Tuesday, October 22, 2019

What Time Is It? It's Twin Cities Horror Festival VIII Time! YAY!

For years, we have been devoted fans of the Twin Cities Horror Festival, now in its eighth year. Why do we love it so?

Well, as we said way back about TCHF IV in 2015 (and again, every year since):

- It's a manageable size (twelve shows this year, plus a cabaret, plus lobby embalming sessions)
- It runs a reasonable amount of time (October 24 through November 3)
- The shows are short and easy to binge

Their website rocks: Schedules by day and by show, and useful genres and ratings
- The box office, staff and volunteers are marvelously organized, friendly and efficient

- It's at only one theater (The Southern Theater)
- And that theater is appropriately spooky
- And it has a bar
- And is near a number of excellent restaurants and bars
- Parking is not impossible

Oh, and did we mention: TCHF has some of the best theater artists in the Twin Cities writing shows that are specifically in the horror genre but range from gory and hilarious to chilling and heartfelt. And this year? It's officially a 501(c)(3) that pays all revenue from individual ticket sales directly to the artists creating the work. (Slow clap.)

JOIN US. You know you want to. Here's a peek at this year's festival:
...And What Alice Found There
…And What Alice Found There by The Winding Sheet Outfit
In Short: "From the creators of Blood Nocturne, The Memory Box of the Sisters Fox, and You Are Cordially Invited to the Life and Death of Edward Lear; TWSO examines the obsessions of a Victorian author and his controversial relationship to his muse."
Why We're Excited: We adored The Memory Box of the Sisters Fox and are on board for their dreamy, clever, literary aesthetic, even if it is wildly hard to get into their sold-out shows. 

AMP by The Obscura Factory 
In Short: "The Electrifying Story of Mary Shelley. Written and performed by Jody Christopherson
with additional text from the writings of Mary Shelley, Percy Shelly, Lord Byron, William Godwin, Mary Wollstonecraft and Luigi Galvani."
Why We're Excited:
Last year's St. Kilda by Jody Christopherson was an atmospheric, chilling folk tale and a one-woman show accompanied only by looping audio. Looking forward to what she does next.
Bug Girl by LIZ howls 
In Short: "Bug Girl is an large scale horror shadow puppet show about a young girl who grows wings and shrinks in size after swallowing a strange insect. Her new abilities become a threat to those around her as a new hunger drives her to consume--and ravage--the minds of those closest to her. Searching for a means to control her powers and tame her parasite, Bug Girl will travel between worlds, battling the darkness within, and without her."
Why We're Excited: We were in at "large scale horror shadow puppet show." Sometimes it's that easy.

Charcoal Moon by Rogues Gallery Arts 
In Short: "Some moons bring light into the darkness, others bring darkness into the light. After a six-year space flight, the UCASA Santa Maria approaches the moon of the dwarf planet Makemake hoping to locate an extremely rare and valuable mineral. However, what they find on the dark moon isn’t quite what they had hoped for."
Why We're Excited:
Although the description is on the vague side, we've loved Rogues Gallery Arts work in past festivals: the chilling Intuition and the Mantis and the more family-friendly Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Frankenstein by Dangerous Productions 
In Short: "What would you destroy to build the life of your dreams? Inspired by Mary Shelley’s original horror story, this “delightfully perverse mindf*ck” crawls with shadows and drips with betrayal, as we follow a monster in pursuit of perfection. Rated one of CityPages top ten shows of 2015, Dangerous Productions smash hit is back and bloodier than ever!"
Why We're Excited: Cause we didn't see it back in 2015, and Dangerous Productions always brings the visceral gore to TCHF. (Case in point: TCHF IV's Epidemic.)

Geminae by Oncoming Productions 
In Short: "The 2018 MN Fringe Festival horror hit is back, new and improved! A routine mission goes awry when astronaut Cassie Matheson sees something impossible in her shuttle. At mission control, her sister Helen fights to bring her home. When the unthinkable happens, they learn just how unbreakable the bond between them is, with chilling consequences."
Why We're Excited:
Because where Dangerous brings the gore, Oncoming Productions brings the chilling and the atmospheric (see The Deep Dark from TCHF VI.)

Feminine Inhuman by Erin Sheppard Presents & Monster Science
In Short: "The Feminine Inhuman will bring to life stories of female monsters from around the world. When a monster is imagined to be feminine, there is an underlying reason for that choice. What makes women so terrifying? Reverend Matt expounds his encyclopedic knowledge of demonesses while Erin Sheppard Presents' kinetic choreography celebrates the feminine monster. What darkness does she conceal? What monstrosities is she capable of?"
Why We're Excited: We have often sung the praises of Erin Sheppard Presents' amazing dance shows and Rev. Matt's hilarious and informative Monster Science. But together? What? How? It sounds a little crazy but FASCINATING.

Incarnate by Special When Lit
In Short: "Relinquish your past, and cultivate yourself anew. Join the Oasis; a garden nestled in a secluded nook of Northern Minnesota. At this heaven on Earth, our Herald, Marigold, will plant the seed of your personal truth, and Caretaker Dan will till the soil of your soul until you reach fruition. It is the season of the harvest, and today’s a most momentous day! Our community’s hearts will beat as one. Come home, to the Oasis. Special When Lit presents Incarnate, a new nightmare from Nissa Nordland Morgan, writer of The Fae and Xena and Gabrielle Smash the Patriarchy."
Why We're Excited: Folk horror is all the rage these days and we adored Nissa Nordland Morgan's Xena and Gabrielle at the Fringe this year.

Michigan Disasters by Ghoulish Delights
In Short: "Tim Uren weaves together the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the Barnes-Hecker Mine collapse, and a truly bizarre family vacation to transport you to a dark and dangerous world. Unearth this hidden realm of ancient beings, lakes that appear overnight, hungry spirits, and the Holy Grail. It’s waiting for you in Michigan, just below the surface."
Why We're Excited: From the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Show podcast to their Fringe shows (like 2019's delightful Frankenstein: Two Centuries), Ghoulish Delights are always bringing the spooky.

HSHD Short Film Festival by Horror Show Hot Dog
In Short: "Each year Horror Show Hot Dog watches short horror films by artists from around the world. At the Twin Cities Horror Festival they present the best of the films they discovered throughout the year. Each of the five nights features a different selection of short films, no two shows are the same. Our audience votes for their favorite film of the night each night, and the winners receive a trophy."
Why We're Excited: We love short horror films and HSHD always picks the best. Pro tip: Get a Skeleton Key and you can see ALL of their shows, each with a different line-up of films.

The Rule of Three by Four Humors
In Short: "Three actors. Three Stories. Three Genres. Three separate tales told over three different acts exploring three different themes in three different ways. Beware, bad things always come in threes."
Why We're Excited: Cause it's the wildly talented Four Humors of past TCHF faves like Harold and Mortem Capiendum. Also, that picture. Eek.

An Improvised Spooky Musical by The Shrieking Harpies
In Short: "A blending of horror genres and improvised songs into a tale of comedic spooky entertainment. You're not going to want to cover your eyes for this deFRIGHTful spectacular. The Shrieking Harpies features Lizzie Gardner, Taj Ruler, Hannah Wydeven, and Justin Nellis on the keys."
Why We're Excited: The cast is amazing and hilarious. Plus, there's not a preponderance of either improv or musicals at TCHF so yay!

Sara’s FUNeral: An Open Casket Cabaret by Funerals for Life (one performance only)
In Short: "Our wonderful TCHF Patron, Sara, is... well... dead. And you're invited to the FUNeral!
An Open-Casket Cabaret featuring friends & family of the deceased + a variety of TCHF artists. This event blurs the already-smudged line between life and death. Part memorial, part performance, and part party! Prepare for the FUNeral of a death-time."
Why We're Excited: Just yes. Just because.

Let's GO!