Beth Marshall suggested I stop down to the Fab Fringe Fundraiser that was held at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. I had to attend a Bella Fleck concert later that night so I knew my time to sketch was limited. I arrived straight from downtown where I dropped off several of my prints to a client. I was a bit early and I decided to sketch, Carla Davis, the woman who sells the tickets to the event. Pricilla who had attended the Fringe eight times, was at the next table selling Fringe tee shirts and buttons. Within minutes the first Fringe button was sold kicking off this years Fringe festivities. There were three or four photographers buzzing about the event and every one of them wanted to get pictures of me at work. I am getting used to the mild distractions of the sounds of shutters clicking as I sketch. When I finished this sketch I wandered into the Patrons room where tables lined the walls of the circular room with various auction items waiting for bids. I took the business cards of any artists whose work interested me, so I might contact them and see if they were interested in allowing me to visit their studios to sketch.
Tisse Mallon found me and said I had to experience “Theater in a box”. Theater in a box was a small fabric box just big enough to seat two people. A woman had just entered the theater so Tisse suggested I get some food and come back. I loaded my plate and then Tisse told me the theater was waiting. I ducked down and entered the totally dark cave sitting in the empty seat. Jeff Wirth who was sitting opposite me turned on a small pen light which was dangling from the ceiling. As my eyes adjusted, he looked around nervously wringing his hands. Finally he said, “I don’t know how we will get out of here alive.” Slowly our precarious situation was discussed. We were lost on a cave spelunking expedition. This improve drama required that I join in the drama offering my feeble attempts to comfort Jeff, and find a way back to the surface. We had left no trail and there were hundreds of passageways and turns. Outside our dark shelter, I could hear the crowd gathering to enter the theater, but that just reminded me of how desperate the situation was. I realized suddenly that I had bought the Fringe food into the enclosure so I reminded Jeff that at least we had some food. He pointed out that it would not last long. My only way to put a positive spin on the situation was through humor. Then the thought dawned on me, park rangers would certainly send a search team after us when we did not check back in at the end of the day. I also told Jeff that they most likely would have search dogs who would be able to sniff out the food. Jeff took two small pinches off of my roll on the plate. He gave me one pinch of bread. We toasted by tapping the two crumbs together as he said, “here is to survival”.
All Hallows – Full House
The Friday night performance of the 6th annual All Hallows hosted by Beth Marshal was completely sold out. All Hallows is a fund raiser and benefit that offers 10 plays from Fringe acts each taking about 10 minutes. The event cost just $10 and helps raise funds for next years Fringe Festival. People were encouraged to wear costumes and the top prize for best costume was a 2010 Super pass for the Orlando Fringe Festival. At 7Pm there was a reception in the patrons room with food and drink as well as a silent auction with such items as tickets to theaters museums, art work by local artists, the list goes on. In attendance at this nights performance were representatives form various cities who are members of the United States Association of Fringe Festivals.
This event offered an amazing variety of fabulous entertainment. One of my favorites was a scene in which a wolf man and a cross dresser sit on a park bench and they both discover that their partner has certain secrets. Chantry Banks played the wolf man and he didn’t utter a single line of dialogue which is very refreshing. Christopher McIntyre as the cross dressing fiance was also over the top funny.I was laughing out loud the whole time. Lindsey Cohen presented a short film about an old couple who are using youtube to try and raise funds for Halloween candy for their diabetic child. It was fun watching them bicker and fight revealing the worst in each other.
Since the place was packed, I sat on the sidelines and looked away from the stage at the audience. There is one more performance Saturday October 16th at 7PM at the Shakespeare Theater. I believe there are a few tickets left. For advance reservations call the Fringe office at (407) 648-0077 (MC/Visa). Cash Only on the day of event. Box office opens at 6pm. Trust me these are the hottest tickets in town. This show is a blast.
Fringe Volunteer Party at Pulse
All Fringe volunteers were invited to an appreciation party at Pulse. Pulse is a gay bar on Orange avenue south of Downtown. The tiny parking lot was packed and the side street parking was full for a solid block. I walked in and was given an armband. When I entered the bar area through an beaded curtain I could not see a thing since the room was so dark. I greeted some friends and then after staking out the room decided my best bet was to muscle up to the bar and sketch from there. I ordered a Fringe Tini and it was tasty. The bartender was of course in constant motion trying to keep up with all the orders. Another challenge was that the room would change color from red to blue to green to pink every few minutes. I chose to paint a lavender room.
When I was perhaps halfway done with the sketch, most folks went into the front room for an awards and a raffle. I stayed at the bar since the awards didn’t concern me. Brian Feldman and Jessica Earley also stayed at the bar. As I was slapping down watercolor, I heard Brian calling me and he said that the announcer was calling my nickname, Thor. I pushed my way to the stage thinking well maybe they made up an award for the most sketches done at the Fringe. I stood in front of the stage and shouted out, “did you say Thor?” The confused announcer said no George. What would I do with a pink flamingo anyway? Right? I still don’t know if Brian was pulling a prank or if he misheard the name. I shook his hand when I got back to the bar anyway to let him know no harm was done.
Shakespeare Theater
Memorial Day marked the end of the Orlando Fringe Theater Festival. On this final day all the Visual Fringe artists were asked to pick up their work. As Terry and I drove to the Shakespeare Theater it once again began to rain. Driving through downtown on the 408 the rain became a torrential downpour. When we walked into the Visual Fringe room all the art was on the floor leaning up against the walls. I had to sign a form stating that I had picked up my work and then Anna helped me find my sketch. Everyone must have been up late partying because they looked exhausted. Anna gave me one last hug and then the rain let up as Terry and I exited the theater on our way out to the parking lot. Terry and I climbed into the truck and headed home. As we exited the parking lot, the sun burst through the clouds and an immense rainbow stretched from horizon to horizon. The Fringe was officially over.
Gunther Barnaby’s Traveling Show
I convinced my wife Terry to head out to the Fringe to see a show on my birthday which was May 22nd. She took me to a lovely restaurant in College Park where I had a delicious diner of duck with a cherry sauce which was to die for. When we got to the green lawn we had about an hour till show time, so we relaxed under a tent since it was raining. One of the event people had the fantastic idea of backing up one tent against another so that the audience watching the outdoor stage was not constantly getting drenched. As we waited, Gunther Barnaby’s Traveling show hit the stage. Barnaby offered an elixir which promised to cure all that ales you from Cataliptic Neuroplexy to Stoutness and Camel Toe. Two alluring young women wandered the audience handing out airplane vodka bottle sized samples of this magic potion. In the foreground of this sketch is my wife who continued to suffer from her cold. After trying the elixir she was able to get up and brave the long lines as we went on to the nights show. Perhaps it wasn’t a miraculous and complete recovery since she is still coughing four days later.
The Green Lawn of Fabulousness
There were several breaks in the rain when patrons flocked to the green lawn. Event organizers dubbed this years Fringe festival as “Hurricane Fringe”. Although no actual hurricane hit, storm clouds lingered and opened up daily on the Festival.
When evening rolled in an awards ceremony was held at the outdoor stage. Pink Lawn Flamingos were handed out as Fabby Awards. Patrons pics were announced and these shows will play on Memorial Day.
Another set of awards were handed out called the Patrons Choice awards. I submitted a print of one of my Fringe sketches which was awarded to the Best Original Play. Jessica Earley presented the award which went to “The Schaefer Killing” by the Playwrights Round Table written by Larry Stalling.
The Worm
I spent most of Saturday at the Fringe. It was hot, muggy and sunny when I arrived. I immediately went into the Shakespeare Theater to soak in the air conditioning. I found a comfortable leather chair and relaxed.
This sculpture by Doug Rhodehamel is made entirely from cassette audio tape. In an effort to keep patrons from stepping on or touching the sculpture, Doug placed a sign on the floor that stated that performance artist Brian Feldman may or may not be inside. The worm looks like it has taken and interest in the program that a Fringe patron is reading.
Kristina Goetz, the Director of Development, arrived and sat down in the leather chair next to me. We talked for a while. She said that in preparation for the Fringe she has to make sure all her bills are paid, that her laundry is done and that anything perishable is out of the fridge. She does all that because she basically lives at the Fringe for its duration. She explained that the rain has hurt revenues but now that the sun is out, people who must have cabin fever after a solid week of rain, are coming out in force.
Since I missed Flamenco con Fusion last night I decided to catch the 11:20PM show tonight. I got a ticket
and ran over to the theater just before to get in. It turns out I arrived and hour early. For whatever reason I have been constantly confused trying to get into con Fusion. In the lobby outside the show the guitarist and one of the dancers were taking pictures. I got to shake his hand and I explained that I had heard quite a bit of buzz about his guitar playing
and the show which was wonderful. From the moment the guitarist sat in the glow of a single spot light on a bare stage, I was entranced. The dancing consisted of a duel between a traditional Flamenco dancer and a Break dancer. After the high energy performance the audience stood, screamed and yelled.
The Fringe Rain Bar
Since the rain continued, keeping people from going outside to the beer tent, organizers decided to move the bar inside the lobby of the Shakespeare Theater. Besides the bar there was oriental food and pizza. Lines for the shows were at times very long so people are seeing shows despite the rain. For my birthday I treated myself to tickets to a show. Terry and I stood in line with Brad Kuhn,his sister and friends. Brad’s fiance Darlyn had sent out an e-mail saying Flamenco Con Fusion was a must see. I assumed I had taken her advice.
When Terry and I were about to go into the Theater, the ticket taker informed us that we had the wrong tickets. Several days ago I had bought tickets to The Cody Rivers Show and I had forgotten about them. Terry and I had to run over to another theater since Cody Rivers was about to start as well. It was pure luck that we managed to get in. Had Cody Rivers opened an hour earlier, we would have been up the creek without a paddle. The luck of the Fringe was looking out for me. I still would like to see Flamenco. I think I will have to see that tonight. By the way “The Cody Rivers Show” was awesome and is a must see!
Back to the sketch, as I was finishing up, the Korean girls from the food station came over to see how I was doing. They had seen me sketching outside so they knew what I was up to. I answered questions while I continued to work. One girl watched for the longest time, I usually feel self conscious when being watched for a long time, but she had such a quiet demeanor, that I felt quite comfortable. She later bought over a full plate of rice, egg rolls and salad. Since it was late, I had scored a free diner. The starving artist myth payed off. I bought a Coke from the wine Bar and I was one happy camper.
Fringe Beer Tent
When it finally stopped raining for a few hours, people flocked to the green lawn of fabulouosness and stormed the beer tent. The tent had a truck next to it with kegs that allowed servers to tap and pour the beers right out of the side of the truck. The crowd would grow thick and then on mass people would wander off to a show.
Dewey Chaffee was shooting footage of the revelers. He shot some footage of me sketching as well, and I look forward to seeing the final edit. One group of folks started singing Christmas carols behind me for no apparent reason. By the second verse I was singing along.
Tonight I also got to meet Bonnie Sprung and her mother. They have been to the Fringe for 17 years in a row since day one. Bonnie’s mom has vintage Fringe buttons pinned all over her volunteer tee-shirt. A documentary is being shot about the history of the Fringe and the two of them are going to get interviewed. I stopped sketching when I felt a large raindrop hit my hand. I closed my sketch pad and held my hand up to the sky to test for rain. Sure enough a second drop and then a third. I decided my sketch was done and I opened my umbrella and headed to my car. As I drove home it poured.
The Fringe Deluge
It has been raining for three days straight. Not a drizzle but a deluge. Beth Marshall’s facebook status reported: “Rain Rain Go Away, Fringe Fringe Is Here To Stay, Patron Patrons Come Out And Play, GAY GAY GAY GAY!:)”
The rain did not keep the intrepid artists from performing. The show must go on, but the green lawn fabulousness was deserted. I arrived early and caught this Cello player thumbing through his Fringe program guide. A line started forming behind me for the Pink Venue but the line never got long enough to block my view. I was afraid I might end up with a sketch of a bunch of rear ends although that might have been interesting. Before I was finished with the sketch the Cello player walked off. I am not sure what sho
w he was performing in that night. Another Fringe mystery.
To lighten my mood after so many days of rain, I decided to go see VarieTEASE. This dance group performed a cross between burlesque, cabaret and modern dance with costumes that would make Toulouse Lautrec proud. The performance was playful and vibrant. Unfortunately the lights dimmed and I could not see my sketchbook. I did do a series of blind gestural sketches. These performers impressed me so much however that I am hoping to catch them relaxing just before there next performance in the green room backstage.