Day 9 -- The Beginning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Day 4 -- 1 p.m. Time Slot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"