Spencer Cengic

To be open and honest, I was in this production last year but was not chosen this year to be apart of it, however from seeing every night last year and seeing it now I have witnessed an exponential growth in just about every area. Genuinely within the first ten seconds of the show starting I got chills. The set design is bigger, the stories meld together better, the costumes are more intricate generally. I am so happy I had the time to see this. Anyone who is a fan of drag, horror or just plainly wants to see some talented artists doing their thing should 100% come out to fear fables. Additionally, every number is well thought out and many are political in terms of message. The opening number sets the tone so well for the rest of the show and makes the story clear and easy to understand so the audience is not left questioning why all of these characters are being shown. The first chapter in the show clearly shows how trans women can just be seen as “monsters” playing with the overexaggeration of this image conservatives are attempting to push. The second chapter was a nice change from the weight of this as it was a campier number about how “the entire human race” is inside this performer. The third chapter was a clear homage to the movie “Nope” and was a perfect blend of reference and personal twist / creativity. The costuming and reveals were so cool and shocking and I had no idea where it was going to turn in the best way. The fourth chapter was so powerful and although I was sitting all the way in the back, I could feel the emotion, power and strength that was radiating from this performer the entire time. I was genuinely moved, the way this performer moves to the song and the imagery with their mask was so creepy and impactful. The fifth chapter was the perfect followup with one of the best costumes I have ever seen at the fringe. The prosthetics used on this performers head were impressive, they were scary but still “beautiful”. The sixth and final chapter was the perfect way to end off the chapters as it was someone getting turned into an alien, it made so much sense with the storyline of the ship and just tied everything off so nicely. The props used were so intricate and the attention to detail was insane. The final group number with everyone on the ship to tie off the story was so satisfying and exactly what it needed to end things off.

All of that to say, I was not bored for a second.