American Maniacs Unlimited at Elgin Fringe Fest

History, Politics, Geography, Business — everything gets skewered* in "Manifest Destiny," the latest production by your friends from last year's Robert Frosty Theater Company.

Who says pirates can't attack your Montana hat shop? Who says the world market can't run on rutabagas? Who says you can't combine pitch day in the writer's room with the 1994 hit "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something? This is America, dammit, and it's our destiny!

(And this is what happens when you reorganize a small Chicago theater company which is interested in exploring other media and has a tight Instagram following ... and you don't have a mission statement.)

But once again, the award for "Best Anachronistic or Cross-Species Stage Violence" goes to ... you guessed it, American Maniacs!

Don't be the Saddest Boy in Illinois —put on that adult diaper and get down here to see their last show Sunday at 3pm at the Elgin Art Showcase. We know for a fact that people have been disemboweled for lesser reasons. What we don't know: was it horsemeat steaks? or horseburger?

* No crocodiles, cowboys, fishmongers, pirates, vikings, horses, little ponies, poets, puppeteers, führers or senators were physically harmed in the production of this show.

Chasity Gunn at Elgin Fringe Festival

First premise: We can't separate ourselves from our skin color. It's a coat we cannot take off and put away in the closet. And our coats aren't necessarily tailored for us — they may not flatter us.

Second premise: The world says that lighter is better.

This is the essential conflict of "The Sin in My Skin," by Elgin Poet Laureate Chasity Gunn, who uses original poetry, songs, found texts and character cameos to comment on her experience as a woman of color. This is no plain vanilla poetry reading; it's a powerful theatrical performance by a great writer whose speaking and singing voice is as clear and beautiful as her literary voice.

The costumes in this piece are more than just character accessories. They are symbolic skins that can be put on and taken off at will. Some can shed the weather, some can accentuate the figure, some can signal identity.

But when the coats come off, the last layer remains. To paraphrase another poet addressing the Great Bag Stuffer, "I am fearfully and wonderfully Brown."

Chasity Gunn presents this work one more time at Elgin Fringe Festival, Sunday at 1:30pm in the Exhibit Hall at the Hemmens Cultural Arts Center.

Thank You So Much For Coming at Elgin Fringe Festival

Note: the views expressed in this review do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or publisher of The Elgin Review.

Bonanza! This show has everything you love about perceived reality: song, dance, surveys, talk shows and headline news! It's called performance art because it defies standard classifications.What do you call a piece that begins with an audience assessment and ends with a campfire?  It's called "There Will Be a Test."

By way of a series of vignettes without clear boundaries, you'll travel from slow motion talking heads to a talking body to singing cowboys, and discover that reality is absurd at both extremes of space and knowledge. But fact, fallacy and fiction have one thing in common: it's all great material.

If it were possible to create a didactic piece of art whose agenda was the anti-agenda, it might look like this. And if the thing you remember most about a performance is the ending, then when Dad says it's bedtime, you trust him.

"This just in: Objectivism has been downgraded from Threatened to Endangered."

Maddy and Scott of Thank You So Much For Coming are just what this Fringe Festival needs. If only they had one more segment on Sunday ... but it's so hard to capture the 18-54 demographic in that time slot when the NFL is on another channel.

T.J. Regul at Elgin Fringe Festival

He's a bit of a ham, and just a little corny. But what did you expect from "The Quad Cities Magician," T.J. Regul from the Land of Ham and Corn?

How about drinking milk, making puppies, and collecting coins? Those are some of the excellent sleight of hand magic feats you'll see, performed seamlessly behind polished, old-fashioned showmanship.

And as T.J. points out: it's not about fooling you, nor about "believing" in magic, it's about having fun. And it is fun, funny, and fundamentally traditional, clean magic that all ages will enjoy.

"I'm a very big nerd," he says at one point in the show. But he is a charismatic nerd with a fringe heart of gold that every kid in the audience (and the kids at heart) fell in love with in 55 minutes or less.

Last chance to see Elgin native T.J. Regul is Saturday at 6pm at the Exhibition Hall at the Hemmens Cultural Center.

Your Silent Partner at Elgin Fringe Festival

There's been more talk about "Your Silent Partner" at the Elgin Fringe Festival than maybe any other show. If you're reading this and haven't seen it, then don't miss your last chance on Sunday at 3pm at the Exhibition Hall, downstairs at Hemmens Cultural Center.

The program description is mostly right: it's an interactive show featuring a silent clown with a showcase of collected objects. But leave your preconceptions behind and trust the Fringe buzz. You've never laughed so hard at giraffes, making a paper airplane, or blowing up a balloon.

For an act with no speaking the sound track is crucial, and the upbeat music in "Help Me Help You Help Yourself" blends with non-stop giggling, occasionally interrupted by uproarious outbursts of laughter.

Without spoiling anything, let's just leave this with two observations: (1.) sometimes the funniest things are what doesn't happen, and (2.) art is messy.

Tangi Colombel at Elgin Fringe Festival

In a Fringe World of queer-positive art, it's refreshing to see an act that dares to trip your trigger with old school humor, piano bar classics and a necktie.

Tangi Colombel is l'Amiricain en Miami in "Pardon my French," an hour-long cabaret show filled with music, light comedy and a captivating French accent that reminds you of everything you've ever seen in a movie set in a 1960's Parisian bar, complete with piano accompaniment.

Colombel is sweet and funny, and seems honest in his patter poking fun of French stereotypes. He might trample a little on your wokeness, but you'll forgive him because he's so cute and well, he's French!

Vraiment il se vend ... mais il est une bonne affaire ... pour seulement dix dollars!

This show is Frenchie and Fringey as hell. Come laugh and sing along with l'Amiricain!  Saturday at 6pm or Sunday at 4:30pm upstairs at Elgin Public House.

Melanie Moseley at Elgin Fringe Festival

In this autobiographical trip through modern relationship structures, "the gospel of sex positivity" is just one of the unexpectedly real expressions that may confront the more Puritanical of you. And yes, it's explained in "the Bible of ethical non-monogamy."

In "Sexology: The Musical," Mel Moseley combines storytelling, songs and humor to explore her evolution from traditional — but dysfunctional — monogamy to solo polyamory. It's part teaching and part confession, but those are really two sides of the same coin: truth telling.

She portrays three parts of herself with distinct props, posture and accents which serves to illustrate the delicate balance of integrity and compartmentalization that is necessary to thrive in a social milieu of fluid sexuality and fragile partnerships.

Her voice is bold and folksy like a preacher because she is a true believer: a believer in love, consent, good sex, equality, and enjoying our bodies while we can. Prepare to be "comperted." 

Check out Mel at the Fringe!

Madeline O'Malley at Elgin Fringe Festival

Snapshots of post-divorce dating, swimwear shopping, colonoscopies and mammograms scroll past you like an Instagram album of life after 40 as Madeline O'Malley knits together humorous personal stories in "This is 40." Which is not to suggest that knitting is something that "older ladies" do.

She is generous with relatable details that her female audience can appreciate, and resists almost all temptation to man-bash in this very funny and obscenity-free show. As a teacher by day, she must be fearless in front of a room full of people, fearless enough to wear white pants after Labor Day.

With a natural delivery free from over-rehearsed stiffness, she makes it look easy to reel off her vignettes and one-liners, so easy that one audience member shouted "you make me want to try stand up!"

She is easy to listen to, and it totally helps when you have original bits like "Spanx for Men," "Two Alexas," and "Buying Weed for Dad in a Home Depot Parking Lot." But beware: you'll see about 50 minutes of material, while sitting in a 45-minute chair. Predose with ibuprofen!

Catch "This is 40" Saturday at 9pm and Sunday 3pm at The Loft of Elements Preserved.

Marga Gomez at Elgin Fringe Festival

The moment Marga Gomez walks on stage, you recognize the natural talent for subtle comedic movement, character voices, great timing and a practiced, self-conscious command of space on a stage consisting of only a chair and a mic stand.

She is tweaking a "work in progress" at the syllabic level; but look beyond the professional dazzle to see a brilliantly paced, complex story that draws on gay Catholic Cuban-American identity (why isn't Gay capitalized?) to explore complex relationships that flash backward and forward across genders, latitudes, and generations.

Titled "The Spanking Machine," the bit uses a childhood friend as a humorous adult foil, but there's a point, accompanied by the sound of "so many locks in those New York apartments." This show is just like a perfect grownup spanking: all joy, with just a little bit of sting.

See it Friday at 6pm and Saturday at 7:30pm at the Theater at Side Street Studio Arts.

Cyrano-a-Go-Go at Elgin Fringe Festival

Forget about the nose ... Cyrano de Bergerac is the classic embodiment of a surrogate voice and unrequited love. By this definition he is essentially the archetype for all actors.

In this one-man show, Brad McEntire uses the landmark play as a device for sharing personal stories, history and commentary — combinations of purported fact, impressions and opinions that combine, as art always does, to deliver truth.

Moving in and out of different discourse worlds like distinct scenes in a play, McEntire alternately recites from the original 1897 Edmond Rostand play, relates anecdotes and even comments on the piece he is presenting. One message is "We're all just story tellers." Another is that poetry and warfare are just two separate mediums for declaring love, loyalty and freedom.

Complete with a printed study guide, it's a 70-minute think piece that deserves your attention. See McEntire as Cyrano Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 10:30pm and Sunday 4:30pm at the Theater at Side Street Studio Arts.

Robert Frosty Theatre Company at Elgin Fringe Festival

Nobody works so hard at something so #EFFing ridiculous as the Robert Frosty Theatre Company, whose one-act play "Frostvengers: Insanity War" unites Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Pope Francis, Tomahawk Peterson the Social Justice Warrior, and President Andrew Jackson 2.0 in an epic battle against a Schaumburg mayoral candidate.

Lathered and gasping from physical combat after almost every eye-popping scene, the cast splatters a melting pot of American pop culture references across the huge open floor of the Elgin Art Showcase, never looking back on their trail of mayhem.

The action is a heavy metal medley of The Three Stooges, Bruce Lee, and Wrestlemania, performed with excellent craft and powered by childlike exuberance. You'll need more than one Kleenex and possibly a diaper to contain your joy.

Catch your breath during the Guns 'n' Roses Kum-ba-yah moment. You'll need all your strength for what comes next.

The Bipeds at 2018 Elgin Fringe Festival

"Psychedelic song and dance" are just four of the words that appear in a description of "54 Strange Words," the groundbreaking work of The Bipeds, a North Carolina-based group of multidisciplinary artists. All four words are necessary and sufficient.

"Dance" is what you see first, as a couple in mysterious costume move fluidly through the space from the floor up, using every part of it as if they are inhabiting their bodies for the first and last time. "Song" follows close behind, as folksy, bluesy voices belt out cryptic lyrics and harmonies accompanied by bare finger banjo and bass fiddle.

"Psychedelic" is how the hippies referred to an experience of extreme consciousness. It's what the first humans experienced when they walked upright and became self-aware; and physical sensation, including pain, is the last thing we'll know as we leave our bodies.

"And" is what makes this piece pure art: a completely original fusion of roots music, modern dance and poetry that offers an impression of the ephemeral nature of a life, or even a species. "Strange words, strange heart" are the observations of a soul trapped in flesh for a short time on the physical plane.

You may never forget this strange piece for as long as you live, until "gravity, memory, everything has been erased."

Night Moose at 2018 Elgin Fringe Festival

Comedy improv is really the truest expression of "whatever happens happens," as actors tag in and out of a play that is literally made up one line at a time. The crew of Night Moose seem to have no fear as they riff off each other like a jazz combo, while the audience and the cast shout prompts and challenges from offstage.

Like the story you invent during a traffic stop (wait, did I just write that?), sometimes they talk themselves into trouble. But as they ad lib each other out of creative jams again and again, the trust and respect for the art is evident. And then the one-liners start.

"Sex with Patrick is like a plunger. It's something you pick up at Home Depot."

There's very little unfunny about this troupe, and you might be tempted to jump in and join them.

Audacity Theatre Lab at 2018 Elgin Fringe Festival

Every great piece of theatrical art bears the stamp of something like divine intervention, in the form of a few words from the script that sum up the piece perfectly. Awash in the torrent of words that is "Robert's Eternal Goldfish" is this phrase: "horribly adorable."

The angry rants and picayune observational humor are just camouflage for a beautifully composed long-form prose poem filled with layered imagery, expressed through vivid descriptions of cafes, apartment life, memories and dreams. This piece would read beautifully on paper.

But Brad McEntire executes it convincingly as a neurotic loner in a hoodie and knit cap, with a musical and emotive delivery that fixes your attention no matter what the hour of night -- or degree of caffeination. Like anger management group therapy, you might be healed just by listening.

Lamar Lockett at 2018 Elgin Fringe Festival

Full of Chicago references and a critical subtext, "Honey Fly Rum" isn't about life on a plantation, or is it? Combining dramatic scenes with hip-hop performance, this play underscores the tragedy of individuals selling out to corporate objectives, using not-so-subtle cues like the play's setting: radio station WFKU.

Lead actor Pierre Crawford brings considerable skills to his role as J. Smooth, a recovering alcoholic rap artist trying to find his way in the cutthroat world of mass media. Interpersonal subplots add depth to scenes interspersed with catchy and totally legit original raps that shine a light on the creative process, if not the product.

You'll leave this show reflecting on lines like "the thing you live your life trying to avoid ... still controls you." But you'll also be treated to a bite of "Honey Fly Rum Cake," bumpin' to the beats of J. Smooth and D.J. Porsh.

Memoriam Development at 2018 Elgin Fringe Festival

You might think of it as comedy with an edge, if not an agenda: "Participation Trophy" is nine sketches that capture life in 2018 as it's played out in restaurants, living rooms, football fields and corporate America. Big targets like bigotry, capitalism, violence and misogyny are easy to hit, but this troupe takes them on — and wins — in street clothes and a minimal set, with bold and well-rehearsed characterizations.

It's an equal opportunity rapid-fire satire of men and women, young and old, real and imagined, with a keen dissection of language, labeling, and social conventions. Not even the digital app you're using right now is off limits. We'd call it "skitsplaining" if we thought it wouldn't put you off this cleverly written show full of absurd dialogue, parodies and punchy endings. Put "Participation Trophy" on your list -- the bigger and looser the audience, the more fun it will be!

Robert Frosty Theatre Co. at Elgin Fringe Festival

Don't be fooled by the makeshift set, exaggerated stage combat and ridiculous premise. "Andrew Jackson: American Maniac" stands as proof that the actors of Robert Frosty Theatre Company actually know what they're doing.

Part history, part fantasy, lots of comedy — Frosty has created its own genre of theatre, based on plots filled with famous personalities, shameless use of pop culture references, and fluid timelines fraught with anachronisms. It simply can't be judged by the standards of legitimate theatre.

Yet these skilled actors can project their lines without shouting, take full control of their performance space, and handle any degree of full-body physical action that the script requires. Did we mention the script?

Robert Frosty Theatre Co. at Elgin Fringe Festival.

"Jackson" chronicles the past, present and future life of America's seventh President, the temperamental Father of the Democratic Party, famous for the Indian Removal Act and his zest for dueling. According to Frosty, he also plays a mean guitar and sports a bionic arm.

You'll spend half the show laughing and the other half holding your breath, as you watch a great cast doing what they love to do, in their own way, on their own terms. That's when artists are at their best.

Elaine Phillips at Elgin Fringe Festival

Elaine Phillips is not the Zingbot you're looking for. Bringing thoughtful humor to her show "No Place Like Home," she uses observations from her extensive travels abroad to touch on themes of privilege, provinciality and "otherness" as experienced by a white American woman.

Elaine Phillips at the Elgin Fringe Festival.

Trained as a teacher, she knows how to stick with a topic for while, using the stage to inform as well as entertain, and you can see the wheels turning in her head as she pauses between riffs. Going from country to country in her set, she has no problem using her own homebody tendencies to set up jokes on wildlife, sunburn, foreign language or cuisine.

Ironically, Sunday's audience seemed to laugh loudest at her personality characterizations and physical humor during a bit on Israel. She's easy to watch, never talks down to you, and no, she's not Jewish.

Minnesota SkyVault Theatre Co. at Elgin Fringe Festival

It strikes you as a vaudeville rendition of a heartland supper: a loving, homemade spread of musical theatre, and lots of it. But the feast that is "Skirmish of Wit," an original show by Minnesota SkyVault Theatre Company, is anything but bland.

Minnesota SkyVault Theatre Co. presents "Skirmish of Wit" at Elgin Fringe Festival.

Based on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, it's a story about falling in and out of love based on dubious information and advice. You'll make more connections than a northern Illinois railroad as you watch these young artists act, sing, swap instruments and play for nearly an hour.

The style and soul of this piece resonates with a Midwestern audience like fine folk art, whose wisdom and authenticity is far more important than technical sublety. The lack of contrived costume or makeup are essential to this cast's appeal, and on a stage full of raw talent, the two leads, Rebekah Novinger and Aidan Driscoll, showed off some real chops.

Without hearing every lyric through individual wireless headset mics, we can't decide if "Skirmish" is better during the loud choruses or the soft, tender duets, but we wouldn't change a thing. The fact that this show holds its own among seasoned professionals is proof that even greater things are still to come.

Jeremy Schaefer at Elgin Fringe Festival

Giving voice to a viewpoint that's rarely examined, Jeremy Schaefer's "Sportsball" questions the preeminence of sports in America in an effort to understand why fans devote so much attention to it.

Schaefer admits he sees baseball as just a field of daydreams, and football as 22 concussions waiting to happen. With well-chosen examples, he exposes the paradox of a sports culture in which every game is rule-based, but lawlessness and injustice in things that really matter are given no scrutiny at all. His sharp and insightful arguments are laid out with humor and lots of personality.

Jeremy Schaefer performs "Sportsball" at Elgin Fringe Festival.

Stopping just short of maligning all avid sports fans (an enormous group of people he doesn't fully understand), Schaefer discovers a basketball team he can rally with, based not on geography or brand loyalty, but for its social consciousness. In the process, he gets in touch with a part of his own humanity that sports fans have always deeply felt.

As tightly wound as a cello, he is just as musically eloquent in his delivery, going from growls to shouts to whispers with just the right timing and articulation, and his restless energy is often used to visual effect. He's a tough act to follow.

Sports is sacred in America, and Schaefer takes considerable risk by lampooning Cubs fans in an Elgin show, but ultimately he finds acceptance, if not community, in a sports culture that is profoundly diverse in every other way that really matters.