So hey, everyone, I AM IN A FRINGE SHOW. It’s called “Your Motivational Power Hour” and we are spending an hour making fun of motivational speeches.

I’m satirizing “Who Moved My Cheese,” and if you like my science fiction, you’ll probably like my bit in this show. Also in the show: Haddayr Copley-Woods, satirizing the HEROICALLY INSPIRATIONAL DISABLED PERSON school of motivational speaking, and Ed, who will be making fun of Covey’s time-management techniques and that video about people having fun at work by hurling fish at each other.

I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch, and the great thing about Fringe is, even if I’m lying and it’s actually terrible, you’ll only be there for an hour, and then you can use your day pass to go see something else right afterward! (I really think it’s going to be awesome, though.)

I wrote about the Minnesota Fringe a lot back on my old LiveJournal, because I’ve been going for years, and I really love it. There are groups / individuals who I’ll seek out because they are consistently awesome, but part of the magic of the Fringe is that they make it really easy to just check out the next show at that same venue (or right nearby) and I’ve seen some pretty awesome stuff largely on impulse.

Here’s how Fringe (currently) works: you buy a day pass from any venue box office ($16/weekdays, $22/weekends, $5/kids under 12) and you can see as many shows as you want with that pass. There are four shows a day on weekdays, seven shows a day on weekends, and you can see as many as you want. If there’s a show you’re worried will sell out, you can reserve a seat for an extra fee; otherwise, it’s first-come, first-served.

Our show is at the Phoenix Theater, at 2605 Hennepin Ave. Performances are Thursday, 8/3 at 8:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8/6 at 7:00pm; Tuesday, 8/8 at 5:30 p.m.; Friday, 8/11 at 10:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 8/13 at 4:00pm.

Please come! (And please leave a review! Reviews are a big part of how Fringe-goers decide what to see next.)

If you look at the schedule, you’ll note that there’s a half-hour break between shows. If you book it, you can switch neighborhoods in that half-hour, but what we usually do is just to plan an evening or an afternoon in some specific neighborhood. Phoenix Theater is in Uptown, within a 20-minute walk of Intermedia Arts, Bryant-Lake Bowl, HUGE Improv, and Jungle Theater. So if you’re coming to see us, you’ll be near those other theaters; check out the shows at those venues as well. (The “20 minute walk” is based on Google Maps thinking you can walk 1 mile in 20 minutes; if you’re a slow walker, plan accordingly.)

If you’re a regular Fringe attendee, I hope you’ll check out our show! If you’ve never been to a Fringe show but are going to come see our show because you know one of us, I hope you’ll check out some other shows with your day pass, and discover just how much fun the Fringe is.