Fringe 2004 Early Buzz - Top 10 - The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
 
If You Held A Gun To My Head (2 of 10)
...or If I Could Only See Ten Fringe Shows...
...what would they be, and why?  
 
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
Claire Simonson
Intermedia Arts 
  
Yes, the title's a mouthful, but worth wrapping your head around.  Don't let the multisyllabic words scare you off.  Any show proudly featuring the devil ducky can't be taking itself too seriously.  It's as human and accessible a show as you're likely to find at this year's Fringe.
 
Claire may be new to the Fringe, but she's no stranger to either stage (Red Eye, Jeune Lune, Three Legged Race, Patrick's Cabaret, and Vulva Riot to name a few) or screen (her films have been part of Walker Art Center's "Women with Vision" series three times, plus Portland Oregon's Film Center, and the Nashville Independent Film Festival).
 
Now she returns to the stage, combining her two loves into a multi-media one person show that is the best of both worlds.  One adds to and builds on, rather than distracts from, the other, making for a fuller experience that one or the other alone couldn't offer. 
 
She's a clever wordsmith and sly performer who intrigues you without ever giving the impression she's trying too hard.  It's all in the performance, not drawing attention to her considerable bag of tricks, even as she executes one after another.
 
I've seen an excerpt of this and it's great fun.  I'm very much looking forward to seeing the thing in its entirety.  
 
(For more of my writing - plays, past blog entries and more - visit www.matthewaeverett.com)