Fringe By Numbers

Day 9 -- The Beginning

2009-08-07T12:16:00.002-05:00

As you've probably noticed, there wasn't a single entry for Day 8 of the 2009 Fringe Festival. Sorry about that. I had rehearsal for GTC Dramatic Dialogues with whom I tour to college campuses each year with shows about Diversity, Drugs/Alcohol & Sex/Date-Rape. It's just about the college orientation time of year, so we had to rehearse the shows. Ergo... no Fringing on that night.

You may have also noticed that I've seen fewer shows over the last few days than one might expect. All I can say is that life as a single dad is not always the most conducive to scheduling for the Fringe. Especially as my daughter gets older and has more activities in the evening. I can't even tell you how much I'm dreading this next school year's activities. One night of peace each week! I never thought I'd say this, but I'm looking forward to her learning to drive. Only 6 years until her license!

So... A full docket tonight! It's a Friday and I'm stayin' up late watching plays! AND the shows start one slot earlier than normal tonight. 4:00 p.m. shows. I'm looking forward to 5 shows in one evening.

Can you handle all that theatre action? I know I can't wait.

________________________
Something random this way comes:

Paper Clip!
Trivia from Hooked on Facts: "Wearing yellow makes you look bigger on screen. Green makes you look smaller" -- This is especially true if you are wearing Green against a Chroma Key screen. Then it's likely that not only would you appear smaller, but that you'd be partly invisible.
I have a vast knowledge of things that no one cares about. For this reason, I often find it difficult to find interesting things to say in this portion of my column.
The panther is looking to its right.
Bromine's atomic number is 35
Left-left-left-right-left
Nothing can be done that can't be done.
Say what?

Day 7 -- 10 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-07T11:40:00.001-05:00

Show: Full Frontal: A Tale of Love and Lobotomies

Company: Zanzibar Productions

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Proscenium

Die Roll: 5

This show was an intriguing mix of historical comment and quirky romance. It was also inconsistent throughout. The acting had high points (Dan Linden, Jennifer Allton, and Lauren Wills), and low points (I won't name names). The rest of the cast was competent.

The same can be said about the script. Some scenes were good. Others terrible. The rest... somewhere in the middle there.

One brilliant moment: a spontaneous song sung by a surgeon driven to try new procedures for fun. Sadly, it's the only song in the show.

Really, I think the biggest flaw with this show was the directing. Certain things that ought to have been clever (an self-aware reference to the earlier song & the ending) were treated badly & staged ineffectively. Really, the whole show was a mess staging-wise. Many of the scene changes could have been avoided by reconfiguring how the blocking was handled.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Psychiatrist with new toy damages brains of characters in love.

Rating: d8 - "Not Bad, Not Great"

Day 7 -- 8:30 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-07T11:18:00.001-05:00

Show: June of Arc

Company: Sandbox Theater

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Xperimental

Die Roll: 5

I'd never seen a Sandbox show prior to this one. I've been familiar with their work, and their reputation, though. They are a creative force to be reckoned with. And they've proved it once again with June of Arc.

The play revolves around the story of June Cleaver, played by Heather Stone. June is recalling the better days of her life. The ones prior to Wally and the Beav. While she never outright says it, you can see that her life, so often seen as an example of blissful correct living in the 50's, was miserable, though somewhat fulfilling at times. Stone's characterization of June is complex, funny, sorrowful, and beautiful.

Clever staging of 1950's commercials at regular intervals throughout the show are very possibly the best part of the presentation. While Stone's acting is superb, the descent into madness and memory is interrupted with strategically placed bits of relief: an advertisement for shaving cream that explains how the stuff works, one for Dove soap, another for Folgers Coffee. All the commercials are ones that were really on the air back in the first days of Television, and the presentation of them here made me believe that you could do a show of nothing but these gems, and it would do fine, too.

All in all, this was the crispest show I've seen this year. It clipped along and was an enriching experience.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: June makes cookies while remembering better days. Fang Bang! Jello!

Rating: d20 - "One of the Best"

Day 6 -- 5:30 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-07T10:39:00.004-05:00

Show: Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Stories

Company: Peter Neofotis

Venue: Gremlin Theater

Die Roll: 9

A few years ago now... let's say between 12 and 15... I used to work at a public radio station in Iowa. One of the programs that we ran on the weekends was called "Selected Shorts". It is a program upon which Broadway actors read short stories. This show reminded me of that radio program.

Why? Well, this wasn't a play. It was an author reciting two of his short stories. There are a lot of differences between plays and fiction in their delivery. For that matter, there are a lot of differences between how a storyteller tells a tale and how an author reads his own work. In this case, it was clear from the beginning that the man on stage was not a storyteller, nor really an actor. I imagine he has probably acted before, but really he's a short story writer.

The stories were quite good. The story entitled "The Botanist" was about the trial of a college-aged lad for the crime of "Forced Sodomy". It was funny and suspenseful. It was good courtroom drama.

The second tale, entitled "The Vultures" was a stronger story, in my opinion. And this one added blocking... a long climb down the risers next to the audience. Why? I don't know. It added nothing to the tale. It was merely a source of confusion for many of us who discussed the why-the-Hell-did-he-do-that factor of the choice. Anyway... this was essentially a love story. One that was about love for a deceased spouse. It also has a bit of Hitchcock feel to it, as well as Poe. Nice.

Side thing: The Fringe circuit seems like a brilliant way for small publishers to manage a book tour. Make no mistake... that's what is going on here. Peter Neofotis is selling his book from which these stories come. And what is brilliant is that people are paying him to attend his reading. Some of them are probably buying the book. And his lodging, as an out of towner, is likely being donated by one of the Fringe's volunteer hosts. Do that in a few cities, and you've got yourself a low budget, but effective book tour.

Despite the fact that this was not really a play, I really enjoyed this performance. "Selected Shorts" was one of my favorite features on Public Radio when I worked there. This had that feel. I could close my eyes at times and feel like I had a Broadway actor reading to me. Bliss.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Author tells tales of Southern eccentricities from his new book.

Rating: d12 - "A Heckuva Lot of Fun"

Day 5 -- 8:30 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-06T17:34:00.003-05:00

Show: Thrower of Light

Company: Cathy Wright

Venue: Ritz Theatre

Die Roll: 10

You may have just read in the time slot before this one that I unexpectedly had my 10 year-old daughter with me for this evening. And, as such, she was going to be attending somethings that might have seemed a little risque for her. Sunday was the day for her choices. Monday the dice were back in control. Well... They were kind at the 7 p.m. show, so 8:30 should work out fine, too, right?

Well... Not exactly. Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this review, I would like to say that even though this show said is was appropriate for 11 year-olds in its description, as a parent, I would be hard pressed to take a kid under 14 to this. Why? Well... sexual content. Pretty graphically represented. I don't know what point of reference Ms. Wright had for dubbing pieces like "Phallousy" and "Wombman" as age appropriate for 11 year-olds. Granted, had my daughter not been with me, I would've seen both pieces as challenging works that pushed boundaries and made me think. Instead, I cringed as I tried to figure out how to explain to my 'tween girl what she had just seen.

All right... now... if my progeny had not been along for the ride, and this hadn't claimed that it would basically be okay for her, this is what the review for this show would look like:

This is a show that is made up of a smattering of Cathy Wright's sizable portfolio of dance pieces. She has quite an impressive collection here, too. Most of it is of a modern dance bent, and is somewhat abstract. The fact that much of the accompaniment for the pieces is ambient noise and hisses and pops and the like, can be a bit harsh at times (sustained piercing notes cause inner ear pain).

For me, the first five pieces of the concert weren't my cup of tea. Or even my can of Jolt soda. Although they did reflect the latter's energy level. I did, however, really appreciate the last two pieces. "Old Man" was moving and quite interesting. And the "Irish Pirate Madness" that was featured a few weeks ago at the Fringe-For-All was still brilliant. It was this piece, however, that I blame for my gut feeling about this show. Because I saw this frantic, happy, and entertaining dance as a representation of what this company did, I expected a show more along that line. Instead, I felt that the majority of this show was a bait-and-switch. The style was not similar to this piece in any of the others, and the tone was far from being alike.

So... The dancing was proficient, and at times quite beautiful. But, with other offerings out there in the modern genre that are exceptional, I would look to them, if you are wanting a dance fix.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Wasn't expecting what happened here. What's that screeching? Ears bleeding.

Rating: d8 - "Not Bad, Not Great"

Day 5 -- 7:00 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-06T13:25:00.002-05:00

Show: Stray Pieces

Company: Kari Jensen & Moving Arts Ensemble

Venue: Ritz Theater

Die Roll: 16

I had my daughter along again on Monday night, but she didn't get to choose the shows. She had her day. Now, if she was going to be with me, she had to risk seeing something that might be a little too grown-up for her. Luckily this show was perfect for a single dad to take his daughter to on short notice.

This was a selection of dance pieces that were staged by a varied group of choreographers. There were primarily three groups of dancers that made up the company for this show. First, the ballet company which was comprised of some of the best I've seen in town. The second group was a duo who did a mix of Hip-Hop and Jazz (with some belly-dancing moves thrown in for good measure) on one piece, and then tapped on a couple of other pieces. And finally, there was a pair who did some comedic turns at ballroom dancing.

My favorite parts of the show were the on pointe ballet numbers. One entitled Karabushka featured some Russian folk dance influences. My other fave was a longer piece made up of six movements. The whole selection was entitled "Episodes" and the dancers performed either solos or duets that played out emotions such as "Lonely" or "Stubborn", as well as "Loving" and "Dominating" (two dances that had an ironic amount of similarity in their feel).

One thing that bummed me out about this show was tha tI didn't get to see shannon Corbett dance her selections. She is really good. BUT the trade off was that I got to witness a much larger dose of Kari Jensen, and she is also quite good. All in all, this was a dance show that had beauty, humor, grace, and precision. It did a remarkably good job of capturing the feelings of the music in the movements of the dancers.

There were some inconsistencies from dance to dance, as the ballet dancers were clearly in a league above the others experience-wise. But, everything was fun to watch.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Ballet, Tap, Ballroom, and other styles capture magic in movement.

Rating: d12 - "A Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Day 4 -- 7 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-06T12:50:00.002-05:00

Show: The Sleuth Sisters

Company: Harmony Theatre

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Thrust

Die Roll: None (my daughter chose this show)

This Fringe has been strong for children's shows featuring children. The kids in this show were precocious, and quite well coached. I've never heard of this group before, but it seems to be built partly out of kids of immigrant parents, specifically from former Soviet republics.

It is clear that there is some strong community support behind this production, and one of the most refreshing moments of the show is the inclusion of "Commercials" for local companies that sponsored the production. The Commercials fit right in because the structure of this play assumes that it is an early 1950's radio show about two sisters who solve crimes: sort of a pre-teen female Hardy Boys duo.

The script is built around a mystery of a set of sisters who are kidnapped. And the staging is built around Foley-style sound effects. One door frame migrates from place to place to indicate entrances and exits, and to provide the obligatory sound effects of doors opening and closing, locks being fiddled with and the like.

I enjoyed this show for what it was. If you're looking for edgy or top of the line professional production qualities, then this isn't the show for you. However, if you want to see something unlike the other shows in the Fringe, and you'd like a brief glimpse into what the youngsters are doing to get ready to perform for us tomorrow, you should stop by the Thrust to see this one.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Pre-teen kids stage a radio mystery with live sound effects.

Rating: d10 - "Worth Going To"

Day 4 -- 5:30 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-05T11:12:00.006-05:00

Show: The Comedy Hypnosis Show

Company: Katie Knutson

Venue: The Playwrights Center

Die Roll: None (My daughter selected this show)

As you may know, hypnotists are a staple of high school graduation celebrations and college activities councils it's fun to see a person do something silly and then have no recollection of it. When hypnosis actually works, it can be very entertaining for the audience all by itself. When it is performed by someone who has a good show put together around it, it is even more fun.

Katie Knutson builds an entertaining hour around hypnotizing a group of about 12 people in front of their peers. And for the most part the willing subjects are led through activities that are harmless and amusing. Now, I say "for the most part" not with regards to the potential for harm statement, but with regard to the concept of being led.

I think the difficulty for a performer doing this sort of show for an audience packed full of attention seeking theatre folk, is that some of those same theatre folk will do anything to get on stage, including pretending to be hypnotized.

I honestly don't know hoe many of the people on stage were in a state of trance. But I do know that a couple of them weren't and that frustrated me as an audience member. What Katie was doing was entertaining. She's clearly good at what she's doing.

I must admit I was surprised at the success she has with this show. I didn't doubt her ability to entertain. She is an able storyteller and a good performer. Going in, what I wondered was how effective a hypnotist could be who has a higer pitched, slightly nasal voice. The answer was that she can be quite effective. I enjoyed seeing how people behave while driving their "dream cars". And how the memory can be confused by odd directions. And how you can be led to think things like you have no belly button. I laughed a lot.

I really wish the couple of folks who went on stage to mug at the audience and goof around hadn't gone up there. But... all in all, even with those people, Katie put forth an effort that was well worth seeing.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Hypnosis leads to disco dancing and searching for one's navel.

Rating: d12 - "A Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Day 4 -- 4:00 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-04T11:59:00.003-05:00

Show: The Pizpor Show

Company: The Pizpor Show

Venue: Gremlin Theatre

Die Roll: None (My daughter chose this show)

I've noted over the years that my daughter has a fascination with magic. Not the little girl likes fairies kind of fascination, but an honest to goodness interest in prestidigitation. It's been a while since we made the trip to the magic store, but I'm sure that seeing this show with her stirred the passion again. I'm hoping she wants a rope trick. What she told me in the car afterward was "I want to learn to make balloon animals".

Anyway... The Pizpor show is a magic show that points out just how important the patter is between the tricks. In fact, this show is almost entirely patter. There are a handful of tricks done through out, and always under the conceit that the magician is piss poor (note: sound out the show's name). He isn't bad at all. His tricks are varied and fun. And in the face of hecklers (there were active hecklers at this performance) he holds his own with self-depricating humor.

I really enjoyed this show, as did my daughter. It was a low-key show that totally worked with the senario put forth as its premise. We were watching a street performance by a somewhat charismatic (though not too much) guy who wanted to be the best street performance we saw that evening... if only it weren't for that saxophonist we kept hearing nearby and the mime around the block!

The audience participation was fun. I even got invovled a couple of times, albeit not on purpose!

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Endearing street magician is just trying to catch a break, Bob!

Rating: d12 - "A Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Secrets of the City - 1st Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-08-04T11:20:00.000-05:00

Here's the latest of my articles posted in "Secrets of the City": http://www.secretsofthecity.com/talk/posts/fringe-first-weekend-wrap

They tend to be on a one-day delay. I think they'll catch up soon, though.

Day 4 -- 2:30 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-03T14:32:00.004-05:00

Show: In Another's Size

Company: SteppingStone Theater

Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Die Roll: None (My daughter chose this show)

I have certain self-imposed restrictions that I put in place when I review educational theatre productions. I don't review performances of individual youths who are developing their skills as actors. It doesn't behoove a child to get ripped up one side and down another. It doesn't help them get better. Basically, I'll wait until a kid is either 1) acting in a professional company, and therefore not in an educational setting, or 2) said kid is a shining example of what is good about educational theatre. In the second instance I am not pointing out, nor criticizing, the skills of said kid, but merely pointing out that the activity in which they are partaking and the behavior they are exhibiting are of quality and are desirable.

I point this out because SteppingStone Theatre is a leader among the many educational theatres in the Twin Cities. The play that they put forth here is another example of the terrific work they do.

In Another's Size is a show that tells the story of a bunch of kids who all get swapped into each other's bodies and learn from the experience to be more tolerant of each others' differences. It is narrated by a "Lunch Lady" played by professional comedic actor Brian Kelly (of Triple Espresso and The Temp fame, among other things).

The kids in this show wrote it with the assistance of Joe Scrimshaw, some guy who has some sort of credentials in comedy and Fringe-stuffs.

The kids in this show, all the way around, performed at a high level. They projected. They cheated out correctly. They communicated with each other. They captured the characters that they originally portrayed, and (even better) they captured the characters who later inhabited their bodies.

My daughter thought this show was the best of the five shows we saw on this particular day, and I would have to agree with her. The plot wasn't amazingly complex, but it had enough turns in there to make it rewarding and something better than the After-School-Special type fare that this show could've become. It was funny, endearing, teased a little, but didn't even come close to being inappropriate for children.

All the kids were quite talented and I really enjoyed the multiple characterizations that Kelly pulled off.

My one complaint... and this is actually about society in general, it just happens to be reflected in this piece a lot. Apparently at some point the origin of using the phrase "This Sucks" and its derivatives has been lost on the current generation of youth. I, for one, do not let my daughter say that around the house. I find it rude to have her implying anything about fellatio when she doesn't even know what that is yet. I would find it rude even if she did know. I find it unacceptable that the phrase "You Suck" has replaced "You stink" in our collective vocabularies. If this show is actually for ages 6 and up, perhaps having an insult that suggests that the target engages in lewd oral sex ought not to be in it. But... like I said. Really, it's a complaint about how our language has lost its meaning and something originally meant to be offensive had essentially lost its meaning through common use.

Otherwise... Congrats, all! Great show.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: High Schoolers swap bodies and become their friends and enemies.

Rating: d20 - "One of the Best"

Secrets of the City - Day Two Wrap-up

2009-08-03T12:39:00.002-05:00

Here's the link to the second of my exclusive articles for Secrets of the City

Day 4 -- 1 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-03T11:55:00.003-05:00

Show: Made Up: Confessions of a Counter Girl

Company: La Coeur Da Vie Theatre

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Arena

Die Roll: None (This show was my daughter's choice)

First, while this show is listed as something for Ages 10+, I would have to disagree. Yes, there isn't anything in it that is inappropriate for youngsters. However, to truly identify with the show, you ought to be at least 16. That is, you need to have had your first experience with having had a retail job.

While my 10 year-old daughter didn't really grasp much of this show, I enjoyed it. Having dealt with customers and been on the behind-the-counter side of life, I appreciated much of what this show was about. And the characters that Jennifer J. Phillips put forth were a lot of fun. Distinct and well-formed.

It did seem that for the first few minutes the transitions between characters weren't as crisp as they ought to have been, but once Phillips settled in things clicked wonderfully. I loved her main character and wanted her to succeed, but I also completely understood when she didn't. All of the forces around her conspired to create an inhospitable world that is so familiar, so frightening.

Two characters stuck out for me. I especially enjoyed the teen goth girl who after seeking make-up advice ran to her mother accusing the sales lady of insulting her. I also enjoyed the rich lady who kept calling in and changing her appointment. Wonderful.

Another little high point: free lipstick candy at the door! Yay!

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Putting your face on can reveal so much about characters.

Rating: d10 - "Worth Going To"

Day 3 -- 8:30 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-03T11:25:00.006-05:00

Show: Voyages

Company: New Plymouth Players

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Arena

Die Roll: 7

As far as musicals in the Fringe go, this one surprised me with some of its accomplishments. First, there was a live orchestra. Granted, it was a small one, but the four-piece combo made up of a keyboard, cello, oboe, and percussion made for a wonderful musical experience that most other shows can't provide because they use canned accompaniment.

Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised that I could hear everyone well. Projection is a universal shortcoming for Fringe actors. I have no idea why, but it seems that over the last decade someone stopped teaching actors to speak loudly. Projection was not a problem at all with this show. I heard the singers loud and clear over the orchestra, and I understood the dialogue.

Now, the script wasn't the greatest thing on Earth, but it wasn't as full of holes as some of the other things I've seen this past weekend. The basic jist goes something like this: All-Powerful Shepherd-like-God-figure decides that for some arbitrary reason that the world's first man and woman must decide at this moment to become mortal or remain immortal. In order to help them with their decision, he provides a few stories for them to watch and become involved in. He also tells them of the advantages of being mortal and the disadvantages, as well. From the script, I gather that the main advantage is that you get to have sex, the main disadvantage is that you have to die. So... it's a slightly different take on that whole sex=death conundrum.

Granted, the stories show that being mortal allows for the inclusion of beauty and love in one's life, but they don't really resonate as the best arguments. Nor do the behavior of Man and Woman. In fact, I had a hard time believing that Man would change his mind. There was no build to convince me that he had decided that being mortal was truly what he wanted after he'd spent the entire play declaring that he'd rather be immortal like the moon, despite it meaning that he'd be lonely and unchangeable. He'd already displayed himself as unchangeable attitude-wise, so it seemed natural.

This was a high-quality community theatre production. Now, as a professional actor and director, you might think that I use the term "Community Theatre" to mean a level below professional. Sometimes that may be true, but not in this case. This captures what community theatres ought to be doing. It clearly provided many people with a great theatrical experience. AND it provided them with support and training that elevated them to a new level of performance quality. Were I an amateur thespian, I would be proud to be involved in a show like this one. It is full of energy. It is well-rehearsed. It has a feeling of artistic vision realized.

Are there places where it falls short? Sure. But, as I've seen throughout the last six years of writing about the Fringe, almost all shows have that. I was entertained for an hour, and I enjoyed this show.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Moons or Bananas? Odd choice to have to make. Choose!

Rating: d12 - "A Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Day 4 -- The Beginning

2009-08-02T09:44:00.003-05:00

Technically, I'm writing this out of order. I still have reviews to write from Day 3. BUT... I have to go pick up my daughter in a minute. Once every year I take my daughter around with me to Fringe shows. On this day I throw out the dice-rolling method of show selection, and we go see the children's shows.

Today is that day. This year my little one is 10 years old. She's part of the Hannah Montana set, and not as big on the fairy tales as she used to be. That means that while we may take in something that is for really little kids today, it will only be because there isn't always a good selection of shows for kids in every slot.

However, I should point out that this year there are kids shows in every slot, on the weekend days. That's a first since the "Kids Fringe" venue was done away with many years ago. Kudos to the Fringe festival on better program planning. Kids shows offered when kids are available to see them! Yay!

______________________

Sorry, no randomness today. I've gotta go get a kid.

Day 3 -- 7:00 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-02T09:25:00.003-05:00

Show: Holding Patterns

Company: Monica Rodero & Dan Schuchart

Venue: Southern Theater

Die Roll: 6

This is another duo dance company. And they have a great chemistry and sense of play that makes their dancing something behold.

I do have to confess that I liked last year's offering better than I did this year's from this same pairing. Partly this is because I didn't connect with the pieces as much this year. Partly because the chemistry of the two was altered to include a third dancer this year. And partly because the best part of the show wasn't a dance at all.

The best part of the show was a section in which Monica and Dan had a silent conversation via cue cards. It was a conversation split in two. Essentially it was akin to two people breaking the fourth wall with their inner thoughts and their outer declarations, but without ever saying a word. Sadly, all of that was accomplished without any movement other than dropping cards on the floor (one card cleverly noted that they were "making a mess"). Does that mean that the dancing wasn't any good when it is trumped by a comedy routine on card stock? Not at all.

The dances in this show are going to have me thinking for a long time. Partly because they were more abstract in their presentation than other pieces I've recently seen. Sometimes a dance doesn't have to have meaning. Yet, from what I watched, I'm sure that these pieces did have intended meaning. I just haven't figured it all out yet.

I like when a piece of art stays with you for days afterward, and this one will. Once I figure it out, then I'll know better what I thought of the dance parts of the show.

In the meantime, I'll ask you to challenge yourself to the same task. Go see this... we'll hash it out together.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Dancers find their true calling as silent comedians... and dancers.

Rating: d12 - "Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Day 3 -- 5:30 Time Slot

2009-08-02T09:23:00.000-05:00

Dinner Time! No review for this time slot. I gathered with friends and ate food. These are the things that sustain life.

Day 3 -- 4 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-02T08:54:00.003-05:00

Show: You/Provoke/Me

Company: Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Proscenium

Die Roll: 15

In business there is an axiom that you can get things fast, cheap, and good... but you can only ever get two out of the three at any given time on any given project. With this show I propose a similar axiom with regards to dance: Inspiration, execution, and communication. Choose two out of the three. For any given piece in this concert by "one of Chicago's premier dance companies", one of those three was sacrificed for the other two. Sadly, it was often execution.

Another axiom... this time from NFL commercials a few years back: Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.

I came to this show with high hopes. Two reasons... this day of the Fringe was becoming my day of dance, and there was a huge line outside for it. Clearly, people wanted to see this group.

After seeing casebolt and smith immediately prior to this show, I was ready for another terrific dance show. Sadly I was let down.

More often than not, this show sacrificed execution in order to put up pieces that were inspired and communicated with the audience. Now... one can certainly argue that as art, it is accomplishing the most important things that art tried to do and be. However, I offer up the NFL quote again.

This show actually made me angry. Why? I expect professional dancers to be able to tell where the Hell the downbeat is in a measure of music. C'mon! If the choreography is to clap on beat one, then do it. At the most basic level of dance classes and music theory you learn to count rhythm. Eventually, if you can't, then someone should sit you down and say "Honey... I know you love to dance, but maybe this isn't the career for you."

All too often parts of the dances that were clearly choreographed to be in unison and yet they were so sloppy that when one of the pieces ("Hearts on Fire") had sections in which one dancer was supposed to be at odds with the other three who were supposed to be doing the same thing, it was hard to tell that that was what was going on.

The first, third, and fifth pieces of the concert were consistent in one thing... their inconsistency. And the problem is this. They were all very interesting and innovative pieces. They were fun. They connected. And yet, they all appeared to be under-rehearsed. What's worse, the piece called "Sextet" was internally inconsistent. Some moments were clearly what had been worked on far more than the others.

Dancer Elizabeth Bergman put forth a piece that was executed wonderfully. In fact, I'm not sure anything was sacrificed in "Watch Me Harder"... although I might argue that the communication aspect was lacking for a bit. One dancer who I've now known for a couple of years spoke of one of her students as being technically proficient, but lacking soul. I would say that Bergman didn't lack soul here, but from time to time the soul of what she was doing was pushed back and away from the technical accomplishments of the dance. Yet, most of the time, her body was communicating and executing with inspiration.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Inspired at times. Sloppy at times. Often the same times.

RATING: d10 - "Worth Going To"

Day 3 -- 2:30 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-02T08:16:00.003-05:00

Show: casebolt and smith: Speaking Out

Company: casebolt and smith

Venue: Southern Theater

Die Roll: 16

First, a thought totally unrelated to the show, merely how I got there. I walked. I walked from the Rarig Center to the Southern. And it was a beautiful walk. I know a lot of people latch onto the Rarig pretty hard because of how much you can see without ever leaving the building, but I just wanted to remind folks that you can easily make it from the Rarig hub'o'Fringe to a number of other venues by foot in the allotted time between shows: Mixed Blood, the Playwrights Center, The Southern, The Nomad, and Bedlam's Parking Lot are all a hop, skip, and a jump away. No cars needed.

Onto the show... This duo comes from California. They've got a good pedigree according to their program bios, and I had heard good things about them in the lobby. Apparently they'd had a good out-of-towner preview (which I missed).

So... this was a show of four pieces (although it felt like five or six). When we entered the space, the dancers were already on the stage going through what I migth guess were warm-ups. However, it looked like a dance had already started. One that was clearly not in the program, however. Because these were warm-ups, I won't review them, other than to say that it was interesting to encounter dance already in progress as you come into the theatre. It creates a more casual atmosphere around the whole event. Sort of a "Hey! Thanks for stoppin' in. Why don't you chill for a while?" kind of feel.

This show marked the premier of one piece... "Two Minute Duet to Open the Show". What a creative title! Well danced, but it didn't leave any impressions on me at all. Other than that these two could move well together and in actual unison (more on that shortly...the next time slot, actually).

The second piece is the one that seemed like two pieces... I think. The duo went through actions accompanied by recordings of ambient noises. They then repeated them throughout a humorous conversation that represented their meeting eah other for the first time and getting to know each other. I must admit that the first half made no sense to me whatsoever, and it was refreshing and reassuring that I recognized the moves on the second go-'round. And, there was both a sense of the piece's brilliance and a ego-driven sense of accomplishment on my part for the rest of the piece. I like art that makes me feel smart, even if it had to make me feel dumb first to accomplish the feat.

The third piece was another set to their own speech and seemed to be a spoof of the way dancers work in creating a piece. What a wonderfully playful work! I can't really describe it without ruining it for those who've yet to see it, so I'll just suggest that you see it. Let me say, though, that one of the best things ever is to see a woman teaching her dance partner the proper way to grab boobs as a dance move!

The final piece was another piece that emphasized the duo's ability to move together wonderfullly. It starts out at a table with little green plastic army men all over it. Individual movements eventually combine and the efforts of two separate entities merge into once cohesive unit. It was beautiful.

These two are well worth the time to venture over to the Southern, even by foot.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Duo brings comedy and dance together seamlessly. Army men, what?

Rating: d20 - "One of the Best"

Day 3 -- 1:00 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-02T07:01:00.004-05:00

Show: WORD

Company: Dante' Pirtle

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Proscenium

Die Roll: 11

Before I launch into this review, I want you to see the official description about this show: "An urban musical about the end of hip-hop. A musical satire starting at hip-hop culture's beginning in 1984 and ending up in the present."

First, this play did not in any way start in 1984. I was ten when the movie Breakin' came out, and I'm guessing that it is the benchmark being used as the start of the "culture." The only things that hearkened back to those days were the two songs played prior to the show ("White Lines" by Grandmaster Flash and Mel Melle - 1983, and "Rapture" by Blondie - 1980).

The show itself does start with a bit of break dancing. Some of the dancers were really good. Some of them were...well... there's no reason to be too negative yet. Although, that's coming...

This is a musical purportedly about the death of Hip-Hop, a society in a dystopian situation wherein it is a crime to play the music from the streets, a world in which there is only one place to hear Hip-Hop and that's on the radio station WORD in Illinois. I got all that from the director's notes in the program.

What I got out of what happened on stage: There's no Hip-Hop in this Hip-Hop musical. None. The music is something that would be happy to reside in any children's musical. The songs were safe in their structure, and for the most part completely unmemorable. No hookline was stuck in my head as I left the theatre.

What else I got out of what happened on stage: There was no plot. What was the conflict in this play? Two people who are somehow inexplicably roommates don't like each other. One of them, who supposedly doesn't talk much, won't shut up. A song about love is sung for no good reason. Some breakdancing happens between a couple in the one song that approaches rap (sort of). And a bit of manufactured epiphany occurs because of the ghost of the main character's mom.

Does that all confuse you? Good. If not, could you come explain it to me?

I have no idea what the point of this play was. I certainly don't think it had anything to do with the explanations mentioned heretofore.

The program notes suggest that this play is the response to the question, "When will hip-hop finally be onstage?" The real answer from this play... "What is this hip-hop of which you speak?" I guess we'll have to wait for a while to see it "finally on stage". That being said... I'm pretty sure I've seen hip-hop on stage in past Fringe Festivals. Sorry that these guys missed it.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Parental Warning: Hip-Hop Musical Contains No Hip-Hop. No Plot, Either

Rating: d4 - "Not Worth the Time"

Day 3 -- The Beginning

2009-08-01T11:25:00.002-05:00

It's Saturday at the MN Fringe Festival. That means there are many more shows than on the other days. I'll be seeing seven. I think. There's a good chance I'll actually see six. Something about needing to eat in the midst thereof.

I've not seen anything at the Southern this year, nor the Playwrights Center. Both of those statements will be false by the end of today.

Now... I explained recently the whole concept of rolling dice and how I do the Fringe generally. You may have noticed that I rate things by dice, too. I thought I'd re-explain that system of scoring for your pleasure and information: there are six types of dice that are standard in tabletop Role Playing Games (RPGs). They are the four-sided, the six-sided, the eight-sided, the ten-sided, the twelve-sided, and the twenty-sided. They are abbreviated as d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20, respectively. I use them to rank the plays I see. So... d4 is the lowest ranking and d20 is the highest. I normally post a key phrase that describes what each ranking means at the time that I give them.

Eventually (read: in a day or two), I'll have a web page that has a comprehensive list of all my rankings of all the shows that you can access. There's just no time until the first weekend of the Fringe is done, though.

____________________

Who wants a heaping helping of random?

I just mailed a DVD of one of my shows to the guy who invented the Klingon language!
Brown thread.
When a person comes over to my house who is allergic to cats, I put one of them away behind closed doors. The other one tends to shy away from strangers, so I leave her out. today, she was not her normal self and tried to get to the lady with allergies adamantly.
Trivia time!: "Whale oil was used in automobile transmissions as late as 1973." - It was actually the event of my birth that stopped this practice. Since that time, smashed bananas have replaced whale oil. The last two statements were completely untrue. I have no idea what replaced whale oil in transmission fluid, only that the fluid hasn't tasted quite as good ever since.
I got three books back last night that I had lent to a friend a few years ago. I'd forgotten that the books existed. It was like a surprise gift from said friend. Best part? She gave me this gift on her birthday!
593,200

Day 2 -- 7:00 p.m. Time Slot

2009-08-01T10:38:00.003-05:00

Show: Oops!

Compay: Warsh Iut Productions

Venue: Minneapolis Theater Garage

Die Roll: 19

The sign of a really good show is that I leave having taken almost no notes. Luckily, this play's program was completely blank, so I was able to put all my thoughts down during the show.

At its advertised essence this show was supposed to be about the resulting situation of a gay white man and a straight black woman having accidentally conceived a child together. This does happen in the show, so... I guess that the advertisement was honored, in truth.

Where this play breaks down is that once you read the show description, your own mind leaps to all the possibilities. I mean, this is a show with all sorts of potential to address all sorts of things, to get into deep and serious topics and to play around with misconceptions and stereotypes for the sake of satire and comedy. It is a situation rife with potential.

The play I saw was not successful at tackling any of those imagined situations. Nor did it really try to do so. A few things became clear to me:

1. This was staged by someone who thought cheating out to the audience halfway through each line was good acting. This is the style of acting, if you want to call it that, that pervades junior high and high schools all over the USA. It saddens me, because I've seen both of these actors do better before. It's as if the director told them to say the set-up and then face the audience for the punchlines.

2. I'm going out on a limb and guessing that the playwright has never had a child. Probably a safe bet. I'm also going to go out on a limb that no one his is close to (with the exception of his parents) has had a child. The situations in this play were ones that seemed stereotypical at best, and wholly wrong at worst.

3. This play had to have been thought up when someone was drunk. Oddly enough how the conception of the child occurs in this play.

4. There was so much extraneous movement in this play that it became a show about who got to pick up a bench next, and where was it going to go.

5. even given its lack of meritorious content, the play would've improved by leaps and bounds if someone had just gotten the two actors to appear to talk directly to each other. For them to establish a relationship of some sort.

There was one high point that was a monologue performed by Jasmine Rush showing the kaleidoscope of emotions that a pregnant woman can go through all truncated down to about a minute and a half with shifts controlled by "The Clapper".

I guess I would just look at the title for reference on this one. Generally, if it has to do with theatre, and the word "Oops!" is in the name. That should be a hint to avoid.

The woman sitting next to me at the show said, "Well, it could've been worse." That's the only thing that saves it from my lowest ranking.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Completely selfish dick impregnates best friend. Not funny. Potential unrealized.

RATING: d6 - "Has Some Merit"

Secrets of the City - Day One Wrap-up

2009-08-01T10:29:00.002-05:00

One of my exclusive articles is now up at Secrets of the City! Check it out here...

Day 2 -- 5:30 p.m Time Slot

2009-08-01T10:11:00.003-05:00

Show: The Gayer Show

Company: The Adventures of Les Kurkendaal and Dan Bernitt

Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre

Die Roll: 11

These two solo artists have been seen in many Minnesota Fringe Festivals. They are both out-of-towners, who despite not living in Minnesota have come to be an important part of this community each summer. Dan is newer to the scene than Les, who has been doing the Fringe here for as long as I can remember. Somehow, though, I had never seen Les perform a Fringe show. I've talked to him at bars, interviewed him for my column or podcasts (I used to call them "Fringecasts"...witty, I know), but still had never seen him perform.

Dan, on the other hand, I've had the fortune to catch both of shows he previously brought to the Fringe. One, I didn't care for. The other, I liked a lot.

So... Although I knew what to expect when I saw this show (i.e. two guys with music stands tell stories of their lives), I didn't know what to expect from this show. What I discovered is that the back-and-forth storytelling was choppy and that Les stares forward and above the audience's heads the whole time he's talking. This is unfortunate. He's a very animated person normally and in person. On stage, I didn't want to watch. And that's somewhat sad, because I listened to the stories and they were well written. I just wanted someone to act a little bit with them.

Dan offered up his stories which had less meat to them on because his life circumstances made for less drama. However his style of writing, and more importantly his presentation, made him a more engaging performer.

Half the time I felt engaged and entertained. I found myself liking Dan Bernitt. The other half of the time I was wondering why I scared Les so much.

The show has a good message, and the stories are sure to make you laugh. Well, at least most people will laugh. I assume. I laughed.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Picture it. Discovery of homosexuality differs greatly for two guys.

RATING: d10 - "Worth Going To"

Day 2 -- The Beginning

2009-07-31T16:43:00.001-05:00

Something about the way the Fringe works with the calendar in general makes me frustrated. The world somehow pulls a bait and switch on me each year. I set aside the time to only do Fringe, and nothing else. I do this far in advance. My plans are clear. I make them clear to others. And somehow, I end up with other things that steal me away from my 10 solid days of theatre.

Tonight is one of those nights. I'll be seeing a show at 5:30 and then at 7 p.m. But, then I'll be on my way to other obligations. There is a little bit of guilt, but not much. When it comes down to it, my conflict involves eating food that I don't have to pay for. I enjoy eating. Seems to be an essential part of life.

So... On to the theatre!

________________

A few random things before we move on:

Something is out there.
Although I enjoy the Bedlam, I sort of miss the days when Fringe central moved from pub to pub on a nightly basis. What was it called back then? Oh yeah! Nightcaps. Fringe Nightcaps. Miss those. Still, love the Bedlam. Not a knock against them.
"Man is ready to die for an idea, provided that idea is not quite clear to him." -- Paul Eldridge
A bit of trivia from Hooked on Facts: "Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors." -- I suppose this is really one of his greatest accomplishments. Take a moment to think about how often we use them on a regular basis. I can't think of anything else he invented that I use nearly daily. I suppose skydivers everywhere would claim that the parachute was a more important invention, as it prolongs their lives each time they use it. But, then... docotrs use scissors in surgery everyday, so that probably trumps just about everything else, no? I don't know. What I do know is that I'm happier about the invention of the scissors than about some stupid code that was named after the guy... APPLE!
32 MB
Yellow, Green, Yellow, Pink

Day 1 -- 10:00 p.m. time Slot

2009-07-31T16:06:00.003-05:00

Show: 2 Sugars, Room for Cream

Company: Shanan Wexler & Carolyn Pool

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Xperimental ("X")

Die Roll: 7

I already wrote a little bit about this show in the preview article I wrote about comedies here.

I put it in my top five for a reason. This was a really good show. It's all vignettes about different women and the scenes all revolve around situations that involve coffee in some way. That doesn't mean that coffee is the topic of all of the sketches, but it means that there is coffee in at least one of the actresses hands at all times. Well... in a mug or cup in one of their hands.

Scenes range from a church basement during a funeral where sisters are drinking coffee and avoiding relatives, to a "coffee break" outside a corporate workplace, to a mother who vents to a stranger about how her infant child's head is too small (the stranger has a cup of coffee). The comedy is the type that comes out of the beautiful ironies of real life. It is the comedy that we all can identify with right away and laugh at ourselves as much as at the people on the stage. This type of comedy, when well done (and in this case it is), can be a unifying thing between audience and performers. What a treat!

Not everything was all laughter, though. One monologue by Carolyn Pool was especially moving. It's a story about the first time she tried Espresso and her relationship with her dad. I was in tears and I was noticing others in the audience daubing their faces dry, as well.

TEN WORD SUMMARY: Coffee plays key role in comedy of real life experiences

RATING: d20 - "One of the Best"

Day 1 -- 8:30 p.m. Time Slot

2009-07-31T12:15:00.002-05:00

Show: Burning Man & The Reverend Nuge

Company: Tommy Nugent

Venue: Gremlin Theatre

Die Roll: 19

Let me start by reiterating my stance on meaning-of-life plays. Basically, this is a type of play that all playwrights will try to tackle at some point. Often, it is the first one that they will write. That means that the overwhelming majority of plays that try to explain the meaning of life are written by college kids who've yet to really take the time to live before analyzing what it all means. I was one of those college kids. Each year at the Fringe there are a few shows that are the products of those college kids. I don't care for those shows. If you are 21 and you come up with some revelation about what it all means, please type it out, and then put it away for at least 10 years. Get it back out then and see if you still think it was the profound thought that it once seemed.

So... Here's the thing about this show. It is a meaning-of-life play. However, it is by a guy who has lived. And from the content of the show, it seems that his whole life has at some level been about searching for that meaning. Now that he's in his 40's he's able to look back and see what his life has been, and what were truly the profound moments thus far. So... essentially... if a person is goign to do a meaning-of-life play, he or she ought to be able to claim the same things as Tommy Nugent can.

Now, this is the tale of a man who grew up as a charismatic Christian, went on to preach, lost his faith, found other faiths, and eventually came to know himself through a mercurial life path that involved public speaking, writing, and attending the Burning Man Festival. I would really like to sit down at a bar and hear Tommy tell me these tales over a beer or three. In fact, I'd buy him a beer or two and feel that it was well worth the price of the beverages to hear about this fascinating man.

Sadly, the show is in a theatrical venue. It is not intimate enough to capture that same feeling. While I was very interested in what Nugent was saying, I found myself drifting from time to time. I never wondered to myself, "When is this going to be done?". But, I did find myself thinking, "What's he talking about now?" a few times.

My advice? Sit close to the front to capture the feel that he's talking directly to you. My issue with the show really does feel to me to be more a comment on the staging than the show itself. The other option would be to track Mr. Nugent down at Fringe Central and buy him a beer or two (or whatever else he might be drinking) and ask him about his life. That's the performance I would want to see.

The play has a great moral, if you want to call it that. And Tommy is a charismatic fella (not the same meaning of "charismatic" as earlier in the article). Grab one of his buttons on the way out, too. I find it somewhat reassuring, too, that by attending this show, I've now been promised that I won't burn in Hell. There's more to that, but you'll want to go to see what it means.

Ten Word Summary: Sharing the meaning of a life well and fully lived.

Rating: d12 - "A Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Day 1 -- 7:00 p.m. Time Slot

2009-07-31T11:11:00.005-05:00

Show: Something Witchy

Company: Partizan Theater

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Thrust

Die Roll: 13

There are a lot of shows in this year's Fringe about murder. So, it seems appropriate that my first day should include one of them.

This is a play built around a few bits of actual history involving the "Family" of Charles Manson. Basically, one of the members of the family made her escape shortly after a trial that sent most of the others to jail. She has lived a life of normality for 15 years. Now a suburban housewife with a teen-aged daughter, she has avoided the past for a long time. That is, until a stranger who has far too much info about her old life shows up at the door.

The play deals with some heavy matters. It moves well, and is acted well. There are some rough spots, but they are smoothed over quite quickly. I think this happens because of the period of time allotted to a show in the Fringe. I think this play took on story that would have been better served with an additional half-hour to 45 minutes. That being said, Catherine Johnson Justice puts in a nice turn as the former hippy/cult-member. Chris Carlson carries the show on his shoulders. I am always impressed by his character work. The show is worth seeing for that alone. And Lindsey Alexandra Hartley is more than believable as a young teen.

The story could've been a little stronger. One of my main questions that I pose toward a play is "What is at stake?". Other than for the Catherine's character, Rachel, I'm not sure I could find an answer to that question for most of the play. Carlson's character had a clear stake in the action that appeared at the very end, but prior to that... not sure. There were also some leaps that I didn't follow. Perhaps another conversation between the mother and daughter. Perhaps a reveal of what the daughter may know about her mother's past. Perhaps a build toward the knowledge that Rachel enjoyed being a part of the killings that happened many years ago. I don't know if those were part of the play, or not. I don't know if they should be added, or not. I do know that there were points when the plot had gaps that would've solidified the play as a work.

What is present is an interesting "what if" type tale that makes for a mostly engaging hour of theatre.

Ten Word Summary: Former cult member faces her past and forces her future.

Rating: d12 - "A Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Day 1 -- 5:30 p.m. Time Slot

2009-07-31T10:36:00.005-05:00

Show: Comedy Go!

Company: Ferrari McSpeedy Theatrical Productions

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Thrust Stage

Die Roll: 14

A few years ago now, I was introduced to Ferrari McSpeedy through their show Punk Rock Awesome!, the last show of their "Punk Rock Trilogy". It still remains one of the best shows I've seen at the Fringe ever.

So, starting the Fringe with a show by this comedic duo was exciting.

Long-form improv can be hit-and-miss, and this show was that. However, there were far more hits than misses. I enjoyed the fact that they basically stuck to the Harold format. It was a well done and well executed improv set. They played to the truth and reached the comedy. The callbacks were always appropriate and sometimes brilliant.

That being said, I liked their scripted work better. I've also preferred their imrov work better at other times. Why? I'm not sure. Perhaps they've set the bar really high for themselves trhough their past work. Or, more likely, as I learned back when I was doing the Theatre Manager thing at the Brave New Workshop (many, many years ago), not every Harold is brilliant. Not every set is comedy gold.

This show was Comedy Silver. It was wonderful on so many levels. As a student and fan of improvisational theatre, it was fascinating and impressive to me. Two guys thinking quickly, performing whatever comes into their heads, and doingit in a way that shows that they trust each other implicitly... great! Just with fewer laughs than one might normally expect.

Now, the bid "however": When improv is really done well, the comedy develops naturally, and that means that sometimes the scenes can be touching, or serious, or whatever, rather than funny, when they head that way. And that's part of the beauty of it. Playing to the truth and the height of their intelligence is something that these two do well.

I would go see another performance of this show in an instant. It will be a different show each time. So, this one wasn't the barrel of laughs that it could've been. It was enjoyable. It was an accomplishment. It was worth the money that most people in the audience paid to see it. And there's a good chance that the next performance clicks that little bit better that will make "Comedy Go!" into comedy gold.

Ten Word Summary: Fotis and Bozic do Harold. Truth, beauty, and laughs result.

Rating: d12 - "A Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Day 1: The Beginning

2009-07-30T10:04:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the first day of the 2009 rendition of the Minnesota Fringe Festival! Now the reviews start. And for those who like the randomness that has come to be a signature of this column over the years, that starts today, too.

First up, a point or two about the way this all works. I write this column in a certain way to accomplish a certain task. This is a place where you can't really guarantee anything about which shows I'll be seeing. Normally, the bloggers and the press cover very similar plays. Why? Well, they are the ones that get the most pre-Fringe word of mouth, whether that be because of past performances, or a particularly well-written description.

So... Many years ago, I came up with a completely random way of determining what shows I was going to attend. Short and sweet: I make charts for every hour of the Fringe. On those charts each show is assigned a number. Then I roll a d20 (a 20-sided die, for those of you who have never played a tabletop role-playing game) and go to a show according to that. If I roll a "1", then I don't go to a show in that time slot. If I role a "20" I go to a show of my choice. Otherwise, on a role of "2" through "19" I attend whatever piece of theatre has been randomly chosen for me.

It's a pretty effective method, really. What normally happens is I see a few of the hit shows, a few of the mediocre shows, and a smattering of the really bad shows. My Fringe tends to average out as "pretty-good" and some shows that wouldn't otherwise get any press coverage get an article on their work. Normally, at the end of the two weeks, I'm pleased.

So... my charts are done. My dice are with me. And I'm ready to roll for the first shows of the year. I hope you'll come along with me for the random ride.

_________________

Now for the randomness:

The fifth line down on page 56 of the book closest to me reads: "No para volverse loco esto que me esta pasando!"
I just realized I have no idea how to make an accent mark or an upside-down exclamation point in this blogging program.
5'3" tall.
A bit of trivia from Hooked on Facts: "A cubic mile of ordinary fog contains less than a gallon of water." -- I don't have a lot to say about that, other than "Fascinating"!
The person in the next room provided me with the the following word to spur my writing: "Gibberish". I'm not sure if that is a comment on my writing, or what, but... there it is... So... Gibberish. I love the fact that a word that essentially means a bunch of made-up garbled words sounds like it is one in and of itself. Wow! I really don't have much to say about that at all. I see an unfortunate trend in my writing today.
My daughter is now 10 years old.
Squirrel!

Fringe Preview 2009: The Musicals

2009-07-29T10:54:00.003-05:00

There really is nothing more American than American Musical Theater. Now, fans of football, baseball, grandma, and apple pie may take issue with that statement, but... Looking at the world of theatre, the musical genre as we have come to know it has been something of a mainstay for the last century. New American Musicals are put out every year on Broadway with huge budgets, big stars, and familiar plots taken directly from popular movies. Once upon a time, musicals developed on the stage first and became hits on their own merit.

This is my list of five shows that I believe will stand on their own worth and be worthy of using up a five-show punch card on at this year's Fringe Festival:

1. Alice Unwrapped - Nautilus Music-Theater - Two things put this show at the top of my list. First, Nautilus makes good theatre. Period. Second, Jill Anna Ponasik possesses the singing voice I most like to listen to (as opposed to the one that I most like to sing with, which is my own... closely followed by Kermit the Frog's). Anyway... Jill Anna has a rich, expressive voice that you can close your eyes and float on as if it were a cloud. Oh yeah, and one of my favorite people in the world is the music director on this show. Michael Pearce Donley is a great musician whose works I've always admired. I guess that makes three things.

2. Spermalot: The Musical - The Change Co-Operative - Spoofs! Puppets! Songs! Talking bodily fluids! For the sake of all that is good and twisted in this world, you shouldn't miss this bit of epic low-brow humor. If one show could encapsulate the outright craziness that makes the Fringe something unique in the theatre world, this show might be it.

3. The Traveling Musicians - 3 Sticks - This company has a great history at the Fringe. This play grew out of their contribution to the 2009 Five-Fifths of the Fringe evening back in May. A few years ago a major hit, Corleone, grew out of a Five-Fifths segment, so one might say the bar has been set. I believe these guys will raise that bar. One of the only shows whose trailer made me actually want to see the show itself!

4. Love Me Or Die! - Savage Umbrella - Blake Bolan and Laura Leffler-McCabe create good theatre away from the Fringe. After seeing the Fringe-For-All preview of this piece, I have to believe that they do so in the Fringe as well. The sensibilities of this piece say "fringe" all over it. The onstage accomaniment to the songs and the wry sense of humor that permeates the piece makes for a musical that dares to be more subtle and rewarding than many of the more campy offerings in this genre.

5. Two Short Operas: Mr. Berman's Bath-Size Bar and There's a Mastadon in My Back Yard - The Dead Composers Society - I love Stephen Houtz's music. In all fairness, I should point out that he is my voice instructor (I've neglected my need for lessons for far too long... Sorry, Stephen!), and that he wrote the songs for a show I wrote and directed. Now... one can assume that I asked him to write those songs because I like his musical tastes and stylings. That would be spot on. The Dead Composers Society is new to me, but after their Fringe-For-All preview earlier this summer, I'm glad that they chose to perform the works of a living composer. Enjoyable, funny, and well-executed stuff.

A few years ago a trend started at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Musicals started to pop up with titles such as "Google: The Musical", "Jaws: The Musical", and last year there was "Musical: The Musical". The trend continues, despite the fact that I figured that the last of the aforementioned productions would've been the clincher.

There are no less than 6 shows that append their title with the words "the musical" in this year's festival. Plus there's one that declares itself "A Splashy New Musical!" as part of its title. Personally, I find myself wary of plays that tag themselves with the type of play they are in the title. This really only happens with musicals, and not normally with the best ones. I've never seen something like "Agnes of God: The Drama!" or "The Odd Couple: The Comedy!" Perhaps we should do that, however. It would be a handy way to know if what you're seeing fits with your mood and inclinations. Anyone want to see "The Importance of Being Earnest: The Drivel" at the Guthrie with me in September?

Fringe Preview 2009: Dance

2009-07-29T08:48:00.004-05:00

Now... way back when Leah Cooper originally tapped a bunch of us to be the "League of Extraordinary Fringers", she got John Munger to write about all things dance in the Fringe. I cannot compete with Sir John's expertise in the field, so I defer to him when he tells me that this is the busiest time of the year for dance in the Twin Cities.

That being said, I don't see a lot of dance during the regular year unless it is at my daughter's dance studio. That means that I really appreciate being able to take in shows featuring the movement arts (when my dice allow) at the Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Here are the top five shows I would see if I had a five-show punch card dedicated to dance:

1. Stray Pieces - Moving Arts Ensemble - A few of the cast of this show appeared in last year's Conundrum Rehabbed. I loved that show. I also really liked the Fringe-For-All preview of one of the selections from Kari Jensen, the woman at the helm of Moving Arts Ensemble. This is a varied selection of styles and subjects. A great sampling of what's out there in Twin Cities dance.

2. Holding Patterns - Monica Rodero & Daniel Schuchart - While Joseph Bingham produced the dance show I most enjoyed over-all last year, these two put together the best individual piece that I saw last year (it was accompanied by the sounds of masking tape coming off the roll!). They are innovative and clever dancers who can alter your perception of dance.

3. Thrower of Light - Cathy Wright - I know nothing about this group of dancers outside of the fact that I really enjoyed the segment they did at the Fringe-For-All this year. A pirate dance! There was a sense of wild abandon that caught me and didn't let go. Beautiful!

4. My Body Made Me Do This - Third Rabbit Dance Ensemble - Did I mention before that John Munger is the grand poobah of dance as far as the Fringe is concerned? I did? Well, know this, too... The shows he produces for the Fringe are terrific, so he not only can write about the stuff, but he backs it up with action!

5. The Return of LICK! - LICK! - You know, this show almost made my top five comedy shows, but I wanted to point out that not all dance has to be a serious and high-fallutin' kind of thing. In fact, most of the folks on this list capture whimsy and humor in their dancing, as well as ethereal beauty. LICK! will not provide any of the ballerina-esque grace of the others, but they'll make up for it with their "Sexiness". I missed LICK! the first time they did a Fringe show back in 2005. If my fate weren't tied to random chance, I would make sure this was one of my top-priority shows.

I honestly don't think there is a bad dance show in the Fringe. At least at this point. My opinion may change once I see them (obviously). Dance is something that is by default at the true "fringe" of the theatre world. The two arts are directly related and yet there often isn't a whole lot of overlap in audience or participants. Fringe audiences ought to take advantage of the offerings and expand their horizons.

Fringe Preview 2009: The Dramas

2009-07-29T07:23:00.003-05:00

For many people, the Fringe Festival is all about the comedies. They go to see the newest Scrimshaw show. They go to see spoofs with the words "the musical!" tagged on the end of the title. They basically wand to enjoy a bit of the lighter side for a few days.

I am not holding anything against those people in any way, shape, or form. The need to laugh is valid, especially this year. However, the beauty of this thing called Fringe is that there is so much more than just comedies. For those who are looking for something more challenging, today I'm going to tackle the dramas. With apologies to vegans everywhere (Hi, Mom & Dad!), here are five meatiest dramas into which I would want to sink my teeth, if the buffet were limited to a single plate (read: Five-Show Punch Card).

1. The William Williams Effect - Balance Theatre Project - Great story, great cast. The story of the last man to receive the death penalty in Minnesota. The crime. The punishment. Heavy topic done by one of the most solid casts I've seen in the Fringe across the board.

2. Harold Pinter's The Dumb Waiter - Paul von Stoetzel - As you may have guessed one line up, one of the main things I use to judge a drama's potential is the cast. When it comes down to it, you don't want to watch something serious acted badly. Erik Hoover and Ariel Pinkerton are sure to deliver in this show.

3. Phi Alpha Gamma - Dan Bernitt - I am not one to usually go see a show twice at the Fringe Festival, although there are some exceptions. This is one of them. I saw it last year. Dan does a masterful turn in this one man show about a gay brother in a not-too-welcoming fraternity.

4. Curse of the Yig - Tim Uren - This play strays a bit from the traditional drama, as it is also a genre piece, specifically "horror". Perhaps "suspense" would be better, perhaps. Tim has proven over the years that he is a genius when bringing Lovecraftian tales to life on the stage.

5. Strong - The New Theatre Group - Director Brian Balcom has a history of teaming with great local playwrights and terrific acting talent. This year is no different in a set of two plays by Dominic Orlando.

There aren't as many dramas in the Minnesota Fringe Festival as there are comedies. However, sprinkling one or two in for a respite from all the hilarity is a wise choice. Reward those who take the risk of putting up solid theatre with your attendance, please.

Fringe Preview 2009: The Comedies

2009-07-27T14:49:00.009-05:00

There are a lot of things that people take into account when deciding which shows to see at the Fringe. Does it have some one I know in it? Is there a lot of buzz going around about this show? Does it have mimes or clowns? Granted, my method of choosing shows to attend is relatively novel (if you ignore the fact that I've been writing about it since 2004), but I don't expect most people to jump on the random die-roll train. What I will attempt for you in the next few entries here are quick lists of FIVE shows that you will want to see in a specific genre. Like to laugh? Great! That's today's topic: comedies. Tomorrow we'll talk dramas. Also between now and Thursday (the first day of the Minnesota Fringe Festival), I'll cover dance, spoken word, and solo shows. Once the festival is open, though, you can count on me to review randomly determined shows just as I have for the last few years. Check back to see which shows get the coveted "d20" rating. So... Here's the situation. You're trying to save money this year. You don't want to cough up the big bucks for a Fringe Festival Ultra-Pass. A 5-show punch card is more on your level this year. And... you like to laugh. A lot. Here are the five shows I would take in if I could only see five comedic shows at the 2009 Fringe:

Every Pastie Has a Story -- Nancy Donoval -- Nancy is a perennial hit with her story-telling at the Fringe. And this year she's venturing into risque territory... stripper-style nipple covers!
June of Arc -- Sandbox Theatre -- From the bit I saw of this play at last week's Fringe-For-All preview, there is a lot one can do with a spoof of "Leave it to Beaver" even after all these years.
The Harty Boys in the Case of the Limping Platypus -- Joshua English Scrimshaw & Levi Weinhagen -- As long as we're on the topic of spoofs of things from the 50's and early 60's, let's look at the Hardy Boys mysteries in the hands of two remarkably talented funny men. Both of these guys have been making me laugh for years, and I don't anticipate that stopping this year.
2 Sugars, Room for Cream -- Shanan Wexler and Carolyn Pool Productions -- Two mainstays of quality theatre here in the Twin Cities take the stage together. Comedy fans will remember Wexler's stint at the Brave New Workshop and from a Fringe show two years ago with Joshua English Scrimshaw. Topline comedy endorsement right there. Carolyn has some of the best timing and sharpest delivery skills of any actress I've seen in the state.
Jurassic Dork -- John Skelley -- This is the risk/reward pick of my list. One gets the idea that this is going to be hilarious from the video clip of it from the first Fringe-For-All preview a couple of weeks back. However, there's a chance that a one-man version of the entire film Jurassic Park may just crash and burn. Thing is, there's a good chance that if it implodes, that'll be funny, too.

There are a few other shows that should com into your consideration as well. A couple of safe bets are the shows by Ferrari McSpeedy and Joseph Scrimshaw. Both are Fringe Festival and comedy legends... well, "legends" might be overstating it, but their shows are remarkably well regarded amongst the locals.

I'd also like to mention Ben San Del. When I left the Fringe Festival's official unofficial blogging team in 2007 for another gig (singin' and dancin'), they replaced me with Sir Ben. Why? He's funny. People like to read funny things. And his stage shows are funny, too. More like stand-up than a play, per se, but still very worth your bucks if laughing is what is important to you.

Watch for more in this space. But, more importantly, watch for exclusive entries over at Secrets of the City. That's the big news for today. I'll be reviewing for them this year. While my long-winded musings will stay right here, you'll be able to read short takes on Fringe shows there from yours truly. And what is published there won't be published anywhere else after today.

--
No randomness today: Patience!

Fringe video trailers

2009-07-15T09:09:00.003-05:00

There is a new trend in theatrical promotion. It's the use of the Theatrical Trailer. Not unlike a movie trailer, it tries to suck you in and make you want to see the shows that are being put on the stage. For the 2009 Fringe Festival there are all sorts of these pieces of visual media out there on the internet. One might wonder if this phenomenon would really be effective and catch on without some prompting from an outside body. Well, wonder no more!

The Fringey Awards website provides a clearing house for 2009 Minnesota Fringe Festival entries to offer up their renditions of theatrical trailers. AND, it gives you a chance to vote for your favorite. Someone will be dubbed the best! Yay!

Here's my qualms: I don't believe that many of these groups would've made these videos without the advent of this website. Ooh! There's a place for people to do web videos about their Fringe shows. Huh? Maybe we should make one! Yeah... let's do that. Got an idea for one? No. Let's do it anyway!

I spent a for longer amount of time than I would care to admit watching the trailers this morning. And I've come away less excited for this year's Fringe than I ever have before. Normally, I'm reading descriptions, hearing buzz, talking to the artists, and doing all that teases my dramatic taste buds enough that I want more. These tidbits of cinema had the opposite effect. In fact, there were some shows that I had initially wanted to see that I no longer have any desire to take in, entirely based on the fact that the video turned me off or bored me.

perhaps you should go look at them yourself and see what you think.

Getting the Ball Rolling

2009-07-02T02:42:00.005-05:00

Now that the Minnesota Fringe Festival website is live, I can start putting together my charts. I have already sent out some notes to a few producers to get a feel for who would be willing to be covered in my pre-Fringe articles.

While my methods of show selection do not allow for me to choose which shows I see, and therefore keep me from making choices of what to write about, I do have a bit more control prior to the festival. Normally I contact about 6-8 companies and follow their pre-Fringe progress. This year will be no different. I plan to follow the events leading up to the Fringe Festival both through the preview performances sponsored by the Festival itself, and by covering a few companies in a feature story or two.

It is my hope that doing this will shed some light on how companies, actors, directors, and all the rest get ready for the most intense two weeks of theatre in the calendar year.

At It Again -- Like Riding a Bike

2009-07-01T14:02:00.002-05:00

Back in 2004 the Minnesota Fringe Festival had a group of us start writing columns (blogs, if you will) for their website. The varied groups of people who participated in this were performers, producers, fans, and critics. The idea was to promote the Fringe and give varied views of how the whole thing worked from the inside out.

My column, as you probably know, was called "Fringe By Numbers". The whole idea was that I'd attend randomly determined plays by using charts and dice to plan out my daily schedule. It was well received and I gained a following of regular readers.

Then 2007 rolled around. I was offered a role in a musical out of town. I took a one-year hiatus from the task of blogging the Fringe (although, I did write a few "secret" guest-blogger columns as part of Kate Hoff's column that year). When I was ready to return to the job in 2008, I was met with a bit of a surprise. The Fringe Festival was getting out of the business of hosting the League of Extraordinary Fringers, as we'd come to be known. Many of my compatriots had their columns transferred over to TC Daily Planet where they continued to write. My column was picked up by the City Pages (one of the perennial Festival sponsors).

This year, whether due to the City Pages no longer publishing the annual Fringe guide, or some other reason, I am not writing for them. Nevertheless, I am going to be covering the Fringe Festival in all its glory. I am working diligently to find a host for this column with one of the major press outlets. I'll know shortly where we'll be calling home. In the meantime, I'll be here at the old hitchin' post doing my warm-up calisthenics. Keep checking back.

The Minnesota Fringe Festival website went live today, and that means there's all sorts of stuff coming your way. You do not want to miss out on all the buzz, all the excitement, and all the wild randomosity that will follow.

Sorry... I have failed you...

2007-07-02T18:50:00.000-05:00

Well, I'd like to tell you that I successfully got all my old blog entries transfered to this site from the Fringe Festival site before they took my access away, but I did not. It saddens me to tell you that I am, in fact, incapable of bringing the rest of my columns over at this time. So, if you were hoping to see something that would have occurred from the halfway point of the 2006 Fringe onward, you may never be able to get ahold of it again.

I'm sorry about that. But, if you are looking for one of my entries prior to that, they are contained herein.

Enjoy them for what they are worth.

Peace,
Chris

A little relocation...again

2007-06-12T09:53:00.001-05:00

So, I thought I should let everyone know that over the next few days I'll be archiving all my old column entries from the MN Fringe Website to here. In the very near future I assume that my old columns will no longer be available on the Fringe site, so if you used to access entries about your shows on the Fringe Website, you'll be able to still link to them, but here instead. And, I'll link to this blog (which was where we originally hosted the Fringe blogs, incidentally) from my new blog, too. So you should be able to find entries about your company or show when searching the internet via Google, and such. Okay... more soon.

Day 3 -- 8:30 Time Slot

2006-08-06T08:19:00.000-05:00

Show: Sock Puppet Serenade

Company: Kurt Hunter Marionettes

Venue: Minneapolis Theatre Garage

Die Roll: Nope...Kid day

This was our last show. It started half an hour past my daughter's bedtime, but we had to stay up for it. This exact show was in the Fringe two years ago. It blew me away then, and it did so this year too. Oddly enough, my daughter was amazed... she said: "That was a amazing!"

This is the only show I ever recall having given a standing ovation to at the Fringe. I could be wrong on that. I'd have to check a lot of old blogs to really know. But, let's just pretend that the statement is true for now.

It is a good show. The puppetry skill is awesome. Even when a glitch occurs, it is incorporated seamlessly.

It is funny. It is great. And rather that just listing more positive words than are in the thesaurus under the word "good," I'll just say you HAVE to see this show.

Ten Word Summary:Amazing. Marionettes explain it all. Witty. Charming. Awsome puppet show.

RATING: "d20 - One of the Best"

Day 3 -- 7:00 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-06T08:09:00.000-05:00

Show: Cinderella

Company: DeLasalle Players

Venue: U of M Rarig Center Proscenium

Die Roll: Umm... My daughter picked it.

I find myself saying these things at the beginning of my articles here that ought to be common knowledge, if not common courtesy. To a number of people sitting close to me at the Fringe: Theatre is not like TV. You are not in your living room. If you are tempted to talk back to the show, or want to make a loud comment about the show to the person next to you, try to refrain. The actors can hear you, not to mention the other people around you. C'mon!

Alright... That's out of the way. This show was fun. It wasn't great theatre, again, but it was fun. Cinderella has been retold in a manner that includes a game show, a huge number of ugly step-sisters, and a bait-and-seitch ending that is quite rewarding.

It is important to remember that these kids are not from one of the acting training programs in town. They just go to DeLasalle. So, the abilities are are varied. But the writing of the show caters to that.

Ryan North directed. We used to work together at YPC, and he was always good with the kids. Clearly he was once again. They all seemed to be having a great time.

My daughter really liked this one. "I thought that was really good...actually 5 stars."

My Ten Word Summary: Cinderella and the prince end up together...kinda...good fun.

RATING: "d12 - A Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Day 3 -- 4:00 & 5:30 Time Slots

2006-08-06T07:57:00.000-05:00

There is a problem with the Kids Fringe being incorporated into the festival as a whole (one year there was a separate Kids Fringe Venue), when the shows are mixed in with all the rest, it means that sometimes there is a time slot on a kid-friendly day (read: Saturday or Sunday) in which there are no kids shows. Not even any adult shows that would come close to being acceptable. That was the case in these two slots.

My daughter and I got a bite to eat at Jimmy Johns, and then headed to the Ampitheatre behind the Rarig Center to play a little catch. That was fun. Not theatre, but fun. What I did learn, though is that if I take a break from Fringing, my adrenaline starts to drop and I feel exhausted.

Day 3 -- 2:30 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-06T07:49:00.000-05:00

Show: A Dragon Odyssey

Company: Asian Media Access

Venue: Red Eye

Die Roll: Moot Point...it's Daddy/Daughter day.

There were at least two kid-friendly options in this time slot. We were lucky enough to hit A Dragon Odyssey. This is a show that retells an asian folk-tale about the Green Dragon and Sky Blue. It is a story of ill-fated love throughout the ages.

The show is narrated and consists primarily of dancing right out of the gate, so I was encouraged that this might be like 12 Dancing Princesses. But the similarity stops there.

Now, I must admit that my daughter generally liked the show. In fact, her direct quote was "I liked it."

And, I must again admit that I, too, enjoyed the performance generally. It is not a good show, but there is a sense of fun coming from the performers that is often present in true community theatre. These people were doing something they loved and were excited about it, and it showed and that was infectious.

That doesn't hide the fact that at times the songs were at least one verse too long, and that many in the show couldn't project enough to get their lines out to where the audience was sitting.

But, just as if you were watching your home town's community theatre, you forgive them those things because they're trying so darned hard.

Ten Word Summary: Asian Myth. Tragic love story. Cast of thousands. Community Theatre.

RATING: "d8 - Not Bad, Not Great"

Day 3 -- 1 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-06T07:24:00.000-05:00

I cannot review the show that I saw in this time slot because it is the one that I am producing. While I was willing to promote the show openly prior to the Fringe in this column, I cannot review the show with good conscience...conflict of interest. So, I'll just say that I was please that we had a pretty good-sized audience for a Saturday at 1 p.m. and "thank you" to those who came.

My show is Screwed to the Sticking Place... which I should point out the "Screwed" phrase is lifted from a speech by Lady Macbeth. It is not a sexual reference. That seems to be confusing som people.

It was a good opening. 1 down, 4 to go.

Day 3 -- The Beginning

2006-08-05T10:25:00.000-05:00

Every year there is one day that I set aside for breaking my own rules about using dice to select my shows. Today is that day. Normally it is the Saturday of the final weekend of Fringe, but this year I have moved it up the schedule a bit.

The reason for this shift, is that I have a young daughter. She is 7, as a matter of fact. And I like to take her Fringing with me once each year. So... die rolls that could land us in shows involving giant dildos aren't the way to go.

Instead, I pack the dice away for one day, and we see kids fringe shows and ones that I've found out through others' advice are no worse than prime-time TV for kids.

So, that's what I'll be doing today. I'll still blog on the resulting shows, but my schedule will not be randomly determined.

Incidentally, I learned two things yesterday. Three, really. #1... I'm too lazy to deal with the whole posting my charts thing (I'm sorry). #2... People say fun things when you put a microphone in front of them (My podcast will be posted later tonight). #3... One who pans a show one day will not have success flirting with its cast members the next night.

Some I random for stuff you have:

While mental failure can be more random than just about anything else, I think we'll start with the trivia today so I won't forget it again: "Minnows have teeth in their throat." -- This makes me think about sharks. Only because of their multiple rows of teeth. Following the thought train tangentially, I then think of perch which used to swim around us at Boy Scout camp. We used to refer to them as pecker sharks because they'd occaisionally swim up your swim trunks and give you a bit of a surprise. Sometimes following one's train of thought ought not to happen.

I love cinnamon raisin toast.

I still can't figure out my cellphone. I feel like such an idiot.

I just realized that I've only watched a total of about 10 minutes of TV since arriving back stateside.

There's wolves in them thar hills.

Candle wax.

A link to my Ten-Word summaries: Click Here.

Day 2 -- The Rest

2006-08-05T10:01:00.000-05:00

I didn't make it to a 10 p.m. show. I had to eat, and get ready for the Masquerade ball. I did go as a pirate and I had fun. I hope everyone else did, too. We left pretty early because I had to get home to make the programs for my show.

Day 2 -- 8:30 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-05T09:59:00.000-05:00

Show: 12 Dancing Princesses

Company: MN Shakespeare Project

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Proscenium

Die Roll: 16

Before I talk about this show, let me talk about audience behavior. If the lights have gone down, and there is already a voice coming from the stage, watch what's going on and shut your yaps! Golly day, people! I don't pay to see the shows, but plenty of the other folks around you shelled out $12 to enjoy an hour of drama. Show some respect.

Okay. Now that that's done... Again getting straight to the point because of lack of time today: This is the best show of the first two days for me. In fact, I'm beginning to see a pattern: I like the last thing I see each night. I guess we'll see if that trend continues over the next few nights, eh?

This show is entirely set to music, and often feels like a ballet with very little dancing in it. Something like a semi-staged version of "Peter and the Wolf" that kids go see at the MN Orchestra. There was a narator and a few characters had some sparsely placed lines. But generally it was a stylized show that depended on movement to drive the story.

I didn't take a lot of notes because I was really drawn into the show. There were only two times when I was violently pulled from my suspension of disbelief. Those occurred each time the music shifted abruptly from instrumental and old to vocal and contemporary. It is a jarring change, and I'm not sure it is truly justified. It yanked me out of the story long enough to be irritated by it.

Be that as it may, the show has some little flaws, as every show does, but generally it is good, clean fun. You can bring kids to this. You can enjoy it fully as an adult, too.

Ten word summary: Nice guy breaks enchantment on 12 beautiful girls. Love wins.

RATING: "d20 - One of the Best"

Day 2 -- 7:00 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-05T09:46:00.000-05:00

Show: The Trans Cafe

Company: Dance, Dance, Tranny Revolution

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Xperimental

Die Roll: 18

Okay... so here's the general set-up for this show. You are in a coffee bar with a Transgender theme. It is open mic night. You will watch a variety of acts and get to know the people there.

So far so good. I'll get straight to the point (pardon the use of the word "straight"). I liked this show. However, it was a lot of work to like this show.

Basically, I'm not sure there was a director or any rehearsals. Had there been, someone should ahve noticed that starting a show with 20 minutes of karaoke is not a good idae when your audience is sober. 20 minutes of Karaoke is only tolerable after at least two hard drinks imbibed in a very short period of time.

So... The show started out rough. However, in the middle there was a chat set, a discussion, some dialogue, whatever you want to call it, that allowed us in the audience to get to know these people. After that, whatever they did, even painful karaoke, was tolerable because we were let into their world a little bit.

And I think that's the point of the show. To be let in a little. To understand that the members of the community and be able to laugh with them. Once that was accomplished, I enjoyed it.

Here's the thing...This is not a polished show... far from it. But it again speaks to what is beautiful about the Fringe. Anyone can put up a show. Anyone can do all sorts of things in the Fringe, and it all fits.

I sooo desperately wanted to take these performers aside and give them some help on the staging and such. I would like to see them succeed. However, if you're not in the mood for a show that will require a little toleration of stage inexperience, then you should probably skip this one. To be fair to the performers, know what you're getting going in. If you can embrace that, then go see the show.

Ten word summary: Good conversational middle somewhat makes up for really rough edges.

RATING: "d6 - Has Some Merit"

Day 2 -- 5:30 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

Show: Porn! Or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dong

Company: Me and Bill

Venue: UofM Rarig Center Xperimental

Die Roll: 10

This was the first of a day at the Rarig. I like the fact that 4 of the venues are contained in one economy-sized package.

This show was painful. There's no two ways about it. I hate to be that blunt, but when it comes down to it, I'm hurting for time today, and this show isn't worth it.

There were many jokes in the show that attempted to be self-depricating by making fun of how bad the show must be because it is in the Fringe. Unfortunately these jokes were not funny. They were merely sad. Because they were true. The show was in the Fringe and it was bad.

There were too many "what the Hell?!" moments and too many errors to make the show worth suffering through.

At one point I found that it was more interesting to watch Dominic Papatola in the audience than it was to watch the show itself.

One high point (of a sort, maybe)... if you're attracted to Jessica Simpson, you'll like Amy Bury in this play... Dead ringer!

This play also ran remarkably long... long enough that the technician had to pipe in on the "God Mic" to tell them to get off the stage. Over five and a half minutes over time.

Ten word summary: Isn't porn supposed to be amusing somehow? I guess not.

RATING: "d4 - Not Worth The Time"

Ten Word Summaries

2006-08-04T11:09:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that I am ending each of my reviews with a 10 word summary of the show. If you'd like to just check out the 10-word summaries, you can now find them all in one handy place... go to This web page.

I'll update that page daily, so you can follow along in the fun.

Day 2 -- The Beginning

2006-08-04T10:50:00.000-05:00

Some things work really well on the first day, and some didn't. Something I decided to change from how I've done things over the past few years came into play.

In the past I've rolled for the next show I would see whilst sitting in the audience of the preceding show. However, given how spread out the Fringe is this year (Lake Harriet UMC is pretty much in Edina...not joking), I decided to roll an entire day's worth of shows at once. I didn't start my day that way yesterday, but I quickly opted to do that to make sure I had reservations...just in case I was running late.

So... today I rolled for all my shows already. I will still carry my charts with me, incase a show gets out early and enables me to catch one of the special shows that don't quite fit the schedule correctly (hint to producers of BYOV: there are certain time slots that work, and others that just don't).

With that in mind, I can tell you what I'm attending today. I still have no idea what I'm attending the rest of the Fringe, but... Here's today's schedule, if you'd choose to join me:

5:30 -- Porn! Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dong...Die Roll: 10

7:00 -- The Trans Cafe...Die Roll: 18

8:30 -- 12 Dancing Princesses...Die Roll: 16

10:00 -- Two Queers and a Chubby...Die Roll: 18

11:00-onward -- Fringe Masquerade at the Varsity Theatre in Dinky Town!!! I'm a pirate!

Random, Random, Random...Keeping all things random...Random!

Not too much randomness today... I still have to finish the programs for my show which opens tomorrow.

To anyone I got in an argument with yesterday...I'm sorry.

The going rate for a front baby tooth, according to the tooth fairy, is a Sakagewea Gold Dollar.

A bit of an education for everyone...

Red and Yellow and Pink and Green...Orange and Violet and Blue... I can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, too.

Trivia time thanks to Hooked on Facts: "In ancient Japan, public contests were held to see who could fart the loudest and longest!" -- It's good to see that my fraternity brothers have precedent to fall back on!

Day 1 -- At the BLB

2006-08-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

So, I wrapped up the first day of the Fringe at the Bryant-Lake Bowl, which was our appointed hang-out for the night. And it was a nice time. More on that in a minute...

First... Before I made it there, I had really nice conversations with a few folks that I should mention... especially since I think you'd like there shows:

1). Joy and Michael Donnely... These were the masterminds behind last year's hit Nibblers. This year they are teamed up with Theatre for the Thirsty on a show titled Amnesiac Jack. Please go see it. I really do not believe you could support a more pleasant couple of folks, and their great theatre practitioners, too...so I feel I can recommend them highly no matter what they are doing... I can't say that about most folks in this field.

2). Tape is another show you should consider. Christiana Clark is one of my favorite actresses in town, and Stephen Frethem reportedly does a great job in his role. It is a play that I've wanted to see done for a couple of years now... so here's the chance to catch it.

Now... back to our regularly scheduled break-down of the last chunk of the day... I didn't go to Sin Cities 7 at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage because I needed sustenance, and because the late night shows are going to be available on other nights when I think I can stay awake for them.

Instead I went and hung out with a number of Fringy folks and had a nice glass of Vino Tinto (Red Wine). I like the idea of a travelling Fringeville this year, although I am a bit worried that many of the locations are too small for too many performers to fit comfortably. I guess we shall soon see.

Day 1 -- 10 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-04T10:17:00.000-05:00

Show: Alex the Boy Scout (and other stories)

Company: Topsy-Turvy Theater

Venue: UofM Rarig Center - Xperimental

Die Roll: 15

I'm not going to get very far into this review without saying it...so I'm going to right off the bat. This was the best show I saw on the first day of the Fringe.

Again I was in the house with Matthew Everret and Phillip Low... I'm starting to think this dice thing isn't random enough... This can't keep happening, can it?

Anyway... this show was made up of 5 10-minute plays. The 10-minute is essentially the short story of the playwriting genre, and is particularly close to my heart, as it is the type of play that I most often write.

That being said, I also read a lot of them, and see a lot of them. And when an idea is copied directly from one of the classics in the field, I happen to notice. What I'm referring to is the first of the five, which might as well have been written by David Ives, or lifted directly from Ives's play "Sure Thing." Many playwrights have copied that play and fit their ten-minute piece into a sub-genre I like to call a "ding play" in which action happens, then a bell dings and the world resets for a nother go at it. Not too original, and commonly written by first time playwrights while still undergrads. So... this show didn't start off strong.

BUT... The in the four plays that followed, playwright Nathan Morse redeemed himself. His strongest scene was one revolving around a woman at a computer, played by Dawn Krosnowski (the woman, not the computer). The computer talks back to her and hilarity ensues. I don't want to ruin it for you. Let's just say I was laughing very hard... my tummy hurt.

My second fave was a retelling of "Romeo and Juliet." This gimmick has been done a hundred times before, but Morse write is solidly, and more importantly Aaron Aoki and Noemi Lopez act it superbly.

The other two scenes are funny as well. The one thing that depressed me a bit about the show was that Jessica Knapp, one of the company's stand-bys in times past, and a woman who was in "A Flea in Her Ear" with me at Rosetown Playhouse, was not on stage nearly enough. She is a strong stage presence and funny... her role as narrator didn't really use her to her fullest potential.

Ten word summary: Five short plays. Very Funny. Like David Ives...Laughed lots!

RATING: "d10 - Worth Going To"

Day 1 -- 8:30 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-04T09:46:00.000-05:00

Show: Resisting the Birthmark

Company: Twinhead Theatre

Venue: The Playwrights' Center

Die Roll: 10

Having gotten out of the prior show with just a few extra minutes to spare, I ducked into the coffee shop across the street from the PWC. I ate a croissant and a bottle of Pomegranate juice (Did you know that the Spanish word for Pomegranate is "Granada," as in the city?)

So... There were about 30 people in the audience once I got back to Resisting the Birthmark: A Feminist Theory Play. Of those about 7, including myself were male. That made me happy. I was afraid of being one of two guys in a play that put the word feminist in the title (subtitle, really). I've gained new hope for the male half of our species.

Now, a play that wants to make a point can do so in any number of ways. The really well done ones will weave the message throughout but not slam the audience over the head with the message, so that everyone walks away understanding the point without feeling bludgeoned. Then, there is what this play did.

We were first treated to a blatantly didactic introduction, then inculcated with feminist analysis of an archaic short story, and finally presented the moral with a sledgehammer. The message of this play was not so offensive as the delivery method. Marshall McLuhan once said that "The Medium is the Message." He followed that statement with another: "The Medium is the Massage." Point being? How you say something is often far more important to getting your point across than the very point you're trying to make.

There were some good things about this production. A number of the actors were skilled...Angelyn Pass and John McLouth stood out, as did Dana Miller. However, the cast was inconsistent, and the direction was odd, to say the least. Most of the staging decisions would be hard to justify. Some were billiant, though. Basically, it was inconsistent, too.

Two quick points... I like women. This is not a statement of heterosexuality, although that would apply as well. This is a statement of support for what many will see as feminist ideals. I support certain feminist theatre companies with my efforts, my money, and my devotion. I don't normally feel it necessary to declare this, because I don't feel that I'm normally at risk of being seen as anti-feminism. However, given the thoughts that are about to come down further on this page, I thought I should make a qualifying statement. Not to mention, I'm producing an entirely female production in this Fringe.

The second point...theatre by its very nature is didactic. We learn somethign every time we see a show. We do not need to be lectured as part of one. That is not good theatre, good performance art, or even good teaching methodology.

This play makes valid points as it analyses the story originally written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, but the points were more appropriately suited to an academic paper than a play. In fact, it felt like a paper brought to life. Granted, sometimes we want our philosophic points to be heard by more than the minute population of academia, but in an effort to bring it to a bigger audience, we must consider that audience and how they are likely to receive it. This play occaisionally tried to use theatricality, but didn't use the art of theatre.

I'd had much higher hopes for this show... and so...my 10 word summary: Feminist tears at flesh of old story, misses the point.

RATING: "d6 - Has Some Merit"

Day 1 -- 7:00 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-04T09:04:00.000-05:00

Show: Thanks for the Scabies, Jerkface!

Company: Dan Bernitt

Venue: Interact

Die roll: 4

Again, I found myself in the same theatre as Matthew Everett... while this means that you can compare the opinion of at least two bloggers on the same performance, it seems like my random die roll is not separating me from my fellows at all effectively.

Getting two things out in the open: I do not like this venue. The pillars are evil. If you go to Interact, sit in the center-most section so you can watch all the action despite the big wooden obstructions. Also, I don't generally like one-man shows.

Now, I really need to add a qualifier to that last statement. I actually hold one-man shows to a higher standard than many people do. I ask that they reach the level of any other play. In some instances they do that, and then I like them. I produced one in the fringe back in 2002. It was not my own one-man show, I should be clear about that. But why, if I generally dislike the genre, would I produce one... well, that one told a story...effectively. And that's part of what I'm asking for. Give me a little reason to care.

Now...Thanks for the Scabies, Jerkface! started out slightly better than most one-man shows that are of the let-me-tell-you-anecdotes-from-my-life style. Normally, these types of shows are told by people who have yet to work out their issues in a productive way, and so they write a show and use theatre as therapy. I don't have time to watch that.

Dan Bernitt approaches his own life as material for the show, but it is clear that it isn't therapy. So...good. A point for Dan. He also speaks very articulately and energeticly...just like he's putting on a play, not just a recitation of personal stories. Good. Two points for Dan. And the comedy will well-executed. There's a third point for Dan.

Dan Bernitt has a very poetic method of delivery. Not surprising as he sometimes plys his trade as a performance poet. However, in this show, the prose sections are more effective than the poetry.

The stories are entertaining, but left me with a bit of a "Why are you telling me this?" feel. Dan seemed more like the drunk friend at a party relating stories for his buddies' amusement, not because of bad presentation, but because there was no through line. Other than the fact that the guy in front of us was charming, there was no reason for us to care about him as a character in his own stories.

I can recognize this as a well put-together show that will appeal to some, but I cannot accept it as good theatre. If you like the monologue form, then it might be for you, however. For me, it reminds me of something that one of my professors at UNO calls "Me"-moir.

Wrapping it up in 10 words: Gay man gets infected. Bugs haunt relationships. Do I care?

RATING: "d8 - Not Bad, Not Great"

Day 1 -- 5:30 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

Show: South Dakota Bound

Company: Northstar Twins Productions

Venue: Minneapolis Theatre Garage

Die Roll: 17

After a quick 35 minute drive to the venue and arriving a minute late for the show (they hadn't started just yet, though...yay!), I was confronted with the one thing I hate about this job. I was slapped in the face by the fact that I have opinions about the Fringe that work at cross-purposes.

Here's the thing: I believe that as a Fringe blogger it is my duty to you, my reader, to advise you as to my view of whether a show is worthy of your $12 investment. At the same time, I revel in the fact that anyone, even the least experienced and terrible performer, can pony up $400 and produce a show.

This group was evidence of what the Fringe can be. Clearly, South Dakota Bound was a production of the Kroll Family and their friends. Many of the actors were siblings of the playwright/director, most of the bios of the actors pointed out the inexperience of the players. And yet, here they were putting on a show in a major festival. That's the beauty of the Fringe. They got an idea for a play, they got a group together to do it, and they actually put on a full production. They should be very proud of that. It isn't an easy thing to do.

Unfortunately, though putting on a show is a difficult thing in and of itself, putting on a good show is far harder. Northstar Twins did not accomplish this.

That being said, there is a kernel of a good play in this show just waiting to burst out when a little heat is applied (I'm tring for a popcorn metaphor here, though I've no idea why).

Some well intentioned, though likely to be taken badly, tips on playwriting/production:

1). If the scenes are shorter than the scene changes on either side of them every time, then your play is not about what you intended. It is about transitions, and I don't mean the ones in the characters' lives.

2). Theatre is often about life and death. It has to be. Raise the stakes a little, and you'll capture the attention. This is a play about two young people trying to make the decision of whether or not to move in together, and the effect of a visit to one of their parents' abodes on that decision. That's a fine set-up, but the question that has to be asked, is... why do we care? What happens if they don't get together? Right now, it probably doesn't really matter either way, which is sad. There's something lurking just below the surface that can be developed here, but it hasn't been, yet.

There were a number of funny lines that were delivered pretty well in between chunks of dialogue that fell flat. It felt as if the punchlines had been better rehearsed than the rest.

Matt Stensrud, who looks a bit like Topher Grace (of "That 70's Show" fame), did a reasonable job at his part, and was clearly the strongest in this ensemble. I'm guessing that others will get better as the run goes on, but unfortunately it appears from teh program that many of the leads are only part of the production for some of the performances and others will be replaced part of the way through the Fringe. That probably means that improvement will be stunted by personel changes.

Although I feel a little guilty about it, I can't recommend this show...Sum it up in 10 words: Kids travel to South Dakota to move set pieces around.

RATING: "d4 - Not Worth The Time"

Day 1 -- 4:00 p.m. Time Slot

2006-08-04T08:26:00.000-05:00

Show: The Musicker's Balalaika

Company: Walking Boxes Productions

Venue: Lake Harriet United Methodist Church

Die Roll: 5

Well the Fringe is underway. This is the very first show of the entire thing. So, I had to be there. Apparently so did fellow bloggers Matthew Everett and Phillip Low. We all sat together in one big clump of Raspberry-colored fringiness. We were informed prior to the show by one patron/fringe producer who will remain nameless that we looked ridiculous sitting together like that. And we did, but we weren't about to admit it... So... Anyway on to the matter at hand... The first show.

Before I even got into the first show, I knew something was different about this venur, and yet somehow familiar. As I drove the 45 minutes it took me to get there from my place in St. Paul, I realized that I sometimes take acting lessons from Steve Hendrickson there. The other thing I realized was that I didn't want to make that drive again during rush hour. 35W was recommended by Mapquest, and it was not speedy... certainly it didn't take only 24 minutes, which is what the website promised.

But be that as it may, I got to the venue and got my ticket. I actually would have been the first ticket sold for the entire festival, had it not been for the fact that Matthew Everett's tickets were pre-purchased. Well... I got mine in my hot little hand first, so nyaaaa!

We all went in, and saw The Musicker's Balalaika.

Upon reading the program, I discovered that this was the third part of a series of works featuring this Musicker character. Now... here's the thing, in order to understand what is going on, you have to read the program before the show starts. Despite the fact that the program itself proclaims that you don't have to do that. Trust me, if you don't...you'll be hopelessly lost for the first 5 minutes of the show.

This is a sharply produced show. There is a constant soundtrack and syncs up impressively with the live music played by J Roth on stage. The story was about a Russian Gypsy who fought on the side of the Red Army in WWII. It actually was a pretty good story. And the accent J Roth took on was convincing, as was most of his acting. However, the fact that the tale depended on what had gone before in the past two installments knocked my enjoyment of the show down a peg or two.

One of my favorite things was that the humor of the show was built around the thought that it is a curse to be protected by God if you want to die and God won't let you be killed.

Were I to sum this show up in 10 words, here's what you'd get: Musician tells war story in Russian Accent. Hail multi-track recording!

That's 10 words so long as you buy into the fact that a hyphenate counts as one. I'll be trying to summarize all the shows I see in 10 words... Part of the Fringe by Numbers thing.

RATING: "d10 - Worth Going To"

Monsters in America: Puppets of Mass Distraction -- Part 2

2006-08-03T14:15:00.000-05:00

This play got back to me a little belatedly on the whole interview thing, entirely because they were stuck in a technical rehearsal when I sent them their questionaire...so...a little late, but always entertaining... the Chameleon Theatre Circle!! Yaaaay!

I feel like Kermit the Frog when I intro something that way, and that's not wholly inappropriate in this case. Chameleon is making their successful return to the Fringe two years after their last hit Death Penalty Puppetry with a new show entitled Monsters in America: Puppets of Mass Distraction. Issues and puppetry combined seems to be a genre that fits this group well.

The company since its inception was run by G.J. Clayburn until just recently. He is still heading up this project, though. Here's a 5 question interview that shed a little light on this year's production:

Q: Now that rehearsals are wrapping up, what has been the most pleasant surprise so far?

A: The writing has been top notch and very consistent. With four writers looking at the show from four angles, I sometimes wondered how it would all fit together. I thnk we melded our viewpoints very well. I have twice as many scripts that I wrote that are not in the show than are in the show. I'm sure the other three writers (Rick Raasch, Kim Kivens, and Phil Gonzales) have at least that much, too. The dedication of the collaborators to listen to each other and value everyone's opinion has made the show stronger.

Q: When we last talked, it was about how the show had changed over teh two-year process...how about just since the last itme we talked?

A: It's amazing what a deadline does for a show. Last time we talked, the shape of the show was there, but the nuts and bolts were missing. We now have the whole show assembled--in fact, we took a step we idn't think we would be able to do last time you and I talked: we incorporated video. I'm a big fan of multimedia in theatre. I would have been happy schlepping out the puppets and presenting the piece like that. I believe, however, that multimedia techniques can add nice little touches to a show. It's a lot more work, but the payoff justifies the tears.

Q: What do you hope will be the main thought carried away from your show by members of the audience?

A: I actually hope each audience member takes something different away from our show. I hope it leads to discussions. Our show has a liberal bent, so in a sense we'll be preaching to the choir in many cases. We're not looking to change anyone's mind, but hopefully our show serves as a reminder about things that are happening in our world. How we allow ourselves to be distracted by polarizing issues while the politicians shape my kids' future.

Q: If this is a huge hit, would you think of remounting it outside the Fringe?

A: Absolutely! We worked hard on developing the show; depending on the circumstances, I would welcome an opportunity to show it off more than five times.

Q: What is your favorite line from your show?

A: Rick Raasch wrote a song in which a woman sings about her encounter with the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The final two phrases just kill me:

HIS FLESHY LIPS, HIS WEBBY FRILLS

THE SEXY WAY HE FLARED HIS GILLS

HIS FISHY BREATH, HIS SLIMY SKIN

SO TOTALLY AMPHIBIAN

AND IF YOU WANT A COLLOQUY

ON DEVIANT ICHTHYOLOGY

ASK WHOM YOU WILL BUT DON'T ASK ME

(GO TAKE IT UP WITH AL KINSEY)

MY SECRETS SHALL REMAIN MAROONED

SAFELY BENEATH THE BLACK LAGOON

So... there you have it! G.J. and crew will have their muppet-esque crew hard at work for you this Fringe. Don't miss it.

The Line-Up

2006-08-03T10:26:00.000-05:00

So... Here's the charts I promised. If you want to download the .doc file and roll your own schedule, you can.

Click here

I'll post each day's charts as they are completed.

So... I've already rolled for the first show on the schedule, and oddly enough, I will be attending "The Musicker's Balalaika" at Lake Harriet United Methodist Church @ 4 p.m. today. Join me if you'd like, and then see where I'm headed next.

Day 1 -- The Beginning

2006-08-03T08:05:00.000-05:00

Howdy doo!

At the beginning of each Fringe-filled day, I will start off with a happy little thing called "The Beginning." It will be filled with thoughts for the day, and the daily dose of random crap. After that, each time slot will be accounted for and blogged at the end of the day, or whenever I have a break. Make sense? That's the way it'll go for the next 11 days.

And so here we are at the beginning of the first day. Are you as excited as I am? I've got my charts, which, as originally promised, will be posted shortly for your use as well. I've got my dice... I bought two new ones yesterday that are larger than normal so I can see the numbers better in the dim light of small theatre audiences...I don't have my pen or notepad yet, but I'll get those here in a little bit. That's pretty much all I need. Well, and some snacks and water. Hydration is important, yes.

My daughter and I attended the out-of-towner event last night at the BLB. It was a good time. Unfortunately bedtime (for her) and Jet Lag (for me) made us leave at the midway point. I'm wondering about the second half of the evening. I did get some pictures, which I will be posting here shortly, if I can figure out how to get them off my phone. I've never had a camera phone before. I'm not sure I like it. Generally it frustrates me. But, I'd forgotten to put batteries in my real camera before the event, so it was the only way for me to take pix.

Since I went, I suppose I should let you know what I thought... I'll do that by picking two of the shows featured last night that I enjoyed. In truth, that's probably the limit of the shows that I thought were worth seeing last night. Only one of the shows would I avoid like the plague, and then the rest fell in that mediocre range. I'm hoping that's not a trend for the entire Fringe, but I suppose we shall see...

The first show I should mention is Body Bazaar. This was a dance piece that used a great sense of theatricality and story-telling. It was fun and quirky. And you have to appreciate a piece that takes an attractive woman and makes her wear a mask that changes her appearance into that of a bug/crow-thing.

American Drama: Pocket Edition is my other choice from last night's slate of plays. This one is funny, and worth going to...However, the cast didn't exactly prove they can project their voices adequately, so sit up close if you're going to see it. Excepting that one complaint, this was a polished and refreshingly amusing piece that just about any theatre-goer will enjoy.

On to today's allowance of random crap

I haven't watered my plants since I got back from Spain... I suppose I should try that...now.

You can learn a lot from a seven year-old. Trust me.

I washed my brand new Fringe Staff T-shirts yesterday to get rid of that New T-Shirt smell, and the industrial drier in my apartment complex decided to shrink them... I'm gonna look like a high school girl from the mid-90s...that's how tight they are now!

If you want an incomplete representation of what my time in Spain was like, you can follow this link.

Trivia Time!: "The can opener was invented 48 years after the can." -- Kinda makes you wonder how folks got their food out, doesn't it? Although, determined people trying to open a containter will do all sorts of things. I now know 4 different ways to open a Spanish bottle of wine...none of which involve a corkscrew.

Critical Hits and Critical Misses

2006-08-02T15:44:00.000-05:00

In the gaming industry (read: dice and book based role-playing games) there is a concept that many games share. That is the idea that sometimes a die roll can be so good or so bad that special things happen. Things that aren't otherwise on the standard charts.

Well, as I was talking to a fellow gamer whilst in Madrid (actually, on a bus back from Segovia... Hi Josh!), I realized that my charts that I use to roll for what show to see next didn't include "crits."

So, what does this mean? Well, in any given hour there are not 20 shows performing. However, my die has 20 sides. Normally that means that a few randomly determined shows have a slightly better chance at being rolled. That still remains the case, but... now #1 and #20 don't designate shows any more. Nope.

Here's what happens... If I roll a 20 (in gaming often known as a 'natural 20'), I get to choose which show I go to. That's my Critical Hit. It's my little bonus to myself for rolling so well. And, if I roll a 1 (often known as a 'botch'), then I don't get so see a show in that slot at all.

I'm not sure how that will affect anything. I don't recall rolling too many of either of those over the past two years of doing the dice thing. However, any given roll could have a critical come up...

Incidentally, in case you want to play along on the home game, I will be posting my charts for the first day in just a little bit. You, too, can then enjoy the Fringe Festival randomly. Wouldn't that be fun? I recommend it highly.

The Depth of the Ocean -- Part 2

2006-08-02T12:38:00.000-05:00

In a continuing series of last-minute follow-up articles, I present The Depth of the Ocean.

This is the show that has been stirring up buzz entirely because of its unique venue. It will be performed at the YWCA's pool in Minneapolis. Many of the other bloggers have covered this show since I first asked company member Derek Miller if I could write a couple of features on it. In fact, this company has become an example of successful Fringe marketing in action. But that's not the most important part of what they've got going on. When it comes down to it, they've dedicated themselves to putting together a show like no other in the Fringe, and quite possibly no other you've ever seen.

So... without furher ado... here's a quick interview (5 questions only) with one of the show's producers, Eric Sharp:

Q: A number of the other bloggers have written about your show, too. Were you expecting such a positive reaction to your return to the Fringe?

A: We knew from examples made by our friends and acquaintances from last year that there's definitely an advantage to being a returning company, but I don't think we had any idea that the buzz would be this great. All we set out to do was design a completely unique theatrical event, and because it happens to be in a pool, I think people realized and relished the possibility that they have probably never seen anything like this before. And also that they might get wet. It's kind of like Gallagher in that sense. We certainly appreciate all the buzz that Matthew, yourself, and others have helped create around our show. Long live the bloggers!

Q: What do you hope will be the main thought carried away from your show by members of the audience?

A: "I'm coming back, and I'm bringing 5 friends". Or, "I can't believe I just saw a play in a swimming pool."

Q: When all is said and done, when do you think the next time you'll go swimming after the Fringe will be?

A: Fairly soon. We've got to get some use out of our raft, Rita, before putting her up for adoption.

Q: If this is a huge hit, would you think about remounting it outside the Fringe?

A: We had already contemplated a remount at the YWCA, but as luck would have it, the pool is being drained and cleaned the day after we close the Fringe. So we would have to move to another pool, but finding indoor pools that are spacious and available becomes a huge problem. For instance, the YWCA was the only pool of several area facilities that even returned our phone call. So, if you or anyone you know is aware of any olympic size pools that aren't getting a lot of use lately, send the info our way.

Q: What is your favorite line from your show?

A: "We are deciding your fate; you cannot vote."

Eric and Derek and the rest of the crew are ready to bring to life a cast of characters that involve survivors from many different disasters, and tell a tale that is both timeless and taken out of time completely. Because The Depth of the Ocean is a "Bring Your Own Venue" show, there are more performances than a standard fringe show. That means that you should be able to fit them into your schedule somehow. And you should.

Baggage -- Part 2

2006-08-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I sat down to choose which plays I would cover for my pre-fringe articles this year. One of those companies was the Players of Notorious Temerity. Partly I did so because of the quality of their past shows as reported by my friends, and partly because one of the two individuals directing their show is the wonderful Katie Willer, someone who I respect and admire.

So... you'll note above that I said Katie was one of the two directors. This show has two directors! That's just asking for some issues, don't you think? Well, we'll soon see...

I jsut noticed that I've rambled on for two whole paragraphs without mentioning the show's title, so I guess I should work that in here... Baggage.

The show is two plays that revolve around a travel theme. But the baggage of the title isn't only refering to the physical belongings of the travelers, although in some cases it is...

Anyway... now that they are on the home stretch, I thought I'd make a few inquiries about how things where going. And so, I present a brief (5 questions only) interview with Katie Willer:

Q: Now that the rehearsal process is almost done, what has been the most pleasant surprise thus far?

A: Every time something falls into place is a pleasant surprise. Getting our rehearsal space, having air conditioning in our rehearsal space...mmmm...having our sound designer actually able to be present at the performances to run his own sound live, Dan and I having sheets of the same notes (therefore almost always being on the same page), every moment that just finds itself and hits, the pacing falling into place all of a sudden...I'm not taking anything for granted. The whole process has been a pleasant surprise, and we're grateful.

Q: How about the most unexpected challenge

A: The Buffalo Fish. That sucker keeps falling apart. But mainly, spacing for the Arena [at the U of M Rarig Center]. Both of us are familiar with the space, so we thought we had it. But we got into our one run-through during tech, and saw everything we needed to fix within the next three days. Yikes!

Q: What do you hope will be the main thought carried away from your show by members of the audience

A: "Man, I need to ride a train soon." Or, "Where am I?" Either or.

Q: What is your favorite line from your show?

A: Dan's is ... "My shoes are full of ditch water."
Katie's is ... "I can't help myself, and I don't care, and I won't stop."

Q: Why the Fringe? You've done shows both within and outside it, so what are the advantages of putting this show up now?

A: Minneapolis is open during the Fringe. They come and they want to see anything possible. For many people, this is their theatre for the year. they come and bulk up for the nexxt few months. Maybe they'll see two other shows through the year, and usually then it's if they know someone in the show, or it's the Guthrie. But during Fringe, someone with a free slot on their schedule may just wander into our venue and try out something new or different. Maybe they'll love it, maybe they'll hate it. That's almost not the point.

So... a few thoughts of one of the directors of the show Baggage. It seems that having two directors hasn't been a problem for them as they're almost always on the same page, and it's clear that they love the Fringe. This is Katie's last production in the Twin Cities for a while, as she'll be headed off to Grad School in the fall. So, if you want to catch a play by a terrific group, before they're on hiatus, go see Baggage... Oh yeah... And their show includes a Buffalo Fish! How surreal is that?

The Cat Came Back -- Part 2

2006-08-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

It only seems fitting that there is a second installment about a play that revolves around the constant pattern of returning of one cat. And so... here's the scoop...

As I was getting close to wrapping up my time in Spain, but right before I got hit by the world's most evil computer virus, I hopped on my skype account and gave David Lind a call.

David is directing the production of The Cat Came Back.

He was so kind as to send me a couple of scripts for the show. The show has two parts, and because of this...two scripts. The first part of the show will be a part that David wrote back when he was in rehearsal for a show with Theatre Limina. It is now being refered to by the cast as "The Clown Show," and it invovles the same general premise as the longer 2nd half, but it invovles a bit of puppetry and hijynx not present in the latter bit. In fact, without trying to spoil anything, I'll just mention that it ends with a bang.

The longer version of the story of the cat who kept comeing back to Mr. Johnson's home has taken on a whole new direction since we last spoke with Daivd. At that time, the idea was that the play would tell the tale of what happened to the Cat each time that Mr. Johnson gave her the heave-ho and sent her packing. Now, however, the story is more about what happens when the Cat comes back. The story of what happened while she's gone is told via song... oddly enough the song upon which the play is based. So... what else is there to tell? Well, the play focuses on a love-triangle of sorts, jealousy, addiction, abuse, and all sorts of other things that lead to comedy. That's right, pain leads to comedy.

David's cast has gone through a workshopping process that has kept the show vibrant and changing up to the last week of rehearsal, and that means that there may be some slight differences from the scripts that I've read, but even if they are only remotely close by the time the show opens, it loks like this is going to be a great show. I laughed a lot while reading it, and actually took much-needed study time to read it again.

Incidentally, the pictures that are included with this post are all from the show's rehearsal process.

Okay... So the cat came back the very next day... and she got what she wanted. Let's just say that. For more explanation, you'll have to see the show.

Some Quickies

2006-08-02T10:01:00.000-05:00

Well... It is officially crunch time as we approach the Fringe Festival tomorrow. So... being the procrastinator that I am, I will be doing a lot of writing today to ensure that you have the absolutely best information you can about everything fringy...not to mention a bunch of other info that you probably never wanted anyway.

So... in this particular episode of Fringe By Numbers, I m going to do some brief plugs for shows that have sent me their info and I've deemed worthy of sharing with you... cool?

First, I'll start with a show by a former Twin Cities company that relocated to Seattle. Some of you may remember Gaydar Productions and their show a couple of years ago, Naked Boys Singing!. For this year's fringe, they are putting their best...um...foot...forward and doing a show called Dirty Little Showtunes. Singing, dancing, and spoofing abound as they poke fun at traditional broadway tunes by looking at them through a gay male perpective. The group will only be in town starting the 9th, so even late into the Fringe you can be one of the first in town to see it.

There are always some shows that don't get all the hoopla sturred up about them prior to the fringe that turn out to be terrific. I'd like to suggest that Jordan will be one of those shows. Adia Morris and Christiana Clark are two remarkable women, and I'm going out on a limb that by association Corissa White must be, too, although I don't know her. These three have teamed up to put together a show that looks like it will be something we're all saying, "Have you heard about..." in a day or two.

Natalie Wass is an actress that I almost cast in a show of mine seven years ago. At the time I thought, I'm sure I'll work with her on my next project. Since then she's priced herself out of my range, but she's still one actress that I hope to work with someday. And until that day comes, I'll just have to watch instead. If I get the chance to watch her in this Fringe, it will be in the show Love in a Time of Rinderpest.

Over the last couple of years, some of the best shows to come out of the Fringe were put on by Nautilus Music Theatre. This year's offering is Songs From An Unmade Bed. This is a song cycle turned into theatre...the natural domain of Nautilus.

I'll give you something random, if you really want me to...

You can tell that I'm in a Fringe-induced time crunch because all I've eaten today is 2 packs of Keebler Cheese and Peanut Butter Crackers... which reminds me... I'm so glad to be back in America where I can get Peanut Butter again. Although the first thing I ate upon my arrival was a fruit smoothie in the Miami airport, the next thing I ate was a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Let me tell you... I don't understand why PB hasn't taken off in Europe. I was suffering withdrawal.

It looks like I'll be attending the Fringe Masquerade as Pirate... Aaargh!

I am dreading seeing what problems arise around the Rarig Center at the UofM during the first weekend of the Fringe. The main entrance stairway, normally 30 feet wide, has been gutted, removed, destroyed (choose your misfortune-themed past participle here). Foot traffic into the building which holds four of our venues is sure to be interesting to say the least. If attending a show there, plan accordingly.

I am the proud (?) owner of a Razr phone as of a couple of days ago. Holy crap! I can't figure the thing out at all! Aaargh! Someone needs to save me from my technology.

Zoe Pappas sent me info about a fringe show that she is in, but upon searching the Fringe Website I couldn't find it. Zoe, if you want me to cover it, please send me a link so I can do so... thanks.

This story is about beauty.

I feel like throwing some darts. Anyone up for a game of Cricket?

Blimey! I almost forgot my Trivia for today!: "Farmers in England are required by law to provide their pigs with toys!" -- Note: there is no such law requiring yo to give your kids toys in England. So, in some regards having your parent refer to your room as a pig sty in the UK at least means that you have some material possessions, and that can't be all bad, right?

I've got your Top-10 right here, baby!

2006-08-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

Well, the powers that be are asking for my list of top ten shows going into the Fringe. I've got to tell you, that I normally don't put together such a ranking, and yet this year the simplicity of this kind of list appeals to me greatly. So... I'll be doing just that. Are you ready? Here's my Top-10 shows (Pre-Fringe Sssstyle!)

1. Screwed to the Sticking Place -- Even if I weren't producing this show, I'd recommend it highly. Why? Let's just say that at rehearsal last night I was in tears from laughing so hard. The ladies in this show are amazing in every possible way. The scenes are touching, funny, sad, and important. The characters are timeless but are now more accessible than ever.

2. The Afterlife Project, or 'She's Just Sleeping' and Other Lies Your Mother Told You About Death -- There are two reasons for me to recommend this show... three really... 1). This show has the longest title of any show in the Fringe. 2). Danielle Siver is part of the cast, and she rocks my world every time I see her on stage or off. 3). Brian O'Neal is also acting in the project, and is by far one of my favorite actors to work with in town, I respect his craft and his artistry, and support anything he puts forth.

3. Bent -- Technically this show tied with Tape as the shortest title in the Fringe, but because it has a short-E sound, and the other show has a long-A sound, I deemed Bent to be shortest by the power of vowel. This show has been done a number of times in town, but not for a few years. It seems to be about time to see it again.

4. The Balcony Scene -- In The Basement Productions is one of my favorite companies in town. Their stuff is always solid, and the preview of this show that I saw earlier in the year made me believe that this will be a huge success. It's the beginning of a great season that ITBP has planned for 2006-2007 (Did I mention that said season includes a show directed by yours truly?)

5. The Musicker's Balalaika -- This is the very first show of this year's Fringe. It is the only one at 4 p.m. on Thursday... So... I guarantee that I will be in attendance, because no matter what I roll (with the exception of a 1, but more on that later), I will attend this show. I recommend you join me... Let's give them one helluva crowd for the first performance!

6. Dancing Rats and Vampire Moms -- Hardcover Theater and Nancy Donoval combine their efforts to bring you tales of Mothers. This is the Mother of all story telling shows (I'm sorry, bad joke). That mom in "Mama Gone" is one bad Mother--Shut Your Mouth!--Just talking 'bout Nancy's story...

7. Woman -- For the full and complete Fringe experience, you've not only got to take in the very first performance (Listed above at #5), you've got to take in the very last show (listed right here at #7). This is the only show at 9 p.m. on Sunday the 13th.

8. Best of the 24 Hour Plays -- Theatre Unbound makes me happy...generally. When it comes down to it, they are on the cutting edge of feminist theatre. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, it empowers females without bashing those of us in the male universe. Anyway... I've written for the 24-hour play festival in the past (once in the modern era, and three times in the time before that)...In fact, it was through these festivals that I first met Matthew Foster (Fringe Web Master) and Matthew Everett (Fellow Blogger). And how I co-wrote a play with each of them.

9. The Depth of the Ocean -- This is the show that takes place in a pool. It is also Matthew Everett's top choice. I'll be writing one more article on this show before it opens, so I'll save the rest of my comments for that one.

10. Johan Santana's Perfect Game -- Did I mention that I love baseball? Football, too, but baseball is a wonderful thing. I once read that the quickest way to get a grown man to cry is to get them thinking about baseball and their dad. I don't know it that's true, but I know that some of my fave memories of growing up were attending Rangers games with my dad, and some of my fave memories as a dad have been taking my daughter to see Twins and Saints games.

So there you go... 10 shows that I recommend seeing. I also recommend seeing a bunch of others. My advice: seek out the ones that aren't getting as much buzz. If you come across the name and think "I've never heard of that one," then go to it... be the first person to post a review on it. Be the person who finds that hidden gem in the Fringe Festival. That's what this this is really about.

I'm back and I'm grumpy

2006-07-31T11:01:00.000-05:00

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...

2006-07-22T05:21:00.000-05:00

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...

2006-07-22T04:54:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-22T03:56:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-07-19T12:25:00.000-05:00

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...

2006-07-18T15:17:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-18T11:27:00.000-05:00

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...

2006-07-16T17:19:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-15T02:58:00.000-05:00

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!

For those just tuning in...

2006-07-09T09:31:00.000-05:00

Each year, I rehash this particular column entry. This is the 3rd year for "Fringe by Numbers," and I've come to believe that it is the best way to Fringe. I'm hoping that others join in... read on and you'll see what I mean:

I've got a great excuse!

Here's my thing! I can't come to your show because I have a performance of my own. What? You have another one tomorrow afternoon? Sorry, I already promised Joe that I'd see his show then. Oh, Jeez! I guess I'm not going to be able to see yours this year. Sorry. I'm not picking Joe over you. No, really, I do want to see your show. Look, he asked first. I know he has other ones that I could go to, but I have other things then, too. Crap, man, I'm sorry!

Yep. That's the way things go when you're stretched too thin during Fringe Festival time. That has been the scenario for me every year for the past 4 or 5. I'm doing a show elsewhere that isn't part of the Fringe, then I'm trying to take in a few shows in my minimal freetime, and then I'm choosing between my obligations to see many shows by my friends. They all know I can't see them all, and yet they get ticked off that I can't see theirs specifically.

Well, this year, no more. This year I'm not as free as some years: I'll be in rehearsal for Theatre Pro Rata's Machinal. However, I'll be a lot more free than other years. What does that mean? I'm able to throw myself into the Fringe experience for large chunks of time, and I'll be able to see a lot of shows.

I am going to go to a show in every single time slot that I don't have rehearsal. That's the plan anyway... although, in truth, it isn't entirely possible, because I am producing a show, also. That's the first time since 2002 for me. I've directed and produced Fringe shows before, and I acted in one two years ago while doing this column. Anyway, in at least oa couple of those five particular time slots I should manage to see my own show, don't you think?

So...Up until a few weeks ago, I had a huge dilemma. How to get past those friends whose shows I still didn't want to see, no matter how much I felt I owed it to them. Let's face it, I get as excited as the next guy about the open entry policy of the Fringe (well, not the next guy, he's got a huge grin on his face that makes me worry about what he might be doing over there). The non-juried format is what is so completely beautiful about the Fringe. It is beautiful. It is also frightening. One could say it is the good, the bad, and the ugly all wrapped into one. Some of my friends, not entirely of their own fault, get themselves into some of the worst crap ever put on anywhere, not just the Fringe. And so, I kind of try to avoid seeing their shows, If I can absolutely help it. But since I've been very open about my being able to attend so much of the Fringe, I've been desperately searching for a way to tell them that I'm still not going to their shows.

So I tried to figure out a theme for this column that would involve avoiding every friend I have. You know, something to the effect of "My column will be entirely objective, because I am not going to any shows where I know the people in them." Then I realized that such a decision would pretty much relegate me to writing about the out-of-town shows, and that wouldn't be much fun at all, since part of the joy is getting to see what local folks are doing.

A side note that will make all things clear. I love the thought of chaos. Not in the pratical sense. I don't want people running around and doing whatever the hell they want to the detriment of all society. I like chaos as a theory, though. I'm not talking the higher mathematics, per se, but the more real life applications of it. I'm also a former gamer, one might say that I am on a temporary-to-long-term hiatus. And nothing works better to create a controlled form of chaos than a random encounter table. For those of you unfamiliar with D&D-speak, there are a lot of charts in role-playing games, and they often require a person to roll a die, or dice, to randomly determine what happens next. And that's where I got the idea for what I'm going to do for this Fringe blog!

I will randomly attend a show during each time slot and thereby keep my initial pledge to do just that. I will have with me, each day, a set of charts that represent the entire Fringe Festival and the shows available each hour. I will roll a 20-sided die (d20) on those charts once per time slot in order to select which shows to attend. Every show I attend will be completely randomly selected by the roll of the dice. Yes, I realize that I will end up seeing a lot of crap, but I'll also see a lot of good shows. Yes, there is a chance that this system will force me to see a show involving said friends who are involved in the afore-mentioned crap, but there's an even greater chance that I won't (since each show only gets 5 slots). The odds and the chaos work to my favor. Another interesting (to me at least) twist is that I could end up seeing the same show twice if the dice dictate it. That would allow me the chance to see any changes that happen between one showing and another of the same thing (particularly interesting if this happens to one of the improv shows).

Before I get to the Fringe itself, I have a lot of work to do. I'm currently compiling the charts, and after two past years of doing this you think I'd be aware of what a pain in the butt it would be, but somehow I always forget. I've had the complete list of shows for a few weeks now, and I'm still only through the second day of the Fringe chart-wise. I need to get a move-on in that area.

Up until the Fringe's launch date, I'll be keeping you posted on a few things: #1) How my show's rehearsals are going. #2) What I'm thinking about some of the shows I may or may not get a chance to see. #3) The meaning of life in general. #4) What I'm doing while I'm in Spain (Did I mention I'm in Spain for the entire month prior to the Fringe?) #5) How some of the other shows are shaping up.

I'm sure there's other random crap I'll throw in there, too. Lots of random crap, really. Daily!

Anyway, now I can tell everyone that I'm not making any promises to see anything specific. That way I don't have to worry one way or another about choosing one friend over another, or anything like that. It's all in the hands of this d20 I'm holding.

So... It's been a while...

2006-07-02T05:04:00.000-05:00

Howdy! Just a quick note to y'all that I'm going to be off to Spain in about an hour. Actually, I'm leaving the Twin Cities in an hour. I won't leave the country for another 11 hours. But, this time tomorrow I'll be in Madrid.

As you probably know, I'll be continuing to write more about the Fringe while I'm overseas. When it comes down to it, the internet makes all things possible. I've finally finished my first round of interviews with my featured companies, and I'll be writing about Hardcover/Nancy Donoval's show, as well as a production that involves a swimming pool! You heard me, a swimming pool! (More on that later).

For now, though, I'm going to pack up my laptop and shut down the wireless so I don't get into trouble when I board the plane.

Sorry, no randomness until I get to Spain. All sorts of stuff thereafter, I'm sure.

Monsters in America -- Part 1

2006-06-09T13:42:00.000-05:00

Two years ago a puppet show made a huge splash at the Fringe Festival. Its title: Death Penalty Puppetry. The company: Chameleon Theatre Circle. It was a show that combined muppet-esque puppets and their humor with the very serious topic of the death penalty. Last year the group had hoped to return to the Fringe and attain similar success with a show called Monsters in America. The should would have involved the puppetry/topical theme motif again. However, like many past favorites in the Lottery Era of the Fringe, they didn't get into the festival last year. This year the company did get in, though, and the show will go on.

According to director G.J. Clayburn, this has become a two year process, and the year off has led to the show gaining a sub-title: Puppets of Mass Distraction. "Last year we were focusing on what Americans fear and how, once we identify it, we water it down and sell it to kids," said Clayburn. Now that the ideas have had an extra year to percolate, the concept still includes some sketches of that ilk, but now "the overall theme is how, as Americans, we allow ourselves to be distracted by smaller issues while largers issues loom over us," according to Clayburn.

In what seems like a bit of a theme for Fringe shows this year, the group is putting the show together through a workshop process. This year's voyage started in May with some meetings, June is the time for writing, and next month will see the rehearsal process in full swing.

OVer the next few weeks I'm hoping to get a bit of a preview of what is to come from this group. G.J. and I talked at length about this project, and many other things, back when I was working on a show at TRP that he directed. I'm very excited to see where it all goes. Unfortunately due to the random nature of my method of picking shows to attend, I did not get to see Chameleon's last puppet offering, and so I'm eager to learn more about this time around.

The Show: Monsters in America: Puppets of Mass Destruction

The Company: Chameleon THeatre Circle

The Venue: UofM Rarig Center Proscenium

Very Brief randomness...:

Boo!

I'm tired.

Today's bit of trivia from Hooked On Facts: "The Bible is the most-shoplifted book in the world." -- How very Christian!

I've spent most of the day today working at the table outside an audition room for a theatre from Miami, Florida. I like doing the audition monitor gig. It gives me time to catch up with folks like the wonderful Natalie Wass, who, incidentally is running the Karaoke out at The Park at MOA on Friday nights at the Stadium Club... you should go see her there.

All about the hat

2006-06-02T10:32:00.000-05:00

Two days ago I walked into a haberdashery in downtown Saint Paul and declared myself in need of a hat. I walked out a short time later with a lovely Scala-brand Panama hat with a black hat band. It set me back $60 exactly, but it will be a distinctly more stylish way to keep the sun off my folically-challenged pate this summer whilst in Madrid. Last year I opted to buy a hat over there, thinking that I'd wear what the locals were wearing. I ended up buying a baseball cap at Corte Ingles (the Spanish department store monopoly). There are plenty of folks in Spain that wear baseball caps, despite what we'd been told by our instructors, so I didn't stick out amongst the natives, however, I did catch a good deal of flak from my schoolmates, so this year I'm going with the Panama (a misnomer, as the Panama hat really comes from Ecuador originally...as does mine, currently).

Anyway... The fact that the hat comes from Ecuador was a tidbit of information shared with me by Leah Cooper, executive director of the Minnesota Fringe Festival. I saw her yesterday at the Fringe offices (of all places!). She was working hard on something in her little cubed-off area, and I'm sure I was distracting her from something important, but we had a nice chat about the woven grass hat upon my head.

I had stopped in to the Fringe office in my dual capacity as columnist and producer. Really, more so as producer. You see, it was June 1st yesterday. That made it the deadline for submitting the forms that get the companies into the Fringe's printed program, and onto the Fringe website. As you may have guessed, the columnist in my was intrigued to see what was going down at the office, but in reality, the reason I was there was that the artist in me had procrastinated on getting my paperwork in until the last possible minute.

Anyway, motivations aside, I was at the Fringe office, in my brand new hat. The lovely and remarkable Dawn Mori made note of the hat and suggested that I consider a change of my online image. That is, that I should replace my picture on my fringe column. It is true that I've used the same picture for a couple of years now, so I'm thinking I'll take her advice. In the next day or so I'll probably go ahead and make a change. Why not, right? So, soon you'll see the Panama-bedecked, goateed version of my mug on this column rather than my clean-shaven acting headshot.

Between the Fringe office and the rehearsal I had at least 10 people comment positively on the hat, so I think it is a keeper.

Today's bit of randomness... Coming right up!

I need a new title for one of my plays.

I am sooooo psyched that Lucasfilm gave into fan pressure and this fall will be releasing the original versions of the first three (Episodes IV-VI) Star Wars films. I never liked the retouched versions. The pure versions, in my mind, are the ones that I saw as a kid 5000 times. Having them on DVD will make me very happy.

Directly in front of me sit 5 purple candles.

I'm going into tech week for Iolanthe very soon. This is a great show, and I'm really enjoying myself. It's good to be back in Opera again. My voice is feeling and sounding good (if I may say so myself!). I leave reeharsals feeling exhilarated, even when I came to them drained. That's a good rehearsal process. Working with Gary Briggle is positively refreshing.

Today's bit of trivia from Hooked On Facts: "The average car produces a pound of pollution every 25 miles!" -- Yuck!

After a while some time will have passed.

Spanish word of the day: desfile -- (noun) Parade or procession.

One of my favorite shows from two years ago is coming back this year: Sock Puppet Serenade. You'll want to catch it if you can. There are a number of puppetry shows and mime shows that are worth catching. I guess I'll have to do a whole column on them.

"Yet, there's that slam bang tang reminiscent of gin and vermouth." -- "I Believe in You" from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Screwed to the Sticking Place -- Part 1

2006-05-31T10:31:00.000-05:00

One of the advantages of writing a column for the Fringe Festival website, is that I get to learn about all sorts of productions. Some of the ones that I write about are produced by friends of mine, others are shows that just catch my eye because of a title, or a concept. And then there's the one that I'm writing about today. Being a columnist means I get to promote my own damned show!

For my longtime readers you may remember that I wrote about the show I was in two years ago called "Dandelion Snow." Well, this year I'm doing things from a different perspective. I am writing about a show that I am producing, and otherwise not involved in. My company, Commedia Beauregard, is producing Screwed to the Sticking Place, a company created collaboration revolving around the women in Shakespeare's plays.

So... since I'll be in Spain during July, and not able to rehearse a show, I hired Sasha Walloch to direct the piece. Sasha has been my assistant director on two pieces in the past, and has developed into a very good director in her own right. She brings to the table a bit of the Kari Margolis method of putting a show together.

In fact, this show is going to be filled with physical acting and comedy. The cast is filled it very talented ladies. Katie Kaufmann will be familiar to fans of the Ivey Award-winning Off-Leash Area. She's also trained in Commedia Dell'Arte methods. Kari Kelly was in last year's mega-hit Please Don't Blow Up Mr. Boban! with Live Action Set. Another lady who's recently worked with Noah Bremer of Live Action Set is Markell Kiefer who was trained in the Lecoq method of physical theatre that we've all become familiar with thanks to Theatre de la Jeune Lune.

The cast is rounded out by Kate Greenwood Gunther, Ann Brummer,Jane Shrantz, and Katie Rose McLaughlin. These ladies have experience doing shows at Prairie Fire Children's Theatre, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, and off-Broadway.

To develop the show there is a workshop process that involves a lot of acting exercises as a company. Just for fun, I thought I'd share a bit of video of one for you:

That was from the other night. I'm not exactly sure what was going on, but it made me laugh a lot when I set it to Banjo music, so there it is!

Anyway, there are a bunch of scenes being written that involve Shakespeare's women as they might have been if they'd not been restricted to the confines of Shakespeare's plays. It is coming from a intelligent and exciting group of women who are putting together something brilliant. I'm looking forward to being able to tell you more about the process as they get into it further.

Now for something a bit on the random side of life:

I need to go buy a bike. I tried to do that for last year's Fringe, but it was a 3-speed that didn't fit me very well, so I opted out of riding it all over. This year I'm going to buy one more suited to me and stick to it. I don't want to have to drive all over, given how much gas costs, and how expensive parking at the U can be.

I've made the mistakeof joining MySpace.com. If you feel the need to come over to my profile on there, you can. Here's my profile page

Remember the Alamo!

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 19,999 BC!!!

There is a lot of prep work that goes into painting the exterior of a house.

And now some trivia from Hooked on Facts: "90 percent of women who walk into a department store immediately turn to the right." -- This is only intriguing to me because when I was at JC Penny's at Rosedale yesterday, I noticed that the Men's section was to the right as you first enter from the mall. Does this mean that men, too, turn to the right inherently, or that Penny's wants to confuse the Hell out of the ladies?

Here's the link to the next show I'm doing, as an actor/singer: Iolanthe

Baggage -- Part 1

2006-05-23T13:52:00.000-05:00

The Players of Notorius Temerity have been in the Fringe Festival once before. Last year, in fact. They produced a show called Desolation in America. It wasn't a huge hit... only 175 people saw it. And yet, they return. They return with a hope that this year their show will be far better attended.

It wasn't lack of quality that kept their houses small last year. When it comes down to it, PNT suffered the fate taht goes along with the Fringe for many groups: Unintentional Obscurity. One blogger whose opinion I admire (meaning Matthew Everett...you thought I meant myself, didn't you?) called last year's offering a "tightly wound little primal scream in the face of the idiocy that passes for political discourse in the early years of the 21st century." That's a ringing endorsement for their work, if you ask me.

I know this is a feature article on PNT's show, but this is a quick tangent that needs to be said: I've come to believe that there is too much mediocrity in the Fringe. I've also come to the conclusion that this is often because someone with $400 wants to put on a show but has nothing so say. They take no risks, and then the product is nothing. I saw a lot of shows last year that fell into that descriptive category. I like shows that take risks. I like companies with something to say. If you're going to fail, fail big. Don't give me somethign banal that I won't remember tomorrow. There is no artistic success without trying your damnedest!

All right, so from the above paragraph, you might gather that I have something that I expect from a good Fringe show. Matthew Everett's quote about PNT's show last year proves that I missed a really good show. So did almost everyone who attended the Fringe. So... I chose to cover their entry into the Fringe this year in hopes that all you devoted readers (and even those of you who aren't too devoted...you break my heart, you know!) will go to see their 2006 offering, Baggage.

Artistic Directors Dan O'Neil and Katie Willer have a knack for the political and the satirical, as they've proved in their last two productions (prior to the 2005 Fringe, they also put up McBush at the 4th Street Theatre in Saint Paul). This year, however, they hope to prove that they can also take on the rest of life and our human journeys.

The journeys are the stories this time. Two vignettes make up the play. One in a van, the other in the sight-seeing car of an Amtrak train. I've not read the script yet, but from the info I do have, the baggage of the title refers both to real luggage and the baggage we all carry with us in our persons.

The cast includes a couple of folks of note: Sam Landman, who has established himself as a great character actor in town; and Grant Henderson, who has appeared in one play with me in the 2004 Fringe, and who I think is a great young actor. The cast is rounded out by three people who I don't know, but who I'm looking forward to writing more about soon: Nikki Schultz, Adri Mehra, and Colin Waitt.

The Show: Baggage

The Company: Players of Notorious Temerity

The Venue: UofM Rarig Center: Arena Stage

Randomness! I am your personal digital entropy unit of infomational drivel!!!!

So, last night, my daughter and I were walking from a parking ramp to the Rarig Center on the U of M campus. During this brief walk, she informed me that she felt weird being at the school because she didn't want to be mistaken for a student there. I told her that most of the students there were between the ages of 18 and 22, and that at 7 years old she wasn't going to be mistaken for one of them. She challenged me by pointing out that there are little people like those who were in The Wizard of Oz. I told her she wasn't about to be mistaken for a dwarf or a midget (not being too politically correct, I'm afraid), we proceeded into the building and attended a rehearsal for the show I'm producing for the fringe... more on that in a future article.

I often think of things that I want to put in this section when I'm nowhere near my computer. That happened at least twice this past week, and I'm afraid that I forgot both things that I wanted to write about. I need to carry a notebook around with me.

B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, and Bingo was his name-o!

There are 17 thumb tacks on my bulletin board, and only 2 of them are actually doing anything useful.

Let's check in with our friends at Hooked on Facts: "Slugs have 4 noses." -- Given that fact, I think it is entirely possible that one of my ex-girlfriends was actually a slug!

Ribbit!

This apparently was THE place to be this past weekend for fantasies... both the Sexpo and the Pillow Fight Club were both held in Minneapolis.

The Cat Came Back -- Part 1

2006-05-10T16:25:00.000-05:00

Let's travel back in time a bit. The year is 1981. I am residing in Indianapolis, Indiana. My mother has checked a book out from the library and plays a song on the piano that is printed on the inside of the book's cover. Jumping ahead to 1999. David Lind and I are both teaching for SteppingStone Theatre for Youth Development, and meet at St. Paul Central High School. Jumping ahead again, talking to David about his Fringe project for this year, I discover that my memory harkens back to that song my mom was playing on the piano...The Cat Came Back!

Zealots and Mystics, the company that is headed by Mr. Lind, is putting together a show that is loosely based on the children's song by the same title.

Now... a word... this isn't a children's show. It has a bulldog pimp in it for goodness sake! This is a story of what happens to the cat between the times when it has been kicked out and it returns. The cat, who will be played by Mariah Christensen, is a lounge singer who will treat the audience to songs throughout the play.

David Lind, as many of you know runs TC Theatre and Film. He also teaches classes in the Michael Chekhov method of acting. And so he's assembled a cast of folks who have all worked with him before and are comfortable in that method. The cast includes Bill Gorman, Ted Anderson, Scot Moore, and Kortney Simpson...as well as the afore mentioned Ms. Christensen.

I've personally never worked with Anderson, Moore, Simpson, or Christensen, but I have worked with Mr. Gorman, and that was a treat. I've also acted in a show that David directed, and I can tell you that I still use some of the things I learned from him every time I hit the stage. So, I'm looking forward to seeing others who he's led through the Chekhov process and into this work.

The first all-cast meeting for this group of thespians is coming up this weekend, a read-through and a bit of music previewing will take place. That's where they are at in the process. As the weeks go on, I'll update you more as to where they are headed.

The Show: The Cat Came Back

The Company: Zealots and Mystics

The Venue: Bryant-Lake Bowl

Okay! Brief random crap:

Tonight is the dress rehearsal for my daughter's dance recital.

Cross you fingers for me, I bought 5 chances at the Powerball drawing.

As I was walking down my alley this morning, I couldn't help but notice the fragrance of lilacs all over. It was wonderful. There is this very short time each year that makes me happier than any other. It has to do with lilacs, and it is wonderful. It'll be a shame when the lilac flowers are gone again in the next few weeks.

The answer to your last question was, "Yes, indeed."

I really like wearing red shirts with beige pants. It troubles me that this is the uniform of those at Target. I end up not wearing one of my favorite outfits because I'm afraid folks will mistake me for a Target employee.

Random Trivia time, from the random trivia generator known as Hooked on Facts: "'Second Street' is the most common street name in the U.S.; 'First Street' is the sixth!" -- Sounds like St. Paul wasn't the only place laid out by drunken Irishmen, then, eh?

The Pre-Fringe Battle Plan

2006-05-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

So, if you're just tuning in for the first time, or if you need a bit of a refresher, let me share this with you... I do not have any control over what I see in the Fringe Festival. I go to randomly determined shows as set by a bunch of charts and the roll of a 20-sided die. It's a lot of fun, and sometimes I get to see brilliant things that never would have crossed my radar otherwise. It's also a scheme that allows me to avoid the political pitfalls of having to choose one show over another (but, more on that in another column entry).

Well, as a writer, I often enjoy a little bit of control over what I write, so last year I devised a plan. A simple plan, but a plan nevertheless. I would feature 4 plays and follow their development pre-Fringe. All the way up to opening. Once the festival was open, I didn't cover them again, unless the roll of the dice let me. But, I got to know a lot about those four shows, and I got to share that with you all.

So... I've opted to do that same thing again. Only, this year, I've upped the number to 6 productions that I'll be covering. That means that every few days you'll get an update about a show and how it is making the journey to Fringedom. Here's the list of shows that I'll be featuring:

-- "The Cat Came Back" by Zealots & Mystics

-- "The Depths of the Ocean" by Perpetual Motion Thearte Company

-- "Screwed to the Sticking Place" by Commedia Beauregard

-- "Monsters in America" by Chameleon Theatre Circle

-- "Baggage" by PNT Theater Company

-- "Dancing Rats & Vampire Moms: Tales of Dangerous Love" by Hardcover Theatre

So... There's the list. These ones will get weekly coverage from me (let's be honest: I'm shooting for weekly, but my schedule will get pretty full, so it'll reallly be every-other-week in all likelihood). I'll also do some one-shot stories on plays that pique my interest prior to the festival. After that, I'm back to the good ol' random determination thing.

I'm starting the feature articles tomorrow, so look back then for a bit about The Cat Came Back.

Now for some short snippets from nowhere about nothing in particular:

I went to The Vagina Monologues this past weekend. It is normally done for the sake of fundraising on behalf of an organization that helps prevent violence against women. This year's beneficiaries are a group of folks called "Comfort Women." To learn more about them... go here

"If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient." -- A line from a wall hanging in my room...from Children Learn What They Live By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.

Ready to learn and think about a bit of normally useless knowledge?! Let's hear it for Hooked on Facts = "Pierce Brosnan once worked with the circus as a fire eater!" -- One of the women in The Women (Opening this weekend at the 4th Street Theatre in St. Paul), has fire eating listed as a Special Skill on her resume. I've got to ask her more about that. I have no idea how one even gets started with such a thing. I recently started juggling, and all I had to do was pick up three balls and start tossing them around. Does a novice fire eater merely find a burning object and place it in their mouth?

It's time to do laundry!

My Spring term is coming to a close at UNO. A few people have asked me about the program that I'm in recently, so here's a link: UNO Low-Res MFA

"Unswallow" has got to be the most disgusting euphemism for vomitting I've ever heard. Yuck!

I'm Henry the 8th, I am!

Gearing up... The start is official

2006-04-19T10:16:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday afternoon, I and about 50 of my Fringy compatriots gathered at the Bryant Lake Bowl to acquire our Fringe Producer Packets. These precious pieces of paper were put together by the fine folks in the Fringe office (namely Mark Franko, who has reportedly been living and breathing producer handbooks for some time now). Within the pages of my handbook and the related packet were the chunks of knowledge that are required to put on a Fringe show in what is now Fringe 2006.

So...I now know that the show I'm producing has 5 lovely slots at the Xperimental Theatre in the University of Minnesota's Rarig Center. I'm excited about the space. One of the best things about this upcoming year's Fringe is that there are 4 venues in one building. That means that people don't even have to leave the premisis to see more theatre. Concentrated locations mean concentrated audience masses...Yay! Multiple venue sites have always seemed better to me. MCTC has provided us with two stages right next to each other for the last few years, the old Phoenix Playhouse did so once upon a time, too. But we've never had 4 in one place before! That's sweet!

The other thing that happened within the last couple of days that relates to what is happening in my Fringe world, is that we held auditions for the Fringe Show. Now, it is important to point out that my company (Commedia Beauregard) used to solely be run by me. However, that is no longer the case. There are advantages and disadvantages to this new arrangement. I no longer rule with an iron fist like a despot kingpin from some small third-world nation. And yet, I no longer suffer all the stress of doing everything myself. In fact, this year, I'm giving over almost all control of my Fringe show to Sasha Walloch. She's directing it, and she's leading the creation of a new work based on Shakespeare's women. Should be really cool. Especially given the ladies who auditioned last night. We had a lot of very talented actresses show up. I'm quite pleased. I'm hoping Sasha is, too, since she'll be the one working with them. I'll be busy in Spain during the rehearsal process.

More on casting and such as we get closer to the whole Fringe thing.

Incidentally, I'll be doing the same thing this year that I did last year. I'm following the development of 6 Fringe shows from there humble beginnings (right around now) to their opening performance (according to them...Given the dice rolls, there's no guarantee that I'll get to see it). This is my way of exerting some control over the plays I write about. I'll be starting up with that routine in a couple of days, so tune back in then.

Until then, let's do something crazy...dare I say, something Random?

There is a National Emergency Number Association. After some thought, I now assume that this is an association of 911 operators or something like that. However, when I first heard the name of the group, I immediately thought, "Who needs this group?" I pictured some guy sitting at a table pulling his hair out over his taxes. He's sweating up a stress-filled storm when he leaps from his chair, grabs the phone, dials, and shouts something like "I need a FOUR goddammit! A FOUR! For the love of God, this is an emergency! Give me a number 4!"

I'm currently designing lights for "The Women" at In The Basement Productions. They've also just made me a member of their company. I so badly want to make a smart alec comment about how foolish that was of them, but really I can't bring myself to it, because it was sheer genius!

Hey Check this out:

Trivia time! Thanks to the folks at Hooked on Facts = "The average horse jockey earns only $9 per race!" -- This is good news for actors: There is someone out there getting paid worse than you!

My throat is really dry. I should probably get something to drink.

In honor of the Christian holiday that just passed, I would like to mention that as a child I held all airline workers under suspicion because, as I understood it, Pilots were responsible for the death of Jesus.

A nickel.

One more picture...For no good reason:

What a weekend! A few reviews and such

2006-03-13T17:47:00.000-06:00

I've been putting off writing this for a while because it was a big, fat weekend of theater for me. I saw shows on Thursday and Friday night, watched 300+ auditions at the Twin Cities Unifieds, and had a tech rehearsal on Sunday night at Theatre in the Round.

So... in the interest of being brief (I hear that is the soul of wit, after all), I present my weekend in a nutshell:

THURSDAY NIGHT... I attended the opening performance of Do You Want to Know a Secret by Daniel Pinkerton, whichis being presented by Fortune's Fool at Intermedia Arts. The production features the talents of Stephen D'Ambrose, Barbara Kingsley, and their daughter Maggie D'Ambrose. Rouding out the cast were Greta Grosch and Harry Baxter. Leah Cooper, yes THAT Leah Cooper!, directed.

Okay...before I say more about this show, it is honest disclosure time: I am on the board of advisors to this production. Although, while this is true, I did not directly have anything to do with the artistic choices that went into it. I'm not sure if that makes this review one that suffers from conflict-of-interest or not. Anyway... There's that.

I enjoyed this work. It is a thinker of a play, and that's not bad at all. The performances were solid and the direction good as well. The play takes place in the Deutsche Demokratische Republik, or what we used to call East Germany in the good old days of the cold war.

When the wall fell, there was a lot of finger pointing and discovery about the way things were prior to that. This play personalizes that fact by telling the story of a family torn apart by a prison sentence during the cold war, and by personal betrayal afterward. It is a really good character study, and while through the lines it tells us that the theme is about cowardice in the face of adversity, I think there is a bigger message there about the perception of any situation through the eyes of differing people. No matter how close two people are, they can still misunderstand what would be considered a betrayal by their partner. That's the case in this play. It is deep, thoughtful, and well worth seeing. I won't give any more of the plot away, though... go see it!

FRIDAY NIGHT... My Alma Mater held an alumni function for its Twin Cities alums at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. We saw Midlife: The Crisis Musical. It was fun. it is fluffy fun that doesn't pretend to be anything else. I felt a little out of place as one of the only 30 year-olds amongst a bunch of 40s+ alums. I didn't exactly identify with the material of the show, as they did... but... it was still an enjoyable evening.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY...Congrats to everyone who auditioned at the Unifieds. That was a long couple of days. some good folks on stage, though. Thanks everyone for your efforts.

SUNDAY NIGHT... This was the most pleasant surprise of the weekend! I normally dread tech reheasals when I'm not the director or one of the designers. Basically as a light board operator, all I do is push a single button when someone else says "go," so I'm not terribly vested in the process, and therefore get easily bored during technical rehearsals.

Last night, however, I saw a show that was many days prior to opening that is already at the point of being better than anything else I've seen on the TRP stage. Kudos to GJ Clayburn (and big kudos to me if I spelled that right, not to mention apologies to GJ if I got it wrong). GJ's direction of this play has it sharp and exciting. I was riveted through the entire show. And it isn't only because of the acting of Andy Babinski in the role of Henry David Thoreau. Babinski is great, but so is every other person in the cast, down to the folks that only have one or two lines. I've not seen such a solid group across the board in a long time.

If you get a chance, go see The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. It is really good. It's showing at TRP through April 9th.

NOTHING RANDOM TODAY...
I have to get to my tech rehearsal. Later...

Madly Special

2006-03-03T14:53:00.000-06:00

This past Thursday night I went to the Theatre Garage to see the newest production by nimbus. This is a group that I've enjoyed since they were doing shows at the Rogue Bhudda Gallery. They have tended to do off-beat original works that combine an intellectual asthetic with an experimental presentation. Throw in off-beat humor and a sense of playfulness, and you get a nimbus show.

They have tackled non-original works before, most notably End Game by Samuel Beckett. And that was treated very well, so this venture into the work of Nobel winner Wole Soyinka was something I was looking forward to. After all, this was a company with the guts and the gall to do this play justice.

Let it be said that since viewing the play I read the review by Mr. Preston in the Strib. And I think he was unduly harsh. I do think that the play got off to a bad start, and if you are inclined to be turned off in the first five minutes of a production and are unwilling to let it redeem itself, then this is not a show you're going to enjoy or get anything out of. The ragtag group that starts the play off lacks chemistry and commitment to what they are doing. It makes the beginning, which is not nicely filled with exposition, as we are used to in more simple American theatrical experiences, hard to comprehen and hard to watch. However, as additional characters are added to the stage and story, the play hits stride and even those characters that were painfully rough at the beginning shape up into interesting viewing.

So, there are two players that I'd cite as catalysts for bringing the story into line and whipping the play into shape. First, is Clarence Wethern. From the time of his first entrance the play changes rhythm, and those who seemingly couldn't act before, suddenly got it together...even when he wasn't on stage. hence his catalytic effect.

Second was Heidi Berg, who initially isn't as strong in this show as I have seen her before, but once she has someone to play off, she shines. her determined character is one of the only ones who seems sane and moral. And it is carried off with conviction.

So, what is this play about? There's a good question! It is about far more than I can sum up in a tidy paragraph, but I'll get to the heart of the story, at any rate. The play is about a man who went to war as a doctor, but came back as a torturing, controlling part of the government. And he attained this rise to power by eating his fellow men, literally.

The plot revolves around his attempts to pull information from his unwilling father about how the senior member is able to manipulate the masses through religion. The older doctor is played by Ben Kreilkamp and once he finds his own rhythm, he is quite good, but not unlike his compatriots (made up of those folks from the beginning of the play), it takes him some time to hit stride.

This is a challenging work and teeters on the edge of realism and fantasy. And that realism that it does employ is based on a world that we in this country never really have to face. And so, it is a foreign experience to begin with.

If you are going to this show, and I suggest you do, you will have to first become accustomed to teh rhythm of what is happening on stage before you can really start to soak things in. After that, you'll want to take the time to think about what you saw and what it means. I'm pretty sure that it will mean different things to different people. I'm pretty sure that you will note know right away what to think of what you just saw. And yet, you will think about it a lot and will be affected by it a long time afterward. That's a rewarding theatre experience, and that's what this show gives.

A couple of other thigns of note...once on their roll, I did enjoy the performances of Ryan Grimes and Tera Kilbride. Derek Dirlam also had his really strong moments. I do really have to wonder what magic Mr. Wethern posesses that his presence so changed the chemistry of the play. These three turned it on and got going from Wethern's entrance onward.

Some random stuff:

It was apparently warm enough for the wasps to be out and about yesterday, but not warm enough for them to have energy to fly. There were about 5 of them crawling about on the cement landing outside my building when I went out for lunch. I decided to not step on them in a moment of buddhist influence on my view of wildlife. Although I did take a bit of perverse glee in the fact that at least one of them had been crushed by someone else by the time I'd returned later in the afternoon.

7,653

I'm thinking about signing up to help out as a server in Fringeville for a couple of shifts this year. The Fringe is currently looking for volunteers... you, too, can sign up...Click here

I don't normally post random links for no good reason, but why not? After all, that would be random, right? Except, not really because it is planned out in advance and thoroughly debated in this exact post, right? Ah hell... here it is: A blog I enjoy

Are you as Hooked On Facts as I am?: "In ancient England a person could not have sex unless you had consent of the King." -- I guess it paid to be on the good side of teh King. Could you imagine being King in that situation? I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that there are certain people who I would not want to know if they were having sex. I can think of at least 10 of my friends who I would never want to imagine as sexual animals. Yikes! Just go do it and don't tell me about it! I mean, asking my permission would force me to think about it. Yuck!

It would make me very happy of the Bull Moose Party were still part of American Politics.

Llama, llama, duck!

Why ask me to come?

2006-02-26T15:49:00.000-06:00

Something that never makes sense to me is when someone asks me to come see a show of theirs, but then tags on, "Please, don't review it." I recently (let's say yesterday, because it was, indeed, yesterday) received an e-mail telling me that I should go to see one of my friend's shows, and that upon seeing it, I should try to get to word out about it. BUT, "please, don't review it." This is the same sort of behavior that led me to start this column to begin with a couple of years ago. At that time, I'd gotten fed up with friends making me feel obligated to see their Fringe shows, and then getting upset with me when I disliked it, even when they themselves thought the show was bad. In response, I devised a way to randomly determine the shows that I go to see in the Fringe, thereby avoiding going to see bad shows due to the obligation of friendship. Granted, I still occasionally see bad shows, and I sometimes see bad shows with friends in them, but I am not there because of the friend, it is coincidental, and I feel much less pressure about attending.

Here's a hint, folks: If you think your show isn't worthy of being reviewed, then it's probably not good to invite the reviewer. Another hint: Don't tell the reviewer, your friends, or anyone else, in the e-mail that you send inviting them, that you don't think it should be reviewed. That's a warning sign. A big red flag. It is an indication that you think the show is less than what it ought to be, and I'm not going to be inclined to shell out money to pay for it. Give your own shows positive press. And just remember that any publicity is good publicity in the event that someone does write about it in a medium that a bunch of people might read.

There is one group that I tend not to review, and that is educational theatre. I attended a performance last night of Frankenstein in Love at the Xperimental Theatre at the University of Minnesota. I knew someone in it, and I love seeing young actors learning the trade. That's all I have to say about it. I believe it is unfair to criticize or elevate those who are on the path to learning how to act, direct and design. BUT… once they are out in the real world, I see no reason to not review a play, even if it is in a setting for experimental works, or a workshop. As a reviewer you review the things that are appropriate. If it is a staged reading, I don't review the acting. That's not what is being put on display. I would likely comment on the strength of the script, however. Make sense?

I do have one friend who I told the other night that I was planning on coming to his show the next evening. He said, “I wouldn't.” That's fine with me. I didn't. He gave me a fair assessment of why to not see the show he was in. I, oddly enough, do not have a problem with someone knowing that their play is bad and telling me so in confidence. That is, so long as they are to telling me that and still begging me to come see it.

Okay… enough ranting for the moment.

On to random stuff:

I bought a banjo yesterday. Until now I have been able to play bass guitar, tuba, and bamboo flute (as well as having rudimentary skill on the slide trombone), but I felt a need to learn another instrument…actually, two. I also bought a ukulele. I started learning to play the banjo this morning via a DVD lesson. The Uke will wait for a little bit, I think.

While I have to performances of Reeling at the Children’s Theatre Company today, I also have two short plays to finish by midnight and a scene for my screenwriting class at UNO. Any idea what I’ll be doing backstage?

Three nights ago there was an unusual event: the constellation Orion was clearly visible from my front porch in St. Paul. Normally the lights from the rest of the city obscure the stars, but it was so beautiful that I ran in the house and got everyone to come outside and see the stars. It came to pass that I had to explain the constellation to everyone else. The belt, the sword, and the tunic where clear as day (well, night, really). It was exciting to me. I’ve probably bored you to tears with that bit of info. If so, I'm sorry.

I’m thinking of getting a pair of these for my car before the 2006 fringe: Check these out!

Are you as Hooked On Facts as I am?: "The country of Brazil is named after the brazil nut." -- Good thing we didn't name our country after the kind of nuts here, or we'd live in the coutry of Pecan.

I have started culling the list of companies that made it into this upcoming Fringe Festival, and I am really excited about it.

Once upon a time, there was a big, scary toad. This wasn't just any ordinary toad. No, it was a toad that stood twenty or thirty feet high. It had greenish brown skin and gave off a mist of swampy aroma from its moldy hide. Why was its hide moldy? I do not know. Why the swampy aroma? No one has ever given a reasonable answer. But this toad was just like that. Yes, it was. Yes, it was.

I’m going to go see a show tonight. I’m looking forward to it. I think I’ll go to Jeune Lune. That ought to inspire a little out-of-the-box thinking on the scripts that I need to tackle over the next few days.

My daughter is spending a week with her Grandparents (my mom & dad). That is such a sweet thing. I slept in today for the first time in I don’t know how long.

What the heck is up with that toad story? I don't get it.

Shakespeare by Mann

2006-02-22T10:04:00.000-06:00

Well I'm just recovering from this past weekend. I mean that in myriad ways. My health wasn't terrific, as I caught some sort of thing that my flu shot didn't protect me from. AND I tried to fit a whole bunch of activities into the weekend, too. I saw 1.5 plays, photographed another one, wrote a play, editted a different one, and fit in a bit of time to fight with the webserver that my parents host their site on. Fun, eh?

So... What to tell you about?...hmm... how about a show I saw at TRP. I went to Twelfth Night, which had been directed by David Mann.

Mr. Mann placed this production in the 1960s in Cape Cod. Now, updating a Shakespeare setting is done all the time, often unsuccessfully. Mann's director's notes gave a plausible reason for setting the play as he did, and that set me with hope. The incorporation of music with a 60s feel helped carry things along in this theme. I especially approved of the accoustic renderings of songs by the Ventures. Dan Sarka did a nice job with that. And another musical interlude that included two of the actors joining in on percussion captured a beautifully whimsical attitude. This is a whimsical play, so that's probably a good thing.

I really enjoyed two performances above all... those of Mo Perry (seen in 2005 Fringe on stage with a snake in "Talking With..." by In The Basement Productions), and Leigha Horton (Voice of the Fringe!!!). Perry's Olivia was believable and solid. She was by far the best developed character on the stage. Her changes in mood and thought were well motivated, and entirely convincing. She worked with the language to make it seem completely natural, not recited. Beautiful.

Horton set the tone of the play by playing a cross-dressed jester that seemed somewhat akin to some John Lovitz character from once upon a time. She was the singing minstral of this show, and it was nice to hear her intone the new songs by Donald Sweet.

Other parts that I thought were good: Craig Johnson as Malvolio was effective; not unlike most interpretations, but effective and funny. Two of the smaller parts were very effectively played by Grant Henderson and Brian O'Neal. They were their parts (Orsino's officers) every time they took the stage.

Now...my other thoughts... If one sets Shakespeare in a new, updated setting, then the justifications have to run through the show entirely. A clapboard wall and a few dated costumes do not a concept make. There was little indication through the action that we were in 1960s New England. Not one Yankee accent was to be heard. Nothing specifically was on stage to make it seem like New England at all. The music and some of the costumes were the tie-in. That's it.

Was Stephen Frethem's Orsino supposed to be a Kennedy-esque personage? Don't know. It would've been a bolder choice had that been the way it went. Malvolio was handled as he normally is in a traditional production of this show...what made it worth updating? One attempt to update that nearly worked was that of turning Maria into a Marilyn Monroe type character. It could've gone further, but it was clear what was going on with her, at any rate.

The characters that are often the comedic relief (Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Fabian) were played adequately. On reflection, most of the show was just that...adequate.

I know there are limitations with the space, and that physicality isn't always as easy in the round, but this seemed to be a very static production, even when the characters were in motion. Most of the movement seemed to happen because the director said so... Perry, Johnson, and Horton are exempted from this statement.

Now...in case you've never seen Twelfth Night, I'll let you in on a little secret: The play hinges on having two characters that look somewhat similar. Now, that being said, I have seen productions in which the two look nothing alike and it is played as a joke throughout, and that can work. This production, however, cast a woman 6-8 inches shorter than her maile counterpart who played the part in a very high voice, as opposed to his much lower one. They walked in two completely different ways, and their one physically similar feature is short blond(e) hair. I was dissapointed that more wasn't done to make them similar, or make them different. It was a shot straight down the middle. The situation did cause me to laugh out loud at one point when it was mentioned that the two could not be more alike. I feelt bad about laughing, but it had to be done.

If you want to see a stellar Olivia, Feste, and Curio & Valentine, go to this production. I will remember these folks in those roles for a long time. For now, I still think of Karen Wiess-Thompson as Toby Belch (from Pigs Eye's production a few years back) and John Smoot (American Players Theatre) as Malvolio. I'm still searching for the quintessential experience of most of the other characters...for now.

Okay...time for the random stuff:

I also took pictures at the photo call for In The Basement Productions' Scapin...there are only two shows left of this show...go see it.

Frogs are my friends!

If you spell my full name backward, it looks like this: Reddik Revilo Rehpotsirhc

Trivia time thanks to Hooked on Facts: "TIME Magazines Man of the Year in 1938 was Adolf Hitler.." -- Whoops!

"Don't pay the ferryman. Don't even fix a price. Don't pay the ferryman, 'til he gets you to the other side." -- Chris DeBurg

The Lottery from afar

2006-02-08T12:12:00.000-06:00

This year's Fringe Lottery is now past. I wish I could say that I was able to attend, but I wasn't. Originally I had planned on being there and videotaping the entire process so as to provide clips for your viewing pleasure. However, those plans fell through as I developed a short-notice conflict.

Back in 2002 I started my affiliation with the Pillsbury House Theatre by working on their show Mr.
Bundy. By being involved with that
show, I met Brian Goranson, who invited me to write for something called the Chicago Avenue Project. Monday night and last night that program celebrated its 10th year, and we playwrights, directors, and actors who've been involved over the
years were invited to take part in the celebration. I also suddenly found myself running the lights for the event. So, by being at the Pillsbury House, I wasn't at the Fringe Lottery.

That being said, I did have some notice passed my way that my production was better fated this year than it was last year. Mr. Everett, my friend and fellow blogger,
informed me that my lot came up (Commedia Beauregard), as did Ferrari McSpeedy
(another company that was excluded last year). It will be sweet to produce in the Fringe again. I do have some challenges ahead of me. Producing from Spain this summer will be somewhat
difficult. But, my promise to you is
that what I put up will be entertaining and worth the extra effort.

The official list of shows that made it into the Fringe has now been released. Now I’m able to let you know which productions I'm looking forward to, who I hope will claw their way in off of the waiting list, and all that sort of stuff.

I’ll do that in my three following posts…

Now for a bit of organized chaos:

Buster
Keaton once broke his neck whilst filming a movie in which thousands of
gallons of water were dumped on his head.
You can see a play based on his work currently at the Children’s
Theatre Company, and if you come during the matinees, then you’ll see me
in it, too!

In
case you didn’t know, the Vulcans won and Spring will be returning to w:st="on">St. Paul once again
this year. Anyone ever hope that
the Vulcans lose some year, just to see what happens?

Today’s
trivia from www.hookedonfacts.com:
“ It costs about 3 cents to make a $1 bill in the United States.” – Now, that's what I call a return on your investment!

I have
very little to say otherwise, today… So, on to the next entry.

Two days ago & four days from now...

2006-02-02T14:09:00.000-06:00

So... I did it. That's right! I submitted my application to the 2006 Minnesota Fringe Festival to produce a show. Now I wait for the lottery on Monday the 6th. I am not alone while I wait. Two hundred eighty-three other folks submitted applications this year. That's about 40 shows more than last year's lottery according to the e-mail I just got from Mark Franko at the Fringe office. I didn't get in last year. I'd just like to point that out. Forty more shows in the drawing...that's got to affect the odds. One hundred and fifty shows are going to get into the Fringe this year. So my odds are just a smidgen better that 50-50 of getting in. The whole thing is a crap-shoot. And that's the way that it is supposed to be!

One of the best things about the Minnesota Fringe Festival is that the selection of shows and companies is entirely non-juried. The folks down at teh home office keep things fair through the lottery. Last year was the first time they tried the lottery, and we were treated to a bunch of companies that had never been involved before, while some old favorites didn't get a slot at all. I didn't last year. This year, my luck might change. It is reassuring that I have the same chance of getting into this thing as Ari Hoptman (also excluded from producing last year) or Joe Scrimshaw (made it in again last year).

I was initially planning on video-taping the festivities of teh Fringe Lottery, but I've now made a commitment to be elsewhere, and will be unable to attend. But, you can bet your bippy that I'll be eagerly looking at that list as it comes out on the 8th via e-mail. And I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, cross your fingers for ping-pong ball #223.

Well, time for something random, I guess:
I have seen a couple of shows recently that I should mention: Aladdin Jr at the Children's Theatre Company was terrific. I especially want to send "props" to Stephen Young, who ran the puppet of Iago. My daughter really enjoyed the puppet during the play, and loved when Mr. Young popped out for curtain call. The other show I need to mention is "We Gotta Bingo." It's playing in the Lowry building in Downtown St. Paul. Go see it. It is very funny, very fun, and it has good people in it. It was soooooo good to see Robin Hart, Brandon Williams, and Ellen Karsten doing their thing. The others were good, too.
I got a Mad-Libs daily calendar for X-mas this past December. It's a lot of fun thus far. For tomorrow I have to come up with an adjective, a verb ending in -ing, two singular nouns and one plural noun.
There is a certain story-teller in town who needs to give me a call. I still owe her an evening of Scotch-tasting at the Town Hall.
A fact from http://www.hookedonfacts.com">Hooked on Facts: "Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave." -- Unless, of course, you neglect to turn the thing on.
School is back in session for the University of New Orleans!
I can't say I've never won anything when entering drawings. I once won a small handheld electronic game (back in 1981-ish) and in 1999 I won a gas-grill BBQ. I truly fear that my luck has run out for such things.
It was a lot of fun being part of the last seires of "Thirst Theatre." Now that the next seires is up and going, I'm feeling lonely on Monday nights. I'm thinking I have to coordinate a group outing to Thirst in a week or two.

A bit of excitement

2005-12-01T12:40:00.000-06:00

Well, the last few days have been an enjoyable romp through oddity for me. You may remember from a few posts ago that my play, "Cursed" is being done as part of this fall's offering at Thirst Theater. It is starring Charlie Bethel and Nathan Christopher (only two more performances: Dec 5 & Dec 12). If you missed the November 28th performance, you missed out on a unique night of entertainment. Why? Well, Charlie had a schedule conflict, and rather than reschedule our performance, we opted to have me fill in for him. Now, I may have written the show, but that doesn't mean that I have it memorized... or, rather, that I did prior to Monday night. I have it memorized now, as the combined efforts of three people and six times through the script managed the cement it into my mind just in time to hit the stage (umm... table?) at Joe's Garage. The performance went well.

In fact, the whole evening went well. I enjoyed all of the shows I saw (the three after my own). I am told that the first of the evening (the one I missed because I was memorizing) was particularly good. It is a piece by Alan Berks, and starring Chris Carlson. I believe I'll be able to catch it at the next performance on the 5th.

I think my fave of the evening was the show by Tom Poole. It is called "Life Coach," and it is a lot of fun.

Other than that little adventure, I have spent much of my recent time catching up on homework. It is amazing how difficult it can be to get motivated to read stuff for my "Literature in Cyberspace" class. I know I write in the online medium, and that I read stuff on here all the time, but it seems more like a place for summer reading -- you know, the light, for entertainment value style of reading-- rather than for academic, dry, research style reading. I find that my eyes get tired faster than ever before reading academic stuff on a computer screen. Thank goodness most of the stuff online is porn, eh?

Guess what? This weekend I will be putting together the long-awaited stats on my die rolling for the last two Fringe Festivals. Isn't that exciting? Look for that...coming soon!

It's my birthday, too, yeah!

2005-11-25T12:38:00.000-06:00

So, this year was one of those years when my birthday fell on Thanksgiving day. It happens every so often. I think the last time it happened was on my 21st birthday. Yep... my big 21 was celebrated with my parents and borther over turkey... My mom & dad bought me a 4-pack of individual wine bottles. it was a nice effort on their part. It wasn't drinking back at school with my friends, but it was something.

Anyway, last night was #32, and it was basically unremarkable. My daughter gave me a wonderful gift of vocabulary cards and a set of Muppet playing cards. It was sweet.

Both she and I were really sick yesterday, so we staggered through Thanksgiving. We had Cornish Game Hens rather than Turkey. Turkey was going to be too much effort. All the rest of the trimmings were pretty standard, though.

Anyway, Kate Hoff pointed out that her birthday was this past Monday. I didn't know ours were so close together. Perhaps we'll have to hold a joint party next year.

Nothing, too random today... My daughter is revelling in the fact that it is snowing, so we're going to go out and play now.

Toodles,
Chris

Time to sign up!

2005-11-15T12:37:00.000-06:00

So, it is here. The day is here. Today is the day when the 2006 Fringe Festival becomes more than just a figment of our collective imaginations. Or, really, it just now is able to gain form within our imaginations. Or, something like that!

Anyway, here's the thing. I've downloaded my newly available application, and I am excited to see a number of categories under which I would like to produce a show. Problem is, I'm not entirely sure I can decide which thing I'd like to do. Do I produce a show I've written? Do I produced a friend's show? I've done both of those before. I've directed a show before, but unless I put one together while I'm overseas this summer, I can't actually do the directing. Hmm... If I did that, would it make it an international show? Or, at least an out-of-town show, since most of the folks involved that way would be from New Orleans? I've got to give that some thought. Probably have to make a phone call or two on that one.

My favorite idea at the moment is to coordinate a mini-festival within the festival. I seriously missed the Fast Fringe last year. I thought it was a great addition to the festival two years ago, and I would like to see it happen again. I think I'll try to make that happen.

Anyway, the applications are available through a link on the main page, so why are you sitting here? Go check it out!

4, 3, 2, 1 ... 2006!

2005-11-11T12:35:00.000-06:00

Well, golly! I don't know what to say, other than I'm already looking forward to the 2006 Fringe Festival. How much you ask? Well... let's just say that I'm counting down the days until the applications come out next tuesday. That's 4 days away.

I have no idea if I'll have the money to put up a show this next year, or if I'll be able to coordinate a production from overseas (I'll be in Spain for all of July again), but I'm gonna try! Why not? This is the time of year for dreams. Not only tryptiphan induced dreams after Thanksgiving dinner, or dreams of sugar plums whilst awaiting Santa. It is also the time for dreaming up crazy things that could happen in next year's Fringe Festival. I'm really looking forward to what other people come up with, and seeing that, but I'm also really looking forward to seeing what I might be able to put forth.

Now, I did try to get into this last Fringe, and my little ball didn't pop out in a timely fashion during the lottery. Hopefully this year my luck will be better. Cross your fingers for me. (If you find yourself crossing your fingers at this time, you might want to delay your action until a later date...the drawing doesn't happen until February).

Now, just a couple of random things...

I've been doing a lot of around-the-house cleaning recently. Aparently I prefer cleaning prior to heading into the winter, rather than doing Spring Cleaning like so many others. I've no idea if this makes me weird. I have a feeling that my cleaning habits aren't the source of my weirdness.

1984 was a major work of dystopian fiction by George Orwell.

Mmmm...Ginger snaps!

Trivia returns to my column: "During the Gold Rush in 1849, some people paid as much as $100 for a glass of water!" -- Some things never change!

Top three songs that run through my head...
1. If I Had a Hammer
2. If I had A Million Dollars
3. Mmm-Bop

Since the Fringe...

2005-11-05T12:32:00.000-06:00

Howdy Y'all! And, Hola!

I'd like to start off by apologizing for taking so long to type anything since the end of the Fringe Festival. As you know, that was back in Mid-August, and here we are at the top of November. Thing is, I've had an odd Fall that has featured a lot of unexpected developments. Because of that, I've not been your faithful colunist... but I do have a bunch of stuff to catch you up on. So in brief... Here we go:

1. Fringe Remounts-- During the Fringe I was a little disappointed that I had to miss so many of the really great shows that I was hearing about from others. That is an occupational hazard when you roll dice to choose what shows you go to. The nice thing is how many of the shows get remounted in the following months. I was lucky enough to catch two remounts this year. The first was Inspector Rex, by Four Humours Theatre. It was remounted at the Old Arizona Studio. What a show! I would love to direct that some time at another theater. It was a solid script. Very funny, and very fun, generally.

The second show that I was able to catch belatedly, was the remount/Katrina-Fundraiser version of Glorious Noise by Rik Reppe. IT was a terrific show. And I would belatedly call it the best show of my Fringing this year...I have more to say on it, but that'll have to wait a minute, because it falls under my next category...

2. Hurricane Woes -- As you may or may not remember, I attend the University of New Orleans for my grad school. Although I go via the internet most of the time (and spend my summers in Madrid), many of my classmates and all of my professors actually live in New Orleans. We had already been in school for a week and a half when Katrina hit. We were expecting a nice week-long vacation due to the storm in the same way that Hugo gave us a few days off last year. You all know what really happened. So... My education went on hiatus. All of my friends and teachers got out alive. There was a frenzy of trying to locate people at the beginning of it all, but things have gotten better since then. Everyone is safe, the university relocated temporarily into a wing of LSU in Baton Rouge, and classes started up again on October 10th via the internet for everyone who chose to stay enrolled for the Fall term.

Rik Reppe and company put together a lovely fundraiser that was held at the Great American History Theater. It raised money to support the musicians who have been displaced by the storm's wrath. My only gripe about that evening was that not enough people came. I was really disappointed by the turn out. C'mon Fringers! I know I personally sent out over 550 e-mails about the event. Others must have too. I think I counted about 75 people there. While it was good that that many made it, many more ought to have. I'm including a link here so those of you who feel guilty about missing it can make a contribution to the group that funds went through.

3. Thirst -- I have a show that I wrote in this series of Thirst shows. It features Charlie Bethel and Nathan Christopher. Those are two darned fine actors, and I feel lucky to have them bringing my play to life. If you get a chance, there are two more performances of my script. They are on Monday, November 28 and Monday, December 5, 2005, at Joe's Garage. Start time is 7:30 p.m.

4. The Y-Show -- It's always nice to receive a bit of recognition for being who you are. I don't know so much as the recognition was warranted, but I was sent a VIP invitation to see The Y-Show when it openned last week. So I went. I took in an evening that claimed that it was going to redefine theater for the future. That's a pretty bold statement. Not too far from one that was made by a theatre company during the Fringe Festival (something about a new paradigm of theatre, as I recall). Anyway, here's my synopsis in a nutshell...

The interactive parts of the show were an entertaining bit that involved the use of handheld digital devices that were programmed to send words up onto the screen from time to time. They were also supposed to allow you to select answers that the main character would occaisionally interact with as well. BUT, from teh very first answer, it was clear that her responses would be the same no matter what we'd answered. When audience-provided text hit the screen it was only taken semi-seriously, and pulled away from the show. Although, I'm not sure that's unfortunate. Why? Well, the lead actress (this is basically a one-woman show) was not good. The video clips that she interacted with weren't good either, but that's probably because she was the main character in those, too. The show was a sermon about liberal values, and the preachiness of it managed to turn me off, and I agree with almost everything that they're trying to sell.

It's sad that the whole thing couldn't have had a plot, had compelling characters, or something like that so that people in the audience would've identified with the liberal message rather than ramming it down our throats. OH! Did I mention that part of it was in 3-D? At least they made us wear the glasses. Can I say something here There is a spinning red lozenge that appears to almost be 3-d. Beyond that, nothing benefitted from wearing the glasses. In good 3-d (read: Disney's Philharmagica) it hurts the head to take the glasses off. This isn't good 3-d... take the glasses off. Side thing... I was seated in the $80 seats. All in all, I'd save the $80 toward a trip to Disney World and go see some really good 3-D. Skip this show altogether. If this is the new definition of theatre, then I'm changing careers right now.

-----Okay, no randomness today, it was just enough for me to get something written at all! Tune-in in a few days. After all, it is only 9 days until the applications for the 2006 Fringe Festival are put out there! Yay!

Day 11 -- The End

2005-08-15T11:08:00.000-05:00

Well, the Fringe Festival is done for the year. And, the final party has been held. We all got together at Fringeville and all the staff folks got up on stage to the ovations of the crowds. I nearly killed myself on the stairs on the way down from the stage (2nd time this year...not good).

I enjoyed the company of Fringers and Fringe Staffers, and enjoyed a couple of Summit Grands, too.

It was a nice evening, and one that I hope we will repeat next year at the end of the Fest.

Until then, I will be putting together some stats about my die rolling, and also my complete ranking of the shows that I saw. So, look for those over the next day or so.

Thanks for reading.

TTFN

Day 11 -- 8:30 p.m. Time Slot

2005-08-15T10:21:00.000-05:00

Show: We Make Porn Artsy

Company: Look Ma, We Wrote A Play
Venue: Women's Club
Die Roll: 12

The title for this play seems somehow fitting for a way to cap off the Fringe. In one sentence it says what the Fringe Festival can accomplish.

This is a play by a small group of High School, or just out of high school, girls. It is the story of girls who are in an art school and it is a slice-of-life play. Just as that it was pretty good. The girls were actually a bit better at the acting thing than many of the older adults that I've watched these past 11 days.

I really liked their method os doing scene changes. The fact that they talked and held random conversation in the darkness was actually quite a nice break from convention. The scenes themselves weren't always the most satisfying, but they were played truthfully, and had inherent humor.

I thought it was a nice end to the festival.

RATING: "d12 - A Heckuva Lotta Fun"

Day 11 -- 7:00 p.m. Time Slot

2005-08-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

You know, I was going to try to make it through the entire day without stopping or skipping a Time Slot, but when it comes down to it, food is important. I got myself a sub and unwound a bit. Rolled the dice and discovered my final show of the 2005 Fringe Festival...more on that in a minute.

Day 11 -- 5:30 Time Slot

2005-08-15T09:56:00.000-05:00

Show: Speechless
Company: Jessica Ferris
Venue: Red Eye
Die Roll: 20

One of the best things to come out of the Fringe this year was the sheer number of good people I met. One of them, Jessica Ferris. Jessica is very talented and uses that talent to the utmost in this show. Now, having read most of my other posts, you may have gathered that I'm not a fan of the one-man show under most circumstances. However, Jessica made her one-woman show well worth every moment. She played many characters, physically embodied each one entirely, and gave a moving performance and had my attnetion in its grasp non-stop.

She spoke different languages, used a method of storytelling that far surpassed just talking to the audience, and displayed an understnding of other people far beyond her years.

This woman is one of the best of the Fringe just by herself, mix that with her material, and it was a true treat.

RATING: "d20 - One of the Best"