Fringe 2009 - Top 20 - #17 - That Chair Was My Wife

If you removed that gun from my head and I could see another 10 Fringe shows, what would they be and why?

#17

Deaf Blender Theatre

That Chair Was My Wife

So many chairs, so little time: A furniture salesman struggles in his extremely unhealthy obsession with chairs.

That Chair Was My Wife explores a few themes: sexual addiction, power, and the all-consuming need to connect. For the playwright Raymond Luczak, the show was inspired by an actor friend who, one day at breakfast, slid into a chair opposite him and jokingly cooed, 'Oooh, this chair makes me feel so sexy!'

News reports of people arrested for having sex with objects (a patio table, a bicycle, etc.) published over the years indicate that the show's premise isn't too far removed from reality.

OK, let's try this again...

A couple of Fringes ago, I was really looking forward to Raymond Luczak's play "I Never Slept With Helen Keller" but that production came apart late in the game, so the Fringe show never came to pass.

But now he's back again with Deaf Blender Theatre...

"Deaf Blender Theatre company believes in encouraging Deaf and hearing people to work together staging American Sign Language (ASL)-oriented productions in the Twin Cities. Deaf Blender plans to both produce new works and adapt older works into ASL and it is particularly interested in presenting stories from within the Deaf community through its work whenever possible. The company is pleased to work with people whose signing skills range from beginner to ASL-fluent, and as well as with those whose theater experience falls somewhere between usher and producer."

Deaf blender (dĕf • blĕn'd r) n.

1. A literary or other artistic event specifically designed to appeal to the senses and sensibilities of both Deaf and hearing communities.

2. Deaf Blender A theatre company based in the Twin Cities which presents this type of artistic experience exclusively.

I shall contain my excitement this time until I actually get to see it. But it still leaps up in the Top 20 list.

In fact...

(Fingers crossed)

...it's the first show I'm seeing the Fringe this year. Thursday, July 30th. 5:30.

Care to join me and Mom?

Their website - www.deafblender.org

Their show page

Their video trailer