Fringe Report Card

It was a well-run and efficient Fringe. The house managers were on top of things, shows started reasonably close to their stated times, and the theatres I saw shows in were largely comfortable. (Although I saw 14 shows, I was only in seven theatres.) The website was helpful. It would have been nice if the theatre in each listing were linked to its location information, but that's no big deal.

It also seemed to me to be a Fringe with high-quality content. Of the 14 shows I saw, I rated 8 as B+ or better, which is impressive:

A When Last We Flew

A- As I Am Truly Known

B+ Jen and Liz in Love

B+ Lost and Found

B+ Open Heart

B+ Hamlettes

B+ The Secretaries

B+ Dear Harvey

C+ Platinum

C+ American Gypsy

C- Just in Time: The Judy Holliday Story

D- Dream of the Marionettes

D- Mobius

F Terms of Dismemberment

More impressive is the fact that a friend of mine--someone who is not easy to please--liked more than half of the dozens of shows he saw. These are his bests:

Best Plays

1) Miss Kim

2) Swearing Jar

3) Trick Boxing

4) Lost & Found

5) Monetizing Emma

Best Musicals

1) Shine

2) Bunked

3) Platinum

Best Sketch Comedies

1) Raisan in the Salad

2) Love in the Time of Swine Flu

Best Solo Shows

1) Made in Taiwan

2) Headscarf

3) 23 Feet

Best Male Performances

1) Brian Sostek-Trick Boxing

2) Bill Tomony-Pickin Palin

3) John Pollono- Lost & Found

4) Philip Hoffman- Hurricane Katrina

5) Damiyr Shuford- Matter Of Choice

Best female performances

1) Cristy Candler- Miss Kim

2) Marjory Collado-War Zones

3) Kate Hewlett- Swearing Jar

4) Dana Domenick- Lost & Found

5) Nitya Vidyasagar-Montizing Emma