What If at Fringe

What If by Caitlyn Wisser dealt with tow workers starting their jobs at a new office. The female had plenty of past experience while the males only credibility came form the fact that he belonged to the same fraternity as the boss. The male was immediately promoted to the position of account executive while the female was asked if she could get the men some coffee. At the water cooler she met a female executive who recognized the injustice but suggested that she just tow the line until an opportunity arose.

The two new employees faced off about the injustice which the male couldn’t recognize. The theater lights flickered and dimmed and they both set their heads on the table. This was a time shift and they both woke up in a world where all their expectations had changed. Woman were paid equally to men and the only requirement for advancement was talent and ambition. Men were granted maternity leave along with woman and since women were the primary politicians, there was peace and prosperity.

It took the male worker a long time to adjust to the new world order but in the end he found he too was happy. When they slipped back to the old world order he defended his coworker when she was was disrespected by other male co-workers. The premise of the show was sound but some of the writing felt labored and forced. On top of this, the musical Along the Way, was in the theater next door and the paper thin theater walls allowed the boisterous musical numbers to seep into each scene in this show. What if, What If had been a musical?

Along the Way at the Orlando Fringe Festival

Mertz Productions, of Orlando, FL presents Along the Way at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival. The musical takes a glimpse into the lives of 8 people and how they are intertwined through travel. Each of them travel for different reasons, but along the way, all are faced with the question of what spurs them towards adventure and what those journeys mean to them. An original story featuring popular and contemporary pop music. Featuring lovable characters, comedy, romance and some powerful singing.

Set in an airport, the stage is set when a flight is delayed. Passengers must pass the time resulting in new friendships and some romance. The airport janitor breaks into a dream sequence in which everyone has a mop to dance with. The stewardess checking passengers in at the gate was Michelle Knight who performed as Snow White in Disenchanted, a Fringe show that made it all the way to off Broadway in the Big Apple. She brought the same saucy delivery to this role creating a character who could face down the most distraught crowd of passengers. A one point she broke into song, and cut the scene short apologizing, saying, “I forgot we cut that one.”

A holistic healer fell for a business traveler, and serenades him with her Ukulele. A stewardess wife wants to get on the flight so she could be with her husband, the pilot, for their anniversary. Some numbers hit home with absolute delight and others were just stirred into the mix not yet forwarding the story or serving a purpose. There was some real singing talent in the cast. Overall however the show had me bobbing my head as I sketched, a pleasant way to spend 55 minutes at the Fringe.

10:00 PM

1:30 PM 

6:45 PM 

6:45 PM 

8:30 PM