Ghost and Funeral Party at ME Theater.

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Producer Jeremy Seghers presents Ghost and Funeral Party which are two one act plays by Ashleigh Ann Gardner.  When the audience enters the theater,  Petra (Monica Mulder) is asleep on her couch while music fills the space. She woke and started to tidy up her art studio until she finally started working on a  painting. I admired all the sketchbooks, and the loose references strewn about the studio. For me it was a familiar scene. Monica confided to me before the show that the painting on the easel was by her mother and the photos around the studio are her own. Her quiet moment of creation is interrupted by a loud knock on her door which caused her to spill coffee all over her blouse. A
strange coincidence of fate brought neurotic postal courier Lyle (Ricardo Soltero-Brown) to her
apartment door.

In the awkward exchange that followed, it became clear that these two knew each other. It turned out that they had been friends who had had a spontaneous sexual encounter in a closet at a wedding, though Petra was engaged to be married to Lyle’s friend. After that Petra ghosted Lyle. Ghosting wasn’t a term I was familiar with, but it means leading somebody on before cutting off all contact rather than explaining why the relationship might not work. Lyle stayed to demand an
apology from Petra, using every avenue available to him, including relating their story to a
male model named Sebastian (Jamie Roy). Sebastian turned out to be a self-indulgent prick, dignity is lost, and
Lyle and Petra find themselves wondering if two impossibly flawed people
might actually be good together. I of course felt a warm glow hoping that an artist might actually find happiness in this flawed world.

The second play, Funeral Party, actually starred the playwright, Ashleigh Ann Gardner as Gwen. She and Trip (Jon Robert Kress) sneak into a crematorium to mourn the death of their best friend, Clay (Jamie Roy on the gurney.) Clay’s
sudden suicide has Trip reeling with guilt, but has left Gwen detached
and distracted. What was meant as a playful night’s adventure turned into a night of personal regrets and revelations. 

They turn to a list they’ve compiled to keep them on
track for the evening: drinks, Chinese food, dancing, coffee. To  lighten the mood, the two put on birthday caps and even put a cap on the lifeless Clay. When Gwen becomes
reluctant to proceed with the evening’s planned events, a dark secret
about her relationship with Clay is brought to light.

This play was hard hitting and unexpected. When Gwen was forced by Trip to touch the lifeless body, she broke down with such a wail of sorrow that cut me to the core. She fell to the floor. I have heard so many stories of the sorrow that filled the Beardall Center after families were told of the loss of sons and daughters after the Pulse Nightclub massacre. Ashley’s performance brought that flood of sorrow back. Guilt always follows a suicide but Gwen’s guilt had deeper roots. In an emotional exchange Gwen confessed that she loved Trip and that offered some hope and solace in their darkest hour.


I left the theater feeling a sense of pride and joy at getting to see these two plays by a talented local playwright. The second play truly struck me to the core and the first gave me the voyeuristic satisfaction of seeing an artist open herself to find happiness.


Ghost and Funeral Party runs:

February 22-24, 8:00 p.m.
February 25, 3 p.m.
at ME Theatre
1300 La Quinta Dr #3, Orlando, FL 32809

Tickets are $18

Marshall Ellis Theatre presents The Nuthouse.

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I went to a tech rehearsal at Marshall Ellis Theatre
(1300 La Quinta Drive #3, Orlando, Florida 32809) for the world premiere of The Nuthouse. The ME Dance company has created a fun and inspired story with dance routines set to s music of the Nutcracker. The show promises to be a New Holiday Tradition for Orlando, Florida.

Several years ago on Christmas Eve, Doctor Ebenezer, a caring
and passionate inventor that dreams of revolutionizing the mental health
industry at Nuremberg Asylum, was making a great discovery in
supplemental medicines. The Doctor recognized that his patients served
as prisoners in there own illnesses and so, in the hopes of cracking nuts, he began to perform lab experiments in order to create the perfect chemistry of drugs that would cure his patients.

The Doctor continues to seek to provide a medical diagnosis of
individuals by an assessment of their symptoms and signs associated with
particular types of mental disorders. The Asylum is filled with various
patients that suffer from anxiety, bipolar, insomnia, schizophrenia,
attention deficit hyperactivity, and drug dependence disorders just to
name a few. It is no easy task for the staff at Nuremberg Asylum to
handle these challenges. However, it is Christmas Eve and the patients
have been anticipating the annual Christmas festivities and the arrival
of a new patient.

Upon the arrival of Claire, the newest
patient, Doctor Ebenezer assures her that she is safe for the general
population and he releases her into the recreational room in the asylum.
After the annual Christmas traditions have taken place it is back to
the usual treatments of recovery. Claire, lost, scared and hopeless,
finds herself in the Doctor’s lab. She decides to take action to set
herself free. While slipping off into a sleep state she thinks, “Is this
the real life?’ Locked
in the asylum, she is different but still the same. The patients, nurses
and Doctor continue to perform bizarre activities. The head nurse is suddenly dancing a hot romantic Flamenco with a male doctor.

Young dancers from Marshal’s dance class performed in the second act. They sat in front o me during the first act. This was their first opportunity to see the show from the audience. On stage a dancer was on the floor building a house of cards. When the house collapsed, she screamed. The young dancers reacted with surprise and delight. I loved watching a dancer that held a broom as her dance partner. Her dance was graceful and elegant as was her imagined partner.

The Nuthouse will
be performed at ME Theatre. Doors
open 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance. Each show lasts
an hour and 10 minutes, including an interactive 15-minute intermission.
Beer, wine, water, soda and light snacks are available for purchase.
Tickets are $20 per person. Select discounts at the door. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit DanceTheatreOfOrlando.com or call 407-816-7080. Show times are December 2 at 8:30 PM to December 11 at 10 PM. #NotyournormalNutcracker

Bombshell Creations presented, Why Do Fools Fall in Love.

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Bombshell Creations presented Why Do Fools Fall in Love, the Rockin’ ’60s Bachelorette Musical
Created by Roger Bean.  The show was presented at the ME Theatre (Marshall Ellis Theatre)
1300 La Quinta Drive, Suite 3, Orlando,
FL. Unfortunately, I had written the wrong time in my calendar, so by the time I arrived, the show was more this half over. What I did see was infectious fun. The actresses belted out the tunes with plenty of heart.

Millie’s getting married! At her impromptu bachelorette party, Millie and her best friends dive into age-old questions about love, marriage, and the overwhelming dating game. As the celebration picks up steam and the drinks flow, the girls reveal scintillating secrets about their love lives as they poke fun and challenge each other to take control of their lives. Featuring smash pop-hits from the 1960s such as “My Boy Lollipop,” “I Will Follow Him,” “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” “Hey There Lonely Boy,” this uplifting show reaffirms that during life’s struggles, true friendship will unveil its everlasting strength, often with a real rockin’ beat!

Dance Theater of Orlando Presents Touch.

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I went to a tech rehearsal for Dance Theater of Orlando‘s presentation of Touch, The Human Experience. The Dance Theater of Orlando is funded by ME Dance a not-for-profit organization founded by Marshall Ellis in 2011. The ME Theater is located at 1300 La Quinta Drive Orlando Florida which is 2 short drive so of the Florida Mall. I arrived just as Alex Schudde Ellis was opening the theater. The dancers stretched in preparation of the run through of the show.

Touch follows the lives of twelve people who are dealing with their vulnerable lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during the Great Depression. In the pre-show, video was projected of a UPA era cartoon that encouraged people to invest in the stock market. What followed was a montage of black and white photos from the Great Depression. The minimal set gave hints of a shanty town. A narrator related the history as President Roosevelt created New Deal programs to help raise the country from it poverty.

As the story unfolds, we are first introduced to Billy (Abram Garcia)
and Diamond Jackie (Alex Schudde), the lead couple whose story is
interwoven throughout the show to showcase how they handle their
relationship struggle through trying times after Billy develops a
fascination for the Fish Lady (Sara Rose Smith). The dynamic chemistry
portrayed during their introductory dance will have the audience fall in
love with these characters and cheer for the recuperation of their
relationship throughout the struggles, but only time will tell what will
become of their relationship.

As the show continues, the audience is continually introduced to a
cast of new characters who all hold endearing traits that
evolve through the show as they each try to figure out how to survive
the Great Depression and find their true selves. The wide assortment of
personalities include: Vibes Man (Christopher McKenzie) who is searching
for his lost soul; Frank and Mary (Nathan Greenberg and Lauren
Sherwood), the wide-eyed, innocent and bashful coming-of-age couple in
the countryside; and many others who represent different social and
economic classes.

As all of their lives come together, there is one inevitable factor
that continues to motivate them to push through: the human touch. Despite their own
struggles, they make an effort to help raise each other up it ultimately
leads to each character reawakening. Each song from Bruce
Springsteen is specifically selected to represent the emotions and
current hardships of the characters, which creates a smooth, consistent
transition between all of the different stories as they blend together.



Charlie Chaplin as The Dictator filled the theater with his speech that stressed peace and compassion. After seeing so many images of suffering during the depression his speech stressed that war is never the answer.  I have seen the Dictator on TV, but seeing it larger than life certainly makes an impression like OZ’s visage in smoke.

By the last number, it becomes clear that love conquers all. All twelve dancers  filled the stage with their energy. Lauren Sherwood leaped and flew with endless grace supported by a male dancer. This is when dance seems magical as it defies gravity’s pull. Couples united and hope endured as Springsteen’s music roared it’s approval.

Mark Your Calendars. 

Touch, the Human Experience runs…

March 4-6 at 8:30pm and March 11-13 at 8:30pm

ME Theater 1300 La Quinta Drive Orlando FL 32809

Tickets are $20

The Perfect Gift exposes raw human emotions for Christmas.

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The Perfect Gift is written and directed by Winnie Wenglewick who also plays Stacia in the show. Winnie cut her teeth in theater at the Orlando Fringe for the first 10 years when it was still downtown. She moved to Denver Colorado, where this play is staged, and established Dangerous Theater in 2007. Although Winnie has just moved back to Orlando, she is keeping Dangerous Theater open in Denver. The Perfect Gift was first performed four years ago in Denver. In fact they have their own production of The Perfect Gift runring as well this season. If all goes according to plan, Winnie will be opening Dangerous Theater here in Orlando around Fairbanks and Edgewater in about March of 2016.

ME Theater (1300 La Quinta Drive Orlando FL) isn’t easy to find among the stretch of warehouses. Look for the tall ME Dance flag. I slipped into the theater, a bit early to get a jump on the sketch. I considered sitting in the front row, but decided against it, since the front row would most certainly fill up. Christmas songs from all the quirky 60s animated films livened up the room. I found myself humming along as I sketched. When the house opened, only two patrons sat in the front row.

The play opened with Stacia and Winter (Thomas C. Taffinder) sitting on a park bench. Winter was a homeless man with a quirky sense of humor. Staciawho had shared sandwiches with winter  on more than a few occasions, recalled warm childhood memories of Christmas, but the holiday didn’t hold the same magic now that she is an adult. The memories we incredibly funny and although there were as many people in the audience as on stage, we were laughing out loud throughout the show. Winter, though he had little, decided to invite Stacia to a holiday dinner with a friend under a bridge.

His friend was named Karma (Kim Stone). Also homeless, she was an avid Broncos fan, wearing a football jersey and a colorful tutu. Both Karma and Winter had imaginary friends, so the table had to be set for five. Karma had a childish charm about her as she related a story of a Christmas donkey who had very large ears. Conversation over the humble dinner turned to memories of loss and sadness. The “Guardian Angels” managed to bring some peace into the lives of Winter and Karma who had little to loose yet could still find pockets of happiness. We all could all use a guardian angel in a world that seldom plays out like A Wonderful Life.

The fellowship and friendship found under the bridge managed to shine a bright light on the true meaning of the holiday season far removed from the commercialism in the malls. Life, love, and loss are universal. This was a rare show that had humor laced with sadness. As we grow older material gifts aren’t as important as having a close friend to share memories with. Being part of the small audience actually made the show more magical since our laughter was contagious and filled the room. I hope more people discover this holiday gem from a director who has just returned to make her mark in Orlando.

December 3rd – 20th
Thursday Friday and Saturday @ 8:00
Sunday @ 4:00
NO performances on 12/5 & 12/17

Tickets $20.00
$5.00 discount for students, seniors, military
and anyone wearing a Fringe Button from any year.