Monday, February 16, 2009

Fringe 2009 - The Number 81

To start the 5th Annual Fringe Lottery coverage off on a completely random note...

The day of the Fringe Lottery this year is also my father's 81st birthday (Happy Birthday, Dad! - well, he doesn't read blogs, but it's the thought that counts)

So, I thought, let's check out ping pong ball #81, and the 81st ping pong ball drawn for the schedule, and the 81st place on the current wait list. And so...

Ping Pong Ball #81 was...

National artist applicant David Gaines, from Virginia

The title was TBD, but the concept kicks ass... "One man performs the epic story of the film 'Seven Samurai' complete with peasants, bandits and spectacular final fight scene, using only movement, masks and vocal sounds."

Sadly, this is one of the many things we probably *won't* be seeing in the Minnesota Fringe Festival this year, as ping pong ball #81 was drawn pretty close to dead last - position 147 on a waiting list of 161. Sigh.

Lucky 81 to be drawn for the schedule was...

Ping pong ball 294 - WorkHorse Theatre, from Minnesota

(OK, seriously? We've already got a Workhouse, and a Workhaus, and now there's a WorkHorse? Are the people who name theaters in town just trying to get my head to explode. Oh well...)

WorkHorse's work-ing title - CB and Sheave Take the Bus, described as "CB and Sheave don't take the bus."

The still possible, if tenuous, 81st spot on the the wait list is currently occupied by

Ping pong ball 306 - Rainy Day Cabaret, from Minnesota

Title - Mixed Bull
Description - The work of two choreographers drawing from separate archives of material creating an evening of madcap ideas and mixed dance styles.

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