Fighting Unicorns
On the surface, Fighting Unicorns is a hero’s journey told through a world of puppets and interactive scenery. A girl finds herself in an unfamiliar world, her memory blank. All she has is an empty book and her trusty unicorn sidekick. Together they go on a quest to find the missing pieces to her story, encountering magical characters along the way. But underneath, the main character is processing trauma through the safety of a childlike world.
"Recently, I started therapy for C-PTSD. The process has honestly been pretty awful at times, but also indescribably life changing. It also inspired me to write Fighting Unicorns. Processing difficult emotions can be terrifying and exhausting. I wanted to create something that could help people do it in a safe and entertaining way. And a unicorn sidekick never hurts! If I can help make one person’s heart lighter, that would be amazing." -Angela Fox
World Premire
Fighting Unicorns will premiere this August as part of the Minnesota Fringe Festival!
Address
Phoenix Theater
2605 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Show Dates and Times
The show is 2 hours long and includes an intermission.
Friday 8/7 8:30pm
Saturday 8/8 4pm
Friday 8/14 8:30pm
Saturday 8/15 7pm
Sunday 8/16 2:30pm
Tickets!
Click here to buy your ticket online.
You can also purchase tickets at the door. 100% of cash and Venmo sales go directly to the artists.
More about Fighting Unicorns!
Click here for more information about the show.
Fighting Unicorns Program
Directed by Jason Kruger
Puppet Creation and Direction by Thalia Bea Kostman and Marc Berg of Phantom Chorus Theatre
Written by Angela Fox
Show image created by Chandra Reyer
Cast
Uni Charles Hubbell
The Girl/April Angela Fox
Octopus Librarian Sarah Broude
Wizard Owl James J. Ruth
Cleaning Mouse Mickaylee Shaughnessy
Snake Jason Kruger
World Builders
Amy Walus, Gillian Chan, Chandra Reyer, James Fairbairn, James J. Ruth, Mickaylee Shaughnessy, Jason Kruger
Crew
Stage Managers Megan Slawson, Quinn Mark
Sound Design Benji Conklin
Prop Director Angela Fox
Prop Creators Nicole Marie, Gillian Chan, Chandra Reyer, Tom Chan
Prop Captains Gillian Chan, Chandra Reyer
Puppet Captain Amy Walus
Tech Director Melissa Kaercher
Marketing Liz Humensky
Backstage Asst. Elizabeth Mark
Learn more about this amazing cast and crew!
Leave us a review!
Love the show? We'd love to know! Reviews also help people get excited about our show and bring in audience! Click here to leave a review and read what other people are saying!
Social Butterfly Project
This production is a part of the Social Butterfly Project, an IP collaborative promoting Mental Health Awareness.
Working within the framework of the MN Fringe Festival, August 6-16, 2026, Social Butterfly Project aims to connect audiences to a variety of mental health experiences, both on and off the stage. With the help of Fringe Producers and Mental Health organizations, we look to build an environment that engages visitors emotionally, providing experiences to include shows, activities, resources, and support, in order to encourage new perspectives, grow empathy, and provide awareness and support on mental health issues.
Mission statement: The Social Butterfly Project believes that art encourages empathy and empathy encourages change. Our mission is to engage audiences with diverse voices on a variety of social topics, using theater as a catalyst to inspire new perspectives and transform the world.
Thank you!!
I can't even begin to express how thankful I am for every person involved in this project. Thank you to all of the amazing people who first brought Fighting Unicorns to life at our staged reading last year: Nicole Wilder, Clare Rolinger, Madison Fairbanks, Edwin Strout, Sarah Broude, and Charles Hubbell. And thank you to all the people who attended that staged reading! Your feedback was so helpful and made a huge difference! Thank you, Nicole for instantly jumping on board and believing in me. That means so much!
When Nicole wasn't able to direct our Fringe show performances, Jason Kruger enthusiastically jumped on board with both feet. Your belief in and love for this project sent extra fuel to my heart. Thank you! Thank you to our INCREDIBLE cast! Every rehearsal I am blown away by your talent and creativity. You made this show come to life in ways I never thought possible! I love working with you all and I'm honored to share the stage with you! Let's do more things together!!! Just need that tour bus.... ;)
Thank you to our fantastic crew! This show has so many elements and moving parts, but Megan and Quinn, you more than excelled as stage managers!! Your insight and support made a HUGE difference! Thank you Thalia and Marc for creating the magical puppets for us! Your ingenuity and creativity is so impressive!! Thank you to everyone who jumped in to create our props: Nicole, Chandra, Gillian, James and Tom. That was quite the undertaking and you made it joyful every step of the way! Thank you Liz for creating that beautiful trailer!!! You blew me away!! Chandra, you created such a stunning show image. Thank you! Thank you Benji and Jason for creating such a safe and encouraging environment to record the voice overs. Those were the pages of the script that were the hardest for me to say out loud, but you made me feel safe to do so. And thank you Benji for then incorporating them into the great sound design! Thank you Elizabeth for all your help backstage! Melissa, any time I get to work with you is a treat! You are amazing and I'm so grateful to have you as our sound and light technician! A very special thank you to Sarah Broude. Her incredible and gracious donation helped so much! I feel like we should name a prop after you!! We'll work on it. ;)
Thank you to my partner in everything, Charles. You are my safety, my foundation. Your brilliance, talent, guidance, support and everything you are elevated Fighting Unicorns to another level. It has meant more than I can put into words to have you be a part of this. I love you!! Thank you to my friends, family and students who are so encouraging and supportive. You are amazing!! I love you all and am so, so grateful!
And not but never least, thank you to the Social Butterfly Project. Jena Young, it was your beautiful idea for the Social Butterfly PROJECT that made it possible for this all to happen. How you spearheaded this project was impressive! YOU are impressive!!! I'm so, so grateful for you. And have I mentioned how amazing of a friend you are??? Well.... that would take 1237 more pages. Thank you! Rob Ward, CJ Mantel, David Hellstrom and Melissa Kaercher, I am so proud and honored to be a part of this project with you!! Thank you for everything!
And thank you to everyone who came to see our show. Let's go fill the world with love!
Photo Gallary
Photos from our staged reading in November 2025. Current rehearsal and performance photos to come!
