pm
- June 7 at 7pm
Locusta’s School for Assassins by Samantha Joy Weil (Covington, KY)
For those who may not have noticed yet, Samantha Joy Weil is talented. Like…REALLY talented. Very few other people can find a perfect balance of audience interaction to suit one’s palate, but she is doing the damned thing at this year’s Fringe. Class is in session and you will be a pupil in a class about herbs and plants and – of course – poisons. With exceptional performances by Ms. Weil herself along with Elliet Malatesta and Faith Von Handorf, this action-packed ride is a must-see. But fair warning: this show is a definite sell-out risk, so get your tickets ASAP.
Remaining Performances at Miami Venue:
- June 5 at 7pm
- June 6 at 4:15pm
- June 9 at 7pm
- June 10 at 8:45pm
- June 12 at 8:45pm
The Sweet and Lowdown
So many options can make it difficult to choose, so why try? With options like the All-Access Pass and the Flex Pass, you can see multiple shows and get a bigger bang for your buck. Can’t commit? That’s okay, too – buy those individual tickets and, if you can, go for the “Love Your Artists” option. We still have so many more days of Fringe, so get out there and support live theatre by independent artists.
For now: Happy Fringemas to all and to all a good night.
Katrina Reynolds is a local performing artist and directress and serves as copy editor for Rob Bucher’s Behind The Curtain Cincinnati. Her company, Harley Quinn Studios, produces old-timey radio show content and provides the place “where the voices in your head come to play.” When not doing the artsy thing, she works for Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) as their Contract and Pricing Manager. Contact: harleyquinnstudios@gmail.com
