*queep*

Phillip Low, writer
All Right's Reserved: A Libertarian Rage
Center for Independent Artists, 8/29/08
Leading up to the RNC, I've talked to Democrats, Republicans, Independence Party, elected officials, candidates, dancing tweens and MoveOn.org members. Perhaps I was prepared to talk to Liberertarians libertarians. Phillip Low remounted his Fringe show All Rights Reserved: A Libertarian Rage, back in it's hour-and-a-half original format. It was part of two shows loosely built around the theme Rolling Out the Welcome Mat: Artists Respond to the Republican National Convention. More on that in a bit.

I was a libertarian, briefly, early on in the Reagan administration. For a while libertarians were conservative about the military and economic issues and liberal about social values and the environment. Then the small-l-libertarians got hijacked by the Survivalists to become the capital-L-Libertarians which were mainly tax-dodging gun nuts. I can safely ignore (and make fun of) Libertarians but my libertarian leanings come out now and again.

Phillip Low, excuse me, phillip andrew bennett low, has crafted a show tries to offend everyone and probably won't offend anyone who hasn't already been put off by the title of the show. "Is it too early to make fun of ____?" asks the opening song, with subjects ranging from 9/11 to global warming. "Bleep no!" is the work safe answer.

Low is concerned that someone might try to shut him up, and the rage is set in three acts: Language and Politics, Language and Art and Language and Religion. (The latter section was mostly cut out for the Fringe.) He doesn't really care what you say but he'll defend to your death the right to say it. The acting is sharp, the songs are nicely sung and the politics are nicely slung. Everyone plays multiple parts, wandering around in underwear or going to peace rallies or waving guns.

One of the best sketches is the most heavy handed: The Mayor of Zombietown. Two unctuous zombies are running for mayor, and the only human in the race is nearly shut out. The two major party candidates smoothly thank the moderator and the organizers of the event as they explain their plans to most efficiently eat people. The third party candidate, aghast that no one is standing up to the zombies, interrupts and rages and produces pie charts. The outcome of the election is... well, you'll have to see that yourself.


Courney McLean, in both shows
against some unused murals, Center for Independent Artists 8/29/08
The audience was small, but the cast gave it their all anyway. They'll be playing two more nights at the Center for Independent Artists, the mural-laden building at 42nd and Bloomington. If you liked the Fringe, you should go. If you want a dash of inoculation for the RNC, this will sit well.

The second show of the evening was The Rockstar Storytellers. They are a group of 12 excellent performers rotating their rants/songs for a different show every time. Tonight had Low telling a ghost story, Courtney McLean (above), who was in the Libertarian Rage, in a monologue, and two of my favorite political musicians, The Prince Myshkins of The Nonsense Company, doing songs old and new. Loads of fun. Again, recommended.

The Nonsense Company will be reprising last year's Fringe show Great Hymn of Thanksgiving/Conversation Storm which is amazing and has to be seen. It will be at the Bedlam Theater, which had served as Fringe Central for the 2008 MN Fringe, at various times Aug. 31-Sept. 6. Check their site for times.

The Bedlam Theater will be hosting other performances as well. One of the few acts that might pull me away from being at the RNC would be Roy Zimmerman and the Prince Myshkins. Roy is one of the great political songwriters of our time, and is always on target. He's a fast and facile writer who will have things to say about events that haven't happened yet but will have by Monday.

More pictures when I post the podcast of the last couple of days worth of interviews, probably later today.

The 2008 Minnesota Fringe Festival: Rolling Along is the second of three (most likely) podcasts featuring Fringers.

The cast of “Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead
Bartender/Set Designer at Theatre de Jeune Lune
Debra Constantine, “White Bread”
Henry Epp, “My Hovercraft is Full of Eels”
Jason Ballweber, “The Spaceman Chronicles”
The cast of “Deviants”

I'll update the Fringe page ASAP. ETA: Done.

Day 11

The last day of the Minnesota Fringe started early and ended early. A B+ day, overall. I took in three shows at the Rarig, all three on recommendations and I was expecting all three to be good, and was only disappointed in one.

39 Fringe show, 17 interviews (so far), two news reports on KFAI (so far) and one podcast (so far; definitely more coming). More later.

In the meantime, the Rarig is a great place to Fringe but a lousy place to catch performers for pictures, so I didn't get any. So here are three zombie pictures:


David Pisa as a zombie in Shakespeare's Land of the Dead
Fringe For All 7/21/08
(mp3 of interview with David Pisa from 2006 re 1926 Pleasant))


Co-artistic Directors of the Walking Shadow Theater Company
l-r: John Heimbuch (Shakespeare), David Pisa (see above), Amy Rummenie (director)
Southern Theater after a completely different show 8/7/08


Matt Foster, Communications Director for the Fringe
Technically not a zombie in the Elizabethan sense
but the Fringe staff got pretty fried near the end
Intermedia Arts, 8/9/08
10.01 Post 9.11: Laughter In The Aftermath ** 1/2

Might have been funnier in 2003

Painfully bad opening skits drag down the better material at the end. The parody of "The Raven" nearly worked, though the only really good sketch was the last one, "Terrorism's Gays" with the Rev. Graham Cracker and some flaming stereotypes. Two and a half stars rounded down for stale political references.

This came very close to being my first really bad show, but the last skit had people rolling in the aisles. Like Republicans, Fringers have a short memory and the end justified the means.

The Nosdrahchir Sisters *** 1/2

"Stop! You're running over my tail!"

Innocent waifs inhabit a quirky world and invite the audience. Kids won't get the music cues, but they'll enjoy watching the silliness. Three and a half stars rounded up for using the Arena Theater's multi-level stage.

A lot of people liked this a great deal more than I did. The two women were cute and fun to watch, like Melissa McNamara in Leaving Normal. The laughs were genuine and some of the situations worked better than others. If you see them, you'll enjoy yourselves. The kids in the audience sure did.

An Inconvenient Squirrel **** 1/2

"Too much cellulose."

Silly and unpretentious. The squirrels are what they are... except for one ugly duckling who says "I think I can!" So when Blofeld comes on with his plan to... hmm... I better not say any more. The show is consistently funny and well-paced for kids and the inner kid in most of us. Four and a half stars rounded up because it was the last of 39 Fringe shows I saw and I'm thankful to end on a strong note.

Whee!

Reflections, more pictures and maybe some audio tomorrow.

Day 9


Long-time Fringer wearing all the buttons and showing her ticket
waiting for "This Play Is Trash"
Arena Theater, U of M 8/7/08
By one informal measure, I hit a Fringe wall: I managed to miscount the number of Fringes seen. Not a big deal, but when that happens, usually in the second week, it's time to slow down. I was scheduled to see five Fringes today, but between the Vikings game and the attempt to schedule shows in different venues to tidy up I pooped out after the third one. I'm sitting here watching Monk rather than a dance show, mellowing out and typing reviews.

I don't even have time to do another Fringe podcast...

On the other hand, all three shows I saw today were good, ranging to great.

Red Tide *** 1/2

"I wear second hand bras, you bitch!"


Red Tide
Ootie Fest, 7/30/08
Well acted story that slides up and around the timeline. Everyone demands the truth and no one gets it. The characters verge on likability but always skitter away just when you think there might be something salvageable. Three and a half kitties, rounded up for all the breast fondling.

Only half-kidding about the breast fondling. To be sure, there was some. The show is not for kids. It was sometimes hard to follow the interwoven stories, but that was secondary to watching everyone on stage self-destruct. This is the type of thing I usually don't like -- unpleasant people doing unpleasant things -- but there were enough odd twists and a bit of depth to the characters that kept me interested.

The Gypsy and the General ****

A Journey

Astonishingly staged production that changes the definition of "up". With just a few props, minimal lighting cues and a live singer, the show morphs not just the location but the locale. The plot is thin, though effectively presented, and the performance only lasts 45 minutes, so it almost loses a kitty but I had too much fun so it stays at four.

A lot of people liked this more than me. There is a lot to like. If you're into stagecraft this is a must see. If you follow the 3 Sticks company you won't be disappointed. I was expecting more.

The Mistress Cycle *****

The Female Equivalent of "Kept Man"

Of the shows I've seen, The Mistress Cycle is easily the most professional -- and least Fringy. Five women slip in and out of historical characters to chronicle their lives, loves and loves lost. The acting is superb, the singing operatic. The script manages to avoid preaching while telling stories from a uniquely female point of view. Kudos to the piano player as well, as the music is nearly continuous.

This is the kind of play that could never have been performed fifty years ago, been scandalous forty years ago, would have played to packed Gyno-American audiences thirty years ago, and could easily have descended to whiny pseudo-feminism in more recent stagings. The Mistress Cycle has just a minimal amount of male-bashing and makes the point many times over that these women (with a few exceptions) could just say "no" to the relationships. I was hearing The Roches "The Married Men" in my head...

Today is another Total Immersion Fringe day, as I'm scheduled to see four shows: Leaving Normal at 5:30, Sun Tzu's, the Art of War at 7:00, This Play Is Trash at 8:30, all at the Rarig, and if I have anything left over it's a jaunt over to the Southern to see Gone, Gone, Gone at 10:00. In the meantime here are a few of the shots from in and around the Fringe.


Allegra Lingo holds up an elusive find:
Two packets of Fringe buttons that contain all six designs!
Ootie Fest, 7/30/08
Meanwhile, at the Bedlam Theater, two floors above and several days later...


Phillip Low's Brad Pitt Moment
Low, posing as the superstar he may become, on the roof of the Bedlam Theater
Downtown Mpls in the background, 8/5/08
Meanwhile, several blocks away at the halfway point of the Fringe...


Perusing the vast array of postcards and such for Fringe shows
Rarig Center, U of M 8/6/08

Palmer's Bar, 5th & Cedar, Mpls
whilst traveling with dreamshark and Richard to a Fringe show, 8/2/08
This was taken in the early evening with the spotlights on, giving an ethereal effect. I don't recall ever going in Palmer's Bar but it's been a West Bank institution for as long as I can remember.

The bar is between the Bedlam Theater, functioning as Fringe Central for the 2008 Minnesota Fringe Festival, and the venues at the U of M's Rarig Center. dreamshark and Richard were cycling, but we "joined forces" and passed by.

Palmer's is the Northernmost establishment on the block. All the buildings on that side of Cedar between 5th and 6th are connected (and presumably share a common basement). As I was taking a different route between Bedlam and the U, on the 6th St. side of Cedar I passed by


Sgt. Pepper mural at approximately 6th & Cedar, Mpls
whilst taking a different route to a Fringe show, 8/4/08
Aside: The guy on the lower right was carrying his severely damaged bicycle to the Hub. We had talked briefly closer to Bedlam, but by this time it was clear where he was going and that a hand would be helpful. I carried his tires to the corner, then bid him adieu. He's a Fringer, and we may meet, and he may tell me the story of how the damage occurred.

Day 5

A pacing day that started by finishing up a Shockwave Radio Theater podcast about the Fringe, morphed into a hot afternoon and ended with two strong shows.

The Visitor, or From Here to Angina ** 1/2

Needs More Klezmer

Two short adaptations of Chekhov plays with the common theme of marriage proposals and heart attacks. Mildly amusing and short for the usual BLB slot. The klezmer band was the best part, rounding it up to three kitties, and more would have been appreciated.


Klezmer band at The Visitor
Bryant-Lake Bowl, 8/4/08
Oh, I really wanted to like this one. I met the director at the Ootie Fest, and it turns out she and my cousin Joy were friends in San Francisco. Plus, it's two Checkhov comedies. Alas, the acting was mediocre and the plays didn't work well. The costumes and sets were very nice, and the band was great. Both plays built to some amusing scenes but it's an archetypal two-and-a-half star show: I don't regret going but it's no better than okay.

A Royal Birthday Mess *****

For Your Inner 8-year-old

This is a kids show, and probably works best when you're about 8. Fortunately, I still am. It's His Majesty's birthday, and the servants are well-meaning but not really up to the job without lots of help from the audience. The balloons are used for tickling, the table manners are unconventional and the giraffe wasn't invited. The kid in me wants to give it five kitties but the adult in me... aw, what the heck.

Musical the Musical *****

Rebuilding the Fourth Wall

Self-referential, raunchy, tuneful and very funny when you can hear the dialog. I like musicals, and I also like shows that tear apart genres in a loving yet disrespectful manner generating lots of laughs. Go fig. On Broadway, The Drowsy Chaperone earned a Tony nomination. For the Fringe, five kitties is the honor.

Saw this with joshuwain and Todd, with purplesquirrel in the next row. We compared notes before the show, and afterwards chuckled together before the latter two and I headed back to the Bedlam Theater to disperse. Todd sees a staggering amount of Fringes -- he saw 41 last year -- while working full time. Yes, we're all crazy to do this.

One of my standard Fringe techniques is to pick a show I want to see and schedule a show in the same venue either before or after. This way, I avoid burn out by reducing travel stress and see a semi-random assortment of Fringes. Boy, I've been extraordinarily lucky this year, or maybe I'm a better guesser. Four times (out of five days) the choreographed show was as good or better than the targeted show.

After two light, three Fringe, days, I'm seeing four tonight. We'll see if my luck holds.

Tim Mooney (as Charles) at the Ootie Fest 7/31/08

Karaoke Knights - A One Man Rock Opera ****

Multi-level Characterization

Extraordinary character studies of karaoke contestants. Tim Mooney establishes characters in a few seconds so he can delve into the psyches of people you just met. Meanwhile, the karaoke teleprompter is kissin' cousins with "The Word" graphic on The Colbert Report. The karaoke contest is typical, but the songs that play inside Karaoke Knights are original and revealing. The venue is not ideal for the Fringe, and some of the fun is watching Tim play against the bar. I bought the CD and look forward to reliving the music.

Tim's been coming from the Fringe for several years now, and I've had him on Shockwave, broadcast and podcast, several times. This show was really pretty neat, from a conceptual point of view. It was loads of fun watching him slip in and out of six (I think) characters, sometimes one line at a time, while also watching the screen to see what snarky comments it was going to make. While the songs are good, Tim's a better actor than singer and he was best at the old blues guy (pictured above) and other emotive bits.

The service at McMahon's was terrible. The food and drink were okay, when I eventually got it, and the waitress claimed she left my tab on the table but I looked and never found it, so had to pay up at the bar, eventually. The crowd was small but enthusiastic. The other bar patrons were sometimes a bit more enthusiastic. I suspect this will be one of the Spinal Tap-level bad gig stories for Tim.

I enjoyed the show, and would recommend going over there if you don't have anything scheduled afterward (it ran a little longer than 60 min), but planning to eat at the bar is an iffy proposition.

A successful day, with unexpected pleasures and a mistake that turned out okay. I had five shows scheduled, in clumps. Two in the same venue starting at 1pm, a break, two more in the same venue, another break, then a fifth show in the closest venue, which I would walk to. The fifth one was always iffy. Ah, but it got more interesting.

The for evening shows, I met up with dreamshark and Richard, and we saw two great Fringes! As has been the case several times, the one I was sure would be good was, and the show following that turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Then, after eating dinner at the Bedlam Theater (Fringe Central) and mulling over whether to go to the fifth show or not, I got directions to the theater, and decided to try for it. Parking was difficult downtown, and I barely made it. I'm glad I did that show in the last slot. But... when I got home I discovered that I had completely spaced the show I had scheduled. *whew* I was lucky the show was on when I got there, and am luckier that the show I missed can be made up tomorrow, with only a little juggling. Now that I've rambled, here are the Day 3 reviews as posted on the Fringe web site, with LJ comments. (And I spoke with the Fringe's web guy, who says you can use quotes in the title of the review. Many of my titles are lines pulled from the play, and can finally use the quotes, and maybe they'll go back and put them in the reviews I've already done.)

Among the Oats **

Contemplating Mortality From A Box

Dreams and elections in a box of oatmeal 22 steps wide. Well acted absurdist bickering has some good moments but never really comes together.

My Hovercraft is Full of Eels ****

Ringing the Liberty Bell March

High School kids do some of my favorite Monty Python bits, with original animations. While uneven, I got caught up in it and laughed and clapped rhythmically with family members. The live band rounds them up to four stars.

I was amazed that High School kids were so much into Monty Python. I did an interviews with the 18-year-old who did the adaption. The kids didn't get it all right -- the sketches were blackouts, not the no-punchline flow of the circus -- but I was laughing as much as I was watching them do material that they clearly loved.

The Cody Rivers Show Presents: Stick to Glue *****

Every Finger Choreographed

The Cody Rivers Show is brilliant as usual. On a bare stage with two stools. two people create an office, an alien landscape, and a ton of laughs. They never stop, and one sketch abruptly becomes the next, perhaps to be referenced later. More dance than comedy and more cerebral comedy than you think can fit in the time slot. How DO they remember all that?

One of the sketches was a long segment of them saying sentences backwards. I only caught some of it, of course. I wish they'd release a record/mp3 so we could listen over and over...

Mortem Capiendum *****

"Don't make beautiful things dirty"

Hysterically funny send-up of a Depression-era Medicine Show. The con men squeeze an amazing amount of laughs from their attempts to separate you from your money, and from capturing the devil. Sometimes metaphysical and sometimes on the dark side, the show is well-written and superbly acted.

dreamshark liked this better than Cody Rivers, and I admit it probably had more yuks per minute, but it kept hitting all my buttons: Unlikable people doing unlikable things. There was overlap with The Spaceman Chronicles, which I didn't like. That I laughed a lot and gave it five stars is a great honor.

Herocycle ***

"Watch him fly"

The many lives and near deaths of Evel Knievel are related by an aerial trio who swoop and hang in all manner of positions. The biography works, but less successful is the attempt to make him a hero in the Joseph Campbell sense.

Thirteen Fringes, counting a dress rehearsal but not counting the showcases, and four of them got the coveted five star rating (though one was really four and a half, but the web site only allows whole numbered stars). Three four star ratings. That's a remarkable start, with more to come.

A good start: Two plays featuring science/science fiction on the radio bracketed two musicals. All but the first were really good, with the last one being the best. Note: Unlike previous years, the Fringe only allows full star ratings, and you can't give a show **** 1/2. This forces some rounding, which I'll mention here on LJ but not necessarily on the Fringe site.

The Spaceman Chronicles **

"0900 AM-ish"

Some good laughs and a dash of pathos in a story of a man's dream and how it affects his son's hope of being a spaceman. The shadow puppetry is good.

Audish ****

Monty Python Does A Chorus Line

The kids are talented actors and remarkable singers. The show is fun and strange, full of whimsey with a cynical but all-too hard-boiled view of show business.

Great American Horror Movie Musical ****

Recreating MTV

The show recreates several 80s music videos around a plot dealing with the search for serial killer Eric Rudolph. Often very funny and the familiar music is well done.

War of Worlds: The Musical - A Tribute to Old-Time Radio *****

"Who's Off First"

Several 30's radio genres get sliced and diced. The routines are sharp, the situations are funny, the repartee is tight and the ensemble singing is marvelous. Oh, and the Martians are fun too. W. G. Herbert... er, HG Wells would be pleased.

LJ Note: Really **** 1/2 stars, but it was the best show of the evening so I rounded up. I've written plays with similar tropes and we tackled the story head on with Warp of the Worlds, the 1982 Minicon Live Stage Show. But Shockwave Radio didn't do musicals. This show was about a radio show, and not aimed at making an actual audio recording, so they could do a lot more. And they did.

Saw three of the shows with freeimprov, who was taking official Fringe pictures. Did several interviews and such. Podcast coming soon. Whee! It has begun!