Minnesota Fringe – Day 5 Round Up

I keep hoping that the rain will let up, but by the time the clock hits 3:30, I’ve admitted to myself that I’m going to have to *gag* drive to my Fringe shows today. When I get out to my car, I realize that I have been blocked in by my neighbor, who is getting way too used to me biking everywhere. I get on the road later than I’d hoped after sorting that mess out and eventually find myself literally sprinting down 18^th Avenue after parking at a very late 5:29 for my 5:30 show. Frazzled and fuming, I take a deep breath and hope for a night of Fringe gold.

Of course, the Fringe delivers.

“Cli-Mate ‘Just’ -Us”: A Renewable Comedy Meets Gay Love Adventure (Strike Theater)

Lee Samelson has been a passionate environmental activist for over ten years. He draws on that experience, in addition to his identity as a gay, autistic man, to create an information and pun heavy presentation about climate justice and finding queer love. He has several visual aids (favorite protest signs, a Greta Thunberg votive candle, etc) that he uses to augment his talk. He also utilizes a detailed PowerPoint that includes charts, links, and often the written version of the puns he is saying. I found the pun assists especially helpful since there was frequently more wordplay in one sentence than I could keep track of just by listening. Samelson ends his presentation with a short, heartfelt tribute to his father, who recently passed away.

I recommend “Cli-Mate ‘Just’ -Us” for anyone who likes puns (especially sometimes graphically sexual ones), loves a gay love story, and who wants to learn a lil something about climate justice.

Remaining Shows

8/9 – 8:30 PM
8/11 – 2:30 PM 

Transition: A Story of Two Trans People Becoming Themselves (Mixed Blood Theatre)

Transition: A Story of Two Trans People Becoming Themselves is a touching performance about the highs and lows involved in coming out and living as a trans person, created by Emily Boyajian and performed by Gillian Gauntt and Kymani Kahlil.

Transition opens on two people sitting at their computers, trying to will themselves publish the Facebook posts announcing their respective transitions. When they finally do hit publish, they come out from behind the desk and sing a duet, backed by a twelve-piece orchestra. The staging made the storytelling feel more like a table read than an actual conversation between two people, but ultimately that worked just fine.

This pattern repeats for the duration of the performance: Gauntt and Kahlil talk about something that is giving them joy (shopping for gender affirming clothing, no longer feeling like their identities are secret, etc.) or pain (surprisingly unsupportive friends, realizing that there is toxicity within the trans community as well, etc.) and then sing a duet that gets at the crux of their conversation. This pattern is broken once: when Gauntt does a spoken word piece over a meandering bass clarinet by themselves about how life might be better without gender at all.

Gauntt and Khalil are both lovely singers. Their chemistry was strong, especially while singing, and their voices blend together beautifully. Boyajian, who is on stage as the conductor, spoke briefly at the end of the show. She is charming and earnest – it’s easy to see where the heart of this piece came from. This show is heartfelt, introspective, and honest in a way that I think can be scary for a person with a marginalized identity – especially one that is often inaccurately labeled as a “choice”.

I highly recommend Transition: A Story of Two Trans People Becoming Themselves, especially for people who like conversational storytelling, a nuanced discussion of identity, and orchestral music.

Remaining Shows

8/7 – 7:00 PM
8/8 – 5:30 PM
8/10 – 4:00 PM