What a Weekend

Opening weekend is in the books, and I am tired.

Three days. Ten shows. Two photoshoots. Two after hours events. And definitely not enough water. As we’re often reminded, Fringe is a marathon, not a sprint. Hydration is imperative.

Also imperative is getting tickets early for things you wanna see. There have been so many sellouts already!

I’ve already written about the shows I saw on Friday and Saturday, so I won’t rehash — but if you missed those recaps, go back and read them. Today I caught two more shows (“The Boy from Bantay” and “Memento Holly”) that I’ll be reviewing in depth over at the League of Cincinnati Theatres. Those reviews are coming soon, but know that I recommend both pieces.

So instead of reviews today, here’s where things stand — what’s buzzing, what’s flying under the radar, and what you should be paying attention to as we head into the weekday stretch.

The Buzz

Colonial Circus is getting raves and selling out. If you want to see it, don’t wait.

Transcendent has some serious buzz building. Same with Private Equity: The Musical.

What Art Is and What Art Is Good Art sold out today — I’ve heard great things, especially if you like Ben Dudley’s specific sense of humor.

And the shows I’ve been championing — BOMB! An FBI Memoir, Quiet Coyotes, Unreconciled, A Hollywood Horror Story among others — are all being well-received by audiences. That tracks. They’re all excellent.

The Under-the-Radar Picks

Two shows I think deserve your attention:

Modern Butchood is smart, dark, funny, and full of surprises. I liked it a lot. My full review is coming at LCT — but take a chance on it, especially if you like solo shows that aren’t based on a true story.

Memento Holly is a beautifully written two-hander that mixes humor and heaviness in ways that sneak up on you. Review also coming to LCT soon. It made me laugh, and it made me cry. It’s very well acted.

A Note About Papa

Papa had to cancel today’s performance due to illness. That means they’ll need crowds for their remaining shows to make up for the lost performance. If you haven’t seen it yet, please go. It’s one of my favorites of the festival. Remaining performances: Wed June 3 @ 7pm, Fri June 5 @ 8:45pm, Sun June 7 @ 4:15pm at Gabriel’s Corner.

There are still shows that haven’t even opened yet. The festival is just getting started. My day job will keep me occupied for the next few days, but I’ll be back next Friday at with more updates! Stay tuned.

See you there.

The Cincinnati Fringe Festival runs through June 13. Tickets and passes at cincyfringe.com.

Kirk Sheppard is a proud member of the American Theatre Critic/Journalists Association. He writes about Cincinnati theatre—but mostly about being human. Check out kirksheppard.com for more information.