Worth considering
Mikala Bierma opens her bawdy, tell-all performance with a PowerPoint pie chart depicting herself as part extrovert, part Kathy Bates, part mom and part “skank,” among other parts she then proceeds to embody in a series of comedic scenes and songs, as well as video clips from her oversexed teen years in Weight Watchers and musical theater. It’s raunchy, potty-mouthed stuff, but the sketches tend toward quick personal vignettes that never build to climactic punchlines. Strumming a ukulele, she prays that assembling the perfect Bento box lunch will protect her son from school shootings. There’s a terrifying and intriguing self-own in that logic — the fallacy of control — but “Parts” lacks enough of that level of writing to make this musical mash-up of personal traumas truly sing.
Presented by Mikala Bierma at the Southern Theater; 8:30 p.m. Aug. 6, 2:30 p.m. Aug. 10, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 11
Still trying to decide what to see? Check out all our Fringe reviews at twincities.com/tag/fringe-festival, with each show rated on a scale of Must See, Worth Considering, Could Be Worse or You Can Skip.
The Minnesota Fringe Festival is presenting more than 100 hourlong stage acts from Aug. 1–11 around Minneapolis. Visit MinnesotaFringe.org for ticket and show information.
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