On the last day of the 2025 Minnesota Fringe Festival we finally got back out and saw three more plays, missing a fourth only due to lack of stamina.
An Exorcism, Don’tcha Know? is a parody of a small-town Minnesota Lutheran Church council faced with a snowstorm, a new pastor, bickering – and a demon. It was a lot of fun, but it also felt fairly conventional, not having that Fringe edge that the better shows often have. But it was well-thought out and well-written. B.
The Jaws That Bite, The Claws That Catch! explores the intellect and delusions of a man who has never been quite able to shake the grip of Alice Carroll’s Jabberwocky, and how that critter has led him down rabbit holes so deep he may never crawl out of them. Well-written and very well-acted, I’m still left with the basic question: Why? B+.
Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA finds the eponymous Joan sent off to fend for herself at … a beauty contest. Complete with sly sniping, smarmy hosts, and an angel that seems unconscious of the anger of a supreme warrior, ready to strike, only held back by her fear for God, I’m not sure if this is a success or not, despite the standing ovation at the end. It was certainly funny and unlikely, well-written and well-acted. I see Joan d’Arc is glaring at me! A-!
We had considered seeing Invasive Species or: In Space No-One Can Hear Your Steam.
Finally, some readers may wonder if writing reviews of plays on their last day is evidence of an odd mental twitch. There is a practical reason: some Fringe shows are repeated in following years, and some are traveling productions, following a circuit of Fringe Festivals. Readers may therefore find such reviews useful.
