O-Town: Voices from Orlando

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I was still reporting about the Orlando International Fringe Festival last year when the horrific shooting at the Pulse nightclub happened on June 12, 2016. Fringe is once again going to burst onto the Lock Haven Park complex bringing drama, and comedy for a solid week on unrelenting theater and fun. Last year after the shooting I asked Orlando artists to go to the Falcon Bar to create 49 portraits of the innocent lives lost at Pulse. Those 49 portraits were then exhibited at the Orlando Science Center and on that evening I was interviewed about the project. That interview then became the source of inspiration for a monologue in O-Town.

Prints of the 49 portraits hung behind the stage giving the somber impression of prison bars. The play is based on a series of interviews conducted mostly by David Lee, of people who have been affected by the tragedy. It opens with a monologue inspired by Our Town written by Thornton Wilder. The opening described Orlando on the eve of the shooting. People and places would be very different the next day. A homeless man would be lighting candles at the Dr Phillips memorial site each night, a costume shop owner would soon be creating thousands of rainbow ribbons…

I spoke with Christopher Hanson multiple times about how he survived that night at Pulse. The actor playing Christopher told the story of survival and personal responsibility with humor and lots of heart. Then the actor playing me took to the stage. I was surprised to find myself tearing up based on things I had said a year ago. It seems like a lifetime ago. People in the audience were also getting choked up. One woman cried through the whole show. I had just one paper towel I had decided to bring in from the men’s room.

Other monologues described fighting hate with love using Angel Action Wings made of PVC and and white fabric. People who planned to protest the funerals of Pulse victims were blocked by these angels who would sing to drown out their hate. A first responders wife described how her husband was changed by his evening in the aftermath of Pulse. He would experience PTSD from that night onward and there was no disability for the mental anguish. Had be broken his leg then there would be help.

These stories are all part of the larger picture of an entire community trying to recover from a horrible act of violence. A year later and the scars are still there, but Orlando had answered with love and acceptance. Hateful people still thrive, feeling invulnerable in a country in which politics encourage hate and accusations.  They try to cause senseless harm, but love is stronger that hate. It was an emotional night. After the show. I was hugged by several people who recognized me. I shut my eyes and felt the warmth. Tears streamed down my face.

All the monologues in O-Town: Voices from Orlando will be presented together on the Eve of the one year mark of the attack on Pulse Nightclub on Sunday June 11, 2017 at 7pm at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center in the Margeson Theater. Profits will benefit the onePulse Foundation.org.

I can’t recommend this show enough. The monologues focus the audiences attention on aspects of the tragedy that never made their way to mainstream media outlets. It is a human and multi layered fabric. I met the actor, Daniel Cooksley, who played my part on stage. He said he had never performed a part with the subject sitting in the audience.

Fringe Show Times:

May 17, 2017 at 6PM

May 20, 2017 at 7PM

May 22, 2017 at 7PM

May 26, 2017 at 8:15PM

May 27, 2017 at 12:15PM

May 28, 2017 at 11:15AM

The Fringe Closing Ceremony and Awards.

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On the final night of Fringe, Awards are handed out to all the best shows.On this 25th Anniversary of the Fringe Festival, over 50,000 tickets were sold. That resulted in $400,000 going to Fringe Artists. There were 119 sold out performances this year. The Fringe keeps getting bigger and better.

The out door Stage Tent got crowd for the ceremonies. Those who couldn’t fit inside the tent, sat in lawn chairs on the lawn of fabulousness. As awards went to the show with the most sold out performances the sky grew dark and it began to rain. Performers crushed inside the tent. I had been sitting on the outside of the front row but the wind whipped the rain onto my sketch page. I decided to move into t center of the tent and I sketched Beth Marshall and those around her as they watched the ceremonies.

So many awards were given out that I started to feel like I was the only person in the tent who didn’t get one. A new award was created for a Fringe Patron of the year, Dewey Chaffee and Douglas McGeoch presented the award. They reminisced about a. Fringe show that was going great, Dewey had the audience entranced in the palm of his hand, when a drunk audience member got sick and had to be escorted out of the theater. Dewey  tried to make it appear as if this was all part of the show. When the sick patron was gone, silence enveloped the theater. A very old lady sat the front row, and Dewey said to her, “If you are going to pick a moment to die, this would be the perfect time.” The audience couldn’t stop laughing and the show u back on track. Douglas then explained that Helen, the woman in the front row, then wrote the performers often, encouraging them to keep the faith as they struggled in New York City. Dewey got choked up as he spoke about her generosity. It took her some tin to get on stage to accept the award with her walker and the supporting hand of friends. It was a heart warming moment.

Edgar Allan performed by Katie Hartman, and Nick Ryan was named the best show by local critics. Other Critics Choice Awards winners included…

• Best play — comedy: ‘The Animatronicans’

• Best play — drama: ‘Thomas Jefferson: My Master, My Slave, My Friend’

• Best play — musical: ‘Simpleton: The Legend of President Trump’

• Best solo show — comedy: ‘Stewart Huff: Sense Ain’t Common’

• Best solo show — drama: ‘Rocket Man and Kaleidoscope, by Ray Bradbury’

• Best solo show — musical: ‘From Broadway to Obscurity’

• Best dance show: ‘VarieTease: Carnivale’

• Best physical-theater work: ‘Trick Boxing: Swingin’ in the Ring’

• Best original script: ‘Inescapable,’ by Martin Dockery

• Best female performance: Katie Hartman (‘Edgar Allan’)

• Best male performance: Jim Braswell (‘Thomas Jefferson’)

• Best ensemble performance: ‘5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche’

• Technical achievement: ‘Space’



Patrons Picks resulted in each show having an extra show added on Memorial Day.

• Blue – Sex With Animals

• Blue – Shirley Gnome: Real Mature

• Brown – 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

• Brown – Slut Like Me

• Gold – Simpleton: The Legend of President Trump

• Gold – Taffy and Tonya Live! At the Ramada Inn Key West

• Green – Fruit Flies Like a Banana – Alphabetical Disorder

• Green – Doro & Diega Explore Middle Class America!

• Orange – VarieTease: Carnivale

• Orange – Lil Women: A Rap Musical

• Pink – Bella Culpa

• Pink – The Foreplay: An Exploration of the Birth of our Nation

• Purple – 21 Chump Street – The Musical

• Purple – Murder Sleep

• Red – Inescapable

• Red – Women Behind Bars

• Silver – The Road To Zamboria

• Silver – God Is a Scottish Drag Queen IV

• Yellow – The Animatronicans

• Yellow – Peter Pan-ish: The Musical

Little Shop of Horrors on the Fringe Outdoor Stage.

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One of my favorite musicals is Little Shop of Horrors. I used to blast the songs a I painted in my dark ramshackle apartment in NYC and dreamed of living in a greener more magical place. Disney Feature Animation fulfilled that dream bringing me to Orlando, but all dreams come to an end.

A lanky tall actor and sexy actress sang “Suddenly Seymour“. That song gave me hope that anyone can find love given the right circumstances. I was, and perhaps still am the innocent nerd dreaming of a better life full of love and mutual respect. I should be jaded in a world without trust, but I keep hoping regardless. Just as I fell, with broken wings, someone stood beside me to listen and share. Long honest conversations offered hope that someone can understand. Others have walked this path alone.

The karaoke DJ raised his iPhone which showed a lighter flame flickering. Had there been a crowd, they would have went wild. Little Shop of Horror was followed by Rent and then Jesus Christ Superstar. It was a great afternoon of music.

Karaoke at the Fringe Outdoor Stage.

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With so much raw talent on the Fringe‘s green lawn of fabulousness, it wasn’t hard to keep the music going at Fringeoke. Heather, was dressed as Lady Liberty with a black cape. The painted on black eye mask made her look like a superhero whose power was the ability to sing.

My favorite performance of the afternoon was by TJ Dawe. He is a master storyteller who had a show at this year’s Fringe about how his first acid trip changed his life. At first he sang the lyric off the computer screen, but then he switched gears and started making up his own lyrics. He sang with some inspired gusto raising his fist in the air. It was an amazing performance and about five people crowded the stage, shooting iPhone videos of the performance. That was a once in a lifetime performance. That is why live theater is so exciting. Anything can happen.

Stephanie and Arias on the Fringe Outdoor Stage.

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Stephanie and Arias performed on the outdoor stage at this year’s Fringe Festival. They harmonize beautifully.  I imagine they are a young couple very much in love. Their original music resonated with me. Love in my life however has become confusing with no solid bedrock. My past haunts me and forgiveness is something I will never be granted. The music was sweet and sincere but my heart was in a different place. I chased imagined ideals and ignore the reality of what is in front of me. Perhaps sketching is a distraction to keep me from facing who I am or what I have become.

One friend forced me to face mistakes I have made. Were morals lost along the way? I am rootless, a tumbleweed. I realize now that grief must be faced alone. Grief can and probably should last for years. Perhaps turning to my sketching will help me find my roots again. I always claimed that writing these posts would help me put down roots in Orlando. I need to put down roots of devotion. I have no solid floor. Some tiles shift and fly up with no mortar. Others cling tightly refusing to let go. There is no sure footing. I lost trust in love, and then I thought I found joy and affection again by opening up to a friend. There was a level of intimacy in some of these conversations that I had never experienced before. I then discovered that this friend had no trust in me. Trust needs to be earned. This stung worse than the even larger losses I am going though right now. I am transparent and easily judged. Perhaps I need to turn to meditation. I have no clear, open, sane, relaxed point of view about how to live a fulfilling life. I have no home. Isn’t sketching a form of meditation? It makes me fully present, and it drowns out the noise. This one simple action of doing one sketch a day is the one strength I fall back on. I need to find other sources of strength. I realize that I am lost… How did all this come from listening to this couple sing. They seem so happy. They seem to be living on love alone. Ideals get dashed. Time is short.

On the tent wall behind the performers, Carl Knickerbocker, a local artist was projecting a short film memorializing the life of artist, Morgan Steele. I met Morgan at an Eco Action lake cleanup this past February. He was curious about my art and we talked for some time. He remained on shore with me as volunteers in canoes explored Lake Virginia cleaning up it’s shores of garbage. I sketched him as he leaned up against a cross in the shade of a live oak. Shortly after that day, he lost control his car, which careened into some cement construction barricades as as he returned home from Stardust Video and Coffee. Some claimed that my sketch of Morgan prophesied his early death. Life is short and love fleeting. Art crumbles.

Frank to be Frank at Fringe.

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World-renowned! The Rat Pack’s 17th member! America’s most entertaining entertainer invites you to partake in his interactive live life retrospective. This riveting glimpse into a very special leading man is brought to you by Australian comic Emily June Newton and director Deanna Fleysher (aka Butt Kapinski). FRANK will grab you by your shoulders and make you feel nostalgia for a star you never knew!

As we entered the round patron’s room, Frank welcomed each audience member. Some were given mini flashlights. Frank is a woman dressed as a man, pretending to be a woman dressed like a man. Gender and the theatrical five o’clock shadow were all quite confusing. I had been advised to see this show thanks to one of the critics at the press preview.  Several bolts of fabric were at the front of the sage, and Frank showed them to the audience saying in a sing son voice, “beautiful fabrics!” The audience when coached sang along. Frank regaled us with his many successes and the audience was puddy in his hands.

He held a popularity contest with one member of audience and was shocked as the tide gradually turned in favor of the audience member. The theater went black an Frank hid back stage and tried to sneak out of the theater but intrepid audience members caught him in the beams of their flash lights. Frank shouted “No! Don’t shine that light on me!” Which meant, please keep me in the limelight.

Later that evening, after the show, we stood in line for Joe’s NYC Bar and there was a beautiful actress in front of us. Perhaps because I had been sketching, I recognized her as Frank. She said that our audience had been the best audience she had experienced at fringe. The whole “Beautiful fabrics” routine had been improvised and built upon because the audience was so willing to play along. There is a certain magic that happens when a performer meets just the right audience. I was glad to be a witness to some of that magic thanks to Frank.

A Drink with Country Joe at the Fringe Beer Tent.

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Joe Rosier had hopes of get in into the 2016 Fringe Festival. Unfortunately his name wasn’t picked in the Fringe Lottery. In the past, he had performed solo shows as a country doctor telling ghost tales, and Odysseys S. Grant relating Civil war stories. With his grizzled age and shaggy white beard, Joe was perfect for such historical roles.  Shortly after the lottery, one of Joe’s eyes closed up and minor age discomforts became serious health issues.

Chemo therapy resulted in hair loss and the need for a neck brace. That didn’t slow Joe down. He was at the years fringe and I got to spend some time with him at the beer tent. Joe posed for my Mennello Museum  Mural and I’ve sketched him a number of to the in costume. Producers, actors an directors greeted Joe like the celebrity he is. the last time I saw Joe was in December and I bumped in him while walking towards the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Joe was dressed as Santa Claus of course. As we walked past the Harp and Celt, a young woman seated outside shouted to Joe to come in. There was z private party and they needed Santa Clause. I regret not follow.’ Joe inside. I heard he was the life of the party, and all I young women sat in his lap to whisper their Christmas wishes.

Dino World offered yet another take on Jurassic Park at Fringe.

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The wacky love child of a certain Jurassic-themed-park, and a certain Chocolate-themed-factory, Dino World gives a one of a kind tour of the prehistoric past. When the dark secret behind these dinosaurs is revealed, it’s eat or be eaten in this original parody musical.

Although I was ready to root for the nerdy kid who loves dinosaurs, the show lost me with the coming of age song about needing to shave. It might have mad sense for the kid, but the same song uses sung by other more mature characters as well. I liked the sexy but unfeeling lawyer. Dinosaurs were portrayed by dancers dressed as if for burlesque. Although I’m very familiar with the source material the show left me confused. I steered several friends clear of the show i the large orange venue, so I felt, that I did my duty. 

Sarah Purser Performed at the Fringe Outdoor Stage.

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Sarah Purser is an incredible singer. She has performed with the Opera and she also performs more modern tunes. She sang sultry and sad Joni Mitchell covers in the Fringe Outdoor Stage.   Sarah’s husband Marco Bojorquez played the electric bass.

The out door tent was constantly active the year. Orlando’s best singers and bands set up on stage about every hour. Jessica Pawli orchestrated the incredible line up of talent. She turned the sleepy outdoor stage into a major attraction in it’s second year. I could have been happy sketching in the outdoor tent everyday but of course the lure of the odd and obscene drew me inside to the ticketed Fringe shows as well.

Robotman performed at the outdoor stage at Fringe.

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Robotman is a local jazz band that really got the outdoor tent crowd excited at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival. I had just heard them perform a week ago in College Park, so I was excited to hear them again. I sat in the front row to soak it all in. The band has a driving beat that caused m to rock and sway as I sketched. The music felt experiments free flowing and spontaneous. Each piece was original, written by different members o the band.

The band members are: Matt McCarthy on Trumpet and Flugelhorn, 
Jeremy Fratti on Saxophone,
Marco Bojorquez on Acoustic Bass and Electric Bass,
Jeremy Katalenic on the Drum Kit,
and John Krasula on Guitars.

It was a great afternoon of great music. Nothing feels better this letting the music inspire the lines and washes to dance.