FALLOUT FRINGE FESTIVAL 2026-Day 2

By Erik Engman

Author, Clown and Improvisation Teacher, Theatre Critic EatMoreArtVegas.com

IG: ErikReviewsVegas

Nothing like an earthquake to “shake in” the second day of the Fallout Fringe Festival with two shows at Vegas Theatre Company. (3.8 magnitude in Red Rock Canyon, if you’re curious. I felt it over on the East side.) You can access the full schedule of times at www.falloutfringe.org/schedule.

A Case for the Existence of God by Samuel D. Hunter    Still hungry ★★ 1/2

Two men meet in a small Idaho mortgage office. Ryan (Adam Martinez) is looking to secure the funding for a home from mortgage broker Keith (Derick Swinson). The pair strikes up a friendship and confronts questions of family, faith, loss, and friendship. The two actors are certainly capable and talented. The script is deep and thought-provoking. But where it falters is in the production, which felt disjointed. I don’t believe they had a director (or at least one isn’t mentioned in the program), and you can tell. The performances were fine, but didn’t mine the material deep enough. The actors were lost at times in the darkness, going in and out of the lighting on stage right. And the set had them stuck sitting behind a desk for the first part, sucking all the energy out. I had to fight my mind from wandering. All the elements are in place for a great show. They just needed someone with an overall vision to bring all of these pieces together.  

@ Vegas Theatre Company: June 6 and 15

The Free State by Madi White   Delicious ★★★★★

A young woman named Free shares with the audience a box of memories, which trigger the difficulties of growing up queer and sheltered in conservative Kansas. Through storytelling and song, we experience her childhood and the consequences of that upbringing. Madi White is extremely likable from the moment she steps onto the stage. She is genuine. And with that trust, we are taken on this journey of memories: some good, some bad, all relatable. Is it a coincidence that she is initially somewhat dressed like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, complete with red boots? Maybe White is sharing with us the revelation that we all have the power to cope and move on from trauma. At least that’s what I got out of it. In any case, this was a magnificent play, and the song at the end brought it home perfectly. This will stay with me for a long time. 

@ Vegas Theatre Company: June 6, 8 and 9