By Alan Jozwiak
The Cincinnati Fringe Festival continues until June 14. So many great stories and performances! Here are a few recent reviews.
Note: Top Picks are for shows that are must-see shows that blew me away with their performance or presentation. There are a number of other shows that I liked, and are definitely worthwhile seeing, which did not completely blow me away. I’m creating the designation of See This Show because they are still some of the best of the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.
CINCY FRINGE TOP PICK–Camp Loretto by Jack Fogle and River Rat Puppet Collective
One of the rites of passage for youngsters is spending a week or more at summer camp. What makes the time bearable for these young campers are the camp counselors. The comedic exploits of one of these camp counselors is the basis for Jack Fogle and River Rat Puppet Collective’s latest Fringe show Camp Loretto. The name of the camp is pronounced “Loretta,” named after the Kentucky town where Fogel grew up. Jack Fogle plays the part of Jimmy, a bumbling Camp Loretto camp counselor who lays out for the audience six rules that all campers need to follow. The show chronicles how Jimmy systematically ignores these rules and breaks them–with hilarious consequences.
Fogle expertly leads us through this camping odyssey by using several different types of puppets (hand held and shadow puppets), plus a few surprises thrown in. Fogle designed this piece to showcase his strengths as a physical comedian and the show is a model for how all the elements of the show fit together to produce a stronger whole. This is even more impressive because the piece does not have a defined story; each scene showcases a different aspect of being a camper at Camp Loretto.
Wonderful Puppets
In terms of the caliber of puppets, I loved the fireflies and the moth shadow puppets. Each is expertly done and reveals the wonders of nature, one of the main takeaways from this show. Fogle is able to do this show with the masterful help of his fellow River Rat Puppet Collective helpers: XXX, YYYY, and ZZZ. Together, this crew is able to exploit the wonder and humor in each situation.
Overall
I came into this show with no expectations and am still blown away by its humor and heart. While the ending goes in an unexpected (but foreshadowed) direction, I think this show will find favor with the inner nine-year old camper in each and every one of us.
CINCY FRINGE – SEE THIS SHOW–Whispers from the Deep by A to Z Production at First Lutheran Basement
Mashup the television series Tales from the Crypt with a variety of hand held and shadow puppets, pepper in sea shanties and some original music, and you will get Whispers from the Deep, a show created by Alex Rouse and Zach Robinson out of Covington, KY. The premise of the show is that there is an undersea crypt keeper puppet (inspiration from the crypt keeper from Tales from the Crypt) who introduces each of the three sea horror stories. What follows are three creepy tales concerning a lighthouse keeper, a thrower of starfish back into the sea who has to deal with the aftermath of the death of her child, and a sea captain who learns the hard way what to honor and cherish. I can’t go into more detail for fear of spoilers.
Creatives Behind Whisper
The cast of this show–Zach Robinson (writer and co-creator), Zoe Peterson, Alexx Rouse (writer and co-creator), and Merritt Beischel–do a strong job telling each of the creepy tales from the deep. The puppets tend to be more on the rustic side and echo the weathered seaside communities of New England. Kudos for Robinson for creating such a wide range of puppets. In speaking to Robinson after the show, I found out that they worked a solid three months on the puppets. Also, all the puppets are made from recycled materials.
Kudos need to go to the sound technician Katy Anhofer and musical accompanianist Calvin Horner who also composed the music for the piece.
This show could benefit from some tweaking of the script (the first story does not really go with the latter two, IMHO) and the horror could be even creepier. Despite these things, Whispers from the Deep is a really solid show that will appeal to puppet lovers, lovers of creepy tales, and those who want to see what the up-and-coming generation of Fringe regulars are up to.
CINCY FRINGE TOP PICK–Muttnik by Bruce Ryan Costella at First Lutheran Basement
I saw and loved Costella in SeaMAN last year and thought this solo show was going to be a rip-roaring comedy about Laika, the Soviet dog which was the first mammal to orbit the earth in 1957. However, this show defied my expectations. Despite its comedic name, Muttnik is a dramatic confessional recounting the life of Laika from Laika’s perspective. It is full of pathos and pity for the lot of this poor Russian pooch whose life is anything but smooth sailing. Laika went from being the runt of the litter and even became a stray dog living on the streets before being chosen for the Soviet space program.
The reason why I bring this up is that I had to make a psychic shift about twenty-minutes into the show from COMEDY to DRAMA. What confused me initially is that the drama is peppered with comedic bits which endear you to Laika himself. Despite this initial shift, I found Muttnik to be a powerful and moving show about a forgotten piece of space race history. In talking with Costella after the show, they said that they aim for every show to be completely different. I guess that makes Costella the David Bowie of the Fringe circuit; both are performers whose every creative outing is different from their last.
Strong Attention to Visual Detail
The show begins with Costella in orbit being annoyed by the ringing alarm bell. He is in a Cosmonaut costume (lovingly crafted by costume designer Kearney Starr). The costume has authentic reproductions of Soviet space patches and really looks like an authentic Cosmonaut (or should I say Cosmomutt) jumpsuit. Part of the costume that made me smile was Laika’s long wagging tail which can wag independent of Costella’s actions.
As the piece progresses, we get a chance to learn about the Soviet space program (including dog tossing), Laika’s desire to go to the Moon, and his experiences with his suborbital flight. By the end of this show, I was surprised how much I cared about Laika and his experiences. That old adage is true for this show: every dog does have its day.
CINCY FRINGE TOP PICK–Every Good Story Ends With One by Martin Dockery at Coffee Emporium
In this latest solo show from veteran Fringe storyteller Martin Dockery, Dockery talks about his miserable experiences at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia. His show about a journey of self-discovery to Africa is met with indifference and unappreciative audiences.
Dockery is feeling down about the situation until he gets a series of letters from Erin, a mysterious woman who turns into her biggest fan. Dockery’s show details how those letters bolster his self-confidence during the latter part of the festival. When he gets to the close of the festival, Dockery finally learns the truth behind his secret admirer. I can’t say more for fear of spoilers, except to say that the ending of the show has all parts of the story come together. This review is going to be a bit shorter as a result.
Overall, A Good Story
Overall, this story kept my attention and it became the standard by which I would measure a few other confessional Fringe stories. The ending is amazing. Dockery is an expert storyteller who knows how to spin a powerful tale.
CINCY FRINGE TOP PICK–Tea Time by Other Erika (Erika MacDonald) at Gabriel’s Corners
Fringe veteran Erika MacDonald is back at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival with Tea Time, a meditation on tea, steeping (both with tea and things in your life), and mental health. If you have not seen an Other Erika performance, MacDonald likes to lead her audience through some simple action(s), like boiling water for making tea. Then she uses the repetition of that act to drive home some profound truths about life in light of her own personal experiences.
Being a tea enthusiast, you can say that this show was my cup of tea (sorry for the pun). Over the course of the show, MacDonald makes several single-serving cups of tea which she passes out to the audience. MacDonald serves her tea like her grandmother taught her, with milk–not my favorite tea option, so I did not try one.
Along the way, MacDonald gives us several poignant tea-inspired aphorisms, such as the fact that steeping tea “doesn’t take forever, but it does take time” and waiting three minutes to steep tea “might seem silly to you, but it matters to me.” She also gives her thoughts on Tim Horton’s tea offerings and provides some surprising self-disclosures that bring the show full circle.
Overall, Make it to Tea Time
This might not be a show for everyone because MacDonald’s approach is one where the performer and audience enter slow time, time where the pace of life slows down and simple actions take on dramatic significance. This is the first time MacDonald has put on this show and is still refining the show. I am confident that it will have a future at fringe festivals across the country.
CINCY FRINGE TOP PICK–Tymisha Harris in A Cabaret of Legends by Dynamic Lunchbox Entertainment at Know Theatre
Cabarets are something that Cincinnati audiences haven’t had a lot of exposure to in recent years. For those who might be unaware, cabaret shows combine music, song, dance, and spoken interludes that can be thematically related. In the case of A Cabaret of Legends, entertainer Tymisha Harris showcases songs from African-American singers ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Beyonce to honor these pioneers of song.
Harris is a capable and skilled performer who brings life to a wide-range of musical styles and performers. I appreciated her rendition of Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam” and Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit.” However, most memorable is her rendition of Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” and Beyonce’s “Freedom.” These numbers are particularly strong because Harris is willing to put herself completely on the stage, even dancing her heart out to “Proud Mary” like Tina Turner.
More than Just Singing
Harris’ A Cabaret of Legends is not only an exploration of African-American singers throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, but she also sheds light on some of the social problems referred to in the lives and songs of the singers. Harris connects her own experiences to that of the songs. There are places where Harris discusses her own personal connections with domestic violence (her mother was a victim of domestic violence) and the mass shooting (she is a regular at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub).
Costuming is Strong
There are two other important parts to Harris’ presentation. First is the costuming. Harris comes on stage singing “My Funny Valentine” in an amazingly beautiful evening gown that immediately sets the stage for her songs from the 1930s to 1950s. Harris then changes into something more contemporary for the latter half of the show that matches the tone of those songs.
Also strong is the wonderful slide show with pictures of the legends I am not certain who did the slide show, but it adds greatly to the overall presentation of the songs.
Overall
Overall, I was glad that I came to see A Cabaret of Legends. It combines beautiful costuming, engaging slide projections, expert singing, and engaging material. What is there not to love?
Cincy Fringe Tickets and More Information
For tickets and more information about Cincinnati Fringe, which continues through June 14, click HERE.
Alan Jozwiak is a professional writer, college instructor, and playwright. The author of four full-length plays, he also explores life through compressed formats (i.e., one and ten-minute plays). These shorter plays have been performed locally, nationally, and internationally. One is published in “One-Minute Plays: A Practical Guide to Tiny Theatre.” Alan is also a Comics Scholar, working on a podcast entitled “The First Century: A Personal History of Comics in America.”
