I saw all the Fringe I am going to this year. Chris caught a few shows more but I was too stressed out about preparing for the trip to join him. So if you’re in Ottawa and would like to check some shows out here are my Fringe findings.

Pentecostal Wisconsin
This was the most energetic show. The storyline is similar to Complicated Kindness but without the desperation and family disappearing into nowhere. It has the added bonus of singsong.

Cassandra
A nice play about effect of a mediocre self-help book on a 9 year old girl. It is hard to take charge of your life before you hit double digits. I had fun and bought a button.

So Kiss Me Already, Herschel Gertz!
Yet another fun play about Jewish summer camp. It was not as great as Swimming Lessons with Paisley Kite from two years ago but it had us rolling on the floor laughing.

Trevor Thompson’s Very Disappointing First Play
I don’t know about this one. It was more of a stand up routine than a play. Some jokes worked though.

Aphrodite’s Turn
This play is of a sort that seems to come from the left field (wherever that is) and it grows on you.

So Close To My Skin
Another singsong drama. The use of technology was amazing. At first I was surprised that the actor was using a microphone with only 20 or so audience members sparkled around first three rows, but with distortion and ambient noise he created unique sound texture that complemented the performance.