Fringe Overview

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Producers and directors for this years Orlando Fringe Festival piled into the circular Patron’s Room at the Shakespeare Theater to get a crash course overview of what they could expect from this year’s festival. The meeting lasted for several hours. My ears perked up when Beth Marshall started to discuss the issue of Bloggers. It seems everyone and their mother is a blogger these days. Last year some bloggers wrote scathing reviews and members of the cast wrote back equally scathing comments in return. It seems these “Flame Wars” only manage to discourage people from going to see the show. She instead suggested that producers put a positive spin on any review.

Beth pointed out that Fringe is always a “Fun, lively, hot mess.” This year, Pepe will be promoting shows at the outdoor stage. Brian Feldman will be offering awards picked lottery style. TheDailyCity.com will again have its Audience Choice Awards, and then there are the “Fabies” awarded on the final day of the festival. A show titled “Fringe Abridged” will recap all of what happened, highlighting shows in a break neck spoof. She advised producers to comp fellow artists into the shows as word of mouth will quickly spread if the show is a runaway hit. The second best way to attract an audience is through Facebook. Beth went on in detail about how the city of Orlando would not tolerate any posters or fliers taped on light poles, trees or any form of municipal property. It seems this had been a problem in the past and it resulted in fines.

The 20th Annual Orlando International Fringe Festival will be happening between May 19th and 30th in Lock Haven Park. The Festival is 100% uncensored, 100% Unjuried, 100% accessible, and 1OO%o of ticket sales goes to the artists. I had the best time sketching and experiencing the Fringe with friends last year. It truly highlights the best of what Orlando has to offer.

Dog Powered Robot

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Dog Powered Robot took the Orlando International Fringe Festival by storm last year. It began as a short three minute show as part of the Creative Mind Project. The premise of the Creative Mind Project was to have many different artists interpret the same music. I was there opening night since I had edited a short video using my sketches to the music. A small cardboard city cluttered backstage and when Dog Powered Robot made its appearance the audience went wild! They were laughing, screaming and shouting. I had to stay back stage, but I peaked out through the curtains. Fisher, the dog behind Dog Powered Robot was an instant star.

I went to Evan and Christie Miga’s home where they had set up a mini sweat shop making Dog Powered Robot tee shirts. Doug Berger was dabbing blue silk screen ink on the stencil and using a squeegee to force the ink through the screen onto the shirts. His wife Carla Stanton used a hair dryer to quickly dry the inks and then the shirts were hung from the rafters.In the living room hundreds of buttons were being assembled.

A few days later I returned and the garage had been converted into a robot manufacturing plant. Joey Corcoran was there helping assemble a huge robot. He was using pvc plumbing pipe to create arms which would be maneuvered by the operator like the controls inside a tank. Light flexible tubing hung above the work bench and it blinked brightly with rainbow colors.

The bright pink Lollybot was finished. Her life’s mission is to dispense candy for children. Large blue foam DPR letters stood ready to announce this phenomenon at Fringe. Music is being composed by David Traver for the show with lyrics supplied by Britt Daley. Josh Sales edited the Dog Powered Robot teaser and he is responsible for all the special effects. With the simplest of supplies and plenty of ingenuity, Dog Powered Robot is bound to make a huge splash at Fringe and beyond. A fundraiser is being held at Blank Space (201 East Central Boulevard) on March 10th starting at 8PM. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

Mozart

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I went to Rollins College Knowles Chapel to watch a rehearsal of Mozart’s Grand Mass in C minor. The music starts softly at first and then builds in intensity. I imagined a small ship lost at sea caught in a tempest, the waves swelling and the ship tossed about like a cork. A refrain of hope, a ray of light, wove it’s way through the music

I sat in the nose bleed section since I didn’t want the tablet’s glowing screen to distract anyone in the audience. Even the balcony became packed. This Bach Festival rehearsal was open to the public and free to attend. A couple in front of me cuddled the entire performance.

When the chorus joined in, the music became heavenly. At one point a trains whistle sounded repeatedly in the distance. Amazingly the sound fit in perfectly with the performance. The conductor, John V. Sinclair, commented on the accompaniment and the orchestra, chorus and audience laughed. This was different than most performances in that the audience was asked to remain silent. As a working rehearsal, the conductor offered notes and suggestions to the performers. By remaining silent the audience had a chance to learn more about how the conductor viewed the music. When there was a break in the rehearsal, most of the audience left. I remained and continued to play and experiment with color.

Shipyard Emporium

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Shipyard Brewery just opened up January 28th in Winter Park (200 Fairbanks Avenue). I knew about the opening night, but was unable to attend. I was told over twenty five hundreds people were there opening night. What a mob scene that must have been!

A few days after the Grand opening I was going to a free concert at Rollins College. Walking down Fairbanks, I couldn’t resist going inside the brewery to see how everything came together. The young man at the door explained the layout to me. The place is part Deli and gourmet grocery store then there is seating for the restaurant. Finally there is the bar which overlooks the micro brewery where specialty beers are made by brewmaster Ron Raike daily. I sat at the bar and looked at the description s of the wide variety of beers. I decided to try the Alligator Braggot. I was given a small sample to taste and I loved it. It turned out that Ron had just finished brewing this new brew that morning. above the bar there were many rows of blue mugs hanging from the ceiling. They belong to people who joined the mug club. Each time they return they are served their favorite brew in their own personal mug.

I decided to order a grilled Portobello sandwich with zucchini, roasted peppers, herb goat cheese all on a toasted ciabatta. Along with a second beer, the sandwich was fabulous. Seriously this was culinary heaven. Allison Stevens tapped me on the shoulder to say hello. She is responsible for all the back breaking work that helped make this brewery a realty. She offered me a hot chicken wing dip along with pita chips to scoop it up.The dip was hotter than I am used to, but it had the advantage of making me want to sip more beer.

The owner of Shipyard Brewery, Fred Forsley, had flown down from Maine and he was with a video cameraman shooting footage. By the time I left to walk the rest of the way to Rollins College, I was feeling great. Shipyard Brewery offers delicious food, great beer and a chance to talk to the master brewer himself. I know I will find many reasons to return.

My Name is Rachel Corrie

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“My Name is Rachel Corrie” was presented by John DiDonna and Seth Kubersky and was an Empty Spaces Theater production. The play is part of The Dangerous Play Series. When I made my way inside Studio B of the Shakespeare Theater, I found Rebekah Lane, the star of the show, seated in the front row seat checking her iPhone. This was the first time I had seen her since rehearsals for “Project F.” The assistant director Alex Richmond was lying across the bed and I included her in the sketch thinking she must play a small roll in the play. I was wrong. Before the house was opened, Rebekah crawled under the covers and pulled the sheet up over her head as she sprawled out with hands and feet dangling awkwardly over the edges of the mattress. The room was a mess with books and clutter everywhere. The walls are covered with pictures of Rachel Corrie’s childhood idols like Picasso and Spiderman. Cinder blocks, sand and construction wire was haphazardly piled up against the back wall.

From the moment she woke up, the show was a non-stop high energy monologue. All the thoughts, reflections, silly girlish banter and growing mature convictions were taken directly from the writings and journals of Rachel Corrie. The opening act presents Rachel’s fun playful side as she talked of silly matters like going to clubs in slutty boots. She was a beautiful idyllic 22 year old who was a dreamer. Thanks to the International Solidarity Movement she ended up going to Palestine where she hoped she could make a difference by helping children in the region. Living in a Palestinian home she discovered a growing conviction that she had to help the people suffering around her. Change can happen in life suddenly.

In the end a bulldozer operated by an Israeli threatened to demolish the home of a pharmacist named Doctor Shamir. Rachel spoke of the Doctor often in her journal entries. This was a personal battle for her. Just as in Tienanmen Square she hoped to stop the demolition by acting as a human shield. The exact details of what followed varied depending on eye witness accounts. The bulldozer did not stop. She climbed up on the mound of dirt that was forced up in front of her and then she was sucked down under the bulldozer and rolled over. She died shortly after in a Palestinian Hospital.

I was impressed with Rebekah Lanes performance. Being able to internalize, memorize and perform the whole show alone was an amazing accomplishment. It took three directors to help find the humanity and reasoning behind everything Rachel did. She often had to balance conflicting directors notes to find her character. Director, Emily Killan had performed in 9 Parts of Desire which was another play that dealt with women who had to live in a violent world. She used the experiences and depth of those characters to help shape Rachel Corrie’s actions in this show.

The talk back, conducted by John DiDonna, following the play was just as enlightening as the play itself. Some people consider Rachel a martyr while others demonize her. Her memory was used by both sides in a violent struggle. The play tried to present her humanity. Anytime someone takes a stand with honesty and integrity, they open up a dialogue. One member of the audience felt the directors were tarnishing Rachel’s memory since they would not acknowledge her death as a murder. John countered that the case is still being tried and the only person who truly knows the truth is the bulldozer driver.

Another audience member felt that we are loosing intimacy in this world, yet we still have the need to gather together in a dark room and listen to controversial stories which force us to think. The only danger is when people no longer feel the need to have an open debate. We had listened to one girl’s view of a very complicated issue for an hour and a half. You might not agree with her convictions, but as long as people are willing to try and understand both sides of an issue then there is hope. Amy Richmond, the assistant director, admitted that because of her involvement in this production she went to a demonstration for the first time in her life. This play reminds us that we all have to find our strength and passion and use it for good. Do that with every single ounce of energy you have and you may awaken that passion in other people. Childhood ideals should never be ignored. This is an amazing lesson to learn from a quiet evening of theater.

RIFF

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As part of Arts Fest, DRIP dance company unveiled a work in progress for an upcoming show titled RIFF, at the Cameo Theater (1013 East Colonial Drive). Dubbed, a Night of Music, The DRlP performance was preceded by four bands. The first band on the line up featured Britt Daley with her unique brand of electro pop. Next up was Telethon, then The Pauses and Peter Baldwin. Between acts and beers I spoke with Andy Matchett. I had heard of him a number of times and he let me know that I had sketched his wife and child once when I did a sketch at Dawn Schreiner’s “Doodles” opening at Seven Sisters Coffee house. I was fascinated by some club kids who filmed every moment of their experience, voguing in front of their iPhone cameras. I suppose I am not much different as moments of my daily experience are documented with a sketch.

Andy Matchett & the Minks performance was a perfect match to the DRIP experience. The act began with a colorful whirlwind of confetti which was kept alive with fans and hair driers by members of the audience. I already had finished two sketches so I resigned myself to enjoy the experience by dancing and laughing. For the final songs a huge parachute was unfurled over the audience and Andy jumped off the stage to perform in the heart of the maelstrom. This was pure unbridled childlike fun and I’m glad I put my pen down long enough to simply experience it. Now Andy Matchett & the Minks is on my radar and I will follow them until I do a definitive sketch.

The RIFF dance performance happened in a hallway that was created by hanging a huge bolt of clear plastic from the ceiling. Jessica Mariko, Drips founder, CEO and Creative Director announced that the plastic had arrived only moments before the opening of the show thus the dancers would be performing within its limitations for the first time. Nikki Serra choreographed the Hallway piece.At one end of this plastic hall was a fan and buckets of colored salts were waiting for the performers. I knew the dance performance was less than five minutes long so I resisted the urge to sketch. The dancers entered the space and performed a sensual dance that involved tossing the colored salt in the air and showering themselves in pure color. The RIFF band performed the equally sensual music composed by David Traver.

Brass Ensemble

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I have become a fan of attending the free concerts held at Rollins College’s John M. Tiedtke Concert hall. The acoustics inside the new Tiedtke Hall are fabulous. The concerts are seldom very crowded so I am able to find a seat right up front close to the performers. This Brass Ensemble was performed by students and directed by Christopher Dolske. The instruments in the ensemble consisted of 5 trumpets, 2 trombones, a bass trombone, 2 euphoniums, 3 French horns and a tuba. The music was eastern European themed with composers like Moussorsky, Gabrieli, Susato, Kabalevsky and Koetsier. I only recognized the name of one of the composers and all the music was new to me.

The concert lasted just long enough for me to finish the sketch. The music’s tone and timber influenced every line. The warm, full tones filled the hall. With the concert over, I quickly packed up my art supplies to leave. Someone stopped me in the isle and asked to see the sketch. I dug in my bag to retrieve my sketchbook. He asked me if I planned to show the sketch to the conductor. This is rather common, people seem to feel the subject must be made aware when they are included in a sketch. The conductor was already back stage and Terry was waiting for me at home so I ignored his frantic desire to share my work.

Flea Market Blues

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The Renninger’s antique fair and flea market in Mount Dora is a huge event that pulls people in to central Florida from all over the country. Robert Newlen flew here from Washington D.C. and Elaine Pines, drove up from Miami Florida. For them, this is an annual pilgrimage. Terry and I joined them when they decided to shop the flea market. While they hunted for bargains, I broke away in search of a sketch. Very little of the worn and rusty merchandise interested me. The one thing I searched for was an old working fountain pen, but I never found one.

It was at the end of the second row of endless clutter where I found Odell “Bluesman” Maxwell singing the Blues. He had a twangy, sharp, resonant and soulful was of playing. I quietly set up my artist folding chair and got to work. Odell seemed to simply speak the lyrics with the guitar played along in unison. He would shout out to anyone who paused, saying, “Hey, how you doing?” “I got the blues today.” One woman responded, “I am sorry to hear that, but the music is wonderful.” Another woman asked him about his fingering style. He always let people know that they could leave a tip and many people did leave a dollar in the large glass vase. He never seemed to mind me sitting and sketching. He let me know he had been married 7 times and he was still playing the blues. I laughed. His brow was glistening with sweat. As I sketched, I was lost in the moment rocking to his music. Odell was a true jem perched in among the lost and neglected clutter of peoples lives. He is an Orlando Florida native, a true southern home boy. There is something real, raw and true in every song.

Discovery Launch

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The Space Shuttle Discovery was scheduled to launch at 4:55pm. I had approval to get a press pass thanks to the artists at McRae Art Studios. The launch had been scrubbed so many times that the McRae Artists were unable to go. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by. I drove out to Kennedy Space Center alone. This was going to be one of the final launches in the dying shuttle program. I thought I was giving myself plenty of time to drive out to the space coast when I left at noon. I was wrong. 50 became a gridlocked parking lot about halfway out to the coast. The hour drive became two and then three. Others were driving out to see the launch, who knew. The most agonizing wait was on the causeway over the Indian River. Finally I got to a security officer who asked for my paperwork. He waved me through. Suddenly there were wide open roads. I was now in the Kennedy Space Center. I knew where the press accreditation building was since I had been there before.

This time the building was open. Inside two elderly women were busy getting ready to leave. One woman looked at my paperwork and said, “Cutting it kind of close, aren’t we?” She printed up my pass and gave me a map to the press parking lot. I arrived on site with an hour to spare before launch. Just enough time for a sketch if I got to work immediately. I was tempted by all the news crews but with only one sketch I had to catch the launch pad. I was drawn to the huge rusty countdown clock. This thing was like 5 feet tall and 15 feet wide. I considered sketching it but I was standing in the blazing sun. It was hot. Instead I walked behind the clock and I sat down in its shadow. Ahhh… Nice and cool. I began to sketch all the photographers with their cameras aimed out across the water. The launch pad was visible on the horizon. I was surprised when someone said my name. He knew of my blog. He asked me if I thought it was ok for him to stand on a rusty box that jutted out from the back of the clock. I’m no expert, so I said, “Fine with me.” From his elevated perch he pointed out that Bill Nye the Science Guy was watching the launch. Seems he is always in character since he was wearing his signature bow tie. There was also a Japanese fellow in a blue astronauts jumpsuit talking to a Japanese news crew.

I finished the sketch with minutes to go before the launch. I sent out a couple of tweets and Facebook pics since I couldn’t sit idle. Then I started a second sketch where I planned to place the huge vertical plume. Then I heard people shouting and clapping. A large white billowing cloud silently issued from the launch pad. Then the blazing yellow light hit me. It was as bright as the sun. Then the sound rumbled across the water and struck me full force. It was a deep powerful, guttural sound that made my chest vibrate. I have stood next to huge concert speakers and they don’t come close to the force of this sound wave. The plume rose quickly into the sky and I quickly sketched its gesture. A soldier in a camouflage uniform stood in front of me. People continued to clap and scream as the brilliant light diminished. The setting sun illuminated the shifting rockets trail with it’s golden light. It was a perfect day for Space Shuttle Discovery’s final launch, and a fitting tribute to this space crafts long career.

The drive home was a nightmare. I used the GPS to keep looking for alternate routes then I just settled in and relaxed with the window down as I crawled home on the Beachway going 10 miles an hour. I had just witnessed one of man’s greatest achievements, the traffic didn’t matter. I listened to the sounds of crickets and other night life. I flipped the radio on for the long, long drive home. It was midnight when I pulled into my driveway. Exhausted I dropped into bed and drifted to sleep.

Monday Night Jazz

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If downtown Orlando is quiet on a Monday night, I can always county on quality jazz at the Grand Bohemian (325 South Orange Avenue).I heard that an artist was going to demonstrate how he does paintings using only coffee as his medium.The artists name was Steven Mikel and he was set up in the Grand Bohemian lobby opposite the reception desk.I asked him the question I am sure every tourist asks,” Are you wield the whole time you are painting?” “Do you sip the coffee all day?” We spoke for some time. He used a concentrated coffee “tar” for the darkest dark. and then selects different grades of coffee for different hues. Painting with coffee looks very similar to painting with watercolors.I considered sketching the artist at work, but the sound of jazz pulled me into the bar area.

As always the jazz was lively spontaneous and heart wrenching. I relaxed into a front seat ordered a Blue Moon and got to work. Having just watched Mikel paint with nothing but browns, I found myself dipping into the Sienna’s and Umber’s. Different musicians and singers rotated onto the stage. I searched for the moments when performers became completely lost in the music. By doing so I became just as lost in the spontaneous fluid searching rhythms and beats.When my beer was finished, I decided the sketch was finished as well.