Orlando Fringe: Visual Fringe Storytelling

Bobby Wesley pulled together a storytelling event in the Visual Fringe. The idea is that the storytellers would pick two pieces of art that related to their story and those would be on the easels as they spoke. The event was held in the round planetarium room inside the Shakes.

I arranged to meet Keith Brown in the venue since he purchased a print of one of my sketches. He peaked over my shoulder as I was sketching. Then it turns out he was one of the story presenters. He told a story about one of his greatest tricks as a teen. He desperately wanted to meet a girl and had an otherworldly number of condoms in his pocket.

Bottom line, he was with teens who were someplace they shouldn’t have been and a policeman was there to catch them.

As the policeman was interrogating and lecturing them,  Keith began clandestinely removing fist fulls of condoms from his pocket and dropping them where they could not be seen. When the policeman pulled him aside, Keith offered to show the policeman a trick. Reluctantly the policeman agreed. When the trick was done the policeman said simply, “Pretty cool, you can go.” So Keith’s greatest trick as to use magic to evade the law.

Kaytlin Baily told a horrifying story of her decision to ride a rodeo bull ride right after a breast reduction surgery. I will not go into the gory details, and I already spoke about Megan Phillips incredible story of revelation and healing in a previous article. I loved the incredible diversity of stories from Fringe artists who come from every walk of live.

At the Table with Keith Brown

The Fringe show, At the Table with Keith Brown is being performed in the huge Silver Venue in the Orlando Family Theater. This magic show features intimate slight of hand card tricks best observed close up. Four folding chairs were on stage and four audience members were invited on stage to watch the magic up close and personal.

The rest of the audience got to see the magic through multiple cameras. One camera was aimed at Keith, while another was aimed down on the table.

Since I was sketching, I am not the best person to try and catch how the tricks were done. I just trusted through audience reactions that there was some pretty stunning tricks being performed.

Keith told a story of a trip he went on with his family as a teen. He was still honing his magic skills, when someone in a bar approached with a card trick intending to get a free drink with a bet. He didn’t know he was trying to con a magician. Of course the young Keith won every time.  Soon a crowd had gathered and people hooted and hollered every time the young Keith guessed right.

Some people believe in magic and some don’t. I am in the camp that there is magic to be seen every day. You just have to be looking for it, and in my case, I need to sketch it to prove that it exists. I was amazed and awestruck many times during this show. I give the show five ace of spades.

At the Table is rated for all ages and runs 60 minutes. Tickets are $15.

Remaining show times…

  • Saturday May 18, 9:30pm
  • Sunday May 19, 6:00pm
  • Tuesday May 21, 7:55pm
  • Thursday May 23, 8pm
  • Friday May 24, 9:05pm
  • Sunday May 25, 1;05PM