Fringe Day 6: Harold Pinter meets Southern Gothic

Keeping crucial info from view is a Pinter hallmark, and here the famed playwright employs a dumbwaiter at a seedy hotel to animate and mystify a tense, terse little tale about a couple of hit persons. Is the hand of God pulling the strings on the old-fashioned room-service device? And why do Ben (Erik Hoover) and Gus (Ariel Pinkerton) get so jumpy each time the infernal thing springs to life? There's a great mix of menace and comedy as these two veterans of small theater in the Twin Cities polish their pistols, crackle their way through Pinter's distinctive banter and wait for someone to come through that door. (10 p.m. Thu., 7 p.m. Sun., Playwrights' Center, 2301 E. Franklin Av., Mpls.)

CLAUDE PECK

The Southern Gothic genre is marvelously reincarnated in these beguiling stories penned and performed by Peter Neofotis. "The Botanist" navigates between savagery and delicacy. A brutalized student falsely charged with "forced sodomy" finds unlikely support from a black soldier and an eccentric older white woman inspired by the hidden powers of plants. In the stunning "The Vultures," George MacJenkins commits to being "a man with no guns" after his wife dies in a freak shooting accident. But his resolve is tested when vultures mysteriously congregate in his yard. Eerily magnificent. (10 p.m. Thu., 8:30 p.m. Fri. Gremlin Theatre, 2400 W. University Av., St. Paul.)

JOHN TOWNSEND

David Mann and Scott Jorgenson take aim at a fat, slow-moving target -- the self-improvement industry. Jorgenson does most of the comic lifting, showing off his chops as a natural huckster. His oily sincerity seems so sincere. Mann's phoniness is a bit too evident, but his writing is clever. Jorgenson shows us how to make 18 percent on our money, and the value of sloth. He points to the "growth" in his stomach: "I turned my six-pack into a keg!" Some of the satire gets obvious, but Jorgenson in particular knows how to sell, sell, sell! (10 p.m. Thu., 7 p.m. Fri., Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls.)

GRAYDON ROYCE

Elisa Korenne is a pleasant and engaging storyteller who has taken note of the oddball characters along her life's path. Korenne's show of song and narrative -- guided by her relationship with a mythical muse -- has a Lifetime Channel appeal. It will not change your outlook on the world, but she is earnest in the best sense about her stories. She sings about a madame from Butte, Idaho, a guy who eats lightbulbs, and a Root Beer Lady from the Boundary Waters. The tunes are simple, her voice clear and her self-accompaniment spare. You could do worse. (8:30 p.m. Fri., 4 p.m. Sun., Rarig Arena, 330 21st Av. S., Mpls.)

GRAYDON ROYCE

Janette Siirila is a developing choreographer, and her limited experience shows in this performance. "Wide Eyed" is a pleasant work offering little emotional or kinetic variation, while "Observing Nature" is a literal glimpse into a frog's life -- yep, the dancers leap like amphibians. The program also includes "Observing Solitude," conceived and written by Michael Morris and performed by Audrey Lowry. This piece is about the tiresome repetition and isolation of modern life. Unfortunately, it too successfully carries out its stated concept. (7 p.m. Fri., 2:30 p.m. Sun., Ritz Theater, 345 13th Av. NE., Mpls.)

CAROLINE PALMER

No matter what your politics are, this majestic recital of songs reflecting the plight of soldiers, their families and American society in wartime is a powerhouse. Iowa City baritone Stephen Swanson soulfully renders tunes both famous and obscure from the Civil War, the two World Wars and Vietnam. Though his presence is commandingly classical, he delights with satirical playfulness in ditties about Cold War nihilism. In addition, the exquisite "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" reminds us that Australia was an ally during Vietnam. With vibrant piano accompaniment from David Gompper. (8:30 p.m. today & Thu., 4 p.m. Sat., Playwrights Center, 2301 E. Franklin Av.)

JOHN TOWNSEND