Orlando International Fringe, Awards Ceremony

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I got to the Fringe Green Lawn of Fabulousness early to secure a spot to sketch the Awards Ceremony. I decided to sit at a spot that had a view down the center aisle of the approach to the stage. I was the only artist sitting at a long picnic table. Behind me a group gathered at another table. An actress at this table invited me to lean in and join their group. I am glad I did because there were so many amazing conversations happening leading up to the ceremonies. It was wonderful just being on the lawn and watching the sun set.

The Awards Ceremony started firing up when there was a flash mob dance scene along with stilt walkers in front of the outdoor stage. The conversations at our table were so heated that many didn’t notice the dancing going on. I resisted the urge to sketch until it got darker out.

This is the last sketch I did at this year’s Fringe, however there are three other sketchbooks filled with Fringe sketches being held hostage by a printer in town. Some Fringe artists have ordered prints from their shows and so I am waiting for the printer to get those done in a week or two weeks’ time. I suspect I will have to go and pick up one of the sketchbooks today so I can continue posting Fringe sketches.

Whenever an award was announced the audience would go wild. Having seen and sketched so many shows this year, I felt so much more invested in the awards since I had seen most of the shows which were winners. I hooted an hollered as loud as anyone. A couple of people at my table covered their ears and slipped away early, but I rejoiced in the loud chaos. Such energy fuels a sloppy but energetic sketch.

Critics’ Choice Award Highlights

  • Best Show: Then, Eve – A seriocomic monologue by Billie Jane exploring identity in the Garden of Eden.
  • Outstanding Comedy Play: Dolley. F*king. Madison. by Michael Knight, focusing on American democratic ideals.
  • Outstanding Original Script: Aradhana Tiwari for Byte, exploring AI and human relations.
  • Outstanding Ensemble: Queer!, highlighting Latinx experiences through story, song, and movement.
  • Outstanding Individual Performance (Comedy): Michael Knight.
  • Outstanding Individual Performance: Alexander Mrazek in Once Upon a Traitor and Robin Olson in The Sting of Revenge: A Prequel of Sorts.
  • Outstanding Individual Performance (Musical): Tymisha Harris for her roles in Bullock & the Bandits IV, Masquerade of the Red Death, and Josephine.
  • The Beth Marshall Spirit of the Fringe Award: Renaissance Theatre Company.

Fringe, Sting of Revenge: A Prequel of Sorts

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Squishing the Patriarchy of Orlando Florida presented The Sting of Revenge: A Prequel of Sorts at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival. I had sketched the Bugged Lady at a previous Fringe where she told a tale of revenge against a professor who abused her trust. That show was in a teaching lab at Leu Gardens which was perfect to present her creepy crawly arachnids.

Sandi Lynn wrote and starred in the play which was directed by her son Clark Levi. She played the part of the Bugged Lady and Robin Olson played the peppy high-school acquaintance.

The Bugged Lady ran into her old high school acquaintance, and they sat down for a coffee and a chance to catch up. The friend loved her high school days as a cheer leader, but the bugged lady only found her passion when she started studying bugs as an undergraduate. She excelled at understanding the power of venom.

Conversation turned to a boy in high school who got a girl pregnant and she had to drop out of school to have the child alone. The cheer leader wasn’t aware of this story and it turns out she ended up marrying the boy, who over time grew resentful and abusive. When the bugged lady learned of the abuse she began to convince her high school acquaintance that she had a deadly solution.

The bugged lady had a clear box in her bag that had a scorpion. She took the box out and gently shook the container which resulted in the scorpion raising its poisonous tail. AS she discussed her proposition, she walked the scorpion around the room so the people in the front row seats could get a very clear look and feel rather uneasy.

I was disappointed to learn that this would be the final showing of the bugged lady. There is a visceral pleasure in having a middle-aged woman get away with murder, but it would be nice if an intelligent female detective could get close to discovering the venomous secret.

Robin Olson won a Critics’ Choice Award for Individual Performance in Drama for her portrayal of the emotionally distraught woman in the play. From where I was seated, I mostly saw the back of her head, but her performance as she weighed right and wrong was very convincing.

As I worked on this sketch, I ran out of water for my watercolors. I had to spit on my palette to add the final washes. This resulted in some rather sickly and rough washes. Maybe this messiness was meant to be for this show about planning a perfect murder.

Fringe, Fogville: A Sparkly Vampire Parody Musical

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This fun original musical parody is built around the Twilight franchise. A clumsy and introspective new girl, Stella Moonswan played by Kristen Lee Vire, arrived in Fogville and  the social clicks did not know what to make of her. She didn’t quite fit in any of the normie school groups.

Everything changed when a moody vampire Edgar Sullen, played by actor Ansley Arthur, dressed all in black, rolled onto the scene on a tiny pink bicycle. In every scene he pouted and looked dark and brooding. How could Stella resist that?

When Stella and Edgar met, he confided that he had been stalking her for some time, admiring her creamy neck when she slept at night. That isn’t too creepy. She kind of liked the attention. They were drawn to one another like two magnets, but he would always pull away when they grew close since he was immortal and couldn’t be with some one who would die in less than a century.

A very handsome werewolf, Jake WolfWhite, played by actor Fredy Ruiz entered the scene. He had long wild hair and didn’t were shirts very often. He warned the new girl about Edgar and his thrist for blood. As a werewolf she would only need to be cautious around the full moon. My basic description lacks is plenty of dancing and musical numbers. This was all high camp fun.

I sketched a teacher writing on an imaginary black board and I got the pitcher of a vampire baseball team. I imagine vampires would only play baseball at in the dark making the ball hard to see. When a supernatural player hits the ball it could end up in the next county. The two facades were set up as brick walls and an outdoor setting when turned around.

Teen angst and misguided love are always a hit with me. The cast hit the ball out of the park with this parody. I am not very familiar with the Twilight franchise, but that didn’t matter. The campy plot had me hooked from the start.

Fogville: A Sparkly Vampire Parody Musical won multiple awards at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival.

  • Best of Fest: Awarded by the Orlando Sentinel.
  • Patron’s Pick: Given to the shows with the highest ticket sales.
  • Outstanding Director: Awarded to directors Bianca Matheson and Jules Bevilacqua.

Fringe: Sin: A Modern Musical

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At this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival, SIN: A Modern Musical featured Jesus Christ (JC’s) return to a world that worships branding and social media relevance over faith. JC had to choose between building a fan base or finding love with a disciple named Judas. The actor playing Judas was particularly memorable in how he belted out his songs.

Rather than celebrating the return of JC, the internet blew up with rumors and innuendo that condemned his return. Inflammatory misinformation and rumors overplayed JCs simple message of loving thy neighbor. Love and acceptance is not a message that generated enough click bait.

Angels worshiped their iPhones and the dance choreography was fun to watch. Musical numbers were inspired by Lady Gaga songs. I knew that any musical with this much dancing would be a challenge to sketch. Despite the challenges, I enjoyed every moment of this production. I was pleased to see Kaylka Fischl performing in this show. She has been fringing hard this year always arriving at each show holding a sign with her show poster with marquee lights. She was dancing in SIN and at one point almost upstaged God performed by The Ginger Minj (Joshua Eads).

Towards the end of the show. JC and Judas had a passionate kiss which had the audience hooting and hollering. Any time and audience is that impassioned by characters finding love I am fully on board.

SIN: A Modern Musical” (produced by Unseen Images Theatre) was a standout hit at the 2026 Orlando Fringe Festival. While it did not take home the top Best Musical in the Critics’ Choice Awards (which went to Ozma), the highly acclaimed, queer-friendly production won several other honors.

It won Patron’s Pick: The show’s popularity earned it a coveted Patron’s Pick slot, adding an extra performance.

It won the Clean Sweep Award: The production sold out all of its original shows, earning this performance-milestone award.

Fringe: Awaken

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Cindy Heen is the Founder and Artistic Director of Emergence Dance based in Orlando Florida. Having sketched Emergence Dance rehearsals in the past, I knew that Awaken at this year’s Orlando International Fringe show could be an emotional roller coaster. Ed Anthony, one of DEM Guys, had given me a fountain pen to experiment with to do this sketch. The line work was fluid, and I was having a blast catching the dancers gestures while being inspired by the story line and choreography.

Awaken had a circus act ring leader, Mars Powers, with a top hat and formal attire. The ring leader performed the spoken word introductions with verve and aplomb. The dances followed the stages of grief. It is a story that has weaved it way through my life and every creative soul’s life. Early dance routine expressed loss and pain and over time that dark chaos was replaced with healing and acceptance.

The line sketch I was working on felt lively and fluid. I loved the fountain pen I was playing with. Then I started adding watercolor to the page. I placed a few flesh-colored splashed o the page. The lines exploded and every wash I put on the page turned dark black. I realized eventually that the ink in the fountain pen I had borrowed was not waterproof. If I were to put a large watercolor wash on the whole page every line would bleed turning the whole sketch black. The darkness of grief was winning the battle to dominate the sketch. Delicate details I had sketched were being washed away. I had to work hard to keep light and hope in the sketch. Working in the dark theater I was not sure what the final result would be.

The dancer who was overcome with grief was helped on her journey to recovery by other dancers who refused to let her waste away. It is a story of hope and being able to rise from the ashes. Eventually her fractured and distorted movements became fluid and joyfully graceful. Pain turned to sharing and pleasure.

As I was sketching, I was afraid that I would lose every line I had put down on the page, but then I accepted the chaos and started to enjoy the uncertainty. There was so much more beauty than darkness but fate insisted that darkness should dominate the sketch.

This captivating show had 5 performances at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival.

Fringe: The Black Jack Show

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The Scarlet venue at the Orlando International Fringe Festival seemed too large for The Black Jack Show. I suspect the puppeteer is used to performing for one or two people at a time. Jack and Black are two hand puppets that host a variety show that included torch songs, shadow puppets, a dog, a vampire comedian, a lion dance and two white gloves that performed between acts.

The white gloves were in my mind that stars of the show. They were entertaining and played off one another magnificently. After a puppy marionette pranced around the audience one of the white gloves popped up with puppy ears on. There was something magical about the simplicity of those two gloves. They had a humerus shtick that played off of every other act.

A COVID-19 puppet came out 3 separate times to sing cabaret numbers. Since I animated a film about COVID-19, I know that audiences are not that receptive to being reminded about how humanity, and America in particular, is ill equipped to handle an outbreak. As the COVID puppet performed her songs, I could see people in the front row begin to shut down. One person was literally nodding off. Since people during the height of the pandemic refused to accept reality by saying the virus was a hoax and vaccines carry microchips, they certainly don’t want to be reminded that COVID is now endemic and will always pose a threat to our immune systems. I was rooting for the singing COVID puppet, but her performance was accepted like a lead balloon. She left the stage saying, “I’ll be back.”

The little puppy marionette was cute, but it really didn’t have any performance potential other than sitting on its hind legs and panting. The puppeteer, who looked suspiciously like Rasputin paraded the puppy up and down the aisles of the audience. Very few people could see the puppet, so they sat wondering what was going on. It would have been nice if there was a much higher, eye level stage the puppy could have performed on.

There was a shadow box with white frosted Plexiglas on the front of it. A flashlight and shadow puppets were moved around behind the Plexiglas. The light from the shadow box illuminated about 5 people in the audience. From where I was sitting, I could not see what was being shown. From my vantage point, I was watching the puppeteer struggling to find the silhouette figures and juggling the flashlight. The flashlight kept falling as he searched for the next shadow puppet.

The lion dance puppet was much like the little puppy. Few people could see it since it was on the floor rather than up on a stage. The lion dance marionette just jumped up and down. I was just left wondering why?

Overall, this puppet variety show left me confused rather than entertained. A few drinks consumed at the beer tent before the performance could make the puppetry more palatable.

Remaining show times for The Black Jack Show by the St. Vetus Theater Company Orlando Florida. The show can be found in the Scarlet Theater in the Orlando Family Stage (1001 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803.) It is rated for 13 and up since there were some mature themes but no puppet sex. The show ran for an agonizing 60 minutes. Tickets are $12 and be sure you have a Fringe button.

Friday May 22, 7:15pm

Saturday May 23, 1:15pm

Fringe: Queer!

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Queer! Celebrates Latinx Queer resilience at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. The cast, each in turn, tells stories if growing up and feeling different that those around them. One female even conformed and lived the life of a mom. Deep down she knew she was stifling who she really was. Some stories were told through music, movement and projections. Some were spoken word which often resonates with me.

The stories were all tied together with a common thread of courage in being able to remain unique in a world that often the violently demands conformity. With some story tellers I would stop sketching, transfixed and wanting to quietly take in all I was being told. Some stories demand moments of quiet reflection.

Two big screens acted as bookends on either side of the stage. When the cast was speaking Spanish, the screens would project English translations. When the cast spoke English the screens projected Spanish. I loved that touch of inclusion.

America has turned dark by making war on our Latin neighbors with ICE raids. Florida leads the nation for ICE detentions and is home to Alligator Alcatraz, a concentration camp set up in the swamps southern Florida. This show is a reminder that Orlando remains a bubble of acceptance in a country that has gone mad.

The stories in the show, however, were not about politics or mistreating neighbors. The stories resonate with strength, determination and love. That is a message we need to hear in these times. No matter what your ethnicity or sexuality is, you will love this cast.

Remaining show times for Queer! Presented by Descolonizarte Tearo, Inc. Orlando Florida. Silver Venue. Rated for 13 and up. 70 Minutes. Tickets are $15.

Wednesday May 20,9:50pm

Thursday May 21, 6:30pm

Friday May 22, 6:30pm

Sunday May 24, 5:35pm

Apartment Hunt: Lake Formosa

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I have been moving from AirBnB to AirBnB in downtown Orlando to get a feel for where I might set up my art studio again. I have been living out of my backpack ever since returning from Europe. I loved Thornton Park. I stayed in two places in Thornton Park, and my favorite was above a barber shop a few blocks from Lake Eola and right across the street from the Falcon Bar.  From the studio window I could look over Lake Eola toward the skyline in the west to see gorgeous sunsets.

Last week I stayed in Azalea Park. I thought Azalea Park was the neighborhood around Dickson Azalea Park which is lovely. I was wrong, Azalea Park is directly under flight path of planes landing at the Orlando Executive airport and the noise is overwhelming. Since that nightmare, I made a map that includes the noise levels from planes.

Today I moved to Livingston Street for several weeks. The place has a back yard with a fire pit and is just a several block walk to Lake Eola. It is so peaceful and quiet here. I am waiting for the shoe to drop, something unsettling is about to transpire. There are some flights that can be hears but they seem to be little prop planes. Honestly if this place had a long-term rental option or was for sale I would consider this a perfect studio location. Unfortunately, it is just an expensive AirBnB and I will need to move out at the end of May.

While sketching today, a woman mentioned that she had a place available in the house right next to the Maitland Art Center. She explained that the place was very small. She didn’t mention square footage. I wonder how small it is? I declined, but now I am thinking I should have at least looked at the place. The location would have been amazing.

Every day I wake up and wonder where I should call home. Should I stay in Orlando where I am familiar with the arts scene, or should I explore some new place? With no roots, I could go anywhere.

The sketch is from a duplex on Lake Formosa that I visited yesterday. It is just 700 square feet with a bedroom and living room which would be my studio. The view out of the sliding glass doors looks out over Lake Formosa. The car port is a plus. I drew a floor plan to see if my studio flat files and Disney desk could fit. It is tight but I can fit in the space. The duplex neighbor has a fiberglass Lizard in the front lawn which I rather like.

Whenever I am serious about a property I tend to sketch after viewing the interior. I find sketching helps me think and consider what it might be like to live in the place. People walked by with their dogs and quite a few bicyclists buzzed past. Several medical helicopters flew over the lake and the train tracks that run along the west bank of the lake are loud. I am trying to decide if the train horn blasts are endearing or annoying.

The location is amazing. A bike path begins right at the end of the street and I could walk to the Fringe, Shakes, OMA and the Mennello. I have been walking up and down Mills Avenue this week and all those restaurant choices and music venues would be walking distance from this spot.

Part of me wants to find a place right in downtown Orlando, but I don’t think those cramped high-rise apartments are for me. I was also walking through Eola Heights each evening and found quite a few homes for sale. I looked online and discovered that every one of them was well over a million dollars (WTF?!)  So, I shifted my gaze to rentals further north. That brought me to Lake Formosa.

I agonized for several days about this property and finally filled out an application form.  My application was denied because someone else snatched up the rental while I was debating. Back to square one.

FRINGE: Naked at My Age

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Naked at My Age was a one woman show featuring  Charla Hathaway about sensual pleasure at every age. She recounted an early affair with a French Soldier and then an open marriage where she was free to meet and explore other partners.

It was inspiring to listen to a woman who is my age or maybe a little older discussing her sensuality. Americans seem to feel pleasure is only for the young. Every audience member was given a peacock’s feather and at one point in the performance, we were encouraged to caress our skin with it’s gently tip. I did so, but kept my sketching hand moving, an act which also gives me pleasure.

There were several original musical numbers where Charla strummed her guitar and sang about, well, sex of course. A song related to free sex of the 60s and later in life finding a partner who could not get erect. With patience and caring she learned how to give and receive pleasure. Chala openly talked about having to get an abortion before it was legal. Later in life She felt she had given all she could as a school teacher and she answered an ad as a senior sex worker.

What started part time after teaching school children developed into a Ph.D from Florida University, an online sex advice site and several books which she wrote on sexuality. Today Florida University is cutting any mention of women in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and related language. UF has removed women’s studies courses.

A sign on stage was a quote from May West which was, “If my panties aren’t wet, they don’t come off”. Young boys used to try to force themselves on Charla but she learned to set boundaries until she knew she was moist and ready.  She pointed out that most people are so concerned with giving pleasure that they never relax enough to receive pleasure. Sexual partners might come and go but her advice was to, “leave your partners better than you find them”. It is advice that everyone should take to heart. It was beautiful to see that as we age, our sexuality continues to bloom when we find the right partner.

FRINGE: The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln

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When Abraham Lincoln delivered the now famous speech at Gettysburg, there was a photographer on hand who was scrambling to get his camera and flash set up. When he finally took the photo, the president was already in the process of sitting down. The image of the president was a blur. It is a shame there wasn’t an artist on hand.

Historical performer, Tom Leahy stood in as the former president and I had plenty of time to sketch him as he read from the script.

Besides reading the Gettysburg Address, he talked about his relationship with Mary Todd Lincoln and the death of his son which devastated them both.

Abraham discussed his launch into politics and read his acceptance speech. With the Civil War being such a gut wrenching dramatic time, I wish more of that drama had made its way onto the production.

Next door a huge audience was going wild for one of the opening shows of the Fringe. The muffled cheers made their way through the thin walls, marking a start contrast between the boisterous flavor of the Fringe and the stark historical monologue being read aloud.

A woman who had seen me start the sketch wanted to see the finished result. As she was looking at it, Lincoln wandered over to look. “Why did you lean me forward?” he asked. If I sketched him standing upright, he would not have fit on the page.