Month: June 2009

Fringe festivals are the perfect events that give productions like “7(x1) Samurai” a chance to shine and be appreciated. David Gains out does everyone in the audience with his energy and focus. He can stop on a dime with one character and slip into another without dropping a beat. He is as humors a Buster Keaton movie, but is as Graceful as Gene Kelly playing the Road Runner.

This show was a near sellout on opening night and at the second performance added 50 seats to the original 75 seat set up.

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“DEATH be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so, ” (John Donne)

Continue reading “Fringe Review: Gravesongs”

I like food. I like sex. “4 Food Groups” by Pones, Inc. puts love and sex into a four sided box and spits water on it and chews very slowly….and….

OK, sorry, back to the review.

Sex is the topic and it gets a full and very daring treatment. Motion and elements of performance art mix in with this non-narrative piece that shows the contrasts we have within ourselves about our lovers and those we hope become our lovers.

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Surprises abound with “Villainy” from This Ain’t Real Theatre Company. I went into seeing a show based on Shakespeare with much fear and trepidation. How would that work for Fringe? Well, it does work by turning the bard on his ear, and poking a few holes into Willie Shakes’ most famous bad guys.

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Photo by Daniel Smyth Two Fables are better than one. In “Guns and Chickens” a tornado strikes a farm. The Chicken runs off and ponders the road. At the same time Peter, the son of the farmer, heads to the city to earn the money to rebuild the farm. Both find the approach to the road they are on may not be the way

Motion fills the stage as the city comes alive for Peter. The cast is from CCM and use motion, as directed by k. Jenny Jones, very effectively to depict cars, horse races, and a jail cell.

The stand out performance goes to Sara Beth Tew as Chicken. She transforms herself physically without a costume into a chicken, but avoided the cliche.

The narrative of Peter’s story was clear, but the connection to Chicken’s path was not as strong. The clever motion, warm performances over come the flaws to make this a good production.