Monthly Archive for May, 2007

Being my first Fringe show for the year, I guess I had high expectations. Really, I was just excited about being back in this den of debauchery, seeing great performances.

Also, being the VH1 aficionado and pop culture fiend that I am, this show intrigued me. It also intrigued me that this was the same company last year that put on tape – while they were still in high school. Holy shit. I didn’t see their production last year, but being familiar with the movie adaptation of the play, I would have been terrified of the subject matter when I was in high school. One thing’s for sure, these young Fringers don’t play around.

Show: Matt and Ben
Company: Penguin Point Productions - Winter Park, FL
Venue: pink (Orlando Shakes)
Times: 5/18 - 9:10PM, 5/20 - 11:00AM, 5/21 - 9:40PM, 5/22 - 7:40PM, 5/24 - 5:30PM, 5/25 - 8:35PM, 5/27 - 12:25PM
Tickets: $10

This time around, the subject matter is decidedly lighter. Thinking about it, they mess with your head a little in the sense of a show about actors playing actors, but nonetheless, it’s quite palatable faire. It seemed a little out of date to wax nostalgic over the long lost days of the best buddy-ship of Affleck and Damon, but nonetheless, the players of Penguin Point put on a show worth watching. On their opening night, things were a little shaky. They still needed to get used to some of their lines (and it’s a whole lot of dialogue in its 90 minutes run time), the tech could use some work, and their set seemed to be working against them. That made for some of my favorite parts of the show though. The two actors were more comfortable than ever while improving amidst the mishaps, and the television set provided some of the most laughs of the show.

As for the show itself, it’s quite intriguing, and those who can’t resist at least reading tabloid headlines as they pass by in the grocery line will love this. This show, the brainchild of Mindy (also known as the Indian girl from NBC’s The Office and The 40-Year Old Virgin, who I want to see more of everywhere) and someone else, recounts an imagined (or maybe not so much) story of a struggling BFF team on whose doorstep a brilliant script falls – that of Good Will Hunting, with the boys’ names already on it. Damon and Affleck deal with their sky-fallen good fortune in a variety of ways before choosing to accept their fate and put together the film. Dead on in the subject matter, right down to an Oscar acceptance speech thanking Cuba Gooding Jr., the script it a great laugh. My favorite scene was a reading of one of the more poignant scenes of Good Will Hunting, with Damon of course as a forceful Will and Affleck faking a British accent to be Skylar. The two actors read the scene of the script (how meta!), Damon slams the door, returning soon to laugh it up with his buddy as they nod their heads and say, “That’s so good!”

This show won’t rock your world, but it’s one worth seeing. The script is a proven entity and the set in itself is a wonder to look at. Penguin Point put enormous effort into their set design, increasing the show’s comedic appeal with the dingy room décor and the actor’s “notes”. The actors are energetic and have good chemistry as well, and the Damon impersonator is a near dead-ringer. Affleck’s supposed doppelganger doesn’t quite match the classic All-American Affleck charm and square-jawed good looks, but who does? Any actor (at least a straight one) who looked like Ben Affleck wouldn’t be appearing at the Orlando Fringe. I hope these boys keep coming out with such detailed and well-produced shows. We’ll be the better for it too, when we say we saw them get their feet wet. Every young TJ Dawe has to start somewhere, and these kids are well on their way.

Day 5 aka Tuesday is a repeat day of Monday, you know the kind, it just seems the amse but different. I find myself in place to break my personal record of 32 Fringe year with 19 shows seen before the half way point, which is today!
My 5 started at one of those shows that is near and dear to my heart (and maybe on day to my wallet) Mark Baratelli’s Improv Cabaret in the blue venue. I am very lucky to have seen this show grow since it’s conception last year. Mark almost never stops making me laugh! I laughed so hard I cried. If you missed it last year, don’t miss it this year!
I stayed in the blue venue for the next 2 shows. The White Guy and Born to Be Asian both shows on ethnicity both in the blue…. Coincidence?? Who knows.
The White Guy is one of two show from Pocketchange (Out of Pocket is their other) at the Fringe. It’s a one mans story of his “white” life. Mark is a great story teller and I found it charming knowing that this based on his real life. Now I just want to see a picture of his baby!
Born to be Asian is a ensemble show all about.. you guessed it being Asian. The 365 gang stopped by for a little preshow, all tied together with a nice message at the end.
Across the Green to the purple venue (aka Trish’s house) for Bat Boy: the Musical. What a huge production. I think they might have the most cast members in their show out of the entire Fringe. The Winter Springs Performing Arts, a new arts group, brings the big show to the Fringe. Another fun fact- all of the musical sound you hear in the show was created by a cast members. Wow!
And last but not least… back across the green to the pink venue to see Gemma Wilcox in The Honeymoon is Officially Over. Amazing! I loved all the specificity of all of the characters. I especially like the personification of the animals in her story. Last nights audience was full of Fringe performers which was really cool. A good time was had by all!

Check out the tattoo Queen of influx Dance (Rye) at work even when seeing a show! Now that’s dedication

It’s hard but not in a real way. I mean seeing shows and chatting It up with peeps isn’t really hard. As I’ve said before, I love this time of year. There’s a energy in the air. It must be all of the creativity that abounds in almost every one you meet at the festival.
Even if a show isn’t all what you think it should be cracked up to be, maybe gets a not so great review. You have to admire the process of the journey, at least I do.
I have figured out I am getting on average 5 hours of sleep a night. I haven’t been to the mailbox since last Wednesday. And it’s getting harder and harder to pick out cute outfits cuz I’m behind in doing laundry!
I wouldn’t have it any other way!!!
That being said lemme do a quick catch up on my Fringativity.
Back to day 4 aka Monday a nice break after work day. You know the know the kind, you have a full day of work then you have that something after that just makes the 8 hours you spent in your office just melt away. Well that was my day 4!
I started off at the orange venue to see Bitchslap. Got pinned on the very first night by one of the Bitchslap guys because he said I look fab in my sixties attire and let’s face it I did! After hearing rave reviews of the show, I head in. All the great things I heard about the show, guess what? They were true! Darrin Hagen & Trevor Schmidt are hilarious as Joan and Bette with the sassy Davina Stewart to tie it all together. Lots of fun!
A quick step up the hall to the pink venue for ctrl-alt-life. This is most of the casts first fringe as performers. You might recognize one of the actors, Cory who plays Christain. He’s also in Empty Spaces 365 plays in 365 days.
Back to the yellow venue to see Out of Pocket. Mark and Vanessa were here last year with Real Time which I loved. So I was excited to see them here again. It amazes me the way they can move from character to character. I enjoyed them again and I hope they become a Orlando fringe regular attraction!
Then a jaunt across “the Green” to the silver venue to see Drip:paint in Motion. I wanted to jump up there and slide all around! I enjoyed watching the show. I felt like I should have been in an art gallery! It was so pretty. I also think the entire cast has done a great job marketing the show. I could easily see this show going to other cities.

Nice Job Drippies!!!!

I got an email with some thoughts about the Fringe.

Dear Deena Beena,

I think it’s more fair if the announcements are done by either past performers or other Fringe people like Terry Olson the founder of the festival, board member or maybe just non descript voices delivering the required announcement.

This is just my opinion and the writers of the email. (I wasn’t sure if they wanted to be identified or not) Discuss please.
Feel free to email me or myspace me if you have something you’d like to bring up!
See you at the Fringe!

So I read the MySpace blogs just about every day, and naturally there is a bit of an explosion over there right now. Seeing as I don’t have enough time to add everybody to the Blogtracker, I will do some posts by hand.

Here’s some stuff by John Carollo (he has 3 pieces for sale in Visual Fringe), mostly about P.S. 69, but also about how he finds the number of half-naked women shows to be atypical.

Next up is David, who I’ve never met but whose blog I have on subscription. He talks about 8 shows, with a lengthy review of Matador and JAWZ.