Weekend Top 6 Fringe Picks

Posted on by Thor

Saturday May 18, 2019

3 PM to 4 PM $12.00 plus a $10 Fringe button. Black Wood. Gold Venue in the Orlando Museum of Art 2416 Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803.

Carpenter Aunt Productions, Orlando, FL

It’s 1967, and Caroline
Logan has just joined the cast of TVs top supernatural soap opera. But
will nervous network censors and a vampire with line trouble derail her
career before it’s begun? Probe the dark shadows of dysfunction in a
hilarious and poignant new comedy written by Fringe fave Steve Schneider
(Escape From Baldwin Park, Ominous George) directed by Dave Russell
(president, SAK Comedy Lab), and starring a cast of top O-Town talent.

13 and up – Strong Language, Adult Content

8 PM to 9 PM  $12.00 plus a $10 Fringe button. A Showgirls Musical. Orange Venue in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater 812 E. Rollins St Orlando, Florida 32803.

JMEG Theatrical, Winter Garden, FL

Sequins. Sabotage. Sex in the
pool? Based on every one’s favorite career killing cult classic, JMEG
Theatrical takes you to the 90’s with a parody musical that is sure to
have more than just your eyes popping. Nomi Malone arrived in Las Vegas
with just a suitcase and a dream. So pack your ice cubes, hitch a ride,
and wear your best Versayce!

18 and up – Nudity, Adult Content, Strong Language

This show includes strobe lighting effects.

10:30 PM to 11:30 PM  $12.00 plus a $10 Fringe button. Corsets and Cuties: #Celebrate. Black Venue in The Venue 511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803. 

Corsets and Cuties, LLC, Casselberry, FL

Fringe veterans Corsets
& Cuties have made their home at The Venue since their sold-out
debut August 2014. Sponsored by Premier Couples Superstore, the Cuties
personally welcome guests and attendees to their shows and the troupe
intends to light up the night this May in the Black Venue. With a
different guest star each night you never know what’s gonna happen with
this troupe. Be a part of the Cutie’s party and “have a good damn time.”

18 and up – Strong Language, Nudity, Adult Content

Sunday May 19, 2019

3 PM to 4 PM  $12.00 plus a $10 Fringe button. Black Cow Jumps. Purple Venue  in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater 812 E. Rollins St Orlando, Florida 32803. 

Banks Helfrich, Clermont, FL

Multi-vignettes that place the
human back into humanity. Visceral reflections of how we perceive
ourselves when we remove our veils, and shift into authenticity. An
observation of reality in a performance space to create a clarity and
frankness that we all crave, if only we are willing to see ourselves in
others. An invitation to pause long enough to experience our Ah-ha
moments in a room full of people desiring connection. Life soup.

18 and up – Strong Language, Adult Content

5:30 PM to 6:25 PM  $11.00 plus a $10 Fringe button. The Hammered Dog. Red Venue in the

Orlando Shakespeare Theater 812 E. Rollins St Orlando, Florida 32803.

Freeline Productions, Orlando, FL

Starring Fringe favorites Sarah
Lockard, Steven Johnson and Todd Allen-Long! From the creative team of
2016 Purple Patrons Pick Murder Sleep. Shy, insecure and emotionally
fragile Sandra meets the handsome, sexually possessive Ted at a
nightclub where a chance interaction quickly leads to an intense,
volatile relationship. Under the strain of her obscure past and Ted’s
emotional manipulation, her life takes a fateful turn. Some wounds never
heal.

13 and up – Adult Content

9:45 PM to 10:55 PM $10.00 plus a $10 Fringe button. How to Eat a Bear. Brown Venue  in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater 812 E. Rollins St Orlando, Florida 32803.  

Crafty McVillain, Orlando, FL

Best friends Dave and Mark
decide that they will stop at nothing to satisfy their inexplicable
craving for bear meat and find out the hard way that their quest will
lead them down every path except victory.

13 and up

Black Wood at Fringe

Posted on by Thor

Pam and I happen to have been binge watching Dark Shadows, a goth 1960s live TV show. The show ran for an incredible 1,225 episodes. We are still watching the first season, though it seems like it has been forever. Black Wood, written by Steve Schneider and directed by David Russell, recreated what it might be like for the cast of that tradition of live TV. I have a rather personal memory of watching Dark Shadows as a child. My mother was diagnosed with cancer and she spent most of her time in a NYC hospital away from our suburban New Jersey home. Towards the end, she came home and I would sit in bed with her watching Dark Shadows each day. To me the show seemed dark and sinister, often dealing with people struggling to stay alive after having their blood sucked away by Barnabas Collins… a VAMPIRE! This was one of the last memories I had of being close to my mom. I was 10 years old.

Black Wood featured a young method-acting student, Caroline (Melanie Leon) landing a prize role right after graduating from acting school. Her excitement and enthusiasm was thrilling. The long time cast of the show, however, was jaded, just trying to get through each episode without stumbling. To open her first appearance, Caroline read an opening monologue into the mic. Her throaty, reflective, and dreamy performance was perfectly in line with every intro that proceeded the actual on-air drama. In her monologue, she dreamed of how her life would change once she was finally confronted by Black Wood. The intern on the program, William (Hannibal Callens), was black and he tried to hold back a giggle. This was an ongoing joke.

The cast were professional actors faced with having to go live before the cameras for each show with only a brief rehearsal and script rundown. The sinister vampire of the series was Peter, playing Victor (J.D. Sutton.) He had a magnificently chiseled face, reminiscent of Vincent Price. One constant when watching the TV show live is that actors often stumbled horrifically over their lines. In this stage comedy, Victor as an aging actor was the one who would forget his, leaving the cast stunned as they tried to redirect him on the live broadcast. It left room for plenty of comedy and dark terrified stares off into the scary unknown.

This is my favorite Fringe show so far. I have the advantage of being in the midst of watching Dark Shadows. If you have never seen the goth 1960s drama, then some of the subtle jokes might be missed. But I had a blast. When Caroline let it slip that she was proud to be working on a soap opera, the whole cast gasped. They didn’t like referring to their show as a soap opera. They preferred to call it a daytime drama. Soap operas suck, but reality bites. I am certain that Barnabas Collins would approve.

Tickets are $12 plus a $10 Fringe Button. Show dates are:

Thursday May 16, 2019 at 8:45 PM to 9:45 PM

Saturday May 18, 2019 at 3 PM to 4 PM

Wednesday May 22, 2019 at 1:45 PM to 2:45 PM

Saturday May 25, 2019 at 1:45 PM to 2:45 PM

Sunday May 26, 2019 at 10:45 PM to 11:45 PM