Storyteller Country Joe Rosier

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Joe Rosier was the first person to pose for the Mennello Museum mural I am working on. I met Joe at the Shakespeare Theater several hours before his tech rehearsal. After sketching him standing in line I then asked him to sit for an informal portrait sketch. I believe I first met him at poetry readings at Infusion Tea. He resembles Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with his grey beard and character filled face. I have seen him at the Orlando International Fringe Festival every year that I attended.

Joe is a lawyer by trade but very much a storyteller who understands the power, cadence and lingering power of the spoken word. I know that around Halloween Joe conducts a night time ghost story tour. He has brought some of these “Scary Stories” to this year’s Fringe for adults and children. He has shows in the Patron’s Room, Kid’s Fringe and at the outdoor stage. His stories speak for themselves.

Patron’s Room
May 25 Wed. 6:40pm
May 27 Fri. 5:30pm
May 28 Sat. 9:00pm

Kids Fringe
May 29 Sun. 11:00am

Outdoor Stage
May 28 Sat. 5:00pm
May 29 Sun. 8:00pm

Fringe 0pening Night Gala Show

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The Fringe Gala Show was hosted by the Oops Guys, Dennis Giacino and Fiely Matias. They introduced a game show spoof entitled, “Drop your Balls!” This was an adult themed game show, so parents don’t let your children read this post! The five contestants were introduced and they sat in metal folding chairs in a neat line. Each contestant was given a clear nylon sack with several colorful balls. The sacks were tied to the contestants belts and they dangled between their legs. The rules were simple. At the end of the evening, the contestant with the most balls would win.

First in line for the brave contestants was an eating challenge. The challenges included, down that banana, spread the icing, suck a Twinkie or go down on Little Debbie. The first contestant was David Lee who is in the Pulitzer prize winning Fringe show titled, “Thom Paine” in the yellow venue. To find his challenge David had to “Spin the Asian” which involved gently pushing Fiely allowing him to spin in place. When he decided to stop spinning, he announced, “Suck that twinkie!” A chair was bought out to center stage and a plastic drop cloth was spread out on the floor with help from Katie Thayer dressed in a sexy red dress and knee high red leather high heel boots. She turned out to be from the show, “Big Swinging Dick’s Topless Bar and Naked Drag Queen Farting!” a hilarious show written by Carl F. Gauze in the green venue. The twinky was placed on the chair and gentle music began to play with the chirping of birds. David removed the Twinky from its wrapper, then he re-wrapped the twinky theatrically in the drop cloth implying he would only perform the act if it was done safely. He shouted, “This kind of reminds me of a Lucille Ball sketch.” He was awarded two balls for his performance.

Kevin J. Thornton from the show “I Love You, Were Fucked” was given the challenge to, “Down that Banana.” He turned his back to the audience as he gently peeled the banana which he held at his crotch. He then got on his back and lifted his legs and hips touching his toes way above his head. He then lowered his hips until he was able to nip off the tip of the banana. I wasn’t aware a person’s back muscles could stretch that much! The crowd went wild! He was awarded 3 balls.

Rob Gee who is in “Smart Arse” was given the challenge to “Lick that Pie.” He teased the pie by gently tapping it at first with his index finger until the crowd couldn’t take it anymore. He licked the red filling once and then devoured the pie in one ravenous mouth filled, masticating gulp. Lisa Sleeper was the only woman contestant. She plays Sleeping Beauty in “Bitches of the Kingdom” which is a musical satire about the pissed off princess’ of the Disney classics. Lulu Picart sang a song from the show. She plays Mulan. Since I worked so hard on that film with pride, doing so much overtime, I listened intently. The song was lyrical as she sang about how Asian girls are beautiful with those blossoms in their hair. But then she wondered why she was the only princess who didn’t get the guy. She realized she might be a lesbian. Fairy tails might be fine with some Gertrude Stein! Now this was a twist I didn’t expect, but I loved it, as did the audience! So Lisa had to contend with some sloppy banana action, she slipped the peeled banana in and out of her mouth multiple times before she dipped it in whipped cream and took a big ravenous bite. She was awarded two balls.

Pepe, who was there representing for Kids Fringe, was hilarious in every challenge. When asked to demonstrate how to give a flyer to an unsuspecting Fringe patron, Pepe provocatively insisted the audience member grab the flyer from his crotch with their teeth. When it came time for the contestants to count their balls, Pepe’s sack split open spilling all his balls on the stage. When his balls were collected, Pepe was the winner with eight balls.

Fringe Festival ribbon cutting.

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The Orlando International Fringe Festival began May 18th. I got to Loch Haven Park around 5:30pm and the Green Lawn of Fabulousness was already crowded. Classic rock musician, John Lowbridge, was playing guitar on the outdoor stage. The large tented area was packed with people sampling food and drink. I rushed past the beer tent, but stopping to shake Mike Maples hand. He was offering red and white wine to help promote the show he is in called “Big Swinging Dick’s Topless Bar and Drag Queen Farting.” The title says it all.

Inside the Shakespeare Theater I bumped into Jeff Ferree who has the smallest venue at the festival, a walk-in closet where he is staging a puppet show. He says 13 people can squeeze in but it looks tight. I arranged to try and sketch his theater between performances. I doubt I could sketch with a standing room only crowd, I get claustrophobic. Then I ran into Pepe who was leaving a trail of white feathers from his flamboyant boa as he paraded back to the outdoor stage. There he took to the stage to announce to all the “mommys and poppys” that the ribbon cutting ceremony was about to begin. The Fringe cheerleaders held the ends of the purple ribbon. Beth Marshall, Matt McGrath and an assortment of board members were on hand. Patty Shehan made a proclamation announcing the beginning of the 20th annual Fringe Festival and with a quick snip the two halves of the ribbon fluttered to the ground.

After the ceremony most people went inside the Shakespeare Theater for the Fringe Gala Show in the Margeson Theater. John the guitarist started packing up his amplifier and the endless miles of electrical cords as he got ready to leave. We talked for a bit about music and art and then I packed my things to see if I could get another sketch inside the Shakes of the Gala show.

Fringe Preview

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The Preview for the 20th Annual Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival was held at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Fringe is twelve days of art, music, dance and theatrical madness. Fringe begins May 18th through May 30th. I decided to sit in the mezzanine which was at the very back row right in front of the sound and lighting booth. I figured the green light issuing from the booth would give me enough light to sketch in and that theory worked out. There were 30 acts listed in the program so there is no way I can give you a taste from all of them. Each act had a thumbs up, a thumbs down and an F you hand gesture to rate the acts. Things got off to a great start when the “Downtowners” hobbled on to the stage. This singing and dancing group were all aged 70 to 95 and their rendition of “Stayin’ Alive” took on a whole new meaning. The audience loved them.

The festivities were hosted by Beth Marshall and Michael Wanzie. The smallest and Fringiest venue last year took place in a closet and Jeff Ferree will once again feature puppets in this cramped walk-in theater. In the preview if any act ran over three minutes, they would be interrupted by the Fringe Cheerleaders who would shout out Gimme an “F”, gimme an “R” until the audience spelled out and shouted Fringe! This kept the show moving at a fast clip. Kevin Thornton’s film where he tried to explain and justify his show “I love you (we’re f@#ked)” was hilarious.

I was disappointed when it was announced that “Dog Powered Robot” could not perform at the preview. Instead a show titled “Squatters” took to the stage. They set up a small cardboard shanty town and started an insipid act about hunting for Easter Eggs. They were then rudely interrupted by Dog Powered Robot sending Easter eggs flying and cardboard boxes tumbling. The audience didn’t know what hit them. It was a fun evening where anything could happen, and usually did. Fringe is fast approaching like a freight train with no breaks. Order tickets for your favorite shows now or you might be left in the irreverent dust.

Fabulous Fringe Fundraiser

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The Fabulous Fringe Fundraiser took place in the Shakespeare Theater patrons room. All around the edge 0f the room tables were set up with silent auction items. More than half the auction items were framed photographs of naked men. Margaret Nolen let me know that I should have sketched the little old ladies who stared at the photos in amazement. I recognized several of the die hard rabid Fringe Fans. I remember that several of these fans try to see every Fringe show during the course of the one week festival. This is a near impossible task requiring requiring split second decisions and serious planning. Everyone attending was asked to dress as if they were going to their high school prom. Bonnie Sprung wore the actual prom dress her mom had made for her. It was light blue with a plunging neck line.

Chase Padgett was playing guitar as people lined up for food. Many people stood outside in the hallway not wanting to stand in front of Chase. Beth Marshall assured them that it was alright to come in. Then Dog Powered Robot and a small army of DPR supporters all entered the room at once. They all wore blue tee shirts with the team DPR logo on it. Chase changed the lyrics to the song he was performing and he sang about Dog Powered Robot’s return. People laughed.

After everyone ate, they began to file into the Goldman Theater to see previews and excerpts from upcoming Fringe shows. I couldn’t stay for the program since I had a hot date with Terry at Paxia.

Fringe Overview

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Producers and directors for this years Orlando Fringe Festival piled into the circular Patron’s Room at the Shakespeare Theater to get a crash course overview of what they could expect from this year’s festival. The meeting lasted for several hours. My ears perked up when Beth Marshall started to discuss the issue of Bloggers. It seems everyone and their mother is a blogger these days. Last year some bloggers wrote scathing reviews and members of the cast wrote back equally scathing comments in return. It seems these “Flame Wars” only manage to discourage people from going to see the show. She instead suggested that producers put a positive spin on any review.

Beth pointed out that Fringe is always a “Fun, lively, hot mess.” This year, Pepe will be promoting shows at the outdoor stage. Brian Feldman will be offering awards picked lottery style. TheDailyCity.com will again have its Audience Choice Awards, and then there are the “Fabies” awarded on the final day of the festival. A show titled “Fringe Abridged” will recap all of what happened, highlighting shows in a break neck spoof. She advised producers to comp fellow artists into the shows as word of mouth will quickly spread if the show is a runaway hit. The second best way to attract an audience is through Facebook. Beth went on in detail about how the city of Orlando would not tolerate any posters or fliers taped on light poles, trees or any form of municipal property. It seems this had been a problem in the past and it resulted in fines.

The 20th Annual Orlando International Fringe Festival will be happening between May 19th and 30th in Lock Haven Park. The Festival is 100% uncensored, 100% Unjuried, 100% accessible, and 1OO%o of ticket sales goes to the artists. I had the best time sketching and experiencing the Fringe with friends last year. It truly highlights the best of what Orlando has to offer.

My Name is Rachel Corrie

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“My Name is Rachel Corrie” was presented by John DiDonna and Seth Kubersky and was an Empty Spaces Theater production. The play is part of The Dangerous Play Series. When I made my way inside Studio B of the Shakespeare Theater, I found Rebekah Lane, the star of the show, seated in the front row seat checking her iPhone. This was the first time I had seen her since rehearsals for “Project F.” The assistant director Alex Richmond was lying across the bed and I included her in the sketch thinking she must play a small roll in the play. I was wrong. Before the house was opened, Rebekah crawled under the covers and pulled the sheet up over her head as she sprawled out with hands and feet dangling awkwardly over the edges of the mattress. The room was a mess with books and clutter everywhere. The walls are covered with pictures of Rachel Corrie’s childhood idols like Picasso and Spiderman. Cinder blocks, sand and construction wire was haphazardly piled up against the back wall.

From the moment she woke up, the show was a non-stop high energy monologue. All the thoughts, reflections, silly girlish banter and growing mature convictions were taken directly from the writings and journals of Rachel Corrie. The opening act presents Rachel’s fun playful side as she talked of silly matters like going to clubs in slutty boots. She was a beautiful idyllic 22 year old who was a dreamer. Thanks to the International Solidarity Movement she ended up going to Palestine where she hoped she could make a difference by helping children in the region. Living in a Palestinian home she discovered a growing conviction that she had to help the people suffering around her. Change can happen in life suddenly.

In the end a bulldozer operated by an Israeli threatened to demolish the home of a pharmacist named Doctor Shamir. Rachel spoke of the Doctor often in her journal entries. This was a personal battle for her. Just as in Tienanmen Square she hoped to stop the demolition by acting as a human shield. The exact details of what followed varied depending on eye witness accounts. The bulldozer did not stop. She climbed up on the mound of dirt that was forced up in front of her and then she was sucked down under the bulldozer and rolled over. She died shortly after in a Palestinian Hospital.

I was impressed with Rebekah Lanes performance. Being able to internalize, memorize and perform the whole show alone was an amazing accomplishment. It took three directors to help find the humanity and reasoning behind everything Rachel did. She often had to balance conflicting directors notes to find her character. Director, Emily Killan had performed in 9 Parts of Desire which was another play that dealt with women who had to live in a violent world. She used the experiences and depth of those characters to help shape Rachel Corrie’s actions in this show.

The talk back, conducted by John DiDonna, following the play was just as enlightening as the play itself. Some people consider Rachel a martyr while others demonize her. Her memory was used by both sides in a violent struggle. The play tried to present her humanity. Anytime someone takes a stand with honesty and integrity, they open up a dialogue. One member of the audience felt the directors were tarnishing Rachel’s memory since they would not acknowledge her death as a murder. John countered that the case is still being tried and the only person who truly knows the truth is the bulldozer driver.

Another audience member felt that we are loosing intimacy in this world, yet we still have the need to gather together in a dark room and listen to controversial stories which force us to think. The only danger is when people no longer feel the need to have an open debate. We had listened to one girl’s view of a very complicated issue for an hour and a half. You might not agree with her convictions, but as long as people are willing to try and understand both sides of an issue then there is hope. Amy Richmond, the assistant director, admitted that because of her involvement in this production she went to a demonstration for the first time in her life. This play reminds us that we all have to find our strength and passion and use it for good. Do that with every single ounce of energy you have and you may awaken that passion in other people. Childhood ideals should never be ignored. This is an amazing lesson to learn from a quiet evening of theater.

McFeldman Wedding

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At the start of the year I was asked to join the Feldman family as they celebrated the wedding of Adrienne Feldman to Jason McIntosh. The wedding took place at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 East Rollins Street). When I arrived, I immediately went inside the Goldman Theater where the ceremony was going to take place. The Houpa was already set up, so I used the time prior to the ceremony to work out the details of the space. It was on this stage that the Feldman family once performed as the “Feldman Dynamic.” This Fringe show organized by Brian Feldman, simply featured a dinner table and the family eating dinner as they always did. There was no script, this was a simply demonstration of life as theater. Now the family once again took to the stage to enact the simple drama of joining two hearts. Before the ceremony Brian paced the stage excitedly.

When the wedding party took to the stage, I started sketching frantically, since I knew the wedding ceremony would last at most a half an hour. The family had saved several seats for Terry and myself in the front row but I liked the view from the back row where I could work some audience members into the foreground. When it came time to exchange rings, a small Dachshund ran up to the stage. The dog was wearing a tuxedo and the rings must have been tied to the outfit. Everyone laughed out loud at the sight. The ceremony was quick and to the point. When Jason had to stomp on a glass, he missed on his first and second try. Once again the seriousness of the occasion was broken and people laughed.

The reception was held in the Patrons Room which was once a planetarium in the buildings past. A green laser projected thousands of green points up onto the dome shaped ceiling. Every table in the room was labeled with a month of the year. The newlyweds sat at the January table at the front of the room. Adrienne approached me and said she was excited to finally be in one of my sketches. She was upset however that only her back was in the sketch. I decided I would have to sketch her during the reception to make it up to her. The moments of the celebration seemed to fee by as I sketched. Brian joked with me that this assignment was much harder than the sketch I did of the swan boat talks. He was absolutely right. Getting this sketch was a major challenge since the reception flew by at the breakneck pace of an MTV music video. As I worked, the caterer insisted I move to make room for an ice cream table. I said that wasn’t going to happens, he shoved the table up behind me. Jason’s mom, Janice, tackled the job of cutting the wedding cake. She joked with me that she hadn’t signed on for cake duty but she was a trooper and as the last slices were being handed out, I was finally wrapping up my sketch.

Philharmonic Rehearsal

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I went to the Shakespeare Theater to sketch the tech rehearsal for the Playwrights’ Round Table seven short play’s launch for 2011. I hadn’t been given a time so I was guessing what time the rehearsals would start. Peeking in the theater B, I found the space empty. As I walked out of the building I noticed someone approaching with a large cello. I decided to follow him and he lead me to a room where Orlando Philharmonic musicians were gathering. There was twenty minutes before the rehearsal started and so I sat down and started lightly sketching in the space. As musicians arrived I placed them in the sketch using ink. When everyone was present, conductor Christopher Willams suddenly appeared. The musicians all found a common tone, then Christopher raised the baton and the music began.

They were rehearsing Shumann’s Symphony No. 2. There were a few stops and starts but in general the music flowed and I let the lines I was putting on the page flow with the same fluid tempo. When the symphony was complete, Christopher said, “My theory is, that in this room you should just keep playing.” I believe he meant, that in such a small room it might be impossible to gauge proper levels to the various sections. After one moving section, he praised the strings and he remarked that they were pulling together as a unified whole.

When the break rolled around I was finished with my sketch and I decided to talk to Caroline Blice for a while. She had been at my 2 year anniversary party for AADW a few days before so we talked about he party.

Twelfth Night

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There was a free staged reading of Twelfth Night at the Shakespeare Theater (812 East Rollins Street.) There was an inspired twist to this performance which peaked my interest, the entire cast was male. In Shakespeare’s time this is how the show would have been cast. In the beginning there was surprised laughter and murmuring in the audience but then as the plot unfolded people settled in and the honest and unaffected performances helped suspend disbelief. It became obvious that Shakespeare wrote the play with an all male cast in mind. Many of the comedic moment became even funnier knowing a man would perform the part. The play is full of women disguised as men and men disguised as women. Thus the audience had to accept a man playing a woman disguised as a man. This sort of multi-layering was surprisingly simple and fun to follow. I highly respect the actors who played the female rolls. They played their parts with dignity and grace never pushing towards stereo typical flamboyant feminine performances.

“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. ” I have heard this quote before but never seen it played out to its full comic effect. The words were uttered by Malvoio, played by Eric Zicot, is pretentious, ambitious and very full of his own self worth. Merry makers play a trick on him by writing a love letter that Malvolio believes is written by Countess Olivia, played by Timothy Williams, whom he serves as a steward. As he recites these lines about his greatness, he is strutting before his Countess like a peacockwearing outlandish bright yellow socks, and everyone knows Olivia abhors yellow socks. This over the top performance was the funniest moment in the play.

After the the show there was a question and answer session with the cast. Again and again women in the audience complimented the actors for how well they played the women’s rolls. Michael Wanzie a pruducer, director and radio personality, noted how clever and funny the play was when performed soley by men. Added humor and heightened meaning comes to the play when performed by the male cast. It is as if Shakespeare is poking fun at the theatrical traditions of which he was a part. Romeo and Juliet will have a similar all male cast reading at the Shakespeare Theater on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 7 p.m. Mark your new 2011 calenders, you don’t want to miss it!