Fort Fringe — The Shop

Remaining Performances:

Tuesday, July 15, 8:15 p.m.

Thursday, July 17, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 19, 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 23, 7:45 p.m.

Sunday, July 27, at 12:30 p.m.

They say: Three clowns find themselves in a world of balloons, before an audience of both children and children-at-heart. Each wants to tell their own story within the magical landscape. Come to play, come to pop. Balloons can be anything.

Lauren’s Take: Think about a few different ways you can use balloons. Go ahead. The first things to come to mind might be a static generator, noise maker, balloon dog, or party decoration. Fear not! Playwright of Balloon Plays, Brett Steven Abelman, has thought of a billion more ways to create life, magic, and charm with balloons. Balloons can literally be anything.

Sure, you can pigeonhole Balloon Plays as “children’s theatre” — or you can, and should, think of it as a vehicle to transport yourself into imaginative child’s mind. The three clowns, Kolleen Klintz, Rachel Hynes, and Nora Achrati entice the audience silly interactions and clever make-believe. The three clowns attend Balloon-iversity and a girl (made of balloons, of course) emerges and learns to walk, swim, and explore the world and creatures around her.

The oohs and aahs of audience members heighten the experience. The play ended with a brief free playtime where children and children-at-heart headed onto the stage to play with the clowns and their balloons — well those that hadn’t popped yet.

See it if: You have children, or a childlike sensibility.

Skip it if:  You’re allergic to latex.

DISCLOSURE: The author of Balloon Plays, Brett Steven Abelman, is a Fringeworthy contributor.