Walter Furtney

This could almost be true story. A couple dealing with an auto accident, their relationship and the insurance company. But three strong actors and precise comic timing turn this almost true tale into an almost farce.

This was one of my last picks, another solo show, but she won me over just by poking her head out from the side curtain. She continued to win me over with music, storytelling and loads of humor about dating, dating apps and love.

I have not had to date in forty years but I didn’t want the show to end. SPOILER ALERT Lou you are delightful

Well, they had good source material. An amalgam of a biography of Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s times, scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, universal themes and some great songs presented by a tight band and five young actor/singers whose talent exploded off the stage like a fireball.

I’m not sure how it would play to a non hockey audience but for a hockey fan it was like the first night of the Stanley Cup playoffs. We were brought right back to watching the game, cheering the goals, booing the opponents, complaining about the refs, complaining about how hockey has changed, highlighting our favorite players and quizzing each other about greatest nicknames , scorers goalies and defensemen.

For the most part side it was splittingly funny with some great ad libs and they also mentioned 5. New Jersey Devils and some other less accomplished players.

The fringeiest show in the festival. RIDE OR DIE has strong acting, an engaging script and unique staging that make it a memorial theater experience.

This show is really what the fringe is about.

I am predisposed to like everything by Holly Brinkman One of her three performances in the 2024 Fringe was my favorite in the festival. BODICE RIPPER, a dissection of romance novels, is a great idea. The introduction , a reading from a romance novel, an electric performance by Tanisha Harris and an improvised scene with Holly and Tanisha all pointed to how great this show could be. Unfortunately the three improvised stories by Holly were less successful.

With great energy and humor, even if it might at times be a little over the top,Eleanor O’Brian presents important but always light hearted information on love and sex that is invaluable in these seemingly retrograde times

And even though the information is important the tone of the piece is always extremely entertaining

Tymisha Harris owned the stage. It is always exciting to see a performer win over an audience which she did with humor, a great personality, stage presence, ad libs and a knowledge of jazz and pop women vocalists.

With great respect and maximum energy she channeled Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Billie Holliday, Josephine Baker, Tina Turner and Beyoncé to the t.

I’m a fan of circus arts but this show had props used in ways that I’ve never seen before. It was well paced, technically brilliant, with humor and a story, all done without any dialogue

Carolyn Rhamey is the definition of a storyteller. She stands on an empty stage with no props and transports the audience to Europe, with accents, movement, history, disaster, love affairs and SPOILER ALERT something that Amsterdam is famous for. All told with humor, optimism and the determination to move forward.