Sacco and Vanzetti

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Between shows at the Fringe Festival, I would stop on the green lawn in Lockhaven Park for a bite and a drink. The outdoor tent this year was alive with incredible acts all the time. Jessica Pauli was asked to take charge of the programing and she brought in a constant stream of talented musicians. I could have spent the entire week out there sketching the performances from some of Orlando’s best musicians. Kaleigh Baker came all the way from Portland Oregon to perform.

Sacco and Vanzetti was performing the last of their set when I sat down to do this sketch. Several of the musicians children took an interest in what I was doing and they watched every line and wash go down before they started a game of tag. I believe I sketched this group once before at an outdoor festival on Sand Lake Road. The music was lively and fun, but I was sketching so fast, I was in panic mode the whole time.  I also needed to finish before getting to the next show.

The green lawn of fabulousness was a constant party thanks to all the amazing talent that performed on the outdoor stage. I’m betting that beer and alcohol sales must have went through the roof this year at Fringe. I stuck to caffeine for my fix.

Marathon

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TJ Dawe from Vancouver, Canada presented this incredible one man Fringe show about recognizing your own blind spot and trying to address it. When the lights came up, TJ was on stage acting like he was running in slow motion. He joked that it was impossible to do that and look graceful. His show addressed the idea that people fit neatly into 3 distinct instinct types.

The first is the self preservation instinct. These are the people who are ready for anything. They plan ahead, bringing water along on a hot day or a sweater in case the air conditioning gets pumped up too high. When they pack for a vacation they bring pretty much everything in their closet, just in case. Hotels are booked ahead of time and even restaurants are reserved weeks in advance.

The second is the sexual preservation instinct. This doesn’t just mean they are sexual, it also means they are obsessed with the creative process. They love the uncertainty of beginning a creative endeavor and they are risk takers, living on the fringe.  This creative process might have seemed like a fun playful idea 9 months ago but there are pains and uncertainty as the project nears completion. Then it is released into the world, beautiful and imperfect. These people are individualists they don’t show off by writing a status on Facebook, but instead share their ideas on a more personal platform like a blog. The more TJ talked about the sexual preservation instinct, the more I felt like he was talking about me.

The third the social preservation instinct. People who have this instinct are energized by small talk at parties. They love gossip and knowing what is going on with everyone around them, even celebrities. This instinct can be a blind spot for someone with the sexual preservation instinct. Being creative, they don’t have time for empty conversations. However beneath this facade of superiority is irritation and shame. They want to feel like a part of the group but they are always an outsider, looking in. When the creative person breaks through that social barrier and actually enjoys meeting people at a bar or on the green lawn of fabulousness, they want to feel rewarded. There should be an 80’s movie montage that shows how they broke free.

All through his discussions about instincts he also talked about a high school foot race that was a defining moment in his life. Although not a jock, he began to run with a passion. This culminated in a steeple chase race against a team whose coach was named satin. At the starting line he suddenly realized satin wasn’t the coach but a runner who looked every bit like a man. Ready, set, Go! The race spread out gradually with the fastest runners breaking away, the average runners clumped together as a pack and then there was Satin followed by TJ. It became clear TJ wasn’t going to win but he decided to sprint at the end of the race to beat Satin. He reached down for that last minute reserve and discovered there was nothing there. Blind sided he stumbled across the line last.

He discovered there are no great victories as you struggle to expand your horizons and grow into a more social creature. It isn’t a sprint to we won. It is instead a life long goal, a marathon. This was a show that spoke directly to my insecurities and creative blindness. I can not recommend this show enough.

There is only one more show of Marathon today at 1:45pm to 2:45pm in the yellow venue in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St., Orlando, FL). Tickets are $11 along with the $9 Fringe button that is required for all the shows. Just GO!

Sperm Wars

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Random Samples Collective from Toronto Canada presents this Fringe show that follows the stories of millions of sperm embarking upon a high stakes suicide mission to battle a large, dangerous, and mysterious enemy deep behind the hymen. Meanwhile in the ovaries, the eggs are forced to say goodbye to one of their own as the time for their monthly sacrifice to the uterus looms on the horizon. The entire microscopic battle was presented by a single actor, Jeff Leard, in pristine white underwear, black studded arm bands and army boots. I couldn’t help but notice that his “package” loomed rather large. There was also a subtle smudge on the tip of the bulge, which caused my mind to wander. Had he fallen during a performance to smudge his pristine white visage?

If you love Star Wars and you love sex, you should love this show. The entire army of characters were tied together in this one actors performance. A rare moment of improve happened when someones cell phone went off in the audience. At first he sat down and said, “we can wait.” Then he wondered, “what is a cell phone doing in this vagina?” Another audience member blurted out “phone sex!” Everyone laughed.

At one point the inner workings of one of the Sci-Fi Sperm Wars vehicles had to be opened.  The actor mimed the machinations involved in opening the multiple panels, cylinders and digital pads with an orchestration of sound effects that he mouthed. The sequence was completed with the magical phrase “dry ice.” Which was accompanied with his hands miming the delicate clouds descent. When this long drawn out sequence of events was repeated, it got a bit old.

The horrors of battle became clear as millions of sperm perished because the vaginal canal was blocked by a diaphragm coated with spermicide. The immense ovum sat protected behind this impenetrable force field. Sperm withered and melted like the witch in the Wizard of Oz. A single sperm made it past the diaphragm and wiggled his way deep inside the wet moist humid egg. He lamented the millions lost in the assault.

There is only one more performance of Sperm Wars today,  Sunday May 25th at 4:30pm to 5:30pm in the Blue Venue at the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St., Orlando, FL). Tickets are $11 along with the $9 Fringe button required to get into any show. Rated 18+.

Chase & Stacy Present: Joyride

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Chase Padgett and Stacey Hallal teamed up to create a hilarious sketch comedy improv show at the Orlando Fringe Festival. Chase hails from Orlando and his experience at the Orlando Fringe presenting 6 Guitars lead to him hitting the road and traveling to Fringe Festivals across the country. His girlfriend at the time was less than enthused by his career. On the Fringe Circuit however, he met Stacy who trained at the infamous Second City and together they present a show that is as playful as two 10 year olds pretending to put on a show at bed time with flashlights and imagination.

There is adult humor. At one point Chase and Stacy used the Mics and sound boards to playback moans and groans of pleasure. The couple were in the darkness with just the scrim light behind them to show their silhouette. In the scene the couple were on a date and about to kiss. Stacy stressed that there would be no sex. Chase was resigned to the idea that this was always the case. The lights dimmed and the first moans began. They could play them back and the interwoven moans began to feel like a rap tune. I tapped my toe to the rhythm and laughed as I sketched. Stacy then whispered into the mic “Put your hoo ha in my ying yang.” That stopped the beat. Chase questioned her phrasing and she came back with a series of absurd names for his and her privates. When she came up with “The Cave of Wonders”, Chase said, “I can live with that.” The rap-moan orchestration began again.

Another sketch presented Stacy as a ribbon twirler who was in tears because she couldn’t get her ribbon to work. As she cried, Chase came leaping out of the wings twirling his ribbon with graceful abandon. He coached Stacy but repeatedly she failed. Finally she got her emotions in check and together their ribbons flowed gracefully. The audience clapped enthusiastically.

In one scene, the couple asked the audience for a place that a couple might meet. Someone shouted out, “a library!” Chase and Stacy then presented a long form comedy set in a library. The endearing thing about Stacy is that you could see by the expression on her face, that she was always on the verge of laughing herself. At one point, Chase pretended to whisk open some curtains to present a surprise to Stacy. She paused, not sure where he was going. He explained that it was a moving truck so she could bring her cherished books and be with him. She replied, “That’s amazing, because that used to be a wall!” Their quick wits sparred playfully until they had each other laughing as well as the audience. This show is a must see!

There is just one show left of Chase and Stacy Present: Joyride!

May 24th 3:15pm to 4:15pm in the Pink Venue at the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL) Tickets are $11 plus the $9 Fringe button required to get into all the shows.

Truth or Dare with Pepe!

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As part of the Fringe Theater Festival, Pepe is performing at the Black Venue, known as The Venue (511 Virginia Drive Orlando, FL) owned by Blue Star. Pepe, played by Rob Ward, is a Fringe regular. He speaks with a gregarious, affected Miami accent and does everything with a flair. No expense was spared on the set which consisted of a bubble lamp and his signature red high heeled chair. Pepe always has guest performers and for the first show I saw, they were, Logan Donahoo, Paul Strickland, Adam McCabe, Blue Star and Lady Raptastic who was remote on Skipe.. The guests were shown slides of celebrities and asked to provide cutting commentary. Blue despises Miley Cyrus who was shown with her legs spread wide.  Logan did a hilarious job roasting Madonna.

“Yellow Shots” were offered to the entire audience. His “Shot Boy” only had his underwear on which showcased his large bulge. Pepe came up with the idea of starting a restaurant chain called “Bulges” which would be like a Hooters for gay men. It is a million dollar idea. The jello shots were actually orange but Pepe’s pronunciation changed their color. We all raised the shots as a toast and then the room went silent as everyone sucked down the shots. Consuming one of Pepe’s jello shots is a bit suggestive. You have to stick your tongue out as far as you can, and then slit the tip of your tongue all around the edge of the tiny cup to dislodge the jello from the cup. Then you have to wedge your tongue under the jello to dislodge it from the cup completely. If your tongue is long enough and your licking was thorough enough, the entire mass cap pop into your mouth. I grew self conscious half way into the process and tried to suck the jello down prematurely. The loud sucking noise that resulted was more embarrassing than if I had continues exercising my tongue. The many chunks left behind had to be dislodged with further tongue explorations anyway.

A guest from the audience was asked onto the stage and given the choice of Truth, or Dare. He chose a dare. Pepe had a stack of playing cards and the guest was asked to pick a card. The number on the card would result in the guest having to remove that number of items of clothing. He picked a card with a high number and soon he was standing buck naked with his tight cheeks facing the audience. Everyone went wild. When he turned around, Pepe put the jello shot tray over his privates.

Another performance had Fringe comedians doing improve on stage with Pepe as the MC. As one of the straight performers, Chase Padgett was offered a makeover. He stood behind a small table covered in cosmetics and Chris Dinger stood behind him to act as Chases arms. Chase put his hands in his pockets and Chris slipped his arms under Chases pits. They began by applying a powder which Pepe noted is usually the last step in a makeup regimen. Powder got on Chases T shirt and everywhere else. Red lipstick followed which resulted in a huge Bozo ring of red around Chase’s mouth and on his left nostril. The lipstick went everywhere but on his lips. Eyeliner and mascara followed which resulted in black and blue raccoon eyes. By the end of the session, he looked very much like Judy Garland minus the black gloves and high heels. Everyone was laughing so hard they were crying.

The All New Nashville Hurricane

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This Fringe show by Chase Padgett was absolute magic. Chase was originally from Orlando but he has since moved to Portland Oregon when he isn’t on the Fringe circuit. The stage was set with a single chair and a lone guitar. A spotlight illuminated Chase as he opened with an incredibly dexterous guitar performance. He warmed up the crowd by asking innocent questions. One question he shouted out was, “Who is with the love of their life?” Hands shot up. He turned to the couple to his right. “I see a problem hear” he said. “Her hand shot up like a lightning bolt, but your hand sir didn’t budge from your diet Coke.” I felt a bit guilty that my sketching prevented my hand from going up. Chase also asked a few people what their one true passion is in life. It is surprising, funny, and a bit sad that some people have no clue.

Then Chase began to relate the story of a child prodigy. This kid could repair any electronic device and he was a natural on the guitar. The prodigy’s story was related from the view points of three separate characters, his white trash mom, a conniving promoter and a kind low income southerner who was a recovering alcoholic. Chase would switch between characters or a dime propelling the plot forward. Although incredibly talented, the prodigy wasn’t as he said, “A people person.” His mind wandered in the intricacy’s of stellar dust and sub-atomic particles. He was a nerd’s nerd, unable to meet anyone’s gaze.

The promoter prayed for a ticket to the big time. His prayers were answered when he saw the boy play guitar. He saw the boy as a gold mine and he managed to steal the him away from his dead beat mom. He put sun glasses on the him and promoted him as “The Nashville Hurricane”. He bullied and forced the boy to perform, until the joy once found in playing guitar became a misery. A sunrise seen towards the end of the show made the boy realize that we are all a small part of a much bigger cosmic plan. There was  no longer a need to fear the abuse and mistreatment by others. That glowing, life affirming message is what made the show resonate. Strength and inner peace replaced uncertainty and fear when the boy faced his life head on. This is my favorite show to date, but with so many talented story tellers and shows, I know there are other treasures to be mined at this year’s Fringe. Chase’s other show, Chase and Stacy Present: Joyride was a hilarious improve show that was hilarious I highly recommend show that as well.

The remaining shows for The All New Nashville Hurricane are…

Thursday May 22,  10pm to 11:15pm

Saturday May 24,  7pm to 8:15pm

Sunday May 25,  3:15pm to 4:30pm

Tickets are $11 and the show is in the Orange Venue in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL.)

Judy Garland: Is it Just Me or is it Just Me?

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At the last minute, Clandestine ARTS had to pull out of the Fringe. Their show, Tuesday Morning, was replaced by the incomparable, Judy Garland performed by Mark Baratelli of thedailycity.com. Many of the seats in the Blue Venue had small questionnaires, asking which Judy Garland songs people might want to hear. The MC warmed up the crowd and Judy stumbled around back stage. Then she began to slur the lyrics to a song and she came out, greeted by thunderous applause. Props on the stage were covered with dark fabrics and she stripped them bare as she sang. Yellow medicine bottles hung from her necklace.

Her legs were often crossed or akimbo as she wavered in the spotlight. Her high heels caused her to stumble and fall more than once. Misplaced mascara gave her raccoon eyes and the lipstick was smeared all around her lips. The dark wig often hid her face and the baggy man’s dress shirt hid her supple figure. Judy is 93 but she still belts out those tunes with a vengeance.

The MC announced that local artist Thomas Thorspecken was in the audience drawing. He wasn’t talking about me however. Chase Padgett was in the audience posing as me. Chase did a sketch of Judy but he was supposed to imagine her nude. I couldn’t bring myself to go there. Judy’s medicated antics were laugh out loud funny. At times she was on the floor slayed out as she sang and other times she tried to escape into the shadows to avoid the spotlight. Some songs were just improvised on the spot to hilarious effect.

Don’t miss Judy! She is hilarious and the shows are selling out. The remaining show times are…

Tuesday May 20, 11:30pm to 12:15pm

Friday May 23, 10pm to 10:45pm

Saturday May 24, 1:30pm to 2:15pm

Sunday May 25,  8:15pm to 9pm

Tickets are $8 and Judy can be found in the Blue venue in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St., Orlando, FL.) If you are trying to find information about Judy in your printed Fringe program, she isn’t listed. She was a last minute replacement for Tuesday Morning.

VarieTEASE

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Terry and I went to The Venue (511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL), to see VarieTEASE on the first day I could get out to Fringe. Terry sat front and center while I sketched from a high top table. Smoke filled the space and a long prologue scrolled up the back wall of the stage. The dance followed the male protagonist who was dealing with a deranged ex-wife, his wife and a mistress. The performance began at a train station which was simply created with a projection of a fast moving train roaring by.

There is a playful mystical magic to VarieTEASE. The choreography was at times angular and hard and at other times soft and flowing. At all times life was depicted as a circus or carnivale act. The white face make up made every performer look like a mime or china doll. The protagonist was confronted by each woman in turn. They danced at times with sexual abandon to the point of exhaustion. There was one moment of female frontal nudity with polite pasties, so the show verged on burlesque.

Large free standing door frame shaped structures had rubbery vertical bars. These functioned at times as a prison and in one instance as harps. The man eventually was overcome by heart break and despair. The women returned in flowing light dresses to look over him. I suspect that he truly had cancer and all the drugs and needles were an attempt to slow the tide of the ravaging disease. Credits at the end of the show indicated that the cast was behind dear friends who were fighting for their lives. The show expressed a roller coaster of emotions from anger, despair, loneliness and absolute joy. Life is a dance, and this show captures that life and mysterious magic. This is a must see Fringe favorite.

Mark your Calendar!

Monday May 19, 10:30pm to 11:30pm

Wednesday May 21, 9pm to 10pm

Friday May 23, 9pm to 10pm

Saturday May 24, 4:20pm to 5:20pm

WTF? (What the Fringe?)

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The 2014 23nd Annual Orlando Fringe Theatre Festival takes place May 14th-27th in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park. Venue locations are within Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando Rep (corner of Princeton and Mills)-812 East Rollins Street, and The Venue (Virginia Dr.). Kid’s Fringe is located at the Menello Museum (across Princeton from Loch Haven).

The Fringe is…

100% UNCENSORED

100% UNJURIED

100% ACCESSIBLE 

100% of $ from ticket sales go directly to the ARTISTS

Fringe volunteers manned the information table inside the Orlando Shakespeare Theater while Jeff Ferree promoted his puppet show “Girl Who Fell Up a Chimney” in his bright conical Gumbyesque outfit. Jeff waved to me, and I gave him a stiff armed wave in return. At the information table you could buy the $9 buttons which are needed to get into any show as well as the Fringe program which lists all the shows.  There are about 100 shows so the choices are daunting. The best way to find out what you have to see is to hang out at the beer tent and ask around to find out what people have seen and loved.


While doing this sketch, I was given two tips. Nashville Hurricane is “Frigging Amazing” according to Curtis Meyer. I was also told by Karen that Take Out the White Trash was laugh out loud funny. Actress Michelle Knight walked up to the information table. Michelle just completed a run of Disenchanted which is a take on Disney princesses who didn’t exactly live happily ever after. This hilarious musical comedy was first premiered at the Orlando Fringe several years ago as Bitches of the Kingdom, and now it is headed to off Broadway in NYC. This is a great example of how the Fringe is a great place to launch a creative concept.

If there is a show you feel I should see and sketch, please leave me a comment!

CRAIG’S LUST: a Sexploration

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Ryan Price of Invisible Frisbee Productions is producing an improvisational comedy show for this year’s Fringe called Craig’s Lust. I went to a rehearsal held at Rollin’s College. When I got there Ran was at the rehearsal space waiting for a meeting to clear out. The space was a small conference room on the ground floor of the Bush Science building room 102. This improv show had a creative edge because all the comedy skits revolve around the romantic crushes that people often don’t act upon. “Meeting people is hard. Meeting sane people is harder. Meeting sane
people on Craig’s list is nearly impossible! Join us for an improvised
adventure into dating, modern romance, and missed connections. Come
see us, and who knows, maybe you’ll be someone’s missed connection…
Your suggestions fuel the scenes. From the people who brought you 2013’s
improvised version of The 39 Steps.”

Stage manager Jamie Lynn Woods sat beside me filming the rehearsal. The rehearsal began with a quick session of zip, zap, zoop in which the cast members stood in a circle and threw imaginary knives at each other. Each comedy act was improvised with the actors building off of the scenarios that were offered by the other actors. I admire this sort of high wire act performed without nets. It was of course fun to watch the female actors flaunting their sexuality when needed, however if a male role was needed they could switch genders. It was when such roles were embraced with a flourish that I found myself laughing loudest.

One skit involved a company bowling outing. An employee’s wife caught the eye of the boss as she leaned down provocatively to pick up the ball. The boss patted her on the butt and she didn’t seem to mind at first. Such uninhibited lack of personal boundaries were often the source of a laugh. The woman’s husband was up for a promotion, so he encouraged her performance while hoping it didn’t get out of hand.

Nadia Garzon‘s friend was crocheting during the whole rehearsal. I could identify with his busy act of creation. At the end of the rehearsal, he gave me what he had made. It was a 4 inch high mushroom. I wasn’t sure what to do with it, but it traveled with me on a trip to Virginia. I decided to “plant” the mushroom on a wrought iron public bench figuring someone would be happy to discover it. I like this idea of leaving tiny artistic tokens around town. I’m considering the notion of an Origami business card that I could leave behind wherever I have planted myself to sketch. What I lack is the time to create them.

Craig’s Lust is being performed at the Orange Venue, Lowndes Shakespeare Theater (812 East Rollins Street, Orlando Fl.)

Thursday, May 15th, 2014  10:30pm to 11:30pm

Sunday, May 18th, 2014  10:30pm to 9:45pm

Thursday. May 22nd, 2014  8:15pm to 9:15pm

Friday, May 23nd, 2014  6:30pm to 7:30pm

Tickets are $11 along with your $9 Fringe button which is needed to get into any show.