Steampunk Industrail Show at Renningers

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I grew interested in the Steampunk Industrial Show at Renningers Mount Dora Flea Market and Antique Center (20651 US-441, Mount Dora, Florida 32757) when I found out that Phantasmagoria
would be appearing throughout the day. Phantasmagoria is a local theatrical troupe that presents unique and spectacular blend of storytelling, dance, large
scale puppetry and aerial work, fire performance, live music and stage
combat. Phantasmagoria has been wowing critics and audiences alike
since its premier. First created in 2010, each production
offers new stories taken from the diverse centuries old literature of
horror and the macabre.

When Pam Schwartz and I arrived at Renningers, we made our way immediately to the main stage which is decorated with a large electric guitar.  A musical act was on stage and Vera Vermillion held a Parasol Dueling contest. The contest was as comical as might be expected. Contestants would stand like ace sword fighter and their weapons were parasols. I sketched a lovely contestant in a black bowler, corset and umbrella. She ended up being the winning contestant.


After the dueling, a Steampunk DJ started to mix the tunes for the crowd. The sky was turning grey and I kind of wished we had brought a parasol from our car parked a distance away. As it started to sprinkle we dashed towards the car finding any possible cover along the way. when we got to the car the sky opened up and it poured. There must be a steampunk invention that can protect from the rain.

Fusion Fridays

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Fusion Fridays at a Magi Temple Belly Dance School, (3589 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32806) is hosted by Serafina Schiano. I have seen Serafina perform many times with Phantasmagoria and other productions in town.

A Magi is teaming up to promote all sorts of workshops and cultural affairs
in the Central Florida area, so there is always something fun and
different to inspire your creative side! In an effort to
make the arts accessible to everyone, this class session was donation-based.

The session began with a review of Zil Rhythms and musicality. Everyone sat on the floor in a circle and Serafina explained the Zil Rhythms. They each pt on finer cymbals on each hand and then started with 3 triple gallops Which had the simple pattern of 123, 123, 123. The 3, 3, 7 combination went, 123, 123, 1234567. There was also a 3,5,5 combination and a 3,1,3,1,3 combination. Some of these are more difficult to maintain and some got lost in the midst of their pattern. Rhythm is something that is felt intuitively not necessarily learned.

I was amazed that the students picked up a routine in just 15 minutes in the second half of class. Serafina picked a piece of music by Fifth Harmony called Work from Home (Ty Dolla $ign.) Moves taught included head circles, chest circles, and hip circles and rib combos. Written on sheet of paper, the choreography looked incredibly complex. Yet by the end of class everyone had mastered the entire routine. I have a deep respect for everyone who mastered this lesson which resulted in a hip and contemporary Belly dance routine. There was a well deserved shot of pleasure when they completed their run through.


Should you want to explore Belly Dancing you can study with Serafina every Fusion Friday at Magi Temple Belly Dance School. Class runs from 6 PM to 7:30 PM. It is an opportunity to train your body, Cultivate your unique style, and  ignite your passion.

Phantasmagoria’s Christmas Carol

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 Phantasmagoria is proud to present One of the greatest and most enduring Ghost Stories ever told! Victorian Troupe Phantasmagoria returns to
the stage with its own unique adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic
holiday tale “A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story of Christmas”.

This
critically acclaimed Victorian Performance Troupe will bring its
signature tapestry of movement, dance, puppetry, projections, music and
storytelling to the stage as one of the most famous Ghost Stories of all
times comes alive! A true tale of the Past, Present and Future – with
the glory of redemption!

Dickens’ wonderful tableau will come to
life with Phantasmagoria’s own unique aesthetic and performance style in
a brand new adaptation of the classic work. Last year’s performances
SOLD OUT fast so get your tickets now! A show good for ALL ages!

The dress rehearsal I sketched had all the bravado I have come to expect from a Phantasmagoria performance. Jacob Marley was presented as a skeleton puppet wrapped in chains. A unique head harness linked the skeleton’s head movements to the movements of the handler’s head. The ghost of Christmas past was a floating blue head with a streamer. The ghost of Christmas yet to come was the largest and most menacing enshrouded in a dark hood. with bony fingers. John DiDonna as Ebeneezer Scrooge brought plenty of energy to the part which he has performed for years. He steps into the crotchety old mans skin with ease.

Only one show date remains, Dec 15, 2018 at 8pm
John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center, (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803). Ticket prices are…

Student/Senior/Military: $15.00 regular / $40.00 VIP

Adult: $25.00 regular / $30.00 VIP

(VIP
includes early entry to pick seating, Christmas beverage (no alcohol),
Take home souvenir, and POST show performance including Poetry, Dance,
song, Magic and more!

Phantasmagoria VIII “The Chains of Fire” at the Shakes.

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Phantasmagoria
Orlando and DiDonna Productions is proud to present the eighth all new installment in their critically acclaimed “Whimsically Macabre”
Halloween Celebration at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center
(812 E. Rollins St, Orlando, Florida 32803). 

The brand new PHANTASMAGORIA VIII “Chains of Fire” thunders on to the Mandell Theater with all new stories of
terror! Live performers, “Phantastical” dance, explosive stage combat,
large scale puppetry, aerial performance, and haunting storytelling
combine to create a tapestry of macabre and whimsical horror!

Phantasmagoria’s evocative troupe of storytellers, dancers, and
chorus embark on their newest, and perhaps darkest journeys yet ,
through literary tales of terror, and horrific folk stories, legends,
and myths. Enter with us into dark tales from the likes of Edgar Allan
Poe, H.G. Wells, Robert Browning, Lord Byron, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman
among many others – all to set the tone for a truly Phantasmagorical
Halloween season!

I went to a dress rehearsal which had a fairly clean run thru of the show. Using the iPad meant I could see what I was working on throughout the performance. I am really enjoying the ability to zoom in when sketching performers. The digital sketchbook is becoming my preferred medium when sketching in a dark theater. This was indeed a darker and more sinister show. Strangulation and death haunted the cast though most every story. Once they begin a tale it must be told to completion. The hitch is that they live the tale intimately to the point of near death. The cast seems immortal however having told the stories for centuries. 

One of my favorite moments came after the run thru. John DiDonna was giving a note on how to dramatically stage a strangulation. He said, “Here allow me to show you by strangling my wife.” He grabbed Dion Leonhard DiDonna by the neck and arched her backwards as he leaned over her. Being a ballerina, she made even the gruesome moment look graceful.

After the run thru, the cast did a whimsical and comically relaxed rendition of the story, “Captain Murderer”. The cast ran out into the audience often getting face to face with the audience as they told the tale with absolute delight. They are at their best when mixing the macabre with the whimsical.
 

Special VIP Experience – Arrive by 7:20 on Select Nights

New this year, the VIP show will occur BEFORE the main stage show on select nights only
(Fri/Sat nights and Halloween) as they introduce their “Phantasticaly
Phantabulous Sideshow Extravaganza!” Specialty acts, special guests, and
appearances by members of the Phantasmagoria troupe weave together to
start the evening off in the best and darkest of ways! This year all VIP
seating can be RESERVED (for the first time) upon coming to the door to
ensure prime seating for all our VIP guests. At the end of the show,
the VIP audience member will also be treated to a final encore
especially designed for them! VIP also includes a glass of wine or soft
drink, a take home gift and more!

Information and Ticketing can be found beginning in September on the website or on their Facebook page.
 

WHO:
Phantasmagoria/DiDonna Productions
WHAT:
Phantasmagoria VIII “The Chains of Fire”
WHEN:
Oct 13th – Nov 4th 2017
All evening performances at 8:00pm (Box opens at 7:00pm/
VIP Show experience at 7:20 / VIP Theater Entrance at 7:50 followed by General Admission seating)
Oct 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27. 28. 29. 30. 31, Nov 3, 4
Special MONDAY Performance on October 30th @ 9:00pm only
NOTE: VIP Show Experience only available Friday/Saturday nights and Halloween MUST arrive early for 7:20-ish start
General Admission and Student/Senior/Military available on all nights.
WHERE:
The Mandell Theatre, John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center – Loch Haven Park, Orlando, FL
PARKING:
Lot on site, additional lots and street parking in close proximity
TICKETS:
Student/Senior/Military Admission – $15.00 / General admission – $25.00
Student/Senior/Military VIP Admission – $30.00 / General VIP Admission – $40.00

(VIP Admission includes Pre Reserved Seating, VIP SideShow performance,
wine or soft drink, a take home surprise, and more! – Available only
Friday/Saturday and Halloween nights)
TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
WILL CALL/CASH ONLY AT DOOR reserve by calling our hotline at 407-476-5121

(Leave name/number/date of performance and number in party – you will
be called back only if there is a problem with your reservation)
CREDIT CARD PREPURCHASE

Phantasmagoria’s Wickedest Tales of All at Fringe.

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Phantasmagoria: Wickedest Tales of All will hit the Orlando International Fringe Festival with a vengeance. I sat in on a  tech rehearsal in the Orange Venue (Margeson Theater) inside the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. I sat in the top row of the theater. The huge cast was rehearsing a waltz. With so many actors on stage, the challenge was to keep couples from bumping into each other.  Once the dance was worked out, the actors were released to go back stage, and get into make up and finish their elaborate costuming. John DiDonna came up to the back row to say hi and offer me a chance to sketch the back stage chaos. However, I had to run in order to get to another show.

Stage hands started sweeping the stage and then someone discovered a quarter sized hole in the stage floor. It was fun to watch actors, stage hands, the tech and director all standing around the hole to figure out how to patch it up. should a performer’s heel get stuck it could be a tragic moment. The fight choreographer stuck his finger in and said, “This will seal it up, I’m sort of like the Dutch boy.” Someone else suggested that they should get an actor to stick their finger in and then rip it off leaving it behind in the hole. Corks were considered and of course Duct Tape fixes anything. I didn’t stick around to find out how the mysterious hole was eventually patched.

The driving premise behind the show is that any story that is old must be told until it is complete. Some stories are so horrific that the cast can find themselves in mortal danger. There was a drone perched on on of the boxes, so I am left wondering how it might come into play.

Steam Machine, a Steampunk Event.

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The Orlando Museum of  Art hosts a monthly exhibit for local artists on the first Thursday of every month. They rang in the new year with a Steampunk themed evening. Intricate steampunk sculptures and costumes dominated the 1st Thursday gallery that is to the left of the rotunda as you enter the museum. Outside the entrance, a series of blank panels were set up so that patrons could use the supplied spray paint cans to get their graffiti on. Actors from Phantasmagoria dressed in Victorian black and blood-red costumes circulated in the crowd, building the excitement with their turn- of-the century British accents.

 The most exciting performance of the evening came when the Phantasmagoria troupe took over the least populated end of the 1st Thursday gallery. John DiDonna stood on the circus-like, steampunk-themed barrel and shouted to gain patrons’ attention. He would make any sideshow hawker proud. The crowning act was a woman who could swallow a sword. Members of the audience crowded close and John asked several to test the blade to verify its authenticity and sharpness. She swallowed the sword with ease. A second time she swallowed the sword and bent forward at the waist to take a bow. A woman was picked from the audience to extricate the sword. John shouted that the sword was resting on the actress’s heart. The woman gingerly removed the sword, uncertain and then delighted like a child when she held the heavy blade. She ran back into the audience wide-eyed and beaming.

I chatted with Logan Anderson and tried to convince him to create a poem written on the sidewalk inside one of Orlando’s 27 blue busking boxes. He explained that there is a paint that is invisible when dry and can only be seen when the pavement gets wet with rain. I told him to do it for the Blue Box Initiative and put out a tip jar as he worked. “The streets are paved with gold!” I shouted. Of course I’ve never made a dime sketching, but I don’t put out a tip jar. He told me that for Art in Odd Places, an artist used gold leaf to fill cracks in the sidewalks in a certain spot downtown. The gold leaf has since washed away, but all the drains downtown send water to Lake Eola. It stands to reason that there must be gold in the lake basin. It is time to get those gold pans out and step into the lake to find that mother lode.

Phantasmagoria VII, “The Cards They are Dealt”

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The brand new PHANTASMAGORIA VII “The Cards They Are Dealt” thunders on to the Mandell Stage at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center with all new stories of terror! Live performers, “Phantastical” dance, explosive stage combat, large scale puppetry, aerial performance and haunting storytelling combine to create a tapestry of macabre and whimsical horror!

Phantasmagoria’s evocative troupe of steam punk storytellers, dancers, and chorus  embark on their newest journeys through literary tales of terror, horrific folk stories, legends, and myths from around the world. They present  dark tales from the likes of Poe, Lovecraft, Oscar Wilde, Ambrose Bierce, and M.R. James, as well as Arabic folklore, whimsically macabre German fairy tales, and so much more – all to set the tone for a truly Phantasmagorical Halloween season!

I arrived early to watch the fight call. The swords looked threateningly red and even at quarter speed, the swashbuckling action seemed all too real. Dancers stretched and limbered up on the suspended hoop. Right before the house opened John Di Donna had all the N circle up on the stage. He reminded everyone to breath and since it was a smaller house, he let everyone know the still needed to maintain the is momentum. “Throw your energy out there!” “We get to collapse after wards” he said. Regarding the fight sequence, ever one was advised to keep their focus. “lets sling some steel!”  the actors shouted.

An unexpected twist to this evenings presentation was that John’s character managed to bring a mortal, namely Alice, out through the looking glass to join his story telling troupe. The Phantasmagoria storytellers are eternal an they resented a mortal in their midst. Alice however was a very good storyteller. At the height of a brawl she screamed and the specs on volume knocked everyone down. It turns out she had powers beyond everyone’s expectations.

Once a story is begun, it must be completed. These storytellers live the tales often to a menacing effect.  They take a fiendish delight in each tales macabre humor and drama. In Some ways they are like a circus Sideshow troupe, but each Story fully consumes them. the re was d wonderfully choreographed waltz dance that had all the actors paired up and dancing with delight. Each year new stories weave their way into the tapestry, making Phantasmagoria a show that can be revisited each Halloween season. One member of the troupe wanted to explore the darker side of the sinister tales. to do that he would ha to splinter away from his family roots and forge his own path.

Remaining Performances are
October  30 and 31 (The 100th show!)
Box office will open each night at 7:15 / doors 7:50 / Curtain at 8:00pm – VIP After show follows immediately after in courtyard

Regular Student/Senior/Military – $15.00 / VIP Student/Senior/Military – $25.00
Regular General Admission – $25.00 / VIP General Admission – $35.00
(VIP includes Pre-Seating, VIP post show performance, photo op, souvenir, and a glass of wine or soft drink post show)

TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
WILL CALL/CASH ONLY AT DOOR reserve by calling our hot line at 407-476-5121 (Leave name/number/date of performance and number in party – you will be called back only if there is a problem with your reservation)
CREDIT CARD PREPURCHASE – For further information contact our box office email: phantasorlando@gmail.com

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.

Phantasmagoria at the Gods and Monsters Grand Opening Celebration.

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On June 13th Gods and Monsters, (inside Artegon, 5250 International Drive; Suite E8, Orlando, Florida) the second largest comics, toys, collectibles and gaming venue in the U.S. celebrated its grand opening. Inside the cavernous venue were comics games and collectibles making it a geek paradise, as well there was the Transmetropolitan Gallery and Offworld L.O.U.N.G.E. making it a comfortable haven to relax and linger. The Grand Opening consisted of 12 hours of entertainment, activities, art demos, contests and give-a-ways, all while raising money for the Hero Initiative!

The Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was at 10am. The re was a free arcade sponsored by Free Play Florida and BART.  Throughout the day, there were special appearances by renowned cosplay models, Callie Cosplay, Heather1337 and Jenifer Ann. [ don’t claim to know who they are, or even who they were dressed as, but it upped the events celebrity status.

Florida’s critically acclaimed Victorian Horror Troupe Phantasmagoria performed in the back of the cavernous space. The acoustics weren’t ideal to say the least so it was near impossible y hear The actors over the din of conversation from excited fan in the store. They are consume professionals however and they shouted their lines to the rafters.

 the re were artist demos all day long and i said hello to Toni Taylor who was work in on a large canvas that will wrap around a pillar. Other artists included Bianca Roman-Stumpff, Kevin Wood, Mark Pacich, Robo Ohno, Shawn Surface, Derrick Fish, Jenni Gregory, and Michael “Locoduck” Duron .

Photo opportunities with costumed characters, including Starlite Princess, Iron Man and Spider-Man.

After Phantasmagoria’s performance there was a Costume Contest with prizes. The entire audience seemed to consist of comic book characters. Both adults and children got on stage to sport their costumes. One of the cutest costumes was a young girl dressed as a bumble bee. One of the goriest was z zombie Betty Boop.

Phantasmagoria VI “The Darkness Returns” to the Orlando Shakespere Theater.

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I went to sketch the final dress rehearsal of “The Darkness Returns” at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center
812 E Rollins St, Orlando, Florida. Having just returned from 

sold out performances in Orlando and
Atlanta with the touring show “Wicked Little Tales”, Phantasmagoria
Orlando/DiDonna Productions is presenting Phantasmagoria  VI
“The Darkness Returns” to celebrate the 2015 Halloween Season and its
sixth year in Central Florida!

The show will thunder on to the Mandell Stage with all new stories of terror! Live performers,
“Phantastical” dance, explosive stage combat, large scale puppetry,
aerial performance and haunting storytelling combine to create a
tapestry of macabre and whimsical horror!

The evocative troupe of storytellers, dancers, and chorus embarked on their newest journeys through the literary tales of
terror, as well as horrific folk stories, legends, and myths from around
the world. “For 100 years they have not been seen except in fleeting
glances, and now as we enter a new century the power and magic of the
stories return. . . with very dangerous consequences.”

I have had the rare opportunity to watch this show mature over time. This newest incarnation opens with stark black and white images of World War I battle scenes projected on the back wall. The horrors of the tales told are more deeply routed in the horrors of man’s inhumanity to man. The first tale involved a man’s obsessive desire to kill a cat. With the deed done, the cat hung stiff and lifeless from a tree, managing to stay completely still while the tree limbs danced in a breeze. A magician performed for the jaded cast of storytellers but even they were amazed by what seemed like a predictable trick that alluded reason. Their stories are themselves magical because the tales become tangibly alive and viscerally dangerous.

When the cast hits it’s stride, there is a certain whimsical delight as they re-tell the tales of horror. Each character has a back story which has developed over time, but the show holds up as being self contained. Members of the cast often mysteriously appear in the audience and you might be startled as they whisper in your ear. There was a new Russian inspired dance routine in which all the female cast held hands and then each twirled in succession until they formed a tight knit, cross armed line. The aerialists stretched and contorted themselves with a grace causing an awed silence in the theater. There is no better way to warm up to the horrors and chills of Halloween than to see Phantasmagoria “The Darkness Returns”.

PERFORMANCE DATES:
(All Performances begin at 8pm, with VIP show immediately following main stage show)
Oct 10 (Sat), Oct 11 (Sun)
Oct 16 (Fri), Oct 17 (Sat), Oct 18 (Sun) Oct 19 (Mon)
Oct 23 (Fri), Oct 24 (Sat), Oct 25 (Sun), Oct 26 (Mon)
Oct 30 (Fri), Oct 31 (Sat)

(SUGGESTED AGES: Phantasmagoria contains horror of the literary kind,
but is still frightening. Suggested ages are 8 and up with parental
guidance. With all respect, infants, babies and younger children may not
be admitted)

TICKETS:
Student/Senior/Military Admission – $15.00
Student/Senior/Military VIP Admission – $25.00
General admission – $25.00
General VIP Admission – $35.00

(VIP Admission includes Pick of Seating, VIP post show performance,
Take home Souvenir, Download of Halloween night story, Photo Op with
cast and glass of wine or soft drink)
Reserve (for will call cash only at door) 407-328-9005
Credit card orders visit www.OrlandoAtPlay.com