Terry and I went to The Venue (511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL), to see VarieTEASE on the first day I could get out to Fringe. Terry sat front and center while I sketched from a high top table. Smoke filled the space and a long prologue scrolled up the back wall of the stage. The dance followed the male protagonist who was dealing with a deranged ex-wife, his wife and a mistress. The performance began at a train station which was simply created with a projection of a fast moving train roaring by.
There is a playful mystical magic to VarieTEASE. The choreography was at times angular and hard and at other times soft and flowing. At all times life was depicted as a circus or carnivale act. The white face make up made every performer look like a mime or china doll. The protagonist was confronted by each woman in turn. They danced at times with sexual abandon to the point of exhaustion. There was one moment of female frontal nudity with polite pasties, so the show verged on burlesque.
Large free standing door frame shaped structures had rubbery vertical bars. These functioned at times as a prison and in one instance as harps. The man eventually was overcome by heart break and despair. The women returned in flowing light dresses to look over him. I suspect that he truly had cancer and all the drugs and needles were an attempt to slow the tide of the ravaging disease. Credits at the end of the show indicated that the cast was behind dear friends who were fighting for their lives. The show expressed a roller coaster of emotions from anger, despair, loneliness and absolute joy. Life is a dance, and this show captures that life and mysterious magic. This is a must see Fringe favorite.
Mark your Calendar!
Monday May 19, 10:30pm to 11:30pm
Wednesday May 21, 9pm to 10pm
Friday May 23, 9pm to 10pm
Saturday May 24, 4:20pm to 5:20pm