Fringe: Letters in Need

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Phoenix Tears Productions from Haines City Florida presented Letters in Need at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. In a corner of the Family Theater lobby near the Silver Venue, a small post office box station with a barred teller window was set up. This was an ongoing 1 on 1 performance which allowed individual audience members to request and give help on a small community-based scale. The goal was for the audience member to sort the need and deliver the help. Since this was a one-on-one interactive performance, I wouldn’t be able to sketch and also sort letters. I had to watch from afar.

I happened to go when Orlando Weekly theater reviewer Seth Kubersky attended the performance. I was sketching from a crowded theater lobby and could only catch snippets of what was going on behind the post office boxes. I had just rented a post office box for the first time in Downtown Orlando since I was bouncing around between Air B&B’s while Fringe was happening. Since my life was upended, I really identified with the premise of this installation.

Mary Hosford designed the antique looking postmaster station on casters. Hillary Shurtleff acted as the United Support Processing Service postmaster. She showed Seth letters from lonely members of the community that were in need. He worked with her to find someone local who could fill that need. That makes it sound like this was a dating service, but it was rather about finding nuts and bolts practical help like lawn service of fixing a faucet.

I could only see Seth’s ear and a bit of Hillary head and shoulders through the bars, so I cannot vouch for what exactly was accomplished. Based on Seth’s review, I should say the experience must have been uplifting and worked in a way we all wish a well governed community should work.

With his signature handlebar mustache, Matti McLean,  the writer and performer of The S#it was handing out cards to his show as Letters in Need wrapped up.

Fringe: Solovella, An Improvised Solo Telenovela

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Daine Jorge from Plantation Florida Presented Solovela, An Improvised Solo Telenovela at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Daine played all the parts in a hilarious take on the over the top drama of a televised soap opera. Before the improve performance got underway, two members of the audience were pulled up on stage for a quick interview. Small details from their life were then threaded into the Telenovela performance.

To switch between characters Daine would use an assortment of fun props like an eyepatch, glasses and even a fake beard. A portable hanging rack carried any quick costume changes needed from furs to leather. Part of the absolute joy of the performance came from her unbridled Tasmanian devil level of energy. When the heroine is showcased in a romantic scene a fan was used to allow her hair to sensually blow in the wind. The absolute campiness is what made each scene play so hilariously. When Diane cuts to s new scene, she threw up a fist full of flower pedals as a way to transition to the next romantic morsel.

With Daine taking on so many characters, there were so many tempting moments I would have liked to capture but there was only one sketch page, so I limited myself to only sketching her twice. The keyboard player offered all the dramatic music needed to spice up the absurd Telenovela romance and drama. If you have come to expect spicy romance from a Spanish themed Telenovela, then Diane offered that is spades with tons of laughter.

I met the performer several times between shows and the whirlwind of energy and gratitude follows her everywhere she goes.

Fringe: Colonial Circus – History. Clown Style

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Two2Mango from Toronto Ontario Canada presented Colonial Circus – History. Clown Style at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. This was an interactive show that featured two clowns in white face who pretended to be British Colonizers. In an abstract way they walked the audience through the absurdist history of Colonialism.

The stage entrance was a mesmerizing slow procession where the male clown walked slowly on stage wrapped in a red sheet that the female clown held behind him. This made him appear like the prow of a boat. Getting to center stage must have taken 5 minutes or so. Once at the center stage the audience was asked if they had any questions. When someone did eventually ask a question, the two went off stage and began the long laborious procession again. When they asked the audience a question second time, they were visibly upset that they had to go through the motions again. I forgot exactly how many times they went through the procession but it was exhausting and hilarious.

Performers, Shreya Parashar and Sachin Sharma were originally from India before setting in Toronto. Before the pandemic the performers practiced improve comedy, but they soon realized that they love physical comedy which is more universal, in that it doesn’t rely on words to get the point across. The show isn’t really a circus in any way shape or form, but as clowns, the performers managed to mix laughter with deadpan pokes at how the British raped colonies and forcibly replaced deities with Jesus. Audience members were invited on stage and they reenacted a ship sailing across high seas.

One absurd situation followed another. I was laughing out loud, but not exactly sure why. The show tackles the serious topic of colonialism with absurdist humor that pokes fun at what Brits would see as business as usual with a cup of tea. The show offers physical comedy with a political bite which I love.  It didn’t just offer laughs, but also made the audience think.

Fringe: Basic Training

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TJ Dawe from Vancouver BC Canada presented Basic Training at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. A friend of mine wanted to see the show which wasn’t on my radar. The lobby quickly filled and the venue was packed when the audience was let into the theater.

This was an incredible one man show where Kahill Ashanti played 23 characters in a powerful true story of a soldier having to confront a childhood he had tried to forget. What made the show so exhilarating was the way Kahill snapped between characters in an instant. Each time he transformed it was instantly clear who he was portraying. Kahill joined the elite Tops In Blue performance troupe and came under fire while entertaining troops during the first Iraq war.

Kahill snapped between his delicate caring mother to his conspiracy theorist hate filled father on a dime. At boot camp he had to survive a drill sergeant who would exploit any soldier’s weakness. When he attacked a soldier with torrents, Kahill befriended the soldier under attack. There were tender moments and so much athletic physicality to the performance.

Surviving boot camp and excelling as a soldier ill-prepared Kahill for once again facing his abusive stepfather when her returned home. When he finally stood up to the vindictive small man’s abuse it was a glorious moment. Kahill was a mature man who would no longer tolerate the small-minded vindictive behavior. The military service didn’t leave him hardened but rather compassionate. At one concert he offered a solo performance for a terminally ill child.

I went into the show with no expectations, but this was absolutely a tour de force of a performance. Basic Training won the Best Show in the Critics’ Choice Awards, which was very well deserved.

Fringe: Vulva Va Voom’s Medical Masochism

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Vulva Va Voom and Company from Tampa Florida presented Vulva Va Voom’s Medical Masochism at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. I was particularly intrigued because Beth Marshal, who ran the Fringe for years was playing the part of one of the medical staff. Billed as a Bondage, Dominance, Submission, and control (BDSM) carnival game that meets a psychiatric sideshow.

This was an Alice in Wonderland vision of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism. The American Psychiatric Association “depathologized” kinky sex – including cross-dressing, fetishism, and BDSM.

Vulva was the patient being treated. She was very frank about her disorder.  In many ways this is a one woman show with the medical staff on the sidelines looking like the mad hatter and a field mouse. I always like learning what I can about a performer. The show led up to the final treatment which involved Vulva lying down on a bed of nails. The line between what was staged and real pain was blurred. A strange addition to this masochism was inviting the audience to take social media pictures of the public torture.

Was this theater? It was indeed like a freak sideshow where the audience wanted to witness pain. Though the costume implied burlesque and sexuality there wasn’t any on stage sexual overtures. I used to work on Times Square back in the 1980s where you could hear the sex acts through paper thin walls. Doom scrolling through social media forces us to witness endless violence and pain.

I admired the bravery of the performer but could not figure out if this was entertaining or disturbing. Was she acting or did she truly believe that torture was a treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? I wondered just how sharp the nails were on the bed she lay down on. If there was blood, I didn’t catch it in my sketch. I am still not sure if what I saw was entertainment or confession mixed with torture. The show was definitely VERY Fringe.

Fringe: The Greatest Betrayal

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Vague Idea Production from Aurora Onterio Canada presented The Greatest Betrayal at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Morgan Frey who is a child amputee, told her story with self-depreciating humor. She reflected on school crushes and delicately explained what it was like to fit in with a group of friends.  One boy caught her eye, and she was elated when he asked her out.

Things got dark and the audience grew silent when the date got far too real. The boy sexually assaulted her. Apparently there are predators who specifically target anyone with a frailty. There was no justice because she kept the assault to herself except to try and protect her friend. The betrayal came when she tried to warn a girlfriend about the boy. The friend refused to believe that he could assault anyone.

Friendship fractured in the name of popularity and teen intimacy. Morgan’s humor and soothing voice made the harsh truth hit all the harder. This show demands empathy in a country that glorifies violence and apathy. For anyone with an open heart the show has so much to offer. There is a raw truth to her story, and I felt some joy that she didn’t let that person destroy who she is. She still finds delight in everyday life and told her story with humor. On top of that she can stand in front of a packed audience to tell her truth. This solo show was really a story of bravery in an unjust world.

Welcome to Matteson!: Final Poster

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For the final version of the Welcome to Matteson! poster, I changed some costumes and changed a hairstyle. It was decided that a plaid shirt would hint at a a lower middle-class status. More importantly I added a suburban home covered in snow in the background. Matteson is a suburb about an hour dive south of Chicago. So this was a better hint at what that quiet neighborhood might look like. The circular arch I had placed in the previous version of the poster was moved up and became a glass dome of a snow globe which was cracking. The cracks indicate that there is some drama or underlying tension in the scene.

Welcome to Matteson! is a dark comedy play by Inda Craig-Galván that explores classism, race, and reverse gentrification when a wealthy Black couple in suburban Illinois hosts a dinner for new neighbors forcibly relocated from Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing project. The tension-filled, witty play explores racial, socio-economic conflicts.

I sketched the production at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater and had a great time. The couple moving into the neighborhood was witty and playful which had me rooting for them right from the start. The husband of the household had roots to the city streets of Chicago so the two men got along great. The hostess however felt that her property value had dropped once people from the projects were moved into her neighborhood. She played the part of the hostess but was really resentful of her guests. The drama unfolded playfully and then it seemed that the couples were trapped together in this awkward social situation when the hostess could no longer hide her bias.

Welcome to Matteson! ran at the Orlando Shakes through March 29, 2025.

A Christmas Carol: First Pass

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The first pass at A Christmas Carol poster for the Orlando Shakespeare Theater had Scrooge lifting Tiny Tim. I have been painting Christmas Carol posters for about 4 or 5 years, so I have quite a bit of reference piled up on my hard drive. On this pass, I decided that having Tiny Tim lifting his crutch was not needed. I originally had the title smaller so the crutch could be seen, then I enlarged the title knowing I would be changing the pose.

Bob Cratchit’s wife was cast so I needed to go in and repaint her. Tiny Tim was also would need to be repainted. I used a past actor for Bob Cratchit and there was doubt that he would reprise the role so he too would need to be changed.

Being a bald artist, I then felt uncomfortable that Scrooge was out in the snow with no hat. I needed to put a top hat on his head. I know that with no hat, the heat from a body will escape quickly upwards like a chimney if you are bald.  That is part of the reason I am still in Florida.

Many of the elements are similar to past Christmas Carol posters. The snow had just started falling and the gas lamps are blazing. Warm light emanated from inside a window hinting at a warm fireplace. This composition relies on a strong diagonal line from Tiny Tim down to this mom. The painting is super sloppy since I know that changes are needing to be made.

Christmas Carol ran from November 26 through December 24, 2025, at the Orlando Shakes, Margeson Theater.

Fringe: The Pink List

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Fabulett Productions from London England presented The Pink List at the Orlando International Film Festival. In Nazi Germany homosexuals were prosecuted and sent to concentration camps during World War II. After Germany lost the war and the concentration camps were liberated the persecutions continues. Germans are very good about making detailed lists and they created the Pink Lists documented people of questionable sexuality. Even decades after the war was over, persecution continued.

Writer-performer Michael Trauffer brought this seldom referenced aspect of WWII history to life with a musical. I had my doubts that a musical solo show could encapsulate such a serious subject but Michael approached the story with humanity. His character, Karl Hellwig, was tender and affectionate. When a popular boy befriended him, he was head over heels in love. When that same boy embraced the doctrine of the Hitler youth. Though he idolized the boy he had to question his choice to follow the dark path of the Hitler youth.

Karl was separated from his crush when he was shipped off to a camp. In camp he managed to befriend a camp guard who managed to give him perks which kept him alive. That relationship was also short lived in the hellscape of the Nazi Concentration camp.

When the camp was liberated by the Americans you would think that freedom would be the sweet reward for surviving the camp. After liberation the same bureaucrats rose to power to run the post war Germany. 12 years later, Karl was once again picked up by authorities because his name was on the Pink List. He found himself in court having to defend his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. His sexuality negated all those civil liberties.

America is now goose stepping its way down the same road of prosecuting people and putting them in camps. History quickly repeats itself when people are treated as scapegoats by the fascists in power. When people are treated as the enemy within you can convince people to do atrocious acts. Humans more often than not, choose violence over empathy.

The story is important to tell at this time in America’s history. The music didn’t stick with me but the message hits home. I am reading books about Stalag VI the German forced labor camp my father helped liberateat the end of WWII. Over 200 Soviet prisoners died each day even after being given K rations. Telling such a serious story as musical softens the blow. Was this a hard history lesson of entertainment? It needs to be both.

The Critique

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On May 2, I walked over to FAVO for Parker Sketch’s monthly Art Critique. Artists crowd into his FAVO art studio and show their work. FAVO is a former motel where artist convert individual units into artist’s studios. I sketched the first presenter Colette (444cole444 on Instagram). She produces abstract colorful paintings. She brought three of her primitive face paintings. The sort of reminds me of Picasso paintings crossed with tribal face masks.

When the inspiration hits, it hits hard. She explained that she produces these very quickly. They hearken back to her families’ past and she works at a feverish pace when hit by the inspiration. Comments from fellow artist were mostly about the way they were framed. Lattice edges the painting and there are gaps between the edge of the painting and the lattice which often had wads of what appeared like bubble gum. The commentary was that collectors and curators would not like the wads since they would not seem archival. The bright pink color is what resonated with me since it jumps out from across the room.

After Cole presented, Louise Bova presented one of her many sketchbooks that had painterly abstractions on every page. Sketchbooks are my favorite medium, so I was infatuated.  You can learn more about an artist by looking through one sketchbook than you can by talking to them for many hours. Louise flipped through the sketchbook quickly, which was my only regret. I would have liked to study each page at a more leisurely pace. Louise has an exhibition coming up in September, so I will get to see the work on the walls and take more time to look. The abstract work had an amazing energy to it. There is violence to the way masses of color and lines are thrown down. I could learn something about letting go from studying the work. She then showed a more representational piece painted entirely in blue of an urban street scene. It reminded me of paintings I used to do in NYC of the Fish market at 4AM.  I have a Louise Bova painting in my collection that is from her NYC years. This blue painting reminded me of that black and white painting done in an artist’s studio. I identify more with representational work since that is what I do each day, but the energy of her abstracts are attractive. There might be a sweet spot between those two worlds.

Louise made the mistake of saying the works in the sketchbooks were JUST studies. I often say the work in my sketchbooks are JUST sketches. Anyway, a conversation was sparked about how artists undersell their work in the words they use. That conversation went on way too long. I could see from her work that she is a confident and accomplished artist. I can take only so much art speak sometimes.

I presented my short, animated film, COVID Dystopia at this Critique. It was the FAVO premiere for the film. I have taken the film around the world to cities like Berlin, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Reno and Wild Rivers, and the Orlando Film Festival to name a few. The film won the Best Animated Film Award multiple times.  I often would give a talk in front of audiences after those screenings and take questions, but there was never any criticism of the film. The FAVO screening is the only time a group of artists could offer suggestions and insight. Parker Sketch said the film needed more moments where the pace might slow down and I agree. I recognize that the film happens so fast the no one can possibly fully absorb all the imagery. Though I have hand drawn animation in each scene there isn’t a simple fluid story line to follow. The entire 5 minute film is a fast-paced fever dream. I now have the film on YouTube to be seen for free, yet very few people have looked at it. The time to study the insanity of letting the virus rip has passed. Despite this, I still have the COVID Dystopia book to get to press. 100 years from now there will be interest in seeing this view of man’s inhumanity and inability to adapt to a virus.