Fringe reviews - Tuesday and Wednesday

[dreamshark]

Yikes, falling behind. I've actually been posting reviews of most of the shows on the Fringe site, but I like to have them here as well. Not that very many of my FL is interested (barondave excepted) but I like to look back at them the next year for reference.

Tuesday, August 10
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Green as Grass                            * * *
presented by Far from the Tree 
Venue: Jungle Theater

living traces - burning breath         * * * 1/2 (rounded up)
presented by The Manhattan Experimental Theater Workshop
Venue: Jungle Theater

Wednesday, August 11
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Bloddeuwedd                * * * * *
presented by Mark Hunter (acted by Erin Daly)
Venue: Ritz Studio



FULL REVIEWS
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Green as Grass
Crust a little cardboardy by Sharon Kahn
Rating: 3 kitties
This was an ambitious production, with a huge cast and a substantial stage set. But perhaps it was a little too ambitious. With all those characters to shuffle on and off stage, most of them were pretty 2-dimensional. The crazy old guy and his daughter were particularly unconvincing. We never get any idea what's actually going on with Doc (Alzheimer's? Schizophrenia? Family tragedy?) but the daughter's behavior when she finally finds him after supposedly searching for 6 years was stagey and just plain peculiar. And then the story line is just dropped with no explanation or resolution. Oddly enough, although this show was supposedly a tribute to the author's beloved grandmother, Gramma doesn't come off too well. Sure, she acts all motherly to the passersby in her diner, but we never see one moment of tenderness, compassion, or even basic respect in her interactions with her own family. The most poignant moment in the play is Mandy's stone cold rejection of her daughter Evy, which doesn't reflect too well on Gramma. The acting is variable, but mostly pretty good. Of particular note: Tony Price as young officer Stu and Emily Anderson as Evy, both of whom managed to make their small roles emotionally affecting.

living traces - burning breath
Innovative and exciting by Sharon Kahn
Rating: 4 kitties
This is not the story of Aladdin. It's kind of a group poetry slam combined with interpretive dance exploring emotional themes suggested by the Scheherazade and the Aladdin story. The dancing is not particularly polished, but it is intense and athletic, providing very effective punctuation for the stacatto poetry. I liked the first set the best, exploring the story of Aladdin from his mother's perspective. The emotional insight in this interpretation was startlingly deep coming from a group of teens. I guess I would have expected them to identify a little more with the teenaged Aladdin than with his much put-upon mother. Impressive work. A very different, very enjoyable show, all the more amazing for having been developed from scratch in a 5-week workshop.

Bloddeuwedd
Two more chances - see this show!! by Sharon Kahn
Rating: 5 kitties
This show is incredible and deserves a larger audience! First of all, there's the writing. It's a profoundly imagined retelling of a fairly simple Welsh legend. The author has really given some thought to this woman's situation. What would it be like to have no past, just a vague memory of life as a bed of flowers? To have all the feelings and self-awareness of any human being, but to gradually realize that you had been created as nothing but a sex toy intended to have no free will? What if the only way out of an unbearable servitude were murder and betrayal? Erin Daly completely inhabits this beautiful creature, tracing an arc from bewildered innocent through desperation to joy to courageous action and one final transformation. Her performance is absolutely gripping. If you are a fan of solo performance with beautiful words accentuated by movement and emotional expressiveness, don't miss this show. One warning: this is an adult show (in the best sense of the word). There is graphic description of sexual activity and violence, and Erin's agonizing transformation from human to bird form might be hard to watch for young or sensitive audience members. It's an intense performance, but not ultimately depressing. Bloddeuwedd's courage and ingenuity and her quiet acceptance of her final fate make the story uplifting, if a little disturbing.

Comments

Fringe

[eileenlufkin.livejournal.com]

I'm interested in Fringing. What are you seeing tonight?

Re: Fringe

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Oh, gosh. I don't know, I'm losing steam. I've seen most of the shows I was really interested in. I should get home in time to catch a 10 pm show, but the only one that really interests me in that time slot is the one that has been solidly sold out since the first performance: An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein.

I was thinking I might go over to Rarig Center and try to get into that show, and then just see something else in the neighborhood if (as will probably happen) I don't get in. Does that appeal to you?

What about this weekend?

Re: Fringe

[eileenlufkin.livejournal.com]

A 10pm show tonight does appeal to me. I would like to see a couple of things on Saturday, but not try to make a whole day of it. What looks good to you that you haven't see already?

Re: Fringe

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, I guess it's too late now. Sorry, I did go skating and just got home. The only chance of getting into the Shel Silverstein show would be if we were already standing in line right this minute.

I'll start another post with my plans for tomorrow.