The Orlando Fringe show, Love Crumbs is being performed at the upstairs theater in City Arts in Downtown Orlando. Due to some technical issues the press preview for the show was canceled, so the performance I sketched was the first time the show was being performed with all lighting and sound cues in place.
This show has heart, showcasing love in all its forms. Several members of the cast had to deal with people not being able to pronounce their name correctly. Ha’ani Hogan was often mistaken for being Hawaiian but she offered the audience a lesson in geography to note that her families home island of Guam is actually closer to Australia that Hawaii.
On monologue which hit me the hardest was a man reading from his diary about the isolation he felt after becoming divorced. Over time he began to accept the isolation. His life began to turn around when he started going to a coffee shop regularly. Like Norm from Cheers people greeted him as he entered. He felt he belonged. He met a woman but that relationship didn’t last either. This time the isolation didn’t hit as hard, he wanted the best for her. Projected on the screen during his performance was a tiny sapling of a plant held up by spindly planter legs. It reminded me of the air plants I have started to use to camouflage the broken fence posts in the yard of my recent rental. New life softens the darkness.
Danielle Ziss gave a moving angst filled performance that took place in a pristine colonial kitchen. I know Danielle for hosting amazing story tellers, but this was a story that plumbed the depths of despair using movement and raw emotion as her medium. Another moving scene had two men literally bump into one another and fall in love. In the panic of the moment they forgot to ask each other’s names, but social media brought them together.
Other acts celebrated pets and friendships. The idea of finding the perfect mate can be the cause of so much stress. It is better to just enjoy each moment that we have together on this earth. The show celebrates supporting one another and honoring our differences. You will laugh, you will cry and you will feel the love. I give the show 5 hearts.
Love Crumbs is rated 13 and up. The run time is 60 minutes. Tickets are $15.
The remaining show times…
- Tuesday May 21, 6:00pm
- Wednesday May 22, 9:00pm
- Saturday May 25, 1:30pm
- Sunday May 26, 7:30pm