Uh oh, the Fringe

The problem with being bored over a long period of time with your whole body is that at some point, you sign up for something that could become regrettable, just to break up the endless tundra of nothingness. This is where I’m at right now with the Minnesota Fringe.

Deadline to apply for the lottery is February 15. Right before the pandemic hit, I entered the lottery with two friends. We already had a show 80 percent written. The lottery was a disaster. I think we got 400 out of 350. I ended up wrangling a DIY producer show slot at Strike, a cool theater run by friends that has existed for years now and I still haven’t been, because I live 90 minutes away and think Minnesota is basically a cruel place.

But Wisconsin doesn’t have a Fringe. So here we are.

The show that has not yet been

That year the Fringe got cancelled anyway. Last year it was virtual and weird. I paid zero attention. But now here it comes again.

Last time I read this script, I laughed, in part because I had completely forgotten everything about it. I laughed, and yet even when that happens, I have no idea if anyone else will like it even a little bit. I can’t make decisions and I can’t judge writing, not in the slightest. Even if you think you have something funny, you put it on the stage and something that kills one night will get absolute silence the next. It’s disorienting and there’s nothing to be learned. Why would anyone do this?

Anyway it’s possible some things would need to be changed, as some of the characters and references might now seem dated. So basically there’s a script written for the Fringe and what’s going to happen to it if we don’t use it for the Fringe? Probably nothing. So I don’t know.

Hi Wayne and Jack (co-creators).

Decisions are not my forte

Since I no longer trust myself to make any smart decisions about anything, even what to eat for dinner (if anything), here’s a short pro and con list of things you have to think about if you’re thinking of doing the Fringe:

PRO

• You do a show
• Potential validation
• Potential fun
• Something happens, vs. nothing happening

CON

• Hefty producers’ fees
• Lots of rules, heavily enforced
• Need to commute
• Dogs might need to go to camp overnight
• Weird meaningless competition between shows becomes all-important
• Randos review everything for their own glory
• Supporting Minnesota‘s penchant to be obsessed with itself

As you can see, it’s more cons, but potentially stupid cons, so it kind of evens out. I don’t know.

Maybe it’s a good show. Maybe we’ll do it. Maybe you’ll like it.

In any case this will be resolved by February 16. Stay tuned.