Fringe: Sororicide

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Lavender Moon Productions from Orlando Florida presented Sororicide at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. This campy murder mystery was written by Rheanne Walton and Savana Petranoff who first met as stage managers at Florida State University in Talahassee.

While waiting to get into the theater, I met the mom of one of the performers and she had a beautiful black and white Husky with sky blue eyes by the name of Quinn the Pomsky. A Pomsky is part Pomeranian and part Husky. Quinn is mostly Husky in appearance with a Pom dash of fluffy cuteness. This adorable pup is a bit of a star who has performed in commercials and other important roles in film. Quinn has run on the star-studded Hollywood walk of fame and proudly posed on the red carpet before screening premieres.

Sorocicide is built around the premise that the Delta Nu Sorority is raising funds for a pup rescue campaign. Quinn had a walk on role in the show but there are permits that have to be obtained along with other red tape that held up the pup performance. Quinn had to watch the show from the audience. Christina Breza who plays Hanna in the show is Quinn’s god mother. She came out just before the doors opened and gave Quinn a reassuring hug.

The show was chaotic to start. Sorority sisters walked all around the room meeting one another and chatting with members of the audience. Gradually they gathered around three long tables for their meeting. However the meeting could not start because the Sorority sister president was missing. She was the one who usually presided over these meetings. One sorority sister had been seated right beside me, but she wasn’t Chelsea.

The show is a who done it. A few phone calls reaching out to friends soon revealed that Chelsea, the Sorority sister President had been murdered. The fundraiser meeting then turned into arguments among the members about who might have killed Chelsea and why. One of the sisters was studying criminology, so she tarted interviewing people to try and get to the bottom of the mystery. The audience was also invited into the investigation.

College student stereotypes played a roll in the performances. One girl kept posing and shooting selfies while puckering her lips and tossing her hair. There were several Christian zealots who opposed any form of drink or partying, yet they too could be suspects. There were a couple of random party jocks at the end of the table who made light of the situation and bragged about their exploits.

Though in a position of authority in running the charity, Chelsea wasn’t liked by many. Everyone seemed to have had a confrontation with her at some point. The goal was to figure out who had the motive and opportunity to like totally kill Chelsea.

All I know is that Quinn the Pomsky did not kill Chelsea and might have sniffed out the suspect in record time if allowed on the stage.

Fringe: Masquerade of the Red Death

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Big Bang Boom! Collective of Belle Isle Florida presented Masquerade of the Red Death at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. The show was directed by Sean Holloway with Aurora Fable (costumes) and Foxy D’Ville (Choreography). The show was built around Edgar Allen Poe’s story, The Masque of the Red Death. It is an allegorical short story about Prince Prospero’s futile attempt to escape a deadly plague, the Red Death, by secluding himself and his court in a fortified abbey, only for a mysterious, masked figure representing the plague to appear at a masquerade ball and kill everyone, proving death is inescapable.

Prince Prospero sealed himself and 1,000 guests inside a fortified abbey to wait out the plague. He hosted a masquerade gala for his guests which became a burlesque fantasy. While individual dancers performed glittery flesh filled routines, there were also some well-rehearsed group numbers that were well choreographed. A skull masked guest wove her way through almost every scene.

The Masquerade of the Red Death showcased sensuality and grandeur but under all that flesh on display was the inevitability of death. As the show progressed the prince began coughing more in every scene. This was rather unnerving so soon after the worst of the COVID pandemic. I wondered if Prospero was a deep RED State Republican who refused to understand that the plague might be airborne. A prince cannot understand what he can not see.

Masquerade of the Red Death won the Critics’ Choice Award for Outstanding Individual Performance (Musical). Lead performer Tymisha Harris won this award for her trifecta of roles across three shows, which included her featured dancing performance in Masquerade of the Red Death.

The show also won a Tech Award. The production’s backstage crew and technical team won a special Orlando Fringe Tech Award for their work on the show.

Fringe: Vagina Monologues

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CnC Productions of Orlando Florida presented the Vagina Monologues at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. The intimate stage at Ten10 Brewing was filled with a phalanx 0f female performers. Each woman in turn got up to relate their bold and unapologetic story about their vaginas. Eve Ensler’s script took various interviews into monologues that are read aloud by the large, cast of women.

One woman related a story of how her man insisted that she shave downstairs and how itchy and uncomfortable that was. Each testimony was honest an sincere. Women are often taught to hide their monthly cycle. If men experienced the same thing each month you can bet that they would be very vocal about the experience. But the patriarchy insists that women pretend that nothing is happening.

On woman was a sexual coach and she recreated the sounds that woman make as they near orgasm. She was hilarious. If you take Meg Ryan’s diner scene from When Harry Met Sally and multiply that scene times 10 you, might get a sense of how funny and endearing the performance was. She recreated the faint breaths and squeaks to the guttural moans that verge on shouting.

The production felt like it was empowering for the performers and woman in general. Sexuality should be celebrated rather than hidden away. Though not technically a comedy, this show had me laughing the loudest of any production I saw at the Fringe. Though the monologues might have been from interviews with different woman, the rapport among the cast and the way each reader embraced their lines made it clear the feeling expressed were universal. When given the freedom to do so, every woman loves to talk about their vaginas. It is just that no one ever asked before.

I saw a black tee shirt with white lettering all over the fringe with descriptors of, Kitty Meow Meow, Lady Garden, Pink Taco, Cootchie, Va Jay Jay, and more. The Splash Awards allow the local LGBTQ+ community to vote for their favorite shows, directors, and performers. The Splash awards gave an award for Best Supporting Actor, Xoey Dillman-Giewont, Best Director, Lady James Dillman, and the Best Show, The Vagina Monologues.

The staged reading benefited One Heart Women and Children.

I give the show 10 out of 10 vaginas.

Fringe: Then, Eve

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The World of Billy Jane from Orlando Florida presented Then, Eve at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. God created Adam and then Eve was left to create herself. In one awkward moment the lights in the theater went black and Eve had to figure out how to procreate with Adam. From the grunts and painful silences, it seemed that the encounter was a failure. Eve never needed to see Adam again.

Eve was eternally curious and went about spending her time naming the species of animals, including thousands of beetles. She learned all she needed to know from her animal companions. She was dressed a bit like an explorer in a loose white garb like Laurence of Arabia with a hip satchel.

Eve’s monologues were centered around how humans can best spend their time on earth. Her curiosity kept her from ever experiencing a dull moment. With so many facets to creation she wanted to see and learn all she could.

She discovered a caterpillar which then spun a cocoon and later emerged as a butterfly. Eve imagined that she too would experience a metamorphosis. Though she could not spin a cocoon, she did morph in how she saw herself in the world. The play is largely about personal growth and learning each and every day to alter a naive a limited world view. The show was often laugh out loud funny while being tender and insightful.

Coming at the Biblical story of creation from my Sunday school upbringing, I assumed Eve was the world’s first woman. It wasn’t until very late in the show that I realized that Eve was Transgender. My affection for the character didn’t change but my mind exploded.

The show was named one of the “Best Shows of the Fringe Festival” by the Orlando Sentinel and received glowing praise from the Orlando Weekly for its fluidity and gut-punch emotional depth.

Fringe: The Suitcase

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Ayni Performing Arts of Orlando Florida presented The Suitcase – La Maleta at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. This solo show starred Peruvian artist Gio Quezada who also wrote the show directed by Jorge Bazalar. The Suitcase was inspired by Quezada’s own journey immigrating to the America from Peru and explored themes of resilience, identity, and the immigrant experience.

With the current administration, immigrants all across America are being terrorized by ICE Agents who violently pull them from their jobs, courtroom and the streets and detain them in concentration camps. Living in constant fear makes the American dream a distant memory for all.

Gio gave a voice to all these people who are struggling to survive today. The character she portrayed was named Lucia, a graceful ballet dancer. The arts in America are also under attack so her idyllic profession makes surviving in America even harder. Before arriving at the festival, The Suitcase production was backed by a United Arts Individual Artist Grant, which makes me particularly happy.

Besides her own story, she related stories of Latin Americans from other countries who had uprooted their lives to come to America. The journeys are often insanely dangerous, but they all hope the American dream might still be alive.  This show was so important to see given the temperature of hatred and intolerance being spread in America today.

The stories told were true hero’s journeys. The souls brave enough to make the dangerous journey are also the souls who are brave enough to build a life here. Yet today there are so many stories of children being separated from parents and other atrocities that make it clear that we are living in inhumane times. The inhumanity helps distract from the presidential criminal actions that define the news every day.

After the performance I walked on stage to look at the suitcase which was open. It was filled with so many family photos from a family struggling to make a life here in America.

On the Statue of Liberty…

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free!”

Does this mean anything anymore when ICE agents are detaining people who are immigrants or citizens?

The “golden door” seems now to be a crude detention cage. I feel that The Suitcase was the most timely, important and brave play I saw at this year’s Fringe. Through personal stories it illuminated the dark heart of America today and the loneliness of trying to survive in a capitalist society. Even as a privileged white American, I identify with her story.

Fringe: Odyssea’s Family Tree

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Odyssea’s Family Tree produced by Project no.19 Performance Company, and sponsored by Dandelion Fitness, at the Orlando International Fringe Festival followed the journey of dancer Odyssea Siren through a series of pole dances. When the audience entered the theater all the dancers were lying in fetal positions on the stage. I started sketching immediately knowing I didn’t have much time to catch all the poses. Accuracy had to take a backstage seat to gesture. Lines of candles radiated from the center hub of the stage creating a romantic glow and spotlights illuminated quadrants of the stage as needed.

Each dancer then took turns performing on the 12 foot pole. I only tried to capture one dancer, and the challenge came from trying to capture the constant motion of dancers suspended, inverted and twirling around the pole. Between sets, the pole was vigorously wiped down.

Portraits were hung on clothing racks at the back of the stage. I didn’t know they were portraits until late in the show when the lighting allowed them to be seen. I believe the point was that the audience could see a dancer’s portrait after seeing how gracefully she moved and hearing her story.

The show, directed by Max Pinsky, featured contemporary dance and spoken-word pieces that showcased stories of generational trauma and survival. I didn’t really follow the story line; I just marveled at the athleticism of the pole dancers.

When in college, I went to 42nd street to do a series of sketches of strippers and pole dancers. Back then  42nd street was very gritty. This show elevates the pole dances to more of an art form but the uniforms of garter belts, thongs and high heals was very much the same. I would never get tired of sketching this much exposed anatomy in fluid motion. It was a thrilling show to sketch.

Fringe: Dreamwalker

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Cloud Feather Productions from Punta Gorda Florida presented Dreamwalker at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Center stage was the largest Unity Drum in America. Most of the audience was invited on stage to beat bamboo xylophones and the huge Unity Drum. A small plush unicorn sat on a bar stool at center stage.

On the screen AI generated animations were used to tell a tale about anthropomorphic animals being warriors. I could not hear most of the narration from the animation shown because of the drumming. In general, there was a story about a Clan of the Unicorn. That story was impossible to decipher

I stopped trying to make sense of the proceedings and just went along with the flow of the mushroom fever dream. The show was written and directed by Joseph Breton on guitar, with Manuela Bass and Sarah Giustra offering back up on various instruments. So, was this a musical? Certainly not in the way Schmigadoon is a musical

Though billed for all ages, the show with its sappy AI generated animations seemed geared for grade school children who might not mind the artificially flavored imagery. The cast was warm and inviting but the choice of projected AI animation to tell the clan story missed the mark for a staged production. Heart felt narration as if told around a campfire might have better expressed the message which I think was about community, compassion, and unity though I really am not sure about the show’s intentions. When the cast was singing facing the largely empty audience bleachers, they would have their backs turned to the members of the audience on stage. The interactive aspect of the show was inspired but the staging felt fractured.

Had I chosen to bang away on a xylophone instead of sketching, I might have had a different impression of the show. My feelings about the cult like AI generated animation however were visceral. If such polished turds of animation are what we face in the future to tell stories, then humanity as a whole is in trouble, no matter how hard we try to drown it out by beating a drum.

Fringe: Four Dinners

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Four Dinners at the Orlando International Fringe Festival was a passionate play about two sisters, a roommate and an ex who lustfully explored their sexuality as queer women. The show was written and directed by Emmy Frederickson and Kelsey Grace Kidd.

The sexual relationships blossomed and unfolded so fast that I started to lose track of who was sleeping with who. When one relationship flickered out the ex-girlfriend of Penny (Liv Rawls) got pulled into the vortex of passion in the small apartment.

All of the passionate feelings had to be sorted out over the course of four dinners. Had this play been about men it would have been titled four dinners and a fist fight, but the woman managed to keep their impassioned conversations in check by passing around a small stuffed animal which was a sign that only the woman holding the plush could talk.

The action in the play pealed off as quickly as the clothing. When the sister of Penny, one of the roommates came over, she is seduced with surprising ease by Ynez (Marissa Rodriguez) the other roommate. I imagine the point of the play is that couples should be able to calmly discuss their feelings even when they are cheating or swapping partners. Throughout the chaos of the love triangle or quadrangle, Penny seemed to be the one person who kept a level head.

At heart all the characters were vulnerable and the quick leaps into sexual relationships may have been a hope to find some sense of belonging. Despite hurt feelings, the woman remained close. The small apartment was a tinderbox of emotions, but they managed to remain friends although rather dysfunctionaly.

Fringe: 50% Non-Verbal

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This Orlando International Fringe solo show by trombonist/dancer/actor C. Neil Parsons from Somerville, Massachusetts, was a variety act that was indeed not about long monologues. His trombone performances were on the abstract side treating the instrument as more of a folly device for making sound. The music was more of form of communication rather than a defined tune and the other form of communication was physical movement.

Neil did utilize speech and vocal play as well by describing the inner jumble of his thoughts at night.

I decided to try and sketch Neil doing his dance number. The stage felt so huge for the solo performer.

In one act, Neil played trombone while 3 volunteers walked around the stage looking at their iPhones. There was something very poetic in that musical number where the volunteers never looked up from their digital devices until the moment they came to rest.

This show was very avaunt guard and experimental. The acts were as varied as the thoughts in the performers’ mind. I was entertained and intrigued. I didn’t need to make sense of all that happened, I enjoyed it for what it was. What was it? You might ask. I am not always certain.

The show was well-received by reviewers and drew sold-out crowds.

Fringin & Flagons Presents: The Last Stand Tavern

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Michael Marinaccio and Tracy McCoy acted as the MCs setting each scene in The Last Stand Tavern which was staged at in Ten10 Brewing which was the perfect venue at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Different guest performers are introduced at each show, adding to the chaos.

The show was built around a Roll Playing game, or TTRPG (Tabletop Role-Playing Game). I am not very familiar with roll playing games, so I had to take the show at it’s face value. I think that some of the audience reactions came from a familiarity with certain RPGs. Every scene was completely improvised often to hilarious effect.

Improv actors seated on the stage had to stand in for characters in an apocalyptic vision of the word where zombies are about to overrun a tavern. Players would roll a large die to determine the energy they might have to overcome each obstacle.

Though starting playful and light, the zombie hoards and dark lord are too much for any character to overcome. Each roll of the die resulted in an almost certain bloodbath. Perhaps that is just the way of the world. None of us will get out of this game alive. Heroes are the first to go.

The bottom line is that was a fun Fringe show with many unexpected turns and plenty of laughs.