Cringe

I feel seen. I need more men kissing.

There are times I leave the theater feeling emboldened and confident in my ability to create successful theater. Then, there are shows like Cringe that leave me with the feeling that I can’t write for shit because truth be told I have rarely or ever seen anything as good as Cringe. The show features a campy introduction to two male stars in Star Trek. These male stars are pawns for 1960s housewives to project their fantasies and idealized realities onto. In a Y2K bedroom two girls in a Star Trek fandom bond over their obsession with science fiction. Cringe is not just a reflection of how fandom builds community, it’s also a meditation on generational homosexuality. The women in the 60s don’t live in a universe where their love can become real or palpable. They pass that baton to the young, cringe girls in the 2010s who get to be homosexual in a way older fangirls couldn’t. I was in uncontrollable sobs.
The dialogue is incredibly creative and punchy. At many points, the girls use tumblr chronically online speech when interacting. It’s all silly and stupid. The show builds a story about love and coming of age through the devices of manipulating these two gay men to act out their fantasies. While this is very silly, I also believe it’s poking fun on the intense fetishization of gay men in “fandom” culture. There are references to things like a rat fic, a hat fic, and other forms of fanfiction that are a ~little~ bit further from soft porn. Fanfiction was always a medium for queer female outcasts to explore their sexuality and awkward pubescent years. In the plotline between the modern girls, fanfiction is a way for them to contend with puberty and the discovery of sexuality. The two hypersexual Star Trek men represent what could be, what will be, and what will never be possible for the authors of their fanfiction. The author of Cringe plays with parallel universes, rhythmic dialogue, and the actors brilliantly execute their characters with beautiful stage presence and perfect timing. This show and its creators deserve to be seen by the whole world. Forget Fleabag, Cringe is the best thing to ever happen at the Fringe festival.

Went in with no expectations and left with my favorite wholesome theater show of Fringe. If you enjoy any one of: fan fiction, Star Trek, and/or Queerness, you’ll enjoy this show immensely. So much chemistry amongst the actors with a razor sharp script- you’ll have the feels and the awws and the KISSPLEASE.

This production had us laughing out loud, but there's such a warmth and hopefulness too. Perfectly evokes the joy and comfort of hanging out with your pals after school and talking shite in front of the telly. Great stuff!

You want fun? Fabulous acting? Tight cast? Great script? Excellent directing? You‘ll find it all in “Cringe”! For 50 minutes we are brought into a world of fanfiction, love, sweet longing, and happy endings. Absolutely worth seeing.

The most amazing show I’ve seen this Fringe. Just wanted it to never end because it was so well written, acted, directed, performed. The audience laughed out loud, amaaazing show go see it!

If inside of you hides a freak, a queer, a geek or a mixture of the above you'll love this show. I adored it. Silly, refreshing and sweet.