I am of two minds about the annual Fertile Ground theater festival. Mind one loves that the uncurated festival generates a tremendous outpouring of new work, during a typically slow time of year. Mind two is overwhelmed by the sheer number of shows taking place across the city, and skeptical as to the quality of a good number of 'em.

In this week's paper, I attempted to navigate the festival's huge number of offerings. AT $50 for a festival pass, this is one of the best deals in town, considering that big theaters like Artists Rep, Portland Playhouse, and Third Rail have shows in the festival. This weekend, I'm seeing International Falls at the Coho, and... something else. Definitely hitting Troll 2: The Musical on Tuesday as well. Click through for more on the festival!