Outrageous Fortune, a new play by Gustavus Professor of Theatre & Dance Amy Seham, recently premiered at the 2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival under the direction of Evan Hilsabeck ’10. Inspired by Anderson Theatre’s recent production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Outrageous Fortune opened Friday, Aug. 5 with five performances during the Festival at the Augsburg Mainstage Theatre (2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis). Access to all Fringe Festival events begins with the $4 festival button. All tickets are $12. Additional information on the show, along with the entire Fringe Festival line-up, can be located at the Festival website, fringefestival.org.
Seham describes Outrageous Fortune as a “smart serio-comedy that takes off from the Bard’s Hamlet and explores undiscovered territory with the help of a disillusioned college student, a mother in mid-life crisis and an absurdist Danish game show.” The performances feature Gustavus alumni Christian DeMarais ’11 (who played Hamlet in the Gustavus production this spring), Caitlin McCarthy ’11, Michelle Kolhoff ’08, Nicole DuCane ’10, Nate Morse ’03, and Ella Bonner ’10 among the talented cast.
Big this year at the Festival: Shakespeare!! The bard is the inspiration for nine shows, including Outrageous Fortune and three Shakespeare-Sci-Fi mash-ups: Ham-Luke, MacBeth: The Video Game Re-Mix and Tempests. Other popular topics, according to Minnesota Public Radio, are mental health, music, and religion.
Outrageous Fortune is the seventh original work Professor Seham has presented at the annual Minnesota Fringe Festival. Her previous Fringe offerings include 23 Across, Miranda’s Amazing Adventure and last summer’s FW: RE: Mom Update.
Now in its 18th season, the Minnesota Fringe Festival has earned a well-deserved reputation for bringing good writing/choreography and good actors/dancers together for a huge festival. As of the writing of this article, nearly 170 productions are scheduled to be staged during the 11-day celebration. Festival buttons and information on Fringe can be found at Intermedia Arts. Once the Festival begins, buttons will be available at the box office at each event. Only one button needs to be purchased but it must be worn to be accepted for admission with a ticket. The restaurant moto-i (2940 Lyndale Ave South, Minneapolis) is Fringe Central during the Festival. If you’ve got questions, they’ve got answers, along with food and drink for the weary Fringe Follower.
Outrageous Fortune runs August 5, 10 & 14 at 5:30 p.m., August 7 at 8:30 and August 13 at 10:00 p.m. at the Augsburg Mainstage Theatre at 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis.
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