Phantasmagoria brings horrific tales to the Orlando Fringe.

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Phantasmagoria: Wicked Little Tales fills the Fringe Orange venue at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center, (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL) with horrific whimsical tales of horror, Phantastical dance, music, stage combat, large scale puppetry and storytelling. Before a complete run through of the show, actors practiced a sword fight that they had just learned the day before. The swords were real, so there was a true there a of danger as they parried.  Other actors on the stage had to be warned to stand clear. Though rehearsed at quarter speed, the adrenaline still pumps an they had to b coached to slow down.

The show commence with a grand flair. The whole acting troop crouched around the ring master as he enticed the audience to listen in with a grand flourish. Once a story begins it must be told until it is finished. The tales come to life and the horrors pose a real threat to the tellers. The first tale was one of my favorites, The Tell Tale Heart, by Edgar Allen Poe. To recreate the hideous beating heart, the entire (2 beat their palms on the stage floor creating a deafening thump.

Another memory tale was of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Two dancers acted as the horse with grace and style. Actors and actresses would more into the audience during the telling of a tale, and you never knew if a sinister laugh might ring behind you, sending chills down your spine.

Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein brought to life a giant skeletal figure that threatened it’s creator. The creature demanded a bride and when that hope was gone the monster turned on his creator and master. Love lost is the most horrific motivator for murder.

It was good to see this at in troupe in such a large venue. With so many act of and actresses, they easily utilize every inch of the deep space. If you have a taste for the macabre then Phantasmagoria is the show for you.

Phantasmagoria shows are on May 21, 22, 28 and 29.

Tickets are $11.

7(+1) Samurai is high energy fun at this year’s Orlando Fringe.

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Actor David Gaines thanked patrons standing in line for his solo show, 7(+1) Samurai. His show is in one of the largest venues which is a good thing because word of mouth will result in even larger lines. On his own, David acts out the movie 7 Samurai, playing all the parts himself. The result is at times mysterious, and often hilarious. His impression of a frightened farmer running through his field is worth the price of admission alone.

Sound effects play an integral part in every scene and he created them all with his voice from the flump of a falling body to the swipp, chunck, jigga jigga jigga of an arrow slicing through the air and hitting its target.  In many ways it felt like the movie was being projected quickly like in the silent film era. The masks were used to represent the villain and then the quiet and stoic hero samurai who helped the villagers learn how to defend themselves.

As an artist, I had to glance down at my sketch sometimes, and when I looked up, David had become another character. Fight sequences might find him changing character 7 times or more every minute. It was a non-stop fun whirlwind that didn’t stop until his open hand with radiating fingers representing the setting sun,

lowered behind his extended arm and the lights faded to black.

This high energy romp is one of my top picks from this year’s Fringe Festival. It is a show that must be seen to be believed.

7(+1) Samurai

Only one show remaining: Sunday 5/24 3:45pm to 4:45pm

Tickets are $10 (plus a service charge).

Rating: 7+

Run time: 60 minutes.

Venue: Orange (The Margison Theater inside the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center)

Waiting in the Fringe Line

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The John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center has an odd tower that is two stories high and the room is about eight foot square. A compass is incorporated into the floor tiles and a large banner is usually suspended from the ceiling.

Between shows during the Fringe festival there was an art installation consisting of hula hoops and cardboard tubes covered in strips of fabric. Everything was suspended on strings to create a mobile. I made my way inside so that I could sketch a Fringe line as it formed. The line was for, Bless Me Father For I Have Danced and it snaked from the theater entrance out the door with half the people having to wait outside. It is fun to see friends as they meet and hug. Half the fun of the Fringe is meeting people in line and comparing notes about what amazing shows HAVE to be seen. I decided what shows I should sketch based on tips from strangers I met in line. All the reviews in town couldn’t beat good word of mouth.

This is a rare case of a sketch I didn’t have time to finish. My wife Terry texted from another line suggesting I join her to see the show she was waiting for. Often we saw shows together but sometimes we went our own ways. I could only go to the Fringe every other day because of work commitments and on those days Terry was on her own and she would let me know what she had seen that I had to sketch. It was like having a field corespondent scouting out the talent. I don’t know who created this kinetic art, and once the Fringe was over, it was replaced by a table and chairs.

Taking Out the White Trash

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The Fringe show, Taking Out the White Trash  presented by Peemypants Productions featured Sherri D. Sutton, as she spilled the south’s dark secrets in the intimate brown venue. This was a hilarious show that had me laughing the whole time. When asked to describe a Waffle House, Sherri said, “Imagine a truck stop restroom, but with waffles.” Now, anytime I drive by a Waffle House, I laugh. She said being accepted as a lesbian comic has been hard since there is a stereotype that lesbians are always angry. She then performed a joke as an angry lesbian with expletives to hilarious effect. She said, “The thing about stereotypes is that they are often true.”

Much of the show then was built around the southern stereotype. From Walmart, the KKK, to convalescent care, no topic was sacred. Having been raised in the south, much of her material came from first hand experience. Growing up lesbian in a conservative southern town can’t be easy. She joked about southern names and that certain names guaranteed an infants trials or success in life. This show was a pleasant surprise and it was good to see lesbian couples cuddling in the audience. It made me hopeful that love can be cherished in all it’s forms someday.

Flight: A Crane’s Story

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Ibex Puppetry, founded by Heather Henson, presented Flight: A Crane’s Story at this year’s Fringe in the orange venue which is the largest in the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center. The show Explored nature’s deepest mysteries and the spiritual essence of life on Earth through the story a crane names Awaken. After human interference affected their environment, Awaken’s family left on migration without her. The young crane friend had to learn to fly and navigate to find her family and her destiny.

I had quite a challenge sketching the show since the house lights went dark for most of the show so I couldn’t see the page. Also there was nonstop action with kites constantly on the move. I focused my attention on the young crane most of the time ignoring the immense kites. Awaken was first shown as an egg just beginning to hatch. The indigenous North America music was performed live at house left. The woman sang beautifully while the other performer beat the drum. Awaken grew up through a series of puppets. By the end of the show there was a huge crane that would be worthy of being featured in the Macy’s Day parade. I kind of wish I had waited to catch that huge apparition, but I was already committed to the sketch I was working on.

The kites were amazing, swooping down to within inches of the audience before sweeping back up into flight. Costuming was also amazing with some performers wearing costumes that made their arms like huge wings. Movies were projected on the circular screen at the back of the stage offering views of sunsets and the intricate courting dance of the cranes. I would love to see the show again, so that I could focus on some of the truly stellar moments that slipped past me as I rushed to complete the sketch. I envied the others in the audience who could simply relax and enjoy the moment without the obsessive need to capture the moment on a page. This was an amazing show and Orlando is fortunate to have Heather Henson as a unique local artist and entertainer.

The International Crane Foundation is committed to a future where all crane species are secure; a future where people cooperate to protect and restore wild populations and their ecosystems. 

WTF? (What the Fringe?)

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The 2014 23nd Annual Orlando Fringe Theatre Festival takes place May 14th-27th in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park. Venue locations are within Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando Rep (corner of Princeton and Mills)-812 East Rollins Street, and The Venue (Virginia Dr.). Kid’s Fringe is located at the Menello Museum (across Princeton from Loch Haven).

The Fringe is…

100% UNCENSORED

100% UNJURIED

100% ACCESSIBLE 

100% of $ from ticket sales go directly to the ARTISTS

Fringe volunteers manned the information table inside the Orlando Shakespeare Theater while Jeff Ferree promoted his puppet show “Girl Who Fell Up a Chimney” in his bright conical Gumbyesque outfit. Jeff waved to me, and I gave him a stiff armed wave in return. At the information table you could buy the $9 buttons which are needed to get into any show as well as the Fringe program which lists all the shows.  There are about 100 shows so the choices are daunting. The best way to find out what you have to see is to hang out at the beer tent and ask around to find out what people have seen and loved.


While doing this sketch, I was given two tips. Nashville Hurricane is “Frigging Amazing” according to Curtis Meyer. I was also told by Karen that Take Out the White Trash was laugh out loud funny. Actress Michelle Knight walked up to the information table. Michelle just completed a run of Disenchanted which is a take on Disney princesses who didn’t exactly live happily ever after. This hilarious musical comedy was first premiered at the Orlando Fringe several years ago as Bitches of the Kingdom, and now it is headed to off Broadway in NYC. This is a great example of how the Fringe is a great place to launch a creative concept.

If there is a show you feel I should see and sketch, please leave me a comment!

CRAIG’S LUST: a Sexploration

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Ryan Price of Invisible Frisbee Productions is producing an improvisational comedy show for this year’s Fringe called Craig’s Lust. I went to a rehearsal held at Rollin’s College. When I got there Ran was at the rehearsal space waiting for a meeting to clear out. The space was a small conference room on the ground floor of the Bush Science building room 102. This improv show had a creative edge because all the comedy skits revolve around the romantic crushes that people often don’t act upon. “Meeting people is hard. Meeting sane people is harder. Meeting sane
people on Craig’s list is nearly impossible! Join us for an improvised
adventure into dating, modern romance, and missed connections. Come
see us, and who knows, maybe you’ll be someone’s missed connection…
Your suggestions fuel the scenes. From the people who brought you 2013’s
improvised version of The 39 Steps.”

Stage manager Jamie Lynn Woods sat beside me filming the rehearsal. The rehearsal began with a quick session of zip, zap, zoop in which the cast members stood in a circle and threw imaginary knives at each other. Each comedy act was improvised with the actors building off of the scenarios that were offered by the other actors. I admire this sort of high wire act performed without nets. It was of course fun to watch the female actors flaunting their sexuality when needed, however if a male role was needed they could switch genders. It was when such roles were embraced with a flourish that I found myself laughing loudest.

One skit involved a company bowling outing. An employee’s wife caught the eye of the boss as she leaned down provocatively to pick up the ball. The boss patted her on the butt and she didn’t seem to mind at first. Such uninhibited lack of personal boundaries were often the source of a laugh. The woman’s husband was up for a promotion, so he encouraged her performance while hoping it didn’t get out of hand.

Nadia Garzon‘s friend was crocheting during the whole rehearsal. I could identify with his busy act of creation. At the end of the rehearsal, he gave me what he had made. It was a 4 inch high mushroom. I wasn’t sure what to do with it, but it traveled with me on a trip to Virginia. I decided to “plant” the mushroom on a wrought iron public bench figuring someone would be happy to discover it. I like this idea of leaving tiny artistic tokens around town. I’m considering the notion of an Origami business card that I could leave behind wherever I have planted myself to sketch. What I lack is the time to create them.

Craig’s Lust is being performed at the Orange Venue, Lowndes Shakespeare Theater (812 East Rollins Street, Orlando Fl.)

Thursday, May 15th, 2014  10:30pm to 11:30pm

Sunday, May 18th, 2014  10:30pm to 9:45pm

Thursday. May 22nd, 2014  8:15pm to 9:15pm

Friday, May 23nd, 2014  6:30pm to 7:30pm

Tickets are $11 along with your $9 Fringe button which is needed to get into any show.

Emotions Dance Rehearsal

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Emotions Dance Company is rehearsing for the premiere of “Art Evolution“, a collaborative arts experience. Larissa Humiston the Emotions founder and choreographer invited me to be a part of the experience.  At first I thought I would do a series of sketches of the rehearsals but it is a long drive to the dance studio, and I try to reserve Sundays as family time.

Art Evolution is inspired by the famous works of well-known artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gogh, Degas and more. Audiences will experience live contemporary dance by Emotions Dance Company, including a piece created by special guest choreographer, Genevieve Bernard of Voci, and spoken word poetry by artists such as Jessie Bradley, Mark Harriott and more.

I love the idea that the dance is inspired by famous paintings so I’ve started a series of paintings that show the dancers as part of the paintings. For instance the dancers gestures are evocative of the spiraling night sky in Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Video reference of the rehearsals is giving me the luxury of picking gestures that work best for my paintings. In all there will be ten paintings I need to complete that will be displayed at the Shakespeare theater during the show. I’ll likely make affordable gift cards from the series of paintings as well.

 This contemporary dance, visual art, and spoken word collaboration will
be performed twice: Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14, 2014, at 8
p.m. at The John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center’s Mandell Theatre (812 E. Rollins
St. Orlando).

Pre-sale tickets for the performance are $18 for General Admission and
$14 for Students/Seniors and will be on sale starting May 1 and will be
available through June 5. After that, tickets can be purchased at the
door for $20 General Admission or $15 for Students/Seniors.

Mary Love Projects

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On August 18th, I went to the Center for Contemporary Dance off Aloma Avenue in Winter Park to sketch a Mary Love Dance Projects rehearsal leading up to “The Shift, Unity in Motion”. For that particular show, she is doing some solo works, so there were only one or two dancers at rehearsals. This dance company has six company dancers and two apprentices.

 Mary Love Dance Projects will be doing three dances in The Shift, all are solos and distinctly
different in their tone and emotion. Mary Love choreographed two dances, but at this rehearsal she was learning “Young and Beautiful” choreographed by Jennia Shanley.  Jennia greeted me at the front desk when I arrived at the dance studio.

The two dancers warmed up and stretched for a bit and then Jennia set up her laptop on a chair in the corner of the dance studio. She played a video of the “Young and Beautiful” dance routine which was about  three minutes in length. The goal for this rehearsal was for Mary to learn the entire minute routine. Jennia had improvised sections of the routine so she had to refresh her memory using the video periodically.

The music for this piece was by Lana Del Ray. Mary Love began in the chair admiring herself with a hand mirror and then the dance spiraled outwards like a nautilus shell. Every moment seemed physically demanding yet graceful. When Jennia stopped to go over a new section, Mary had a moment to regroup and catch her breath. I was astonished at how fast Mary retained the physical memory of each and every movement. Lana sang “Will you still love me when I’m not young and beautiful” with her sultry voice as Mary moved her arms in graceful arcs. Though just a rehearsal, moments gave me chills.

By the end of the rehearsal, Mary was spent, lying on her back to catch her breath.  She had learned the entire routine and will continue to rehearse this piece at least once a week if not more until the
show. Mark Your Calendar!  “The Shift, Unity in Motion” will feature six local dance companies on September 13th and 14th in the Goldman Theater in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E. Rollins Street, Orlando FL) at 8pm. Tickets at the door are $20, and $14 for students and seniors.

Violin(ce)

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Empty Spaces Theater Company’s director John DiDonna has collaborated with fight choreographer Bill Warriner to bring an experimental show to the stage where “fighting is the story.” Any writer knows that a good story must have a conflict. In this show, the dozen or so actors and dancers are waged in an eternal battle. Some of the fights are staged as a lone violin player is projected on the screen at the back of the stage, thus the title, “Violin(ce)“.

The first scenes revolved around silent film era comic violence.  Then actors recounted school yard brawls. The violence grew personal as a loving couple had their first arguments that progressed to slammed doors and ultimately domestic violence. The line between the erotic and violent was blurred. Actors came at each other with knives, sabers maces and sticks. Blades missed by inches in the type of fights you might have seen in a swashbuckler starring Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone.

McClaine Timmerman performed an incredibly limber and tortured routine, stretching her limbs beyond what should be humanly possible. Dion Smith moved  with a ballerina’s grace around the stage like a hungry lioness as she spared with DiDonna. Of course Cory Violence was in the show. His amazing performance in “The Key of E” and his last name alone guaranteed him a role. In one incredible fight, the entire cast was on stage fighting with weapons. Blades flashes inches from fresh. It is amazing no one was injured. Truth be told, many actors were bruised and battered. Though safely was the rule, adrenalin kicked in. The bruises, abrasions and emotional scars are real.

Each scene in this show is a self contained vignette with each scene building on the last as a sort of history of violence. The action is constant and progressively more intense. The show runs through July 22nd at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street Orlando FL).
The Saturday, Sunday and Monday shows are at 7:30pm.
Additional Sat/Sun twilight shows are at 4:30pm. Tickets are $20. For reservations please call 407.328.9005 – cash only at door. For credit card pre-orders please use www.redchairproject.com