The 2025 Fringe Festival is on.
This year’s eclectic performing arts fest runs July 31 to Aug. 10, and is set to bring 99 stage shows to 13 venues around Minneapolis, for a total of about 500 performances throughout the 11 days. Check out our full guide to the Fringe Festival for more information on shows and tickets.
Throughout the festival, Pioneer Press critics are reviewing shows and narrowing down what’s Must-See, Worth Considering, Could Be Worse or You Can Skip It.
Here are our takes:
Must-See
A Good Cancer to Have: a cathartic and truly funny monologue with an all-time-great ending
Songs Without Words: a best-in-years masterpiece of solo performance
Jewelry Power Elite: a heartwarming one-woman show gives jewelry new meaning
The Gentlemen’s Pratfall Club: a smart, slapstick farce whose performers give it their all
Worth Considering
I Have Griefances: an enthusiastic and endearing monologue that finds the goof in grief
The Abortion Chronicles: powerful, gritty, true stories of abortion — told well, mostly
Jon Bennett: American’t: a digression-prone raconteur veteran (finally) outgrows juvenile humor
All Your Shimmering Gold: a thought-provoking satirical opera goes nuclear
Romeo and Juliet: Lottery Style: brings an improv twist to the classic Shakespeare story
La Tunda: A Reimagining of a Colombian Folklore: retells an ancient myth with spookiness and comedy
That Which Is Green: ponders religion and hope, but requires some reading between the lines
Could Be Worse
Neon Breeze: a post-apocalyptic buddy comedy that’s a bit too drawn-out and difficult to understand
You Can Skip It
(more reviews coming soon!)
This article will be updated throughout the 2025 Minnesota Fringe Festival.
Related Articles
Fringe review: ‘I Have Griefances’ is a funny, sarcastic, heartfelt monologue
Fringe review: ‘Songs Without Words’ is an eloquent masterpiece of solo performance
Fringe review: Jon Bennett outgrows juvenile humor with ‘American’t’
Fringe review: Opera goes nuclear in ‘All Your Shimmering Gold’
Fringe review: In ‘Jewelry Power Elite,’ jewelry takes on new meanings
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