I'm back and I'm grumpy

Hi there!

I've missed you soooo much!

So, I'm back from Madrid, Spain where I've spent the last month. School went well, but it ended on a particularly sour note. My last two days in Spain were consumed by trying to get a virus off my computer. Unfortunately, it looks like the first couple of days back will be spent in the same fashion. Combine that with jet lag, and Chris is a happy boy today.

What does all this mean? Well, first off, it means that when some theatre companies e-mail me directly asking me to attend their shows, claiming to have read my blog regularly, I get ticket off. Why? Because anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows that I do not choose which shows I attend... I let dice do that for me at random. I cannot honor your request to see your show, unless it is by accident. PLEASE don't ask, especially when I'm in my currently grumpidy-grump mood.

Also, stop offering me bribes to come to your show. If the integrity of my column is based on the way I determine which shows to see, then your bribe is both wasted and offensive.

Granted, I know some of the other bloggers have openly solicited bribes for coverage. That's their thing... booze or poetry, it doesn't matter, I don't want it. All I've ever asked you to do is send me info on your shows. If what you tell me intrigues me or contains a reason to write about it, then I will. If you offer me crap to do it, then I probably won't. In fact, I discard those e-mails immediately, the info doesn't even get close to getting on the page here.

Anyway... assuming I can get my copmuter back to standard working order, I'll be posting the follow-up articles to all the shows that I've covered thus far over the next two days. Then I'll post a bunch of stuff about other shows that have sent me info that I've deemed worthy of inclusion because they might interest someone. Then, if I still have time, I'll talk about random drivel that matters to almost no one but me. That part's just silly, I know, but it makes me happy...so shut up!

Also, I'll be launching my regular audiofile segment in the next couple of days... Don't know what I'll call it, but it'll basically be my very own not-too-official blogcast about all things randomly Fringey. Such is the fun of Adobe Audition, a pre-amp, and a couple of recording studio mics.

Ready for some random stuff? Hold on tight!

My daughter has a violin lesson tonight.

I love going into tech week. There's nothing better than a fun bit of stress right before a show opens.

I'm never really quite sure what my favorite color is. I go back and forth between purple and green. Although, every shirt I bought in Spain was red, so maybe I'm just lying to myself and my fave color is red. I don't know. What does favorite color really matter in the real world anyway?

Last person to the tree is "it!"

The phrase right below the Motorola logo is "Intelligence Everywhere." I'm sorry, but have you overhead most people's cellphone conversations? It isn't intelligence that's everywhere.

Let's see that the gods of Trivia have for us today: "According to a recent survey, more than half of British adults have had sex in a public place!" -- This can't make the other half of the British population happy. They're either being left out, or they're having to witness mostly unattractive people having sex nearby. Not good.

Everybody Wang Chung tonight!

The Fringe Showcase at Amazon Books went really well by all reports. Kudos to Nancy Donoval whose presentation kept folks on the edge of their seats, and to Commedia Beauregard for another great outing!

Addressing an important question...

After doing this thing for about 3 years now, I often forget that there are some things that need to be explained each year.

Just a little bit ago someone asked me what a d20 was. So... I'm providing this lovely link to the response I posted in this very column 3 years ago.

Follow this link to discovery!

Going through old videos...

For the first portion of this trip, I couldn't get around the firewall at my dorm to upload videos to YouTube. No longer a problem!

So... Without further ado... Have you ever wondered what a Fringe Blogger looks like whilst watching a performance? Here's one of my compatriots doing his thing at the Fringe-For-All back before I left the country. I apologize for both the quality of the video and the sound... shot it on my crappy HP camera.



Please don't kill me, Matthew!!! Mr. Everett's blog can be found at http://www.fringefestival.org/blg_blog.cfm?blogID=4

Higher Power -- Part 1

So... I normally don't get the honor of writing about the out-of-towners. When it comes down to it, they don't send me stuff. I'm not sure why. This year, though, one of them crossed into the realm of my e-mail (really my Myspace messages) and fed me some info to feed to you (should probably find different verbs for that last sentence, I sound like a regurgitating mama bird...yuck!)

Anyway... The play's called Higher Power. The producing company is made up of a couple of friends who originally hail from Kansas City, MO...although they've been recently spending some quality time in New York as part of the Dramatic Writing program at NYU.

Their last show was titled Dice, which instantly scores them points with me.

The folks at Little Red Square (the aforementioned duo from KC/NYU) are doing somthing that I've always thought would be fun, they're going to take their show to more than one Fringe Festival. They're doing this show at the KC Fest, the NYC Fest, and our little shindig, too.

So what is this play about... Siblings. Life's different paths. Drugs. Other stuff.

One of the company's claims is that this play follows in the tradition of This is Our Youth and Hurlyburly, as well as another show that is also being produced in this year's Fringe Festival Tape. I guess that will give us all the opportunity to see if the claim is spot on, since you can see teh two shows and compare. In fact, that's exactly what I'd recommend doing. Go see Higher Power and Tape and tell me if they are similar. I may or may not make it to both, given the whole dice thing.

One of the things that the Higher Power folks are having to deal with, given their traveling to different Fringe Festivals, is the variety of performance spaces they've been assigned. They've had to adapt the show to fit each space, and that has has a distinct effect on the final product.

Because of the craziness of their scheduled Fringe tour, the show is only in town for the first weekend of the Fringe. You'll need to fit it in the first few days if you don't want to miss it.

Crazy Random Stuff

An Anagram for my name: Chided her risk port.

I went to Segovia yesterday. That was my second time to the castle town. I love that city. However, there's something about going on a guided tour that I could do without. More on that in a minute.

"Segovia: The Drinking Game!" -- Here's how you play. Go to Segovia, Spain. Take with you your alcohol of choice, a shot glass, and a tour guide named Pablo. During tour, take a shot each time Pablo says "Romanesque." There's a good chance that you'll be hammered before you make it the initial 200 meters from the bus to the Aquaduct.

I'm getting an odd warning everytime my computer starts up, and I'm really hoping I don't have a virus. I'm going straight to the Geek Squad when I get back home.

I paid 7 Euros for a value meal at Burger King the other day (yes, I broke down and ate at Burger King once during my stay here)... That's a $10 Value meal!!!

Who here isn't Hooked on Facts?: "Most lipstick contains fish scales." -- So did the meal that I ate the other night at a Senegalese restaurant.

I am going away now!

Screwed to the Sticking Place -- Part 2

Well, as we approach the home stretch prior to the actual Fringe Festival, I'll be going back and revisiting some of the groups that we've already talked to about their shows and see how things are falling together, or falling apart.

I'll be starting with the show that I'm closest to because that doesn't require me to use up any skype.com minutes to call back to the states for interviews. However, over the next few days I'll have updates on the other 5 shows as well.

So... The show is Screwed to the Sticking Place. The title comes from one of Lady MacBeth's lines with which she challenges her hubby. She tells him to screw his courage to the sticking place. It has nothing to do with anything sexual. At least, not in its original intent.

Now, the show does have some sexual overtones, undertones, or whatever one might want to call them. But it is much greater in scope than that. What it looks at is Shakespeare's female characters. Some of the scenes are still in Shakes-speak, while others are in our modern verbiage.

The show has been in workshop since May and the ladies who are part of the company have put together some great scenes. The basic frame consists of some search that Cordelia is on... you know, the chica from King Lear. She goes through the play and encounters many different types of women in many types of situations.

Since pictures will say 1,000 words or more, I thought I'd just let a few from rehearsals speak for themselves:



This is from a scene known as the "bawdy dance."



Check it out! There's so much action high speed cameras can't catch it all!



And there are some touching emotional moments, too.

Basically, the show is really great, and if you are into the work of Kari Margolis, Jeune Lune, Off-Leash Area, and Live Action Set, then you'll most likely like this.

Hey! Check it out! A virtual post card!

No one wants to see me in short shorts!

Apparently, according to my poll, no body wants me to dress up in my nice new Spanish national team jersey, short shorts, and shin guards. You know what? That's fine! See if I care. Last I checked, the Pirate outfit is in the lead. There's still time to vote.

So... I put out a general call to folks in the small theatre community of the twin cities, and a few of them answered. I asked for info on their shows, and I can now pass some of that along. These will be more brief bits of info than those about the 6 companies that I'm featuring, but they'll hopefully tell you some stuff of interest. If not...well...I've got nothin'.

First up...12 Dancing Princesses. The show is put on by Minnesota Shakespeare Project. They're the folks that did T+C last year (meaning calendar year, not last Fringe). Nicole Joy Brunsvold is the person who made me aware of this production. She used to update her profile on a site we both frequent whenever the production moved up the waiting list. Well, now it is in, and I can recommend you seeing it. In addition to Nicole, who played Ariel in a version of The Tempest for me years ago, you should keep your eye out for Kelsey Ann Olson who I just had the honor of working with at In The Basement Productions. She's a great character actress. I'm really impressed by her work.

Up next is Wonderland. This show is a retelling of the traditional Alice in Wonderland, but it swaps out Alice and puts Alex in her place. Alex is a boy, by the way. The person who let me know about this was Paula Weakley (I'm sorry, Paula, if I misspelled your name). She was another person in the production of The Women that I recently worked on at ITBP. Somehow or another, these guys have been able to add a 6th show to their Fringe Show schedule. I'm not sure what that means, but it does allow you one more chance to catch them if their original 5 slots weren't enough for you.

I have a handful more, but I will drop them in on other days.

Now it is time for randomness...

My camera's LCD screen is kaput. The rest of the thing works just fine, but now taking pictures is like it was in the good old days. There's no telling what I'll get until I upload them to my computer to see them. It's sort of cool. Russian Roulette Photography!

It costs me 3 Euros to wash a load of laundry in this dorm. That's not wash and dry, that is merely wash. After conversion, that's nearly $4 to run the washer for one load. Yikes!

55105

I give Torres Family's "Sangre de Toro" Red Wine as many thumbs up as I can. Did I mention that wine here seldom costs more than a big bottle of water? Yay, Spain!

What goes up, must come down.

Hooked, hooked, hooked...hooked, hooked, hooked... Hooked on Facts: "Non-dairy creamer is flammable." -- I believe that most junior high children already know this fact, and that having it listed as a bit of trivia on a trivia website is silly. There are many kids that grew up with me who first experimented with pyrotechnics by blowing non-dairy creamer through the flame of a bic lighter. Really, it is a wonder any of us are alive.

Spanish word of the day: Hallazgo- noun = A find ... as in "What a find!"

My shirt has 6 buttons.

Masquerading...

You may remember that last year we had a "Fringe Prom" on the opening weekend of the big event. Two lovely ladies saved me from going stag to the event. This year I have my date arranged in advance and won't be searching the internet desperately for companionship, but... This year we aren't having a "Prom." Nope. We're having a Masquerade and Burlesque Ball. It's going to be the night of the 4th of August at the Varsity Theatre. Consider this an official invitation for you to attend, too.

Now, whenever one is invited to a Masquerade the issue arises of what to wear. Well... I'd have to say that I don't really know what to go as... And because of that, I thought I'd leave it up to you! Isn't that cool of me?

So... Assuming that I get the computer code to work right, there is a poll that follows here. Click on your choice. If you choose something that isn't on the list, you MUST leave a comment, otherwise I won't know what you think I need to appear as. Cool?

Okay... here we go...

Dancing Rats and Vampire Moms -- Part 1

Since my first involvement in the world of Fringe back so long ago in 1999, the methods of publicizing have changed greatly. The methods of gaining a following have changed greatly. And the ability for folks who aren't in the Fringe clique to get their name out has changed greatly, and not necessarily for the better.

Once upon a time, the Fringe Festival's web presence was a non-factor in producing a show. You got word of mouth going by way of having a good show and people eharing about it and comoing to see it. These days certain companies have mastered the ideas behind making sure that their show pops up on every other show's page, and stirring up buzz by manipulating the system to their advantage by wisely utilizing the "My Calendar" function on the website. If you don't know what I mean, I can give you lessons later...but... here's the thing. Some folks have been around just as long, if not longer, than those who have recently seemed to be perenial fringe performers. And if the festival functioned in the way that it did back at the turn of the millenium, they'd be seen as equal giants as some who've surpassed them.

What the hell are you talking about, Chris? That's what you're saying right now, isn't it. Well... Good... let me tell you: Nancy Donoval is one of the top story-tellers in the nation. We have a treasure here in the Fringe that very few people know about. And yet,this isn't the first time she's done the fringe. And those who have seen her shows know that she can have a tremendous effect on her audience.

In the past Nancy has self-produced her shows, and/or put them up with her friend Gerald Fierst. And they have been amazing shows. The word of mouth in certain circles is great for Nancy, but in circles revolving around all things Fringy, that reputation has been slower to take off. Why?

Well, I believe that part of it comes down to how one does marketing in this day and age, and frankly certain things work better on the internet than others. And the other part of it is the part that I can have some effect on...at least I hope I can. For whatever reason, story-telling gets an odd rap during the Fringe. Many theatre afficianados will go to a one-person show but not to a story-teller. Why? Apparently they don't realize that a story-teller is a one-person show. And that often times the story-teller is going to be better, because it's what they do...all the time. Many of the one-man or one-woman shows you see at the Fringe are complete and utter crap (sorry folks, it's true). Nevertheless, folks go to those productions. Before I get off my little soapbox here and actually tell you about Nancy's show, let me say this... if you're tempted to go see a one-man show about some person's life who sounds like they might be funny, but it isn't entirely clear what they might have to say... skip it...go see Nancy or one of the other story-tellers instead. You'll be happy that you did.

Okay... Now... A few months ago (let's say three, just for fun), Hardcover Theatre put out a call to TC theatre folk to see who might want to have their show produced by that company. Nancy was among a group of folks who applied for that honor. I know others who didn't have their play selected, so I can only assume that it was a hard decision that resulted in Nancy being chosen. Once she was, she put together a docket of three stories around the theme of "Dangerous Mothers."

Of the three stories, I've listened to two on Nancy's CDs. They are good stories that I can only imagine grow in value when told live. One story is a folk tale, one is a story by an award-winning author, and the third is a personal narrative.

I guess I should mention what the titles are, eh? Oprah Meets Snow White is a slightly more malevolent retelling of the classic "Who's the fairest of them all?" tale. Mama Gone by Jane Yolen is a vampire story that brings new meaning to the saying that blood is thicker than water. And The Dancing Rat of Paris is a story about Nancy and her own mother. The only one that I'm not familiar with is Mama Gone. It is on a tape that I listened to once upon a time, but oddly enough, I don't have a cassette deck with me here in Spain. But I can tell you that either of the other two I could listen to a number more times and get something new out of it each time.

It's a little difficult for me to write about how Nancy is getting her pieces ready, because when it comes down to it, these are stories she's told many times before. This specific arrangement of tales is a first, though.

I think you'd be remiss in your fringing duties if you missed her show.

For all the details go Here

And now...Random things from a realm beyond.

So... fellow blogger Matthew Everett has a TV show on which he features fringy things... here's a video clip of the show that I'm producing:



I've promised folks that I'd update them as to how thinge are going over here in Spain: They are going well. It is still hot and dry, although we've now had three cloudy days. That's 3 more than last year. About ten minutes ago there was some thunder and lightning, but no rain. Beyond the weather report I've gone on side trips to Toledo and Granada, and both were very interesting, but if I ever have to sit through a walking tour of three churches in a 4 hour period again, I'll probably burst into flame right on the spot. More on Spain soon... you might be afraid just how soon!

Whilst in Granada I descended into the crypt of Ferdinand and Isabel (and Felippe I & Juana la Loca) and I have to tell you how glad I was that their bodies are in caskets. I was afraid that they were going to be skeletons laying out on stone slabs, and that was going to make me muy unhappy.

It is a little known fact that I am hooked on facts!: "Heineken beer is designed to 'foam' for exactly five minutes." -- So essentially, if you have sex folowed by a beer, there's a good chance that the head you get second will last longer than the head you got first! (Okay... My apologies for what may very well be the worst joke to come out of my brain...ever).

Something I heard the other day that has absolutely no context: "They are sooo stuck in stage nine!"

I bought myself three shirts while in Granada. One that features this guy:

www.skype.com is a wonderful thing, that if you've not discovered it yet, you might consider it...especially if you are planning on leaving the country for an extended period of time.

Pavo Salchicha!

What is your threshold moment?

Blue diamonds!

My daughter is learning how to play the violin. I was initially afraid that was going to be a dreadful thing to have to listen to, but I really enjoy hearing it. Internet connections are so useful. I bought her the violin a week before I left town, and I've still been able to follow her musical development.

Despite not being in town for the entire month of July, I'm somehow booked with a play that starts rehearsing in August, and a movie that is filming in October. I'm really quite jazzed about this fall!

Civil war outside my window...

So... I never thought I'd say this, but I'm writing this to the sound of heavy artillery all around me. Given the current situation on the world scene, there is something seriously disturbing about hearing cannons being fired, and bombs exploding in Madrid.

But, as I just remembered, it is just after midnight here, and it is the beginning of July 17th. This is the 70th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War. Seventy years ago today a complete nut-job named Francisco Franco started his reign that turned Spain into the most backward of all European nations. He tried to brainwash an entire populace to desire the return of Spain's glory days (read: 1492).

Franco was not a good man, but he did have a profound effect on this nation where I am studying tonight.

I have to wonder at the fact that folks celebrate the beginning of his administration/dictatorship. And yet, I am glad taht what I was hearing tonight was tied to something that far in the past, and not something potentially connected to the events of teh present. No sirens sounded at the first explosions because the guns were firing blanks and the bombs were actually fireworks. But, I must tell you, I still flinched a bit at each thundering bang.

I have tons of homework tonight, or I'd write more. I'm saving up all sorts of stuff. Tomorrow night I'll write about Nancy Donoval's/Hardcover Theatre's production at length, and briefly touch on a couple of others as well. All that, and your regular dose of randomnimity!

The Depth of the Ocean -- Part 1

We live in a time in which the most popular cultish TV shows are about survival. Survivor is no longer the biggest hit on the tube, but LOST is. It is no longer a game, it is a story about a plane crash. Really, it is very little more than Lord of the Flies on steroids... but... Anyway... Into this environment comes Perpetual Motion Theatre's "Depths of the Ocean." This is a show in which 5 "survivors" find themselves on a raft in the middle of the (you guessed it!) Ocean!

Now... one might wonder what brings these 5 to the middle of the ocean. What disaster befell them? Would you believe 4 completely different ones? From the sinking of the Lusitania to the Tsunami that lately hit South Asia, they're all on this raft for different reasons.

You may have heard a rumor about a show that is going to be taking place on an inflatable raft in the middle of the YWCA pool. That would be this show. You may also know that Perpetual Motion is a somewhat physical-acting based company. You would be right. You may wonder how one does much physically based acting whilst sitting on a raft in the middle of a pool, and I'd be right there with you. I guess in my next article about these folks, we'll have to explore that.

The company includes one person I've been on stage with before, and two who have been in productions that I was one of the producers for. Alia Mortenson, Derek Miller and Erin Appel are great on stage. And in this case, I expect them to be great on raft. I've only met Eric Sharp in passing, and cast member #5 is unknown to me, but if they are in the show with the other 3, I'm encouraged by their talent by association.

Anyway... because these guys are in a "bring-your-own-venue" situation, they have more shows than some of the others... and you can find all the info on it you ever wanted to know on their website.

Doo-Doo-Doo-Random Crap!

I always have hundreds of ideas of stuff to put in this section of my column, but I've now forgotten it all. Happens every time I sit down to write. How frustrating!

Usuario = User... Internet de alta velocidad = my happy place.

I am currently in Granada, Andalucia, Spain. It is beautiful. My agenda today includes touring the Alhambra.

I bet you can't guess how many fingers I'm holding up.

Burger!

And now some trivia from Hooked on Facts: "The average yearly salary of a DJ you listen to on the radio is only $20,000!" -- This fact is for the nation in general, and in that case the numbers have improved slightly since I last worked as an announcer...at that time the average was $16,500 a year...However, we are living in a major market here, and that means that most of the announcers on our local stations are making a good, if not obscene, living. I wouldn't normally recommend a career in radio to anyone who wants to make money, though. It's sort of like theatre that way.

It has been much cooler in Spain this year than it was last year. Average temp is about 95...although yesterday it was 105.8! Yipe!