Survival of the Fringest; At the Fringe Festival a unique version of natural selection kicks in from opening night, boosting some shows to the skies while pushing others to the brink of extinction.(ENTERTAINMENT) From: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) | Date: July 31, 2005| Author: Royce, Graydon | COPYRIGHT 2005 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Byline: Graydon Royce; Staff Writer

Six people caught Claire Simonson's opening night at the 2004 Minnesota Fringe Festival - not the smallest first-day house, but close.

Apparently those six liked "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" because Simonson's next show drew 13. It shot up to 37 the third time, and when the final curtain fell, Simonson had 76 people, a Fringe-high increase of 1,167 percent from open to close.