Fringe Overview

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Producers and directors for this years Orlando Fringe Festival piled into the circular Patron’s Room at the Shakespeare Theater to get a crash course overview of what they could expect from this year’s festival. The meeting lasted for several hours. My ears perked up when Beth Marshall started to discuss the issue of Bloggers. It seems everyone and their mother is a blogger these days. Last year some bloggers wrote scathing reviews and members of the cast wrote back equally scathing comments in return. It seems these “Flame Wars” only manage to discourage people from going to see the show. She instead suggested that producers put a positive spin on any review.

Beth pointed out that Fringe is always a “Fun, lively, hot mess.” This year, Pepe will be promoting shows at the outdoor stage. Brian Feldman will be offering awards picked lottery style. TheDailyCity.com will again have its Audience Choice Awards, and then there are the “Fabies” awarded on the final day of the festival. A show titled “Fringe Abridged” will recap all of what happened, highlighting shows in a break neck spoof. She advised producers to comp fellow artists into the shows as word of mouth will quickly spread if the show is a runaway hit. The second best way to attract an audience is through Facebook. Beth went on in detail about how the city of Orlando would not tolerate any posters or fliers taped on light poles, trees or any form of municipal property. It seems this had been a problem in the past and it resulted in fines.

The 20th Annual Orlando International Fringe Festival will be happening between May 19th and 30th in Lock Haven Park. The Festival is 100% uncensored, 100% Unjuried, 100% accessible, and 1OO%o of ticket sales goes to the artists. I had the best time sketching and experiencing the Fringe with friends last year. It truly highlights the best of what Orlando has to offer.

Dog Powered Robot

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Dog Powered Robot took the Orlando International Fringe Festival by storm last year. It began as a short three minute show as part of the Creative Mind Project. The premise of the Creative Mind Project was to have many different artists interpret the same music. I was there opening night since I had edited a short video using my sketches to the music. A small cardboard city cluttered backstage and when Dog Powered Robot made its appearance the audience went wild! They were laughing, screaming and shouting. I had to stay back stage, but I peaked out through the curtains. Fisher, the dog behind Dog Powered Robot was an instant star.

I went to Evan and Christie Miga’s home where they had set up a mini sweat shop making Dog Powered Robot tee shirts. Doug Berger was dabbing blue silk screen ink on the stencil and using a squeegee to force the ink through the screen onto the shirts. His wife Carla Stanton used a hair dryer to quickly dry the inks and then the shirts were hung from the rafters.In the living room hundreds of buttons were being assembled.

A few days later I returned and the garage had been converted into a robot manufacturing plant. Joey Corcoran was there helping assemble a huge robot. He was using pvc plumbing pipe to create arms which would be maneuvered by the operator like the controls inside a tank. Light flexible tubing hung above the work bench and it blinked brightly with rainbow colors.

The bright pink Lollybot was finished. Her life’s mission is to dispense candy for children. Large blue foam DPR letters stood ready to announce this phenomenon at Fringe. Music is being composed by David Traver for the show with lyrics supplied by Britt Daley. Josh Sales edited the Dog Powered Robot teaser and he is responsible for all the special effects. With the simplest of supplies and plenty of ingenuity, Dog Powered Robot is bound to make a huge splash at Fringe and beyond. A fundraiser is being held at Blank Space (201 East Central Boulevard) on March 10th starting at 8PM. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

Pulse of Orlando

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What follows is a fictitious account. Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental…

It was another rehearsal in the weeks leading up to Fringe. The actors sat around the kitchen table at Mike’s house reading personal stories and poems. They shared several bottles of red wine. Soon the rehearsal was more of an opportunity for members of the cast to share intimate secrets. The notion that this was a reading vanished and the conversations blossomed. Todd then admitted that he had started to dance at a gay club. Having a room full of people admiring his body gave him a visceral thrill. Anna, the director then decided that we all had to see Todd perform. We piled into two cars and headed off to Pulse. I was one of the designated drivers since I had been sketching rather than drinking. Anna sat on a copy of the Alchemist that was on my passenger seat. She and Sandra had just been talking about this book. Excited, she said she had to read it and she shoved it into her large purse.

We all filed into Pulse. My bag was checked since they thought I might have a camera. I explained that I only had a sketchbook. I backed myself into a nook and immediately started to sketch. Men gyrated in the amber light. I was right behind Todd who was dancing on the bar in front of me. About halfway into the sketch Anna pulled me over to join the cast that was assembled in a tight cluster at the end of the bar and dancing. Sandra and John were dancing provocatively close. When they grew self conscious, Anna would shove them together. She was always the director even in matters of the heart. They had all been drinking some exotic shots and combined with the red wine they were feeling no pain. A guy actually groped my balls as if this was his way of saying hello. I shoved his hand aside and decided I needed to walk away and finish the sketch. I wandered back to my spot, where I had to stop sketching every time someone needed to shove into the bathroom. When I returned to the group, my sketch finished, it was obvious that Anna had been drinking too much. Todd, the male dancer was with her trying to get her to sit down. He suggested Betsy and I try and get her home. When I approached Anna she backed away and disappeared into the packed dance floor. I wasn’t about to chase her around the club. Betsy seemed sober so I asked her to talk to Anna and convince her to leave. However Betsy was busy trying to find her cell phone which she had left in the other car on the drive over.

I exited the club and waited outside. I was sure Betsy would be out any minute with Anna and her cell phone but the clock kept ticking. Then suddenly Anna stumbled out and sat on the retaining wall beside me. She didn’t realize I was there. She had been sick and she couldn’t keep her head up. I asked if she was alright and she was surprised to see me. Embarrassed she began running down the street. Betsy exited the club and we both trailed behind her, concerned she might run into traffic. She finally collapsed between two parked cars and slumped over in a seated position. I reassured her until she shouted out, “Leave me alone!” I was making matters worse. I backed off and decided this had to be settled by the cast. Tod managed to help Anna get into his car. It was agreed that we would drive her to Mike’s house where she could sleep it off. I then drove Sandra and Betsy to Mike’s and when Todd and Anna arrived, the girls helped tuck her in for the night. I waited long enough to be sure everyone was fine, then I drove home. I’m convinced the events of this night helped bind the individual actors in the show into a tight knit ensemble. I suppose I could have left at any time, but I was the designated driver, besides I got a decent sketch.

2011 Fringe Lottery

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The tension was palpable in the circular Patrons Room in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater this Monday night. A single folding table was set up at the front of the room and seats were set up in rows for the anxious crowd of performers, producers, directors and avid Fringe fanatics. For those new to the Fringe experience, it is a 13 day festival founded on the concept of offering 100% unjuried (hence the lottery), 100% uncensored and 100% accessible theater, music, dance, art and madness to all types and ages, where 100% of the box office ticket sales go directly back to the artists. The longest running U.S. Fringe Festival, the misson of Orlando Fringe is to provide an accessible, affordable outlet that draws diverse elements of the community together and inspires creative excellence through the arts. The 20th Annual Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival takes place May 18-30, 2011 in Orlando Loch Haven Park. Nine ticketed venues are located within Orlando Shakes and Orlando Repertory Theatre, along with three Bring Your Own Venues for unique site-specific performances.

Chasmin Hallyburton sat with her laptop open, ready to record the winners of the lottery. Shannon Lacek was in charge of pulling the winning acts from the bucket which was held by Beth Marshall. Beth held up her cell phone and shouted, “Everyone say hello to Brian Feldman who will be tweeting the results from Palo Alto, California!” Everyone shouted, “Hello, Brian.” Once an act was picked from the bucket, Shannon would read the title and then George Wallace would tape the card up on one of the colored poster boards. Each poster board represented a different venue. Some acts drawn from the hat caused massive shouts of delight since performers were in the room. I shouted myself when I heard Dog Powered Robot was going to have its own show! After the lottery was finished, Evan and Christy Miga stopped by to say hello. I expressed how excited I was for them, and then Christy showed me her handbag, and there was Fisher’s tiny furry face. Fisher is the dog behind Dog Powered Robot, and he is a rising star!

I went up to the poster boards and wrote down the shows that had been picked. I couldn’t read my own writing, so check out Orlando Sentinel Theater Critic Matt Palm’s list to start picking the shows you might like to see. So many friends will be performing. Brian Feldman will have an as of yet undisclosed performance in an alternative venue. Jeremy Seghers and Dewey Chaffee, and Voci Dance have shows that remain a mystery. John DiDonna will be directing a dance performance called “Unspoken.” Logan Donahoo shouted for joy when “Trash Cinema 101” was picked. I am so happy for everyone who will be scrambling to push the creative envelope in May 2011. I am busy trying to decide which acts I most want to sketch.

Red Umbrella

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As I walked past this woman reading in a rare moment of calm between Fringe performances a friend said, “That is a beautiful scene, you should sketch it.” This was a rare moment where someone actually encouraged me to take the time to slow down and do a sketch. When I am among friends and family, I usually think they would get annoyed that I am sketching rather than taking part in a conversation. At parties I often quietly listen to the conversations around me, thinking the whole time that I would love to sketch a persons expression or the warm ambiance of the room. Being invited to do a sketch therefor was thrilling.
I walked up to the woman to see how long she might be reading and to make sure she was comfortable with being sketched. She was waiting for a show and would be reading for another half an hour. I sat down and got to work.
As I was sketching Ryan Price walked up to me with his video camera rolling and he asked me a few questions. The sound quality on the video is off sync and hard to hear but it is interesting to see the way I managed to answer his questions while still working. The whole time I was being interviewed I was hoping the woman wouldn’t get up and walk away.
When the sketch was finished I rushed off and headed into another Fringe show called “The Bike Trip”. This was the best show I saw a Fringe this year. It was a one man show about one mans quest to find the origins of Acid. The monologue was quick, lively and full of humanity. It made me feel more connected to the people around me. I never asked the woman’s name that I sketched, she will always be “The Lady in Red” to me.

Fringe Line

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Just standing in line for a Fringe show is an adventure in itself. As usual at leas half of the people were fingering their cell phones sending texts or checking Facebook statuses. Many of the people in line were also actors which can be surmised from their feather boas and loud Hawaiian shirts. Well, I also saw them perform later that evening. One of the young astronautics from “Cat Women on the Moon” dances up and down the line in slow motion as if weightless. He handed out Cat Women on the Moon fliers to anyone who would take one.
Before I was fully finished of course everyone filed into the theater. After I finished up enough washes, I followed them in. This twenty first Century digital age moves a touch too fast for me to be sketching it using methods used back in the Renaissance. The only way to keep up is to ignore the final polished look of things and just let go and get sloppy!

Fringe Merchandise

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The Fringe box office was a constant whirlwind of activity. Before you can even purchase a ticket for a show you must first get a Fringe button. I was running late to one show and had managed to forget my Fringe button at home. My button was tied to the backpack I had used to go camping for Brian Feldman’s Fringe of Nature. So I come running up to this table with just seconds to spare and I ask to buy a button. The kind sales lady informs me I can return the button after the show. I pull out my wallet and I don’t have enough cash. I rush up the ramp to an automated teller machine and withdraw some money. I rush back get the button and then rush to the box office to get the ticket. The ticket sales lady says, “I’m sorry the doors are closed already.” The Fringe is a tightly oiled machine. Show doors close on exactly the specified hour and then no one else can enter. I decided to return the newly purchased button and then I drove home to get my button and Artists Badge. I would see more shows that day, just without the rush and hassle.

The vote signs are so audience members can vote for their audience choice awards.

Cody Rivers Show

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The Cody Rivers Show, starring Mike Mathieu and Andrew Connor, had me laughing out-loud for a solid hour. I had seen this comic pair last year and I had to return for more this year. Sultana Fatima Ali and I sat in the front row and at times I leaned forward and grabbed my camping chair, fearing it might get trampled in all the physical humor. A ping pong game with an invisible ball and table relied on nothing but sound effects to bring the scene to life. The game could be played as fast as the speed of sound and such limitations as gravity and realistic timing could he ignored. This could be said of so many of the fast paced skits.

The sketch depicts a Mummenschanz like moment where the actors hands function as eyes and a mouth. Different arrangements of hands portrayed different characters.

The pace of the show was fast and furious. At times I was laughing so hard I couldn’t catch my breath.

If you go into this show with no expectations you will be blown away. I left the theater in high spirits and every time I bump into someone I know, I tell them they have to see this show. I am telling you the same. You will thank me if you go.

Fringe – Outdoor Stage

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Mark Baratelli, the editor and chief of thedailycity.com, took to the outdoor stage for two nights. Mark didn’t have a prepared script, he simply took to the stage and started talking. He started talking about waiting in line for the Cody Rivers Show. I was in line with him along with Sultana. Someone told Mark that he had parked in a construction site and he would be towed if he didn’t move his car. The line started moving and people poured into the theater. Mark didn’t have enough time to move his car and still get back for the show. He decided he had better move his car. He said this loud enough for everyone around him to hear. I didn’t think he would get towed and I told him so. Finally he decided to move his car. He was locked out of the show. He had made the right decision since a tow truck had been sent to the site.

Mark continued telling everyday anecdotal stories for more than an hour. This sort of relaxed conversational tone is very similar to blogging . He bought up a good point when he said that the outdoor stage is underutilized. There is a stigma to the outdoor stage where people assume only bad acts would perform outside. Mark thought it would be a good idea to have a panel discussion outside with all the out of town acts. This seems like a great idea. It would be a way for the Fringe audience to learn more about the performers and producers. It would be awesome if a hint of the creative process could be unearthed and mined. He particularly wants to find out more about some of the amazing one man shows like “The Bike Trip.”

Ironhead

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I went to several rehearsals for Ironhead. Ironhead is a fun quirky play about a group of friends who get sucked into a vortex after rippinq an original Ironhead instruction manual. The protagonist, who later plays Ironhead, Josh Geoghagan, just had a child with his wife and he felt playing video games was a waste of time. The friends find themselves inside the video game battling for their lives. Their objective is to find the Evil Lord of Evil Darkness and kill him.
The group of friends battles foe after foe. A particularly memorable scene happened on the Island of Cat People. Here everyone was offered cat nip as a diplomatic sign of friendship. Soon everyone is writhing on the floor together in a state of ecstasy. After rehearsing this scene, Sarah Lockhard said, “I couldn’t find an opening.” The unintended double meaning had everyone in the room laughing to the point of tears. This scene alone is worth the price of admission.
This action packed play was written by Marcie Schwalm and directed by Christian Kelly. The rehersals were held at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theater on International Drive. When I arrived, the actors were standing in a circle. An actor would shout out another actors name and then the two actors would change places by crossing inside the circle. The pace picked up until the director asked them to just use eye contact to initiate the exchange. In another exercise the actors walked freely on the stage using peripheral vision to avoid running into one another. At one rehearsal Sarah Lockhard and Josh Geohagen arrived late because her car overheated. After an acting warm up the director asked an actor what he was thinking of. The actor said, “I was wondering when my turn would come. ” The director turned to Sarah, in tears she said, “I was thinking about my car.” That girl couldn’t lie if she tried.
Bottom line, this Fringe play was a fun filled romp.