Ella’s Fringe Experience

By Ella Widau*

The Family Crow by The Pucking Fuppet Co., Toronto, ON

I must admit, I am quite biased toward puppets. I really admire the mastery you have to have to make a puppet come alive, and in The Family Crow, you can really see the love and dedication Adam Francis Proulx has for his craft. Playing as a crow telling the story of a murder he solved, he does a fantastic job at characterizing not just the crow himself but the family of crows of whom we don’t even see. He creates such different, unique voices and mannerisms for each family member, introducing them in creative ways to highlight their silly crow pun names. Although some of the puns are a little painful, I think he is more than aware of this fact, making them feel even sillier. Proulx is just a lover of word play.

Outside of his outstanding performance, the lighting is easily one of my favorite parts. It is so creative to have so many different lamps, each representative of each member of the family. Not only that, the shadows of the puppet against the back wall of the church are truly a sight. 

Overall:

Even if puppets aren’t your thing, I would highly recommend this show. It’s a classic murder mystery with an unexpected ending… If you’re up for a little suspense and some crow puns, then this is a show for you.

The Family Crow will be part of the Encore Performances on June 14 at Know Theatre, but also has a performance on June 12 at 8:45 pm in the First Lutheran Church Sanctuary. Get tickets HERE.

History Hates Lovers by Queen City Queers Productions, Cincinnati, OH

History Hates Lovers is a great example of a show that’s fun to watch just because you can really tell the performers are having a good time with it. They really look like they’re enjoying themselves on that stage, and as an audience member, you can feel that. The dialogue between the characters really feels real; some of the conversations they had felt like conversations I’ve had with my friends. 

Things are pretty anachronistic. I think that it’s very easy to get the audience confused about what’s going on and when, but I think it is executed very well. It is always very clear when the person speaking isn’t one of the present day characters, and it really adds a lot, showing the parallels between the two love stories.

Overall

They show how important it is to have platonic love within romance. You can’t reach a romantic relationship without being friends as well. I do think the pacing is a little quick, you really don’t see the ending coming, but, overall, I thought the show is very fun, and the time switches are incorporated rather seamlessly. It is a cute, classic, queer love story and quite an enjoyable watch.

Muttnik by Bruce Ryan Costella, Orlando, FL

Going into this story, I was quite skeptical. I don’t love when people dress up as animals, to me it has always felt rather strange and forced. Muttnik has changed my mind; Costella has simultaneously given an incredible heartfelt and comedic show. The switches he makes from different emotions feel very natural. He’s certainly not afraid to make the audience uncomfortable, but he also knows when to break the tension. 

By the end of the show, it feels like the audience has a real relationship with this dog that none of us have ever met. Costella humanizes her. While the show began feeling very unserious, by the end, you can feel the intensity rising in the room. It is truly moving. 

Somewhere Over the Holler by Pones, Cincinnati, OH and Northern KY

“Somewhere Over the Holler” has real queer people tell their own stories to the audience, and then retell those stories through the medium of dance. Some of the pieces were somber, while others were comedic. I would say this show is worth the watch for the second number alone. The dancer was truly in character and had amazing comedic timing. Everytime you would think there couldn’t be another costume change, there was another one. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I know I wasn’t the only one. The whole audience was wooing throughout the number!

I could talk about which routines were the most technical (the dancers in Missy’s story had beautiful lines), but what really sticks with an audience member is the way the routines would make you feel. The overwhelming sense of community from these people who were telling these stories, and seeing the collaboration among the dancers was truly breathtaking. They place the audience into the production, making us feel what they’re feeling. Pones has truly created a masterful production that is incredibly well crafted and performed with so much passion and feeling. You can feel the love and care they put into each piece.

The Squid and the Octopus by Jim Julien, Drexel Hill, PA

If I had to sum up The Squid and The Octopus with one statement, it would be “incredibly weird, but so fun.”

There wasn’t any point that I was able to see where the story was going, or see what the purpose of the show was. What really made this production for me was just how much fun Julien was having with it, and he really spread that fun to the audience. There are moments of audience interaction that are always fun, and his puppets! My oh, my are they beautiful. There are so many moving parts and things he had to create for this show. He has moments that really are breathtaking, but there are also moments that are so ridiculous and outlandish, often emphasizing that this is “real life.” That being said, I think it adds a lot of charm to the show. It is silly and didn’t really have a point, but Julien does highlight the importance of being conscious of what you eat.

The show ends with the moral of thinking twice before you decide to order calamari as your appetizer when you go out to eat. I’m no stranger to being conscious of what you’re eating, I’ve been a pescetarian since I was 12. I don’t think people should eat food that they wouldn’t kill themselves. However, I must admit, this show really made me want some calamari. My friend and I went and ordered some at Teak Thai, the restaurant down the street after the show. I’m sorry Julien. I hope you and your puppets can find it in your hearts to forgive me.

[Title of Memoir] or 2.5 Pots of Coffee a Day is Too Much and Other Advice I Didn’t Think I Would Need to Hear or On How Judith Light Saved My Life p.s. Please thank… by FaithGGI Art, Cincinnati, OH

I can say with full confidence that [Title of Memoir] is one of the best productions I’ve seen. Not just at Fringe, but in my lifetime. It is a crime that this show was only showing for one weekend. Faith takes us on a journey through her life, focusing mostly on her mental health. Her set was full of a bunch of random stuff, very maximalist. She has kept anything and everything that she has created over the years, which is something I really resonate with as a chronic junk journal-er. 

This show was hilarious. It was incredibly well written and the delivery of her jokes were done so well, especially considering the darker subject matter. Faith shows the audience her willingness to laugh at herself, and her desire to make others laugh with her. So many of her bits were performed with such ease; there were moments where I wasn’t sure if things were scripted or if she was improving. Whether it was scripted or not, it was funny. There were frequent comedic commercial breaks throughout the show, which I think were a wonderful touch. There were moments where the transitions were rather abrupt, but I think that added to the comedic value. 

This show wasn’t just funny, though. It was incredibly heartwarming. She shared the ups and downs of her life, the good and the bad. She would joke about some things, but it’s important to acknowledge that not everything can be funny all the time. It’s okay to be vulnerable, and it’s okay to laugh. Faith found the perfect balance between seriousness and silliness. 

Take Some of the Show Home with You

As the show came to a close, Faith welcomed the audience to grab some of her bags full of random junk. These bags were filled with the things she hoarded, things she didn’t have the heart to throw away or to really go through. My friend and I both took a bag, going through everything once we got home. There were all sorts of different things in them; unfinished plays, New Year’s resolutions, random stickers and cut outs, magazines, shopping lists, and miscellaneous art supplies. It’s exactly what she said it was; junk from her day to day life. These bags of junk came with a pack of matches for us to burn them with. The day after her show, my friend and I came together and burned our junk together. 

Faith turned her performance into an experience that lasted past that one night. And don’t worry, I didn’t burn everything. Like I said, I’m a chronic junk journal-er, so some of her things will live on in my little craft book. This performance is one I will remember for a very long time. Our mental health journeys never end, they are forever ongoing. It was truly impactful. I hope to see Faith perform more in the future. She is a true talent.

Updates 6/12

Camp Loretto by Jack Fogle & the River Rat Puppet Collective, Cincinnati, OH

Camp Loretto is a fantastic show for anyone who has ever gone to a summer camp as a kid, or wanted to and never did. Fogle treats every audience member as if they were one of his campers. There’s lots of audience interaction; most of the show relies on it. There were so many silly jokes made, often being quite literal. Fogle’s comedic timing was quite on point. Many of the props they had were very well constructed, and quite beautiful.

The show follows the path you’d expect it to. Once you identify the pattern, it’s quite easy to figure out the direction and pacing of the show. I quite enjoyed that aspect of it. You kind of knew what was going to happen, but not how. Even though we didn’t follow all of the camp rules, I’d still say that I, and the rest of the audience, really enjoyed our time at Camp Loretto.

Like Moths to a Flame by Megan Flynn & Teresa VanDenend Sorge, Cincinnati, OH

Contemporary dance is one of my personal favorite styles. It’s really up to the audience to interpret what the meaning of the piece is for themselves. Like Moths to a Flame really embodies this aspect of dance. In between each number, the “podcast host” gives the audience a general idea of what the piece is about, but once the number starts, you’re forced to think about the words spoken and compare them to the movements you see on stage.

These dancers each have incredible movement quality and technique that you can only achieve through years of training. Each move, whether small or big, feels very deliberate. Each motion has purpose and motivation. There are consistent motifs throughout the pieces, some of them being rather strange, almost feeling out of place. 

You could feel the bond that these dancers have built together. I always love getting to see people get to do things they are passionate about, especially when they get to do it with others. Many of the group pieces show a strong level of trust the dancers have with each other, and that is very evidently there. My favorite parts of any piece are when you can hear the dancers moving. The music gets a little quieter, and you can hear their feet hitting the floor, the breath they put into their movements. It’s truly inspiring, especially when dancers are in sync with each other.

Although by the end of the piece I couldn’t really identify what the creators of the piece wanted the purpose to be, I certainly knew what the purpose was to me. That’s the beauty of dance; each performance means something completely different to different people, and Like Moths to a Flame exemplifies that perfectly. It’s refreshing to see a truly contemporary, interpretive piece. Watching felt like a breath of fresh air. 

In The Presence Of by Leave No Trace Productions, Cincinnati, OH

In The Presence Of is a presentation of true puppet mastery. Watching it, I felt as if I was bird watching. I can’t imagine the amount of time the puppeteers put into studying the movements of the blue heron. They were truly in sync with each other, at moments I could even see that they were breathing with each other in time. Their heron puppet truly looks and acts like I would imagine a heron would.

At the top of the show each audience member gets a sheet about the show and some sort of musical instrument. They welcome the audience to be part of the atmosphere of the show. The atmosphere I think is one of the strongest parts of this piece; the various audio cues really transport the audience to the home of the heron. The paper they give us outlines some of the typical behaviors of the heron. If you look at it throughout the show, you can very clearly tell what is going on and why the puppeteers are making the choices that they are. Everything has a specific purpose to show the audience how the heron interacts with their environment.

The construction of their set is incredible. Everything, including the puppet, appears to be made by recycled materials. I would’ve liked to see a little more shape to their ghostly characters, but even still I could see the visual they were trying to create.

With puppetry like this, sight lines can become quite an issue. Despite this, they make incredible use of their space, going all around the audience members; behind them, in front of, beside. They really cover all their bases and make sure that every audience member could see the heron as much as possible.

The baseline they have now is truly breathtaking, and for it being a work-in-progress production, I can only imagine how much better it will become as they continue to work on it. I recommend it now, I recommend it in the future. This piece truly enamored me.

Whispers from the Deep by A to Z Productions, Covington, KY

Whispers from the Deep is such a fun production. It is treated like comedic horror, everything in it being clearly handmade with love. Their shadow puppets are so fun to watch, and their harmonies are on point. My favorite of the three stories is the second one. It really goes a way you wouldn’t have expected it to, and the jokes are so funny! This performer, Merritt Beischel, has really good comedic timing, but at the same time I really believe her mourning. Creators Alexx Rouse and Zach Robinson also perform, along with Zoe Peterson, who takes the first story.

The closing story, by Rouse, is heartwarming, and because of that, I must say it caught me off guard! Nonetheless it is a wonderful ending to a very well put together, overall entertaining show.

Update 6/13

Invisible Women by Ashley Goos, Miami University, Oxford, OH

Invisible Women is what you make it to be. It isn’t a show in the traditional sense where you sit down and watch people perform on a stage, it’s set up like stations. You can go anywhere for as long as you like; there were dance films, arts and crafts, and live performances. Within the hour, you have time to really experience all of it. 

You have the opportunity to create art of your own and leave it behind for future renditions of the show. This was definitely my favorite aspect of the show. You’re given a lot of options of what to do and a lot of materials to work with. You can work with yourself, or collaborate with others. You can take pieces from other “stations” and use those too if you’d like. It is very versatile and free. It is comforting in a way. It’s nice to be able to sit down and relax with the performers being part of that relaxation, and you being part of the performance. It feels like they created a whole new community in that room for that one hour: it is peaceful, it is fun, it is a wonderful change of pace. 

The Mother by Claudia Pompeya, Cincinnati, OH

The Mother is a comedic piece with lots of audience interaction. In fact, I would say most of the show relies on the audience to make it work. With the right audience though, it can be really fun. Many of the bits feel really random, and I can’t say I could really identify an overarching story. It is still a good time for myself and the audience. It’s nice to go into a show and get to be part of it. It felt exactly how Pompeya described it as–a fever dream, but a really funny one. 

Yoga for Falling Apart by Feminist Commune Theatre Collective, Wooster, OH

Yoga for Falling Apart is structured exactly like a yoga class, with mats set out for the audience so they could partake in the practice. It starts out like a normal class (other than her freaking out about being late) but it slowly progresses into us doing yoga while Kerstin Vaughn vents to the audience about her life troubles. 

Vaughn’s first introduction to yoga was through a theatre class. I, similarly, was introduced to yoga through dance. These classes are much more informal than a traditional yoga class, and I would say Yoga for Falling Apart feels very much how those classes did. To decompress with my dance team, we used to do yoga and just talk about our feelings. That’s really what yoga is all about; seeing your feelings and circumstances and feeling yourself in your body processing these things. In traditional yoga, we keep these thoughts to ourselves. They tend to focus on turning your mind off and focusing on being present in your body, but it’s important to focus on your feelings as well. You can do both, and you should! 

I don’t know how much of Vaughn’s story is true, but it certainly feels sincere. It’s a beautiful moment of vulnerability in a world where we’re encouraged to keep our problems and emotions to ourselves. Vaughn, even though you’re going to have to redo your yoga certification video, I really hope you get certified. I’d love to go to a class taught by you!

Perspectivation by Jim Sorge, Cincinnati, OH

Perspectivation is a very unique piece. It is in VR, something I don’t really have a lot of experience with. It makes it feel like I’m sitting in the middle of the table watching these dancers move. My biggest complaint about this format, however, was that I know I missed some things. Throughout the piece, quotes pop up that give a little more context about the piece’s desired message, and I know I missed at least one, but who knows how many more I missed! But that is part of the charm, I suppose. If I were to really be sitting at the table watching those dancers, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see everything, either. More than anything, it’s certainly  an interesting watch.

I love the collaboration among the dancers, whether it is through movement or actions. The group work is very strong, and I feel the connection between everyone. The ending is very powerful, further reinforcing this. This is a show I would love to have the opportunity to see again, to try and catch something I missed the first time. It is truly unlike anything I’ve seen before.

Get Tickets To Cincinnati Fringe Festival

Cincinnati Fringe Festival runs through June 14, produced by Know Theatre. Fringe Headquarters is at Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, in the Over the Rhine (OTR) neighborhood. For more information and tickets CLICK HERE.