by Cristina Córdova
This Douglas Sirk movie, playing in Loring Park on Monday evening, is easily the original Lifetime movie; yet it manages not to make my life feel insignificant simply by my watching it. It’s the original. How can that be bad? This is old school, baby. It’s the love triangle, the deep dark side of alcohol, neglect and abuse, unrequited love, best friends in love with the same woman, the evil hand of jealousy, the damsel in distress — and none other than Lauren Bacall, of course. No wonder they’re both in love with her. You’d have to be crazy not to be in love with her. And yet her charms aren’t nearly exploited or explored in this film. I’ll take her with Bogie any day. Rock Hudson just doesn’t seem to make her shine. Actually, it’s the bad guys in this movie that actually make it worthwhile — which is actually pretty amusing considering they’re not the big names on the marquee. Robert Stack’s drunken Kyle and Dorothy Malone’s portrayal of the spurned vixen are enough to keep me entertained. (Of course, I’m a sucker for the classics.)
Described as a “multi-media, poly-racial-gender exquisite corpse of poetry, performance, and artistic experimentation,” Segrelicious has quite a tall order to fill, which might even be possible, given Shoebox proprietor Sean Smuda’s polymorphous involvement with dance, poetry, photography, iron sculpture, and even improvisational music. Each artist was directed to make work in response to a piece from another artist. On August 4 from 6-9 p.m., in both the Obsidian Arts and Shoebox Gallery spaces, the visual-arts part of the show opens. For the Soul Food gathering on August 25, bring a dish, a drink, and a story or talent to share that afternoon; a physical and intellectual potluck will unroll throughout the Roberts Shoes building at Lake and Chicago. Segrelicious performances begin at 8 p.m. Call it a bohemian rhapsody … — by Ann Klefstad
Orin Rutchick, Kristine Heykants, Angela Strassheim, and Mickey Smith now show the fruits of the past year’s labors as winners of the 
If the three-minute preview we saw in late June (as part of the Fringe For All sneak peek) was a representative sample, this will be a show that typifies fringey humor — you know, jocular and yet acerbic, delivered with wit and plenty of pop-culture references. Last year, the North Dakota show’s originators, Curt Lund and Laura Bidgood, had a Fringe hit on their hands with the hilarious comedy, Two Queers and a Chubby. This time around, the NoDak natives take aim at a different, but no less susceptible target: their unglamorous home state. They’ve cooked up a script woven with childhood memories and droll observations, making light of everything from North Dakota’s plummeting population to its lack of celebrity exports. — by Christy DeSmith
If the prospect of staging Jules Verne’s adventure novel seems at all daunting, consider, then, the restraints of the Fringe: All shows must wrap within sixty minutes. Yet if anyone can accomplish this feat, it’s Hardcover Theater, a Minneapolis-based company that routinely transforms novels, short stories, and even poetry into entertaining nights of theater. In adapting Verne’s whirlwind account of a trans-global voyage by boat and train (set in 1873, mind you), Hardcover has turned the expedition into sport. With the cast literally racing to beat the clock — stopping in Egypt, India, Hong Kong, and the American Wild West — this is a serious contender for fastest-paced show at the Fringe. — by Christy DeSmith
One of our favorite local freelance directors, Jon Ferguson, directs a company of six teenage performers and theater-makers (from Stages Theatre Company) in the creation and performance of this original play. So far, Ferguson’s Fringe Fest track-record is unblemished; his past hits include the 2005’s Please Don’t Blow Up Mr. Boban and 2006’s Kill The Robot. In the case of Deep Boy, the scenario, roughly, involves a high school-sponsored summer camping trip attended by a mix of over- and decidedly under-achievers. The kicker is this: The kids’ return to nature is led by a bully of a teacher, one whose favored tactics include intimidation and belittlement. This is fertile territory for the imagination, and Ferguson is well suited to coax every last drop of poetry from his teenage charges. — by Christy DeSmith
Still finding the Fringe calendar a bit overwhelming? Feel like supporting the local theater scene, but don’t want to risk boredom or disappointement? For the last two years, with its productions of Inspector Rex and Deviled Eggs, the Four Humors Theater Company has provided (comic) relief to the wary Fringe playgoer. The troupe’s latest creation, Bards, sets Christopher Marlowe as a lead spy for the Queen in Victorian England. And who does he enlist for a dangerous mission? None other than William Shakespeare. Hilarity is sure to ensue. — by Max Ross
This weekend, Jamaican author 
Since the beginning of 
Filmmakers and enthusiasts are invited to 
The libertarians are at it again — trying to educate you, that is. This month’s movie offering is 
A classic is a classic is a classic; and this is one of the best. If you haven’t seen it, go NOW. This evening’s screening of Elia Kazan’s 
Director 
There have been a couple of interesting new book releases lately, so maybe it’s time to make your way to the nearest bookstore and restore my faith in the readers of the world. Yes, we still read. Don’t we? 
“Tell me if you want me to give you all my time. I wanna make it good for you cause you blow my mind.” R&B duo 
I’m not a big fan of mystery novels, but every now and then I grab one for a quick flight read — you know, the perfect novel for a two- to four-hour plane ride. I’ve read all sorts of jems. And I have to tell you, though, for the most part, I find it best to stay away from the ones written by women. Oy! I hate to say that. But.. I simply can’t deal with the whole sexy bail bondwoman crap thing. And the chic, urban romances make me want to weep for my gender. Bottom line? It’s nice to read a fluffy mystery novel by a female author and not even notice. Woohoo! We can surpass our gender. Man, woman, mystery freak all, head out for Roseville tonight for a guest appearance and reading by author of Justice Denied, 
It’s not much of a secret anymore, but another Monday night means another movie in Loring Park, preceded by music on the green. What should you really listen to before a 