Fringe

On behalf of the Conveyor I wish to send out a big thank you to everyone writing on the Fringe Blog, everyone writing reviews, to all of the performers, the volunteers, the staff and the audiences!

The Pick of Fringe was announced last night:
Audience Picks of the Fringe
Don't Make Me Pull This Show Over: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Parenting
(R3 Productions)

Body Language: A Radical Truth
(True Body Project)

Critics' Pick of the Fringe
Oatmeal and a Cigarette
(Bad Dog! Productions)

Producers' Pick of the Fringe
Mortem Capiendum
(Four Humors Theatre)

Somehow I survived Fringioke with my vocal chords intact. Today I'm pulling myself out of bed early (it's not 9 AM yet!) and I am preparing to feast upon the LAST DAY OF FRINGE. That's supposed to sound monumental. The all caps just quite portray the level of importance this fact entails. You must get prepared with me as well. Chances are few, but the experiences of the LAST DAY OF FRINGE will stay with you forever, kinda like the Chicken Pox.

During the course of the Fringe, you'll go through waves of temporary insanity caused by stress, depression, anxiety, and exhaustion. These are balanced by waves of joy, excitement, satisfaction and pride. It's a lot to deal with in 12 short days and it effects people in interesting ways. Dreaming is one of them.

Let’s get a few things straight before I go any further. Number one, if you want to see this show, call now to reserve tickets. No, seriously-right now. Opening night was sold out and then some. If you do not heed this advice, you will miss this show. And that’s a shame.

Number two. Dress in layers. With the air on, Know Theatre’s performance space is an icebox. The woman next to me had on a parka. But when the A/C kicks off, you will want to remove something (but keep it clean, people). Moving on.

I'm Alex and I'm a Venue Technician over at the Art Academy with two shows; Letters at Large and Burning Man Redux, as well as the Film Fringe coming this weekend. If you haven't yet stop by and say hi! I'm proud to say this is my fourth year with the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, and boy it sure doesn't seem that long!

I hope everyone has been having a great time this year at the Fringe. The weather has been awful the past two days but I've been really impressed to see some great audiences trudging in through the rain! Kudos to the die hard Fringe Fans!

What happens when you add a May Festival mystique to a Fringe show?

Performance Gallery has created a Sound Poetry piece put forth in the form of a classical musical concert complete with music stands and formal black and white attire. The performance consists of four works where each work has a short interlude with the audience applauding as if the CSO had just finished all of Stravinsky's Right of Spring. It came across as a subtle homage to a Music Hall concert change in between musical pieces when the orchestra is reconfigured for the next work, where the music stands need to be in certain places to make sure the 1st Cello isn't upstaged the 2nd Cello.

I gotta give the Oatmeal and a Cigarette team a double woot: first for having their own blog (above and beyond their own website), second for having the OAC Hearts OTR stickers. Over the Rhine is a great place and great beer. So Woot! Woot!

Akiva is exposed. Alison Vodnoy's character starts the show before it starts by appearing on stage dressed in the layers of clothing from each of the loves of her past. She ritualistically peels off each layer until she is nothing but herself in the form of a dancer.

Act one of the piece is Akiva making her case for why she hasn't found the right person to love, going through her lovers one by one, tearing them down piece by piece, with a hilariously soft viciousness. She faces challenges from her Psychiatrist and opens the door to her own faults.

The Festival is now 50% complete. We all know that 50% is an important percentage. We are now over half way through the Festival and no clear winner has emerged in the race for Audience Pick Of The Fringe. If you have not yet voted, make sure your vote is counted. Fill out your Pick of The Fringe ballot (make sure you include your name - demographic info would also be helpful, but is not required) so that your vote can be counted.