Costume Contest

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Terry was at the bar with a co-worker when I arrived at Taste for the Anime Masquerade. When I started a second sketch of the cast of characters at the end of the bar, she decided to head home. Neither of us were in costume, so we kind of stuck out from the crowd. After the burlesque, there was a costume contest on the main stage. There was a cat lady with flaming red hair, that masked guy from Vendetta, some hooded guy who was perhaps a hangman, and some guy who I think was a Cheshire Cat. Lets face it, I don’t know enough about Anime or video games to know who was who. There were some choice prizes however from “A Comic Shop.” Next time I should make more of an effort.
The evening was a challenge. Everyone was constantly on the move in the tight space. Every sketch swam in a sea of uncertainty. I am starting to realize that I should ask people to pose. Some of the costumes were so complex and beautiful that I am certain that the creator would be honored to pose. I need to stop trying to catch the big picture sometimes and instead go in for the close up.

This was a very crowded and successful event. I’ve been told that these kind of costumed events happen fairly regularly in Orlando. If you know of such events please contact me here or on Facebook. I would love to keep sketching these types of events.

Anime Masquerade

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The Anime Masquerade was held at Taste to help raise funds for Japanese relief. At the bar people gathered in costumes to drink. Apparently there is a new phenomenon in which people dress as their favorite video game or anime character and then go places where others do the same. In the back room Anime themed paintings lined the walls. This was a difficult event to sketch since the people in costumes were constantly on the move, voguing for one camera and then another. I sat on the steps to the stage. On the table in front of me, a man and woman in kimonos, named Hai and Nhi, were displaying art work. A sketch that reminded me of self portraits by Egon Schiele was lying on the table along with a tip jar. A woman dressed like Speed Racer wandered the room.

A woman climbed past me to get on stage. She announced a burlesque show. Behind her a blue satin bolt of fabric hung from the ceiling. Honey Malone took to the stage and wrapped herself in the fabric. What followed was an aerial act and burlesque that had me mesmerized. I stopped sketching and just watched. She held herself suspended by just wrapping her legs in the fabric.

The woman dressed as Speed Racer also did a burlesque. She began in a car seat acting like she was driving. She got up took off the helmet and let her long blonde hair flow free. It wasn’t long before her blue costume was lying on the stage and she danced with tasseled pasties decoratively spinning on her chest. My reflexes weren’t quick enough to catch the action. Actually as I think back, I wasn’t paying much attention, since I was engrossed in finishing another sketch. Yes… That’s right, I didn’t see a thing.

Austin’s Coffee

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Austin’s Coffee (929 West Fairbanks Avenue) has become a spot where I can wind down after work. I often have an hour or two to kill before heading off to sketch an event and it would make no sense for me to drive all the way home. I usually order a Yak which is a cold coffee with caramel and chocolate. 0h, it is so good. That is my coffee with the plastic domed lid and a straw in the lower right corner. I like to sit up on the staging area in front of the front window. The wooden tables and chairs are fancifully painted. Then, as I sip my coffee, I start sketching fellow patrons.

This fellow was using Austin’s as his office. There is free Wi–Fi. He complained to a buddy about the job market and he refused to go back to an office where he was asked to work overtime with no extra pay. The odd painting behind him caught my eye. Larvae or grasshopper people were caught in a violent looking copulation embrace. The colors dripped and splashed with few features to define pleasure or pain. Each brick on the wall is individually painted in the entry area. The place is a constant visual feast.

Andy Matchett & The Minks

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I had seen Andy Matchett & The Minks perform once before at a RIFF fundraiser at the Cameo Theater. They performed late that evening and I had put away my sketchbook. I had so much fun at that concert just dancing and jumping. It was a playful rave experience. Ever since then I have been looking for a chance to sketch this band in action. Andy told me about a concert at the Social and I leaped at the opportunity to see them again.

I had just finished an afternoon of sketching people for the Mennello Museum mural. Angela Abrusci had posed in a beautiful vintage dress as she applied lipstick and James and Jasmine Barone had me in stitches, joking and teasing as I worked. She held a parasol and he was in a kilt. When the sketches were done, I walked across the street to the Fringe festival’s green lawn of fabulousness to get some dinner. I bumped into Jeremy Seghers who was also going to see Andy Matchett & The Minks that night. He told me the group would be performing around 11pm so I had time for a Fringe show. He told me all about the show he had created called “Squatters” and it was about to begin so I rushed over to the theater. Jeremy told me the Social was on Orange Avenue just south of Colonial Drive.

I parked downtown in my usual “supersuprimo” spot and started walking towards Orange. I passed a cheesy mural which offered no inspiration. When I got to Orange I made the mistake of turning right to walk north towards a club I had been to before. After five blocks I realized I was lost. I looked up the Social address on my cell phone and went the other way. I was a sweaty mess when I got to the Social, where I was issued a green wrist band and ushered inside past the bouncer. I immediately saw Betsy Dye and Emma Kruch and my spirit lifted. Another band was performing and they were LOUD! I shouted a greeting to Betsy and she shouted out that this was a rare night out for her. Jeremy waved me over and I gave up trying to shout over the music. I found a spot where I decided to plant myself to sketch. I used the band on stage to block in where the Minks would likely be once they performed. Then I sketched the dancing crowd.

As Andy Matchett & The Minks set up, I continued to sketch. Before they played, a band member handed me some confetti. Jeremy found some seats and I joined him. The performance was pure unbridled fun. The second they started playing, confetti cannons sprayed vast clouds of heart shaped confetti over the crowd. Hair driers kept the confetti and streamers airborne through the whole show. Blowers sent streams of toilet paper into the crowd. Betsy collected the paper and wrapped herself into a fashionable cocoon. The lights flashed various colors on my sketchbook page. I imagined the Japanese animation that caused seizures in children. A parachute was unfurled over the cheering audience. Britt Daley had performed earlier that night and she introduced me to her mom, Gazelle. Jeremy kept getting bonked in the head and we laughed. Robbie Senior, a giant red robot from “Dog Powered Robot” invaded the stage. An epic laser and confetti battle followed. The crowd went wild. A wine glass crashed to the floor. A woman who had been sitting demurely all evening, was now dancing up a storm. The next day when I opened my sketchbook to see what I caught, a pink confetti heart fluttered to the floor.

Bitches of the Kingdom

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I desperately wanted to see “Bitches of the Kingdom”. The show had won a Patron’s Pick Award and so it had one last performance on Memorial Day. I had met the producers Fiely and Dennis and they were so incredibly gracious. When Terry and I arrived at the Shakespeare Theater lobby, there was already a long line. This time around there was no problem picking up tickets. The line stretched from the entrance of the Margeson Theater all the way to the entryway. A volunteer split the line behind us and then had it wind back down the length of the building down a ramp. Every time someone entered, the volunteer would ask them if they had their tickets and a Fringe badge. He would then direct them to the end of the line.

When we got inside the Margeson, we looked for seats on the side lines so I could be close to the performers. Fiely Matias, the show’s producer and director pointed to two seats that were being saved with yellow programs taped to the seat backs. Terry was pleased and the seats were in a great spot for me to sketch from. I hooked up a book light to my sketchbook so I could sketch when the house lights went down.

The show was a delight from the start. It plays upon the princess complex that is so prevalent in the Disney Animated films. These princesses look beyond “Happily Ever After.” They had attitude. Snow White played by Michelle Knight started things off with a stunning solo. I have seem her perform twice before. She knows how to grab an audience’s attention and hold it from the first note. Her voice is hypnotizing. The music and lyrics were written by Dennis Giacono who sat behind the piano. The lyrics and performances were always laugh out loud funny. Snow White held a note for so long that the audience started to clap. Cinderella played by Brittany Berkowitz LeNoir waited excitedly to begin her song. Snow White hogged the spotlight by extending her song with flashy vocal acrobatics, interrupting Cinderella every time she stepped forward. Snow White sang to a pretty bird on her finger then she gently tossed him in the air and he dropped like a rock. She tried to kick him aside like nothing happened. lt was hilarious.

One of my favorite numbers was “All I want to do is Eat!” Cinderella was on the thin side and any Disney princess seemed to always have a pencil thin waste. At the end of this number Cinderella is so lost in the thought of food, that she shivered orgasmically. Belle covered her eyes while the other princesses raised an eyebrow. The song ended with Cinderella getting close to the microphone and taking a rapturous crunch of a potato chip.

Another funny number was “Big Tits.” Snow White dominated this number with a sassy, sensual performance that stressed the power she held over any Prince Charming. As she put it, “Do I look like I have to wait for my prince to cum?” After a moments pause the audience roared. Early rehearsals demonstrate much of the charm and magic that was brought to life with today’s cast. I can’t brag enough about this production. I hope it has a long life in increasingly larger venues. These bitches rule!

My Pal Izzy

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I met Melanie Galle, the actress from My Pal Izzy, on the green lawn of fabulousness. She was handing out flyers to her show and when I told her I needed models for the Mennello Museum mural she was glad to help. She handed out more flyers and then met me to head across the street to the museum. As I sketched her outside she was enchanted with all the lizards that scurried among the leaves. She had a constant childish delight that made for a fun sketching experience.

Melanie channeled that delight in her performance as Rebecca Rosenstein, a childhood friend of Irving Berlin. She related details from Irving Berlin’s early career as she also related details of her career as a show girl. She dressed conservatively in the beginning of the show, keeping herself wrapped in an elegant purple kimono. When she sang “If you don’t want my Peaches” she let the kimono slip open showing her vibrant yellow dress. She shook her shoulders and sang, “you better stop shakin’ my tree!” Most of the Irving Berlin songs had this fun playful spirit.

Dorothy Goetz was a young singer who approached Irving Berlin with the hopes of singing his next hit. Another singer was there and the two women brawled over the sheet music. Izzy quickly fell in love. His romance with Dorothy Goetz however ended tragically when Dorothy died when she was just 20 years old. In his grief he was unable to write. Friends finally pulled him aside to convince him that he had to go on. The song he wrote next, called “When I lost you” was heart wrenching.

My Pal Izzy was a a nostalgic look back at the heart felt joys and sorrow of a great songwriter. Melanie’s well trained voice delivered the songs with warmth and humor. The performance combined fact and fiction to unravel the secrets of an amazing talent. The music is still fresh and vibrant today.

Squatters

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Squatters was conceived by Jeremy Seghers. This was one of the few improvised shows at Fringe this year. Jeremy built the idea around the premise that a sitcom about people living through hard times can be funny. I arrived a little early and blocked in the set in my sketchbook since I knew the show was only half an hour. Logan Donahue was a guest star. Every performance of Squatters at Fringe would be unique. Jeremy said he had given prompts and suggestions the evening before in a prior performance and he suspected the actors had too much time to over think the possibilities. On the evening I sketched the actors were given prompts just moments before they went on stage.

I found myself doing improv once when director Aradhana Tiwari insisted I join her group of actors. I was way out of my comfort zone yet the thrill of scenes taking on a life of their own is a thrill. Therefore I was rooting for the cast with every quirky turn.

The show started with a stage hand wearing a head set came who out to announce the beginning of the show. We were the studio audience. The set consisted of an ugly lime green rug and furniture that looked like it was from the 60’s. Hints that the family was squatting were subtle, like when Cody Bush bragged that he had landed a job at Walmart. Logan added a real spark when he entered as a new age guru with a purple mask painted on his face. Scenes where he seduced Ashli Conrad were inspired.

There were plenty of laugh out loud moments and some outright strange surreal moments that were so campy I had to laugh. The laugh track added another layer to the humor. I must say, I had fun and this show took many chances many of which paid off. This is what Fringe is all about.

Oral

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I was delighted when Hannah Kugelmann the author of “Oral” contacted me. She first thought of the concept for this play while she was attending UCF. The show was first introduced to Fringe audiences in 2006 where it won “Best Fringe Newbie.” The play began with Lindsay Cohen taking a thick piece of chalk and writing fellatio on the blackboard. Turning toward the audience she described the derivation of the word and then described the process of giving head in delightful detail. She stroked the thick stick of chalk absentmindedly as she spoke. I maneuvered the sketchbook onto my lap. She described a two fisted process of alternating hand movements that I am certain I have never experienced.

Each member of the cast would come out and write their own word of choice on the blackboard to begin their thoughts about oral sex. Though some scenes were a bit clinical, the open dialogue began to unravel the underlying importance of intimacy in relationships. A man came out and began a long argument about how he felt accepted when a woman swallowed. He punctuated his discussion with a sad face spitting and a happy face licking it’s lips for swallowing. The misunderstandings and confusion that men and women have on the subject showed how difficult it can be to satisfy a partner if the subject isn’t discussed. Brian Feldman walked across the stage at an arbitrary moment and several audience members clapped.

In the one scene where oral sex is simulated under the cover of sheets, the woman came up for air when she was done, and became annoyed when her partner praised her for her technique. The argument escalated until the man finally offered some advice. She was suddenly complacent and they cuddled in bed. He then started offering another suggestion, but she stopped him saying, “Don’t push your luck.” Who knew that an hour spent talking about oral sex could be so funny, educational and uncover so much about our underlying emotional needs. This was a delightful production that left me thinking… Why is it I have never … , no I don’t think I’ll go there. But I might have intimacy issues.

The Attendant

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As one of his 11 performances at this year’s Fringe Festival, performance artist Brian Feldman, decided to pose as a bathroom attendant. He set up shop in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s men’s and women’s room. When I arrived at the men’s room, Tisse Mallon was acting as an attendant in Brian’s place since he was running late. He ran in with a rental tux slung over his shoulder and went to change in the handicap stall. Tisse helped him with his bow tie and cumber-bun. There was a large tip bowl and plenty of manly items for sale. Some items like Q- tips were complimentary. If you wanted baked beans, a pickle, condom or the latest copy of Jet magazine, there was a price list.

I had only sketched in a public bathroom once before. That time, the bathroom wasn’t in use. This time men came and went frequently. Several men must have eaten something nasty from the vendors outside because there were some wet noisy gastric explosions. I suggested that perhaps there should be a quaint fountain sound track in case anyone was unable to concentrate on the task at hand. Some men turned away thinking there must be a line since some people stood around and gawked. I suppose having an artist sketch you while you pee could be distracting. Mark Baratelli came in and snapped pictures. Then he tried to coach Brian on how an attendant should interact with patrons. His examples were hysterical. When someone reached for soap he would thrust his arm in the way and say, “let me get that for you.”

There were DVD’s for sale as well like Mannequins 2, and films starring Silvester Stallone. I was surprised when one of the five hour energy drinks was sold. I erased it from my sketch. The oddest item was a crusty sea captain sculpture. Ear plugs seemed appropriate should a show be too loud and Advil would help the resulting headache. Tisse offered a tour of the women’s room and I stopped my sketch to follow her. In the women’s room there was a pregnancy test kit, stockings and an even wider assortment of goodies. It was an odd feeling being in there as women squeezed by to get to the stalls. As I was leaving a women was coming in. Her eyes widened when she saw me and she asked, “Am I in the right place.” I said, “Yep, you’re at the Fringe.”

I rushed off to a show I had been invited to attend by the writers. It was pouring outside. Terry entered the lobby drenched. Through a series of volunteer mistakes and blunders, we were then turned away from the theater, our tickets given away to others in a completely sold out house. If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Terry was furious at me for spending so much time in the men’s room and not getting into the show I promised her we would see. I think I’m Fringe fried.

0il change?

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As one of the eleven performance pieces Brian Feldman is doing at this year’s Orlando Fringe Festival, he promoted an event where he would change the oil in Beth Marshall’s car. When I arrived Brian’s mom, Marilyn, was there to greet me in front of the Shakespeare Theater. She stood near an old beat up Ford Ranger. Parked in front of the pickup was a sleek new black Mustang. Brian arrived dressed in blue mechanic’s overalls. He announced that the performance was sponsored by Harriet Lake. I sat on top of a retaining wall next to Beth.

Brian had recruited his Uncle, Gary Wattman, to supervise since Brian had never changed a car’s oil in his life. Brian crawled under the truck to find the oil drain plug while his uncle coached him. When the plug was found, Gary handed Brian a wrench to get it off. A small bowl was in place to catch the old oil. Brian groaned and strained in an effort to loosen the plug. He continued to groan for perhaps ten minutes. Beth shouted, “It sounds like you’re giving birth under there!” Gary gave Brian a two foot length of lead pipe to slip over the wrench handle to gain some leverage. He couldn’t get that plug off.

Then someone suggested they drive the front end of the truck up onto the curb to give him more room to work. The front wheels wouldn’t drive over the curb. Fringe patrons continued to walk by. If the truck lunged up someone could get hurt. Beth called off the curb idea. They then considered using a curb closer to the museum. Before they got there Brian called off the oil change, conceding defeat. He decided to park the truck back at the original staging point. Instead of changing the oil he simply topped it off.

Beth was asked why Brian was working on her husband’s pickup rather than her sporty Mustang. “Are you kidding me? This car is new and he has no idea what he is doing. He might break something. We are thinking of getting rid of the pickup soon anyway.” she said.