On the Nose

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As people filed into the Fringe Green Venue at the Rep Theater, Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell began to set up a movie screen. Mark walked off stage through a doorway and Sabrina followed with the screen. The screen slammed into the door frame stopping her. Together they struggled to set up the screen which was missing parts and seemed to resist their every effort. The screen crashed closed so loudly that I jumped in my seat. Finally with it set up and the audience in their seats, the film rolled. It was projected about four feet too high. Only a sliver of the image was on the top of the screen, but it lined up perfectly with the fabric screen already hanging at the back of the stage. Embarrassed, they put the home movie screen away.

On the Nose was part physical comedy and part documentary. The production took assumptions about clowns and turned them on their heads. Directed by Elena Day, the show redefined what a clown means world wide. In America, a clown is quickly associated with birthday parties with screaming children and twisted balloon animals. In Europe however, clowns are considered artists and are a respected form of adult entertainment. This reminds me of how animation is considered as children’s fair in America, yet in Europe, it is a serious form of entertainment.

Interviews with female clowns were particularly insightful. It had been considered “unfeminine”  for women to be funny. When Mark and Sabrina did a pie routine, a young boy in the audience shouted out his pleasure since he wanted to see a pie in the face. Sabrina leaned forward and said to Mark, “Pie me.” The implied sexual connotations made it funny for adults, and the young boy was squirming and delirious with anticipation.

Sabrina put on an electronic helmet and was given a quiz to see if she could identify clowns. Ronald McDonald flashed on the screen. She guessed, “Clown” and she reacted to an electric shock given by Mark’s remote control. Stephen Colbert flashed and she guessed, “Not a clown” shock again. He is a clown. The red nose was considered, the smallest mask by many of the clowns interviewed. This show was lively and very enlightening. Send in the clowns.

Connected: An Interactive Experience

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Connected: An Interactive Experience was sold out. Aradhana Tiwari directed the show, and Holly Harris was the choreographer. I had a ticket but unfortunately didn’t have one for Terry. Jimmy Moore decided I could start sketching the space early so long as I used my artists stool. I picked a seat in the second row and saved a seat for Terry. All the seats in the theater had been set up with audio ear buds. This was a huge undertaking to set up in the 15 minutes or so before the house opened. Wired had to be duck taped to the floor and each audio connection tested. Terry and I were going to share a set of ear buds. The cast circled up in the center of the black box theater. Cole NeSmith said, “We are asking the audience to take chances, and I hope we all step up to take those chances with them.” He climbed into a three foot square box and he shouted to me, “Don’t look Thomas!” The stage manager shouted, “One minute to house open!” People shouted back, “Thank you one!”

The audience rushed in, and sure enough every seat was taken.  An announcer or guide, addressed everyone asking them to raise their hands if they could hear him. Everyone raised their hands, but I was sketching, my hands were busy. The show began with an isolated spotlight on the box, center stage. A light emanated from a hole at the top of the box. Two dancers circled and interacted with the mysterious box and then Cole, as Jacob was pulled out. Jacob’s mouth was taped shut and he wore sunglasses and earphones. Jacob was shut himself off  emotionally from the world around him.
As he faced moments from his past that caused him to isolate
himself, he was awakened to deeper levels of intimacy in his current
reality. The Guide invited each audience member on a
unique, introspective journey into their own past. This illuminating process of discovery welcomed the
audience into introspective and interactive moments that were
risky, challenging, humorous and healing.

Jacob was in several scenes in which his hurtful past was dredged up. He was usually focused on some small undefined task as others argued and interacted around him. His mom berated him constantly. The small boy was meek and introspective but the elder Jacob shouted, “NO! Stop!” Everyone  in the audience had been given point lights. They were asked to illuminate the light if someone had said hurtful things that forever stayed with them. The room was aglow with point lights. Terry shifted and my ear bud fell out. As I fumbled it back in my ear, the guide said, “See you are not alone, we all face the same fears and challenges.” Dancers walked on diagonals occasionally freezing in their hectic life as Jacob studied them. Audience members were invited to pose on pedestals along with Jacob. Long colorful paper ribbons were handed out to the audience and they were unfurled from person to person. A black light illuminated the ribbons and they glowed brightly in the dark room as dancers pulled them back in. Like Jacob, I was focused on a task. Sketching in the darkened theater was a challenge. With my earpiece constantly popping out, I gave up on it and sketched furiously. Without the guide, I was observing but very much isolated from the emotional involvement of the show. The performance rushed by and I struggled in the dark to catch a moment.

Paul Strickland: Jokes, Songs, a Hat, Etc!

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Beth Marshall was the producer of Paul Strickland‘s show at the Orlando Fringe Festival and she suggested I see and sketch the show.There was a line of people outside the Brown venue in the Shakespeare theater and I muscled into line. A volunteer scanned my ticked and then asked, “Do you have a button?” I said, “Of course.” and pointed down at my bag that was covered in buttons. Looking down, I realized my Fringe button had fallen off. Thankfully she didn’t notice.

I sat at the center of the top row of the bleacher seats. Jeremy Seghers and members of his cast from Mysterious Skin sat around me. The author of the play had been sent a link to the blog post and apparently he loved the sketch. I was flattered. A green light from the lighting tech booth illuminated my sketch as the room grew dark. Actress Sarah Villegas was visiting from out of town with her boyfriend. She had been in Fringe shows since she was 14 and this was the first time she came as a visitor. She said she missed Orlando and the Fringe in particular.

Paul’s show combined comedy and music in a perfect blend. Many jokes centered around his feeling old at 30 yet they resonate even more when you hit 50. The woman seated directly in front of me laughed so loud that she set off a chain reaction of laughter. I identified with that strange feeling he got when a child stared at him. For some reason, children always stare at me on airplanes or in supermarkets. It is unnerving. Anyway he decided to warm up to this particular child and he made cute faces and said “Where can I buy one of you?” That would be fine he realized, unless the child was black! He performed My Way which is a song any artist who forges their own path can identify with.

You have one more chance to catch his show today, Sunday May 27th at 12:30PM. Tickets are $11. This show can be an exclamation point to your Fringe experience.

Classically Demented

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Yow Dance brought Classically Demented: A Darkened Fable of Storybook Characters You Thought You Knew to the silver venue at the Orlando Fringe Festival. Several days before the Fringe opened, I went to the Rep Theater to watch the Tech rehearsal and several run-throughs of the show. Eric Yow was half way back in the theater seating counting out the beat as dancers went through the blocking. The dance company presented classic storybook characters, like Snow White, Cinderella, Bo Peep and many others in a darkened vision of the fairy-tales.

Mother goose was spry and graceful.  In one twisted dance number, a dancer cloaked in black entered holding an egg. The egg was split open over a bassinet dripping blood inside. At the foot of the stage there was a black board that was used to keep track of the casualties. Dancers collapsed  and were dragged off stage by their feet. The death tole rose. The costuming for all the dancers was elegant and beautiful. A dancer cut her toe on an exposed nail on stage. It was hammered down and taped over.

When it came time for the full run through, Eric shouted, “Have a great run dancers, Merde.” I had never heard that term before. Apparently back in the early days of ballet, the
companies used to use live animals in performances. Well, whenever one
of the animals would dump on stage, someone would yell “MERDE!” from
stage to let the dancers know to watch out so that they wouldn’t slip!
And I suppose that they said it so much that it just came to mean good
luck! Addicted to Love  played behind one of my favorite dance numbers. Who wouldn’t want to see zombie princesses devouring each other as they hunt for love? Eric himself performed as the evil queen. Michael Marinaccio, the Fringe producer stopped over to say hello before the second run through. He had his child with him and wanted to be sure the show was family friendly. I assured him there was nothing risque. As the dance began I began to wonder if a child would be upset by this darkened fable… Nah.

Show times:

Today, Saturday May 26th at 3:00PM

Sunday May 27th at 8:45PM

The show is in the Silver Venue at the Rep. Tickets are $10.

The Sparrow and the Mouse

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The Sparrow and the Mouse: Creating the Music of Edith Piaf was a solo Fringe show by Melanie Gall from Ottawa Canada. She performed as Edith Piaf’s half sister Simone. A black and white photo of Edith sat on the dressing table along with an accordion. I just knew of Edith’s beautiful singing from a scene in Saving Private Ryan. Edith and Simone’s friendship spanned 25 years. Simone was raised by prostitutes. The two grew up poor together and they earned enough to by a scrap of bread by singing on the streets of Paris. Edith always dreamed of making it big with her singing. They worked in a club where Edith performed as a leading singer, but Simone had to dress in a slinky burlesque outfit when she sang for the men. Money was so tight that they shared the same bed.

Edith’s tempestuous passions lead to her having a child which wasn’t great for business. Melanie gave a hilarious performance where she tried to sing for change as a baby in her arms cried. Edith was eventually discovered by a talent agent who saw her singing on the streets of Paris. He insisted she change her name to Piaf which means sparrow.  At first she didn’t like the name, but joking with Simone, she said, “If I am a sparrow, you are the mouse.” These artists lead a tragic life with simple pleasures. Men came and went, but their friendship endured. Having seen The Sparrow and the Mouse, I now understand the deep yearning sadness in Edith Piaf’s voice. Melanie’s singing performances were memorable, yet I always yearned to understand the French lyrics. Time to learn French. I’ll put that on my bucket list.

Show times:

Saturday May 26th at 6:00PM

Sunday May 27th at 11:30AM

The show is in the blue venue. Tickets are $11.

Mysterious Skin

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Mysterious Skin is a play by Prince Gomolvilas based on a novel by Scott Heim. This Fringe production was directed by Jeremy Seghers and produced by James Brendlinger. The show’s promotional materials left plenty to the imagination showing a black and white photo of a mans naked belly. When I ran into Jeremy, I shouted “I’m ready for some Skin!” He laughed and said “Calm down.”

The show follows Brian Lackey, (played by Anthony Pyatt Jr.) as he seeks the truth behind a childhood memory that forever haunts him.  In the opening scene, he sat center stage withdrawn and introverted. His mannerisms vividly reminded me of a nephew of mine who committed suicide. I was mesmerized. Avalyn Friesen (Marcie Schwalm) sat on her bed talking to him. She was a firm believer that aliens had abducted her when she was a child. Brian began to believe this might explain the memories of his past.

Neil McCormick,  (Michael Martin) New York City found himself draw to gay men and began to “turn tricks” which it turned out is a dangerous, and ego crushing way to make money. After seeing an old little league photo, Brian realizes that Michael played a part in the fractured memory of his child hood. Brian eventually finds Michael. Brian is awakened to the truth that he wasn’t abducted by aliens when Michael shows him their baseball coaches abandoned home. The image triggered a flood of memories. In a moving scene near the end of the play Avalyn wrote Brian to describe her abduction. Her intense recreation made it seem that she and Brian had experienced a similar fate. When Brian finally faces the truth, his legs give out.

There is no clean resolution or moral to the story. The characters and their plights lingered with me. The play was haunting and hard hitting. Anthony, Marcie and Neil gave amazing performances. This play certainly got under my skin.

Show times:

Friday 5/25 at 9:15PM

Saturday 5/26 at 3:15PM

Sunday 5/27 at 7:15PM

The show is in the Orange Venue and tickets are $10.

Closet Zombies!

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The smallest theater of the Orlando Fringe is in a closet at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. The closet was turned into a puppet theater by Jeff Ferree. The title of the play is “AAAAAAGGGHHH Zombies!!! … Because Zombies Sell.” Jeff won a small grant to help with the expenses of building the set and puppets. Performances are free with a small cardboard box outside the theater for donations. A small poster of a rabbit creating a shadow puppet of a human hand declared the closet to be the Jamie Mykins theater.

On the opening night of the Fringe, I found myself trapped inside the shakes because it began to rain really hard outside. As I relaxed in the lounge area, I overheard that the first performance in the closet would happen at 9pm. That gave me an hour to piece together a sketch. I opened the closet door and got to work. I was seated in a narrow hallway and volunteers had to squeeze around me. Ed Anthony, one of DEM Guys was first in line for the show. He stepped inside and looked around.

The walls were covered in canvas with violet and green brickwork. A make shift wall stood in the corner of the closet and a green zombie puppet hung limp out of the stage opening. Glow in the dark zombie faces hung from the ceiling along with what looked like lime green sea weed. There was a bag of those foam floaty rods in front of the stage. The line for the theater grew longer. Purple “Brain” cupcakes were served to audience members waiting in line. Jeff squeezed into the tight space behind the curtain and Jamie  declared the theater open. Jamie helped Jeff with the audience interactions. Together they broke the 4th wall. At least ten people must have crowded into that tight space, looking like an insanely crowded subway car or elevator. The theater door was closed. An important rule to remember at Fringe, is that if you leave a theater during a performance, there is no re-entry. If you are claustrophobic or zombiephobic then this might not be the show for you.

I stayed in the hallway, continuing to add color washes to my sketch. I heart laughter and shouting from inside the closet and kind of wished I had pressed inside. After the show, Jeff complained that a few cues were missed and he got nervous when he saw that theater critic Seth Kubersky was in the audience. All I heard however was laughter at the dead pan jokes. Gina Yolango was in the hallway and she was moved to tears when she began talking to Jamie about a Fringe show she had just seen called “Medicine” by T.J. Dawe . The Fringe has it all, from light hearted puppetry in a closet to theater moments that can affect your deepest emotions.

Showtimes:

Thursday May 24th at 9:00PM

Friday May 25th at 9:00PM

Saturday May 26th at 9:00PM

Performances are Free in a closet near the Fringe Volunteer’s office at the Shakes.

Dog Powered Robot and the Subsequent Adventure.

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I arranged to meet the cast of Dog Powered Robot at the loading door of the Orange Venue at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. As I approached the green lawn of fabulousness, I realized I didn’t know where the Orange venue was. I decided to go inside the Shakes and that was a correct guess. Brittany Wine, the DPR stage manager was at the stage door in a stunning red dress. I asked about the loading door and she lead Gina Makarova and myself through a maze of hallways and back doors. Gina was using crutches and had on a temporary cast. It seems her cello had decided to wrestle her to the ground.

The DPR army gathered behind the theater along with a small mountain of cardboard robot parts and set pieces. Grace “Scully” Nolan had seen the DPR billboard on the drive over and the server saw her Blue DPR shirt and commented on how she loved Dog Powered Robot.  The servers name was Destiny which forebode a super awesome performance. Fisher was a furry bundle of energy and he barked his welcome an more people arrived. Evan Miga explained that a life sized VW van would drive across the stage Flintstones style, giving this Fringe show effects bigger than the helicopter in Miss Saigon or the Phantom’s chandelier. . The metallic garage door opened, Christie Miga picked up Fisher and the DPR Army started moving the corrugated cardboard city inside.

I thought I wanted to sketch backstage, but most of the robot parts were out on the floor of the theater. I sat in a front row theater seat, but the arms were too restrictive so I ended up sitting on my artist seat partly on stage. Brittany announced, “5 minutes to house open!” and someone shouted back “Thank you 5!” I couldn’t believe it, my sketch was barely blocked in. I would have to finish as the show progressed. Cast members in black outfits with black helmets with red miner’s lights roamed the room scanning with a long pole with a spinning light rainbow device. They muttered to each other in an alien dialect reminiscent of a Muppet’s song. The rear projection screen announced that they were Ninja Noids and were invisible. That didn’t stop the Ninja Noids from interacting with the audience as they arrived. There was playful theater magic from the start. I sketched Vic-16, (Corey Violence) and Commodore, (Zach Scot) but they only had bit parts to introduce the play.

Lolly Bot (Serafina Schiano) was delightful and she was given time to shine. Audience members were offered a $1 discount if they showed up as a robot. Her counter part, a punk purple bot, Scraperella Overdrive, played by Jennifer Guhl, added sass and attitude to the show. The villain was a grumpy old neighbor who had robotic arms played by John Moughan, and by the end of the show he had used the embigi-fication matrix to extend his reach with many giant arms. I will not give away any of the plot points other than to say that the friendly blue Dog Powered Robot saved the day. The show had the audience laughing out loud and they cheered for Fisher, the little Pomeranian at the heart of the bright blue bot. The show returned to the dreams of the big city ideals that were
endearing in the short production two years ago. It is hard to recreate the energy and surprise of that initial production. Call it destiny or call it fate, the show was a super
awesome mega win!

Show times are:

Wednesday 5/23 at 5:15PM

Thursday 5/24 at 7:45PM

Saturday 5/26 at 1:15PM

Sunday 5/27 at 3:15PM

Tickets are $11.

Well…Since You Asked!

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My first Fringe show was suggested to me by Denna Beena. Well…Since You Asked featured a solo performance by Kate O’Neal where she offered her opinions and personal life experiences. She would go to a small round table at the back of the stage to pick up slips of paper with questions, presumably from audience members and her mom. David Horgan, one of DEM Guys, was seated in the front row. An on running joke between us is that David always tries to pose in any scene I happen to be sketching. This time he succeeded being front and center. The center bleacher seating was full with run over audience members sitting on the sides,

Although much of Kate’s monologue was funny and irreverent, she succeeded best when she spoke from the heart.  When she related one of the most tragic moments of her life, the theater went dark and she was bathed in a red spotlight. Everyone in the room seemed to lean forward, fully present. She sang several songs which resonated deeply with me. Desperado by the Eagles and Bridge over Troubled Waters. Her singing alone was worth the price of admission.

She  has met some fascinating people in her life and has been through a number of jobs and husbands. When she discovered her husband was having an affair with the neighbors
wife, her retaliation had audience members gasping and laughing. This is why theater and the Fringe are magic. People will always want to gather in a darkened room to learn from someone elses life experiences. Kate shared them all, even her mistakes, bringing us along for the emotional ride. A show like this takes bravery and this was her first time doing a personal monologue. The Fringe makes taking such chances a reality for performing artists. I’m glad she took that chance. As she said, “It’s never too late to be who you might have been.”

Show schedule:

Monday May 21st at 6:45PM

Tuesday May 22nd at 7:15PM

Friday May 25th at 7:45PM

Saturday May 26th at 12:45PM

Performances are in the brown venue and tickets are $8.

Fringe Beer Tent

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The Orlando International Fringe Festival is now in full swing. I strolled the green lawn of fabulousness and found Tod Caviness taping a string of Christmas lights to his poetry vending machine. He was glad it was sunny out, but he warned me that a storm was coming. My first order of business was the beer tent. I searched for the beer ticket booth and asked for one $5 ticket. Beer taps come right out of the side of the beer truck. I decided to order a German beer because I liked the bright yellow tap handle. It was a sweet smooth blend and I suspect it will be my beer of choice this year. I took a few sips and then started drawing the truck. Puffy white cumulus clouds looked thick and friendly. Twice I had to extract dead bugs from my drink.

Later that evening, I planned to see “Well Since You Asked” starring Kate O’Neal. Denna Beena had suggested I make this my first Fringe show.  Logan Donahoo suggested I see “Cannibal! The Musical” which was written by one of the South Park writers. Actress Marty Stonerock saw me sketching and gave me a warm welcome. “I know the Fringe has officially begun when I see you sketching away” she said. She was a fireball of excitement and energy. She had volunteered last year and had a blast. She couldn’t wait to get started again this year. She took a photo of me at work and shouted, “Act natural!”

David Horgan, one of DEM Guys, stopped to say hello just as I was finishing my sketch. He stood in front of me posing with his cooler. Darn, I could have worked him into the picture had he arrived just a little earlier. He had posed for my Mennello Museum mural last year. DEM Guys are, David, Ed, and Myron. Every year they compete to see who can see the most shows. They also sponsor one of the venues. David hopes to see more than 60 shows this year. He gave me a DEM Guys pin which I was proud to put on my bag. With the sketch finished, I ran off to my first show. I felt at home. Happy Fringe!