Fringe 2019 - Top 20 - #11 - Which Middle Name of “Philip Seymour Hoffman” Are YOU? – alleged Theatre Co. (Jake Mierva, Danylo Loutchko) – Ritz Studio

Description - Get it? Cause ‘Seymour’ is his only middle name. It’s funny. Well, we thought so too, until we got in too deep. Far too deep. We need your help to take this internet quiz before we lose our minds.

This one’s a catch-up appointment for me.  I was all set to see alleged’s production Four Square at the beginning of May, and then I got a call that Mom had a brain tumor.  Obviously, the artists understood my needing to take a rain check on seeing their work.  But I was actually really curious to see the production, and their particular brand of theater.

This one is, of course, completely different, but I imagine their sensibility carries through from one production to the next.  The set-up certainly sounds equally oddball.  The press materials call it:

“an internet personality quiz in the form of a theatre performance.  Danylo and Jake (performers & creators) found this mysterious personality quiz on the internet and are trying to get the audience to take it as many times as possible during the show.  Working with the audience, they must somehow get the 'correct' result, otherwise the malicious and mysterious creator of this quiz will seek retribution.  Will they succeed?”

The bios of the performers on their Fringe show page gives a hint of their sense of humor:

Jake Mierva first met Philip Seymour Hoffman in his dreams at age 12. This was, of course, prior to him having seen any of his work. Hoffman told Mierva, "Don't you dare", and that's haunted him ever since. As of 2019, Jake's a big fan of "Boogie Nights.”

Danylo Loutchko (age 24, but doesn’t look it) knew who Philip Seymour Hoffman was before he knew who Truman Capote was. So when he read “In Cold Blood” in high school, he kept imagining that Philip Seymour Hoffman had written it. It was confusing. He also hopes one day he has an acting role that is as perfect and iconic as Philip Seymour Hoffman’s role in “The Big Lebowski.”

Philip Seymour Hoffman's profound quote, "I know I wasn't as handsome as some other guys, but I was OK with that" gave young Chris the confidence necessary to make it through those early years…

They’re weird, but also strangely endearing.  I’m going.

First show - Saturday, August 3, 2019, 2:30pm - Ritz Theater Studio



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Top 10 - #10 - SplitScreen – Sterling Melcher, Meg Kirchhoff – Crane

Description - Separated by time and space, Meg and Sterling have to find their way back to the center of the wild wild web. Through dance, theater, and video, help us rediscover who we are in this new digital landscape.

Further description from the More Information tab on their Fringe show page:

The audience and performer in Minneapolis, MN will be joined by an audience and performer somewhere in Philadelphia, PA.

Meg and Sterling are working to link their respective cities together through live video feed and bringing the public Philadelphia space into the Crane Theater’s more traditional venue.

By blurring the lines between public and private art, they are looking to investigate the uses of the ‘new town square,’ aka ‘the internet.’

There will be some elements of audience participation that allow the audience to effect or control some aspects of the show.

This idea sounds kinda nuts, but that’s kind of why I want to see how it works.

One performer live, with their audience, connected to their dance partner via video link through the internet.  Connecting Minneapolis to Philadelphia and vice versa.  Since I come from the Philadelphia area originally, I’m doubly intrigued by the whole concept.

Will half of the show seem “less” somehow?  And would it be the video half, or the live half?  They’ve been developing this for a while, even though they call it their first cross-country collaboration.  They must have found a way for it to work equally well whether you’re watching the performer right in front of you, or one half way across the country.  They must have found a way to work together, even though they’re separated by thousands of miles.

I just have to see it for myself.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the internet connection holds up.

First show - Friday, August 2, 2019, 7pm - Crane Theater


For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Top 20 - #12 - A Confederate Widow in Hell – Breaker/Fixer Productions (Willi Carlisle, Joseph Fletcher) – Southern

Description - After 150 years of waiting, a widow has returned to resolve her eternal fate. Armed with mementos from her past life, she faces the legacy of the American South in this irreverent, ghostly dramedy.

One of the scheduling regrets that Mom and I had in Fringe 2017 was missing Breaker/Fixer’s There Ain’t No More.  Friends whose opinions we trusted were raving about it, sometimes from the stage of their own Fringe shows.  And we saw their preview the night before the festival started that year and we really liked it.  I couldn’t even make it work on my remaining schedule after Mom left at her usual time, mid-Fringe.  Just missed it all the way around.

So this is a chance, at least for me, to rectify that this Fringe.  Honestly, if it was anyone else, the word "confederate" would be enough to turn me off these days.  But since it’s Breaker/Fixer, I’m giving it a look. 

Previous outings of this production have garnered reviews calling it “richly unsettling,” “powerful... worth seeking out,” and, just for good measure, “a whirlwind deconstruction of historical revisionism” (which I think puts my discomfort with “confederate” to rest).

Bring on the “ghostly possessions and prophetic visions.”

First show - Thursday, August 1, 2019, 7pm - Southern Theater


For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Top 10 - #9 - Mighty Real – Marvel Ann Theatre – Augsburg Main

Description - A piano bar. Closing time. The 50th anniversary of Stonewall. Five men of all ages will tell their comic, poignant, true-life tales creating a shared context of the journey so far. Then they'll probably sing!

I’m the first to admit I didn’t fully “get” Marvel Ann’s Vert-O-Graph last year.  But both Mom and I were amused, so they were always on the “worth another look” list.

And in a year I’m looking for more queer content, it makes sense to make another visit.

The More Information tab on their Fringe show page gives a bit more detail:

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall, Marvel Ann decided to look into the last half-century through the eyes of five actors ranging in age from 23 to 61 to see how the gay experience has changed, or stayed the same.  These are real-life tales told by actors playing themselves.  It is brutally honest at times, and downright hilarious at others, as these players share their experiences spanning the past 50 years. And then they are probably going to sing and dance a bit.

The press packet also shared:

This work is the compilation of five original storytelling pieces.  Director Raine Hokan has woven theses stories into one cohesive tale. All five of these performers are playing themselves in a hypothetical scenario whereby they all linger just after closing time in a local piano bar around a baby grand.

Like I said, worth another look.  So on the list they go.

Side Note - the title (in case you were wondering where it came from, I think this is it - one of the original gay anthems)

First show - Saturday, August 3, 2019, 2:30pm - Augsburg Mainstage



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Top 20 - #13 - Glass & Lady M. – Full Circle Theater (Lindsey Bushnell, Martha B. Johnson) – Dreamland Arts

Description: Two Pieces, One Compelling Vision: GLASS, a dystopian, feminist absurdist play by Lindsey Bushnell; and LADY M., a ritualistic re-imagining of Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene conceived by Martha B. Johnson

I became an instant fan of Full Circle Theater upon seeing their 2017 remix of Suzan-Lori Parks 365 Days/365 Plays.  So whatever they’re up to, I recommend.

This is an independent production running alongside the Fringe, but they wisely position themselves as being accessible in all senses at Dreamland Arts.  Also, their show (unlike some of the other independents) is standard Fringe length, at an hour, and tracks along the same scheduled times as other regular Fringe offerings.  So you don’t have to completely upend your schedule to fit them in.  If you haven’t already seen Full Circle Theater, this is a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with their work.

The two short plays are further described as follows:

Glass
Described by its playwright Lindsey Bushnell as “A Feminist Absurdist Play,” Glass is set in a dystopian world where four women are psychologically trapped and controlled behind glass by an unseen Man. Each woman is an archetype--nurturer (Apple Woman), housekeeper (Sweeping Woman), mother (Rocking Woman), and woman obsessed with body image (Too Woman)--and each has her own views of escape. Glass tackles gender, economic, and societal issues faced by women throughout the centuries.

Lady M.
Conceived by Martha B. Johnson, Lady M. is a reimagining of Lady Macbeth’s iconic sleepwalking scene (“Out, damned spot”) from Shakespeare’s Macbeth.  Using mythical and ritualistic theatrical techniques, this piece re-envisions Lady Macbeth’s profound remorse and guilt as a wake-up call for America to similarly acknowledge the problematic nature of American history, and to feel the humanizing power of remorse.

Seriously, check Full Circle out.

First show - Thursday, August 1, 2019, 8:30pm - Dreamland Arts



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Top 10 - #8 - Origin Story – Dying Theatre (Alex Goebel) – Crane

Description: Jett is 16, homeless, with a dark past and an alter ego. He dons a mask to fight a mysterious villain... and a forgotten trauma. But who saves a superhero? - Think "Curious Incident..." meets "The Dark Knight"!

Queer content, religious content, political content, new play, local artists, a different spin on the superhero genre.

OK, you got me.

Short description in the Fringe press packet says:

A fast-paced, action-packed epic about heroes, villains, and LGBT teen homelessness.

A longer write-up in the same materials says:

Jett is 16, finding himself alone on the streets with nowhere to go, unable to remember what forced him there. Everyday, he struggles just to survive. By night, he disappears behind a mask and an alter ego, fighting to save his best friend from the clutches of a mysterious villain who may also hold the key to Jett's past. But as time passes and reality wavers, the lines blur between good, evil, man, and hero. And Jett will face the question: Who saves a superhero? A new, fast-paced, ensemble show. A necessary epic. An untold story.

I’m super curious about this one (no pun intended).

First show - Friday, August 2, 2019, 10pm - Crane Theater



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Top 20 - #14 - Fool Muun Komming! [BeBgWunderful/ YEsyes/ 4sure.Hi5. TruLuv; Spank Spank: SOfun_Grate_Times] – Sam Kruger – Mixed Blood

Yeah, that's not a crazy typo, the full title is -

Fool Muun Komming! [BeBgWunderful/ YEsyes/ 4sure.Hi5. TruLuv; Spank Spank: SOfun_Grate_Times]

Description - Set inside a giant mass hallucination, an extraterrestrial being appears before humankind to present a gift, millennia in the making. Part sci-fi clown, part acid mime, part oddball love letter.

This artist’s Fringe preview was deeply strange, but I also had a really strong feeling that he knew exactly what he was doing.  And of course, there’s the weird title to go with the weird preview but, again, I think the guy knows exactly what he’s doing.  He’s actually a local artist, but he’s taken this solo show of his on the circuit already - he’s been around Canada and the UK, picking up multiple awards for comedy, solo performer and “pick of the Fringe” along the way.

From the More Information tab on his Fringe show page:

Performed with nothing more than whiplash physicality, kaleidoscopic imagination, and one plastic bag, Fool Muun Komming! (etc, etc) is the genre defying, multi-award winning debut solo show from Sam Kruger, about an alien, his asteroid spaceship, and the dreams they wish to share with you.

This show is described in reviews from other festivals as “hilarious, beautiful, sensual, absurdist… unconventional, unexpected, and unbelievably good… Intellectual, absurd, raunchy, poetic, adorable, and funny… agile and frenetic… a special and weird Fringe jewel.”

I honestly can’t describe the preview, other than it just made me feel weird, in a way I didn’t mind, drawing me in rather than repelling me.  So I’m going to give it a go.

You can give his Fringe preview performance a look for yourself here

And he also has a video trailer.

First show - Friday, August 2, 2019, 5:30pm - Mixed Blood Theatre


For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Top 10 - #7 - Moon River – Ducdame Theatre (Paige Quinlivan) – Ritz Studio

Description - In 1944, the moon disappeared from the sky. 16 years later, a greaser and a square are drawn together by fate in an homage to butch/femme identity that queers the fraught legacy of contemporary fantasy.

As a playwright myself, I love seeing new plays at Fringe time.  It’s where I run across things I love like the work Shelby Company does.  So the fact that this is a new play is a plus.  And the fact that it’s got queer content is another plus - in this case, a central lesbian couple around which the story revolves.  And the premise is fascinating.

But also, again, their Fringe preview really kicked ass.  I don’t think the three minute segment they presented is pulled directly from the play as is.  I think they pulled key lines and brief character interactions from different parts of the script and created a super sharp summary of basic relationships and key plot points that get the story started.  They might have even introduced the entire cast.  One snippet flowed right into the next in a way that was easy to follow and very intriguing.  It was a great way to sell the production in just under three minutes.  I wish all previews were this good *and* informative.

I’m really looking forward to seeing this show.  It was almost the very first thing I was going to see at the Fringe this year until my scheduling puzzle took a different turn.  But you could make it your opening night first Fringe show and beat me to it.

(Side note - the name of the theater company also grabbed me, because it's from my favorite Shakespeare play, As You Like It.  It's a joke that Jacques plays on the good Duke's merry men, getting them to sing lyrics to a song with words they don't understand.  They ask him what the word "ducdame" means, and he replies, "'Tis a Greek invocation, to call fools into a circle.")

First show - Thursday, August 1, 2019, 5:30pm - Ritz Theater Studio



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Schedule Day 6 - Tuesday, August 6, 2019

5:30pm - The Overview Effect - Octoberdandy Productions (Jen Scott, Eric Heiberg, Damian Johnson) - Strike Theater

7:00pm - Moon River - Ducdame Theatre (Paige Quinlivan) - Ritz Studio
(2019 Fringe Top 10, #7 - reasons why)

8:30pm - Sandcastles - Emma Wick - Ritz Studio

10:00pm - Bo and Howie Are DTF (Defining Their Friendship) - Bo (Kinney) and Howie (Hamlin) Have a Theater Company - Strike Theater

This is my first Fringe without Mom at my side, so I could use some company.

If you're planning on seeing any of these shows at these times and would like to join me, please do.   If you have my phone number, feel free to text or email me to coordinate.  If you have my email, send me a message.  If you don't have either, you can message me through facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Or, you know, just show up.  That works, too.  I'd welcome a friendly face (or two, or three) to help get me through this Fringe.  It's going to be tough.  Thanks.



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Schedule Day 5 - Monday, August 5, 2019

5:30pm - Chorus - Michael Rogers - Rarig Thrust

7:00pm - Fool Muun Komming! [BeBgWunderful/ YEsyes/ 4sure.Hi5. TruLuv; SpankSpank: SOfun_Grate_Times] - Sam Kruger - Mixed Blood Theater
(2019 Fringe Top 20, #14 - reasons why)

8:30pm - Stand Up Eight - Kingfisher Theatre Company (Heather Fones, Callista Wengel) - Theatre in the Round Players (TRP)

10:00pm - Mad As Nell: or How To Lose a Bly in Ten Days - Rinky Dink Productions (Josh Carson) - Rarig Thrust



This is my first Fringe without Mom at my side, so I could use some company.

If you're planning on seeing any of these shows at these times and would like to join me, please do.   If you have my phone number, feel free to text or email me to coordinate.  If you have my email, send me a message.  If you don't have either, you can message me through facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Or, you know, just show up.  That works, too.  I'd welcome a friendly face (or two, or three) to help get me through this Fringe.  It's going to be tough.  Thanks.



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Schedule Day 4 - Sunday, August 4, 2019

1:00pm - Ancient Future Division: Battle for the Existence Yeti - 5th Wheel Productions - Southern Theater
(2019 Fringe Top 20, #15 - reasons why)

2:30pm - Tess Jones, Space Archeologist - MDK Productions (Michael D. Krefting) - Rarig Arena

4:00pm - The Bisexual Unicorn and Other Mythological Creatures - Jena Young Productions - Theatre in the Round Players (TRP)

5:30pm - All Is Bright - Shelby Company - Mixed Blood Theater
(Returning Favorite from 2009-2014 - reasons why)

7:00pm - Quiet Riot - Broken Box Mime Theater - Augsburg Mainstage
(2019 Fringe Top 20, #17 - reasons why)

8:30pm - A Man’s Guide for Appropriate Behavior in the 21st Century - One T Productions (Scot Froelich) - Augsburg Studio

10:00pm - The Kid - Rachel Buhman - Augsburg Mainstage



This is my first Fringe without Mom at my side, so I could use some company.

If you're planning on seeing any of these shows at these times and would like to join me, please do.   If you have my phone number, feel free to text or email me to coordinate.  If you have my email, send me a message.  If you don't have either, you can message me through facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Or, you know, just show up.  That works, too.  I'd welcome a friendly face (or two, or three) to help get me through this Fringe.  It's going to be tough.  Thanks.



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Schedule Day 3 - Saturday, August 3, 2019

1:00pm - Size - Sommerville Productions - Theatre in the Round Players

2:30pm - Write Me A Song - The Salvage Project (Jeromy Darling) - Augsburg Studio
(I saw this twice the last time it was here)

4:00pm - Botanical Dancing - LC Creations (Lily Conforti) - Southern Theater
(2019 Fringe Top 10 #4 - reasons why)

5:30pm - A Confederate Widow In Hell - Breaker/Fixer Productions (Willi Carlisle, Joseph Fletcher) - Southern Theater
(2019 Fringe Top 20, #12 - reasons why)

7:00pm - Ploys for Ensemble Glitz and Crisis Actors - Toot - Southern Theater
(2019 Fringe Top 10 #3 - reasons why)

8:30pm - First Comes Love - Stephanie M. Hipple - Theatre in the Round Players
(2019 Fringe Top 10 #5 - reasons why)

10:00pm - A Cult Classic - Sheep Theater - Southern Theater



This is my first Fringe without Mom at my side, so I could use some company.

If you're planning on seeing any of these shows at these times and would like to join me, please do.   If you have my phone number, feel free to text or email me to coordinate.  If you have my email, send me a message.  If you don't have either, you can message me through facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Or, you know, just show up.  That works, too.  I'd welcome a friendly face (or two, or three) to help get me through this Fringe.  It's going to be tough.  Thanks.

For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Schedule Day 2 - Friday, August 2, 2019

5:30pm - Reclaiming My Time - Jezebel Theater Company (Callie Meiners) - Crane Theater

7:00pm - SplitScreen - Sterling Melcher and Meg Kirchhoff - Crane Theater
(2019 Fringe Top 10, #10 - reasons why)

8:30pm - A Tension To Detail - That's Enough Drama (Gerard Harris) - Ritz Theater Mainstage
(2019 Fringe Top 10 #1 - reasons why)

(or, honestly, you could stay at the Crane at 8:30pm and see You Are Cordially Invited to the Life and Death of Edward Lear - The Winding Sheet Outfit)

10:00pm - Origin Story - The Dying Theatre (Alex Goebel) - Crane Theater
(2019 Fringe Top 10, #8 - reasons why)


This is my first Fringe without Mom at my side, so I could use some company.

If you're planning on seeing any of these shows at these times and would like to join me, please do.   If you have my phone number, feel free to text or email me to coordinate.  If you have my email, send me a message.  If you don't have either, you can message me through facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Or, you know, just show up.  That works, too.  I'd welcome a friendly face (or two, or three) to help get me through this Fringe.  It's going to be tough.  Thanks.



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Schedule Day 1 - Thursday, August 1, 2019

5:30pm - Swords and Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign - The Bearded Company - Theatre In The Round Players (TRP)

7:00pm - Stoopidity - Ian McCarthy, Michael McKitt, Domino D'Lorion - Rarig Xperimental
(2019 Fringe Top 10 #2 - reasons why)

8:30pm - Get Thee Behind Me Santa: An Inexcusably Filthy Children’s Time-Travel Farce for Adults Only - Maximum Verbosity (phillip andrew bennett low) - Rarig Xperimental

10:00pm - Operation: Immigration - Wandering Jew Productions (Avi Aharoni) - Mixed Blood Theater


This is my first Fringe without Mom at my side, so I could use some company.

If you're planning on seeing any of these shows at these times and would like to join me, please do.   If you have my phone number, feel free to text or email me to coordinate.  If you have my email, send me a message.  If you don't have either, you can message me through facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Or, you know, just show up.  That works, too.  I'd welcome a friendly face (or two, or three) to help get me through this Fringe.  It's going to be tough.  Thanks.



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 Top 20 - #15 - Ancient Future Division: Battle for the Existence Yeti – Fifth Wheel Productions – Southern

Description - ANCIENT FUTURE DIVISION! GO! Follow the adventures of three trainee Time Rangers trying to escape paradoxes to defeat the cold-blooded Time Lizard and save existence!

Some further description -

Ancient Future Division was formed to fulfill a show obligation after another improv group fell through. From this inauspicious start, AFD seized the opportunity and their audiences. Combining madcap sci-fi elements with high energy and a sense of play on stage, AFD exudes fun throughout all of space-time whenever they take the stage.   In their new scripted show, AFD is excited to play in a bigger cardboard box to explore their imaginative ideas in ways that wouldn’t have been practical in improv; more characters, more puppets, more lizards.

This is another example of a Fringe preview doing a show some good.  There’s a whole bunch of different groups of improv comedy artists producing Fringe offerings this year, both scripted and unscripted.  This means a lot of potentially great material to choose from, since most improvisers know their stuff, and have been honing their craft for a little while (or a long while) in front of audiences already. 

You could make the argument that improv is the ultimate live performance because it’s not just a little different here and there each show - every performance is completely different from beginning to end, never the same twice, created and vanished in the same performance.  The ephemeral nature of improv might be why some improv artists also play around with scripted performance, as they’re doing here. 

But a lot of the time, because of the improv comedy roots, the script that results is often super-inventive, with twists and turns you might not expect, but still always emanating from the characters they’ve created.  (Think a Ferrari McSpeedy scripted Fringe show from years past.). So, solid, very funny, often weird storytelling.  And the artists doing the work have figured out a way to work together over time in their improv work that a random set of people brought together for a short rehearsal period don’t always have the luck to discover in their process.

That was the feel I got from this weird little time-traveling sci fi trio in their preview, which made me think it might be a fun change of pace for my schedule, and a way to start working improv into the mix.

Didn’t have a clue who they were before I saw them in previews, but what I saw piqued my curiosity, so what the hell.  They’re on the list.

First show - Friday, August 2, 2019, 7pm - Southern Theater




For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 Top 10 - #6 - Nerd Rage! The Great Debates – Wonder Dave and Komedio Comedy – Crane

Description - The funniest nerds to duke it out about he nerdy stuff you want debated! Batman vs Sailor Moon?! Which Disney Princess wins in a cage match?! Steven Universe vs Adventure Time?! Who makes the better boy band the Ninja Turtles or the Transformers?! It's up to you!

Way back when, when Laura Bidgood and Curt Lund were first hitting the Fringe stages and making a name for themselves, they had a show called Two Queers And A Chubby.  And queer number 2 was Wonder Dave Crady - spoken word artist and storyteller.  I developed a bit of an artistic nerd crush on Wonder Dave, bought some of his poetry, both on the page and recorded.  He moved out west to San Francisco a while back, but it looks like he’s coming for a visit (friends in tow) with this new Fringe show.

Further details from the More Information tab on their Fringe show page:

An evening of interactive comedy debates!  Have a nerdy debate you need settled once and for all? Bring your topics for suggestion! Join some of the nerdiest stand-up comics, writers, and even professional wrestlers for a raucous, no-holds-barred free-for-all, as they debate some of the biggest and hottest topics in all of geekdom. You decide the topics and we debate! All will be settled -- are you ready to rage?

While my brother would probably be a better audience for the nerd debates that make up this show, I’ll still know more than enough to get by.  And I already know I’m going to enjoy the company.  So I’m up for whatever Wonder Dave and his nerdy compatriots are serving.

First show - Thursday, August 1, 2019, 10pm - Crane Theater


For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 Top 20 - #16 - Beat. - W.A.R. Theater - Crane

Description: An adaptation of the true story of the murder that bonded and changed a generation of America's greatest writers.

I’ve missed both of W.A.R. Theater’s Fringe shows thus far, including their 2017 hit De Hjertelose.  I did catch their one non-Fringe outing so far, ben and trish, with mixed results. 

However, their Fringe preview for Beat. was impressive and strange (someone else I talked to the other day was equally baffled but intrigued by it).  It didn’t make a whole lot of sense out of context but it was a large number of bodies onstage working tightly in unison, incorporating movement, music, simple costumes and acting to evoke a feeling and compel those watching.  It had a very “Transatlantic Love Affair” feel to it.  That’s a high bar, but I like them shooting for it.

Their expanded synopsis of the show makes the case:

“Jack Kerouac. William S. Burroughs. Allen Ginsberg. Three of the greatest American writers...and the dark, shared secret of their youth.

Based off of text, letters, and journal entries that have only recently come to light, "Beat." tells the complicated story of Lucien Carr and David Kammerer, whose murder rocked the friendship group of ‘The Beat Writers’ and scandalized the nation. Utilizing ensemble-created movement, original music, and rhythmic poetry, "Beat." asks the question - when our complicated lives end, who gets to tell our story?”
(Apparently, in this case, these folks get to tell the story.)

The whole concept of “newfound murder mystery in the midst of a group of cultural figures we think we already know well” is enticing.  So they’re on the list.

Side note: Could someone explain to me what “Channeling the W.A.R. of the individual to serve the community" means?  It’s their company tag line but try as I might, I can’t find something online that tells me what the W.A.R. stands for.

First show - Thursday, August 1, 2019, 7pm - Crane Theater



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 Top 10 - #5 - First Comes Love - Stephanie M. Hipple - TRP

Description: Out of tragedy, beauty can sometimes follow. A tender memory piece that reflects on the 2016 shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, the deadliest incident of violence against LGBTQIA people in US History.

Given my current situation, this choice might seem counter-intuitive.  A play about those lost in the Pulse Nightclub massacre, sure, that’ll cheer me up.  A theatrical memorial, sure, that’s not risky.  But this also falls in the category of watching a lot of shows with queer content this year.  And it’s about remembering that those killed were people, not statistics in another mass shooting - also that they were human beings, being gay didn’t make them any less so.  It’s why they and Pulse were targeted, so we should acknowledge that, and push back, by spending time remembering who they were, and keeping their memory alive.

In the publicity packet the Fringe provides, the artist said the following (a variation of the write-up on the More Information tab of their Fringe show page):

Homeless, the playwright visited Lake Eola, which was a memorial site for those lost and injured at Pulse, the week of the shooting.  She arrived at 10:30 at night, after the memorial service was done.  Around the edge of the lake were foot-high candles, about 4 feet apart.  Just offshore, out on the water in front of each candle, there was a swan afloat with its head bowed.  Which is very unusual, since the swans of Lake Eola normally retire at sundown.  But there they were, one swan, afloat, facing each candle on shore, as far as the eye could see.  In her grief, the playwright knew that the swans of Lake Eola were standing sentry and comforting those souls lost.  They knew, they felt, they understood.
The Fringe preview had a similar feel to that anecdote, quiet grace and comfort, and featured one of the performers from The Womyn’s Mysteries which Mom enjoyed so much in last year’s Fringe.  So that’s another plus.

I’m very curious to see how this concept manifests itself.

First show - Saturday, August 3, 2019, 8:30pm - Theatre In The Round Players (TRP)



For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, But You Probably Should

Here's a list of links to entries about Fringe 2019 shows that, due to the unusual circumstances of the Fringe for me this year, I don't have the emotional strength to deal with.  But they're still very good shows, with quality artists, and in any other year I would be seeing them.  This is just not that year.

First, an explanation of why this year is different...

Dear 2019 Fringe, It's Not You, It's Me

Then a list of the shows I can't process right now, but should be just fine for anyone not in my position (i.e., nearly all the rest of you) - (alphabetical by show titled, updated as I post new entries):

Cat Confidential: The Secret Lives of the Mothers of Lions

Visitation





For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)

Fringe 2019 - Returning Favorites

Here's a collection of links to all the entries about old friends from past years' Top 10 and Top 20 list who I'm excited to see coming back again for Fringe 2019 (updated as I post new entries):

All Is Bright - Shelby Company

For a quick list of links to my other postings, check out my Top 10 and Top 11-20 new Fringe artists to check out for Fringe 2019.  There's also Returning Favorites, and Fringe Shows I Just Can't Watch Right Now, but You Probably Should.  If you want to keep me company, during my first Fringe without Mom, I'll be posting my schedule here.  Also, here's some links if you want to hit all the Fringe 2019 blog posts, or see the full Fringe Archive from years past (just keep scrolling down, or hit the different years in the archive listing for the full blog on the right side of the screen and zero in on July and August)