Orlando Fringe: Eleanore’s Story, Life After the War

Posted on by Thor

Ingrid Garner is such a dynamic force as a story teller. Actually she is more than a storyteller, she is a cast of thousands.

Eleanore’s Story: Life After the War follows a show I got to experience and sketch back in 2018. In that show we followed the life of an American family who were stuck in Germany as World War II broke out because one member could not return to America.

In this sequel we got to feel the relief as the family prepared to get out of the largely leveled Berlin which had been carpet bombed into oblivion. Somehow every member of the family had survived.

However the United States would not pay for Eleanore’s mom to return. The family agonized but her mom insisted they go and she would find a way out later.

The steamer trunk was packed and the family left with mom still in Berlin. The view of the statue of Liberty brought tears to the eyes of every one. Americans were so different that the Germans they left behind. They were well fed and moved with drive an purpose.

In the American high school the bell announcing the change of classes reminded the young girl of bomb warning sirens. Flashbacks happened in quick succession. I might have drawn Ingrid in a quiet moment as she face the audience but se was in constant motion, reenacting every horror and joy.  A kiss from an American boy brought back a memory of Soviet soldiers kicking in the front door and making themselves at home. Every woman knew what would happen. Eleanore tried to avoid the possibility by looking sickly. Her mother on the other hand, took pride in her beauty. When the inevitable moment came her mother shouted that they were all Americans. Amazingly the threat of raping American allies, diffused the situation.

The show is based on a published memoir by her grandmother. I really want to read it now to learn more.

Orlando Fringe: The Estate Sale

Posted on by Thor

The Orlando Fringe pre-show for The Estate Sale was pure genius. Kelly Dee had several folding tables set up with estate sale items for sale. Everything was for sale and people purchased items on mass. Genevieve seated in front of me had purchased more items than she knew how to carry.

This one woman show covered 40 years working with her mother in estate sales. Kelly left Central Florida multiple times to go to the big cities like New York and LA, but she kept getting drawn back.

Oh, and if you are wondering what she is holding in my sketch, that is an item everyone would want if they knew it existed. It is a beautifully carved dildo with an inlay  sculpture of Jesus Christ up the shaft. Lets face it every bed stand needs one.

I loved the big ceramic Owl lamp base. The home-studio I am renting has an owl sculpture on a garden wall in the front yard and it would be nice to be further surrounded by owls. I heard one the other night hooting from across the lake. I think it was hooping at the planes flying overhead.

As they say, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure and Kelly shared her love and life lessons in this hilarious one woman show. I wish I could promote the show, but The Estate Sale has cum and gone. If you do happen to see a Jesus dildo at an estate sale, do let me know. I might be starting a collection. I give The Estate Sale 4 Big Jesus Dildos.

Orlando Fringe: Grease Too!

Posted on by Thor

I sat first in line for 1001 Red Flags early in the Fringe. As I waited, Megan Phillips came up and handed out the flyer to her show Grease Too! She then gave an exuberant pitch. She then sand one of the numbers as we waited. As I sketched other shows I was advised to see Grease Too twice by Fringe die hards.

Then I sketched a Visual Fringe Story Telling hour produced by Bobby Wesley of Orlando Story Club. Megan Phillips told a story during that program and it was intimate and visceral. She teared up letting us all know this was the first time she was relating the memories. By the end of her story I was welling up and felt a deep respect for her journey.

Back to Grease Too which was a high energy romp where she related her insights into two of the campiest films ever made. I had seen Grease 1 but never saw Grease Two. After her insanely fun commentary, I feel I have experiences both films from a vibrant new perspective.

Producer Bobby Wesley was seated beside me which put me at ease, because I am often concerned that the glow of my iPad screen might distract any audience around me.  A box of Oreos were being passes around during the show. I had one in line and one during the first act.

Megan had one knee high bobby sock on her left leg. I desperately wanted to paint a white bobby sock on her other leg but that leg was bare. Megan was playing a very young girl at the equivalent of a pajama movie viewing party. A persistent bully at school tried to make her feel small, but her love of these musicals let her spirit soar and she lifted our spirits along with her own.

As she was making her final announcements, the Fringe Festival producer Tempestt Halstead came in and announced that Megan’s show had won the blue venue patrons pick award. The audience went wild and Megan stood and jumped in place with her hands to her face. I feel so lucky to have been sketching as Megan felt the sharpest knives of memories stabbing their way back into her consciousness and then the absolute joy of being recognized for her joyous talents. Life is bursting at the seams as I quietly sit and sketch. As an artist my hear swelled.

Grease Too! has one more show tonight.

Sunday May 26, 12:20pm

The show is in the Blue Venue and rated 13 and up. It has a run time of 60 minutes and tickets are $15. There will also be another show scheduled since she won patron’s pick. Trust me you will have a blast and discover a new summer love.

Fringe: The Curve

Posted on by Thor

The Curve at the Orlando International Fringe Festival features, Genie Carter, a San Francisco bases circus performer. She used simple projections to note the sections of the show such as the prologue.

As a child she entered a Chinese acrobatics class and fell in love. One of the masters however warned her that the curve of her back would hold her back. That didn’t stop her from wanting to become a seasoned acrobat.

She compared the practice to classic gymnastics. She did a classic gymnastic tumble with the typical arching beginning and end poses. With the new practice the tumble was similar but with jazz and so much more flair.

The show is a mix of so many elements, like mockumentary style advertisements, sock puppets, and most important an intimate view into her journey as an artist. I loved when she realized that she had spent so much of her career hoping for someone to pluck her out of obscurity to fit her into their project. When she realized she could create her own projects she blossomed. Even if a number doesn’t quite work out as rehearsed, if you take a big bow, the audience will love you for the effort. Any flaws make the performer all the more appealing. I give the show 4 cartwheels.

The Curve is in the Blue Venue in the Orlando Shakes. It is rated for all ages with a run time of 60 minutes. Tickets are $15.

One showtime remains…

Saturday May 25, 3:05pm

Fringe: The Process is Ugly

Posted on by admin

The Process is Ugly presented by The Scrappy Batch at this year’s Fringe was the hardest hitting emotional show I have seen this year. It is a one woman show that delves into the attempts at emotional recovery after physical harassment.

Daniella Ross was groped at work and she responded with a solid punch to the fellow employee. She and the employee were temporarily layed off. She later found out the male employee was layed off for much less time.

She decided to try an Eat, Pray. Love style recovery by traveling to an exotic location to practice yoga and holistic living. That lifestyle didn’t suit her. Her brain raced during meditation. Then during yoga the male instructors felt the need to correct her poses. The first instructor just uses the base of his hand but the second flat out grabbed her. She overheard him during lunch saying essentially that he could grab practitioners any way he liked. As an audience member I felt the anger. Why can’t people just respect the personal space of others?

I felt the most magical moment came when the show was over. This was a the first time she was performing the show at Fringe. She stood in front of the audience and said, “What do I do now?” What she had shared was so raw and emotional. She began to explain how certain conversations were verbatim what had transpired. She got choked up as she explained. The emotions were still raw and very real. This is the magic of live theater, sometimes it hits a nerve so tender and universal that the whole audience identifies intimately. I give the show 4 yoga mats.

The Process is Ugly is in the Scarlet venue and rated 18 and up. It has a run time of 60 minutes. Tickets  are $15.

The remaining show times are…

  • Saturday May 25, 4:20pm
  • Sunday May 26, 5:45pm

 

Fringe: A Drag is Born

Posted on by Thor

I loved the opening minutes of A Drag is Born at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. After the usual opening introductions, one of which was by a Fringe volunteer, wearing a pink flamingo hat, who had no idea she would end up on stage. The house grew silent. There was a glorious lengthy instrumental fanfare and then again a long silence.

People in the audience began to clap which would fade and then come back in another enthusiastic wave. I soon realized someone seated in the front row at house right was starting the clapping waves. I was trying to draw the guy in the baseball hat and he kept looking in that direction, so I stopped drawing for a while.

The guy in the front row was indeed the performer, Canarian artist Edu Diaz. I just learned this today, but the Canary islands  belong to Spain but are geographically in the north of Africa. He tried to make a break for the exit but a spotlight caught him. The audience had to encourage him to get up on the stage, which he did reluctantly. He leaned in towards a microphone and was shocked when he sounded like a seasoned female Broadway  musical actress.

What followed was a glittering and glorious performance as he pealed away layers to show off vibrant outfits in various colors of the rainbow. He understood the burlesque art of pealing off a glove with slow deliberateness. He never uttered a word but the audience was 100% behind him and wanted him to succeed. At times there was audio of a crowd muttering which I took as judgement which he learned to ignore. The show was part vaudeville, part clowning and part a celebration of brilliant fashion and individuality. The performer transformed from an awkward guy in a drab hiking outfit, into a diva that gained the love of the audience. At the start his expression was sad, and frightened but by the end his faced beamed with confidence and joy. The audience stood for a long standing ovation.

After the performance, Edu said that this was his first time leaving the creative bubble of New York City and he loves the energy of the Orlando Fringe. You should go, it is a fabulous time. I give the show 5 outfit changes.

The show is in the Pink Venue at the Orlando Shakes. It is rated 13 and up with a run time of 60 minutes. Tickets are $15.

The remaining show times are…

  • Thursday May 23, 7:55pm
  • Saturday May 25, 7:10pm
  • Sunday May 26, 10:45pm

Fringe: Whore’s Eye View

Posted on by Thor

Whore’s Eye View presented by Old Pros from New York City is an eye opening show about the 10,000 years of history of the oldest profession as told by Kaytlin Bailey who was herself a sex worker. In the stool beside her was a burbon which she sipped whenever the audience clapped.

The history itself was astounding with men throughout history finding ways to demonized women to the point where it is unsafe for a woman to walk a street alone even today. From Hammurabi to Trump history just keeps repeating itself. In June of 2022 the supreme court overturned Roe V. Wade effectively removing a woman’s right to an abortion. In the past, strong willed woman were burnt at the stake. Taking away a woman’s right to choose is much the same practice.

I was amazed to find out that the first woman to run for President in the United States was a sex worker. No it was not Hillary Clinton. Her name was Victoria Clafin Woodhall and she ran for president back in 1872. She was an activist for women’s rights and labor reforms. Woodhull was also an advocate of “free love”, by which she meant the freedom to marry, divorce and bear children without social restriction or government interference.

The show is part comedy and a large part lecture, but that might just be because I had so much to learn. For instance I learned that a woman’s clitoris is not just the little nubbin men have been told to tickle, but rather it is the size of a hand. Whoah!

When Katlin got married she couldn’t help but think that her husband was getting a really good deal.

The show was such a whirlwind of information and it left me wanting to learn more. It is backed by Amnesty International, The World Health Organization, Human Rights Watch and UNAids. They all agree that decriminalizing sex work is the only policy that reduces violence.

I highly advise you see this show. You will leave the theater wanting to make a difference.

Remaining show times…

  • Thursday May 23, 8:00pm
  • Saturday May 25, 7:30pm
  • Sunday May 26, 3:00

Fringe: Hyde

Posted on by Thor

Push Physical Theater of Rochester New York presents Hyde at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Hyde is being staged at the large Peach venue in the Orlando Family Theater.

As the performer was introducing the show he got a phone call from his mom who was late to the performance. He held a finger up to put the audience on hold and tried to convince his mom that she should be able to use google maps to find the venue. Visibly shaken he handed off his phone to someone in the audience and told them to get on stage and hand it back the phone should it ring.

A dynamic immersive physical performance began where he was tumbling with another performer. At the height of the piece, the phone rang and the audience member ran on stage to hand the phone back. The mom on the phone wanted to turn back, she had already missed too much of the show. The performer was crushed. He asked if there were any mothers in the audience and needed to know if there love for their child was unconditional. What would Hyde’s mother be like?

In the recesses of the stage, illuminated in a green light, a mother sat opposite her son who looked sunken and devastated. She slowly got up and walked behind him and put her hand on his shoulder and leaned over to rest her forehead on his head. Cut to black.

The PUSH Company engages with undeserved populations in areas of some of the highest  poverty rates and little access to the arts. The show abstractly addressed an underlying cause gun violence in America. Americans seem content to ignore gun violence until it happens in their back yard, even then thoughts an prayers are offered and nothing is done. Physical theater is being used to try and wrap its arms around the root causes of violence. If people have a creative outlet, they might not need a gun.

Hyde is rated 13 and up. The show is one hour long and tickets are $15.

Remaining show times:

  • Wednesday May 22, 6:00pm
  • Friday May 24, 7:10pm
  • Saturday May 25, 2:10pm
  • Sunday May 26, 8:00pm

 

Fringe: Love Crumbs

Posted on by Thor

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

Fringe: The Light Bringer

Posted on by admin

The Light Bringer is a one woman Fringe show about an Arab family coming to America and finding the American dream.

I thought I might be sketching the performer seated beside the lantern but Laila Lee immediately jumped up and related her tale with endless enthusiasm.

She was a young girl when her family immigrated to America. She loved discovering American culture which conflicted with her parents wanting to hold onto traditional ways. She truly had the energy of a 12 year old as she discovered American music and fashion.

Around her neck was a long shining yellow scarf. It turned out that scarf was actually a hijab which should be worn around a woman’s head. In high school she wore it as a bandanna to look cool.

Her desire to blend in and accept American fashion came head to head with her fathers ideas of what would be good for her. He wanted to marry her off to save her from becoming an American slut. Laina had to choose between her family or becoming who she felt she needed to become. As another act of rebellion she started taking acting classes which lead to her eventually taking the stage today and I am glad she did. There is a second show she has developed which takes off where this show left off. I for one desperately want to know more.

This was an amazing show brimming with energy. I give it 5 hijabs.

The Light Bringer is in the Blue Venue. It is rated 13 and up with a run time of 60 minutes. Tickets are $14,

Remaining show times:

  • Thursday May 23, 7:00pm
  • Saturday May 25, 9:20pm