Jett Backpack and the Battle at the End of the Universe

Posted on by Thor

I went to the Jett Backpack tech rehearsal to see the cast in costume. I was impressed by the backpack itself which was built with cardboard tubes and the ends of liter soda bottles along with tubing snaking from component to component, all of this was anchored to a roll along suitcase and worn, the backpack looked like it might work.

Dancers rehearsed the opening scene in which they held planets that zoomed down the isles and onto the stage narrowly missing Jennifer Guhl as she flew a pretend shuttle through space. Dorothy Massey was busey cutting a foam tail for a reptilian villain named Dr. Saurian played by Stephen Lima. When the tail was secured with a belt she and the cast had a good laugh. Later the reptile was fighting Jett Backpack, played by John Bateman, and the tail struck Jett in the balls immobilizing him. In a second rehearsal of the same fight, Jett’s knees came together when he was struck and the tail snapped off remaining between his clenched knees. It was a hilarious mistake.

This Fringe show was campy and fun offering rolls where local actors could cut loose and be silly. Sadly the show’s run is over and yesterday I saw the cast relaxing over beers in the beer tent. The earth itself was saved from certain doom so it was time to down some ale and admit the battle was now part on Intergalactic history.

This show won TheDailyCity.com’s Audience Choice Award for the best show in the yellow venue.

4 x 4 Fringe Pub Crawl

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The 4 x 4 Fringe Pub Crawl on May 13th was in the Mills 50 District and in Ivanhoe Village. There were drink specials at Wally’s, Will’s Pub, BART and The Peacock Room in Mills 50 and The Matador, Hideaway, Hammered Lamb and Savoy in Ivanhoe Village. O-Cartz (included with the $10 wristband) transported patrons between bars.  There was a rumor that Andy Matchett would pay $20 to anyone who literally crawled from BART to the Peacock Room a block or two further up Mills Avenue.

I decided to go to BART, an arcade and bar on Mills Avenue that I have never been to before. Chan Sterling was checking his portable microphone and speaker. It was tinny but would have to do. Lead by Ruby Darling, Skill Focus Burlesque Dancers arrived and sat in the cushy lounge seating.  The entire cast of Jet Backpack and the Battle at the End of the Universe arrived all at once. They were all in their intergalactic costumes. There were photo opportunities of Jett and his crew playing video games.

Earth Girls are Easy was on the wide screen TV but music drowned the sound track. Paintings by Parker Sketch had just been hung earlier in the day. Parker arrived with a few friends and he let me know that several of the smaller pieces had already sold. A woman asked me if I was the Painter, Sketcher who was on the poster. I didn’t know what she meant at first, but finally realized she was referring to Parker Sketch.

Suddenly a gaggle of screaming women entered the bar. Two of them climbed onto the bar, dancing and making out. One girl had a long pink penis shaped water pistol filled with vodka and she was offering shots to all the men. I couldn’t bring myself to purse my lips in front of the phallic dispenser. One woman had penis shaped antenna and she was the one to go up to the mic to promote the Bachelorette show. I was given a business card with a tiny plastic bag of white powder stapled to the back, I did a detective wet finger taste test. It wasn’t cocaine but powdered sugar, then again, I have no idea what cocaine tastes like. The Bachelorettes vanished as suddenly as the arrived, probably off to the next bar. Suddenly the bar was relatively quiet again.

John Bateman took to the microphone and sang David Bowie‘s “Space Oddity” with lyrics that had been altered to the Jett Backpack theme. Kevin Sigman as the sinister Doctor Saurian also stepped up to the mic.  Matt McGrath shouldered up to the bar with model Sierra Missed. She had an angular futuristic hair style that made her appear like an exotic futuristic replicant from Blade Runner. I had sketched her just last month at the RAW event at the Abbey. I didn’t recognize her at first since she was all green when I sketched her, but she recognized me. Matt pointed out that I’m probably the only person in town who can get away with scrutinizing someone for several hours without appearing creepy. With my sketch done, I contemplated wandering off to another bar on the crawl, but decided one sketch was enough for the night.

I’m curious about that Bachelorette show now.

Remaining Show Times are:

5/18 at 7PM

5/19 at 4:20PM

5/22 at 9:30PM

5/24 at 11:15PM

5/25 at 9:15PM

Where: Gold Venue at Theater Downtown, Princeton and Orange

Tickets: $10 plus a Fringe Button

Jett Backpack Rehearsal

Posted on by Thor

On April 29th, I went to Dancer’s Edge Studio (7351 Aloma Ave, Winter Park, FL) to sketch a rehearsal for Jett Backpack and the Battle at the End of the Universe, which will appear at the upcoming Fringe Theater Festival in May. It was raining like a banshee  on the drive to the theater, but the cast trickled into the dance studio lobby one at a time at first and then in a deluge. The dance studio had mirrors on three walls and the actors performed towards the fourth wall.

Much of the action took place on an intergalactic space craft with John Bateman playing a cocky and somewhat incompetent captain with Jennifer Guhl playing his salty number 1.  The play was written by Josh Geohagen and he sat on the floor pouring over the script. At this rehearsal just two scenes were blocked with Kevin G. Becker directing. Before getting to work, the cast assembled in a circle and switched places with a point and command. Another exercise involved everyone walking the room and reciting the alphabet. If two actors said the same letter at the same time, they had to begin again at A. I’m always amazed at how a cast can pull together and become keenly aware of each other working almost like a flock.

Often the crew of the star ship would be looking at an imaginary view screen which they decided was the blue cork paneling on the wall. They all would crane their heads to look up at it. Several clones perished in gruesome ways and where whisked off to air locks. Dorothy Massey played a sultry Princess Positronic who was attracted to the captain. Trenell Mooring is sort of the face of Fringe this year since she is pictured on the Fringe poster along with her son. Her eyes are set apart wide on her face giving her an exotic chiseled look. She plays the part of an alien helmsman on the ship speaking an alien dialect. This tongue in cheek comedy was consistently hilarious. I can’t wait to see the cast in costume. Since only two scenes were rehearsed, I’m left wondering how the adventure will play out.

Where: The show will be in the yellow venue which is the Mandell Theater in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center.

How much: You need a Fringe button plus tickets are $10.

Show times:

Thu 5/16 7:30PM

Sat 5/18 9:45PM

Sun 5/19 11:15PM

Tue 5/21 7:15PM

Thurs 5/23 5:45PM

Fri 5/24 6:30PM

Sat 5/25 1:00PM

Frost Nixon

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In the Mandell Theater in the Lowdes Shakespeare Center,”Frost Nixon” written by Peter Morgan is being performed through April 28th. Stephan Jones does an astonishing performance as Nixon. His performance isn’t a satirical caricature but an honest look at a man with insecurities and pride. As a elementary school student I used to enjoy doing political cartoons of Nixon so from an early age I understood his charisma. Timothy Williams performs as David Frost, a talk show host looking to score the biggest interview of his career. John Bateman as James Reston acts as the narrator who has had a long time desire to see Nixon admit and repent for his wrong doing. In a humorous moment he meets his long time nemesis and he goes mute and shakes Nixon’s hand. Nixon turned smugly away with his best attempt at a grin.

The interview itself was like a prize boxing match with Nixon evading question with his long winded rope-a-dope memories and effusive tales. In the first round Frost sits back overwhelmed and exhausted by the ex-presidents long winded and empty answers. The actual interview went on for hours but it is thankfully edited down for the stage production. The interview is cut into four bouts and by the end it seemed like Nixon was a bull that wanted to feel the pain of the matador’s sword.

After the show, the cast assembled on stage for a question and answer session with the audience. Director John DiDonna asked theater reviewer Steve Schneider to join them on stage. Steve wrote a glowing review of the performance but hated the historical inaccuracies of the play. He stated that Nixon never admitted to the Watergate cover up and any younger audience members might accept the play at truth. Artists have a responsibility to present the truth. He equated it to journalistic integrity. Going to the theater to learn history is like going to “The Daily Show” to get the news. John asked a class full of college students, “Who is Nixon?” Only three students raised their hands. The play offered Nixon a redemption that he never had in real life. How much artistic license should be allowed before historical accuracy is ignored or turned on it’s head? To illustrate his point, Steve suggested, we imagine that a Japanese playwright decided to write a play about World War II in which there was no Pearl Harbor. Instead Japan is forced into the war when America stages a sneak attack on the Japanese Navy Fleet. Could that be an entertaining play? Certainly, but it would be divisive and inaccurate.

You have just 3 chances left to see this amazing production.

Friday April 26th  at 8PM

Saturday April 27th at 8PM

Sunday April 28th at 2PM.

Dog Powered Dreams

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This was the first full run through of Dog Powered Robot that I got to see at a rehearsal. The laughs started right from the moment Lollybot came out to introduce the show. Lolly offered a lollypop to John Bateman’s wife who had also come to see the rehearsal. When she sashayed up to me and offered a lollypop I was stunned. In her metallic voice she said, “You can have my sweets anytime.” I swore I saw her bright pink pupils dilate and then she winked at me. I swooned. I love Lolly!

No Bones played by John Bateman is integral to the epic drama that followed. While the large cast of robots all move stiffly, John flails his limbs around like wet noodles. In the opening scene when I sketched him, his controlling manipulative ways became obvious as he played a futuristic holographic version of a video game. He isn’t a villain, he is just someone who always has to win at any cost. I have had friends with a similar world view.

In a strange dream sequence, Allissa Foley came out as a slice of watermelon. She was a sinister slice who planted the seeds to a truly diabolical plot. Of course she was simply a recreation of No Bones’ warped imagination and she sounded strangely like his mother with whom he had a contentious relationship. Much like the relationship between Norman Bates and his mother in Psycho.

5/24 TUE 5:15PM

5/26 THU 7:40PM

5/27 FRI 6:40PM

5/29 SUN 1:25PM