Additional reporting by Stephen Tortora-Lee

Mini Fridge was a qualified success this year, with seven shows and seven ways to beat the heat, be dazzled by a variety of entertainers and cross your fingers in the hopes that some of these great shows will be returning bigger, better and badder.  Hopefully you read the Elevenses so you had your pre-show snack  … and even more hopefully you caught some of the ‘fridge.  But if you didn’t, here’s what was in that tiny box (besides beer of course!) —

Bare.  Stripped down and honest, in your face and not making any excuses, Bare. was a riviting collaboration between paired teams of burlesque performers and seriously stimulating storytellers.  The idea was to deliver stories which were uncomfortable for everyone –  audience and performer alike.  But sometimes what gets revealed in the uncomfortable moments is actually more familiar than we’d like to admit, and Bare. offered the unique opportunity to experience something difficult in the universally safe environment of theatre.

It was the juxtaposition of unveiling while weaving – taking away while creating – salty and sweet: the best use of your senses. The result was unconventional and groundbreaking.  Issues included having sex for the first time, initial attraction to girls and one memorable performance which was the reenactment having a hymen broken. This was sensuality and strangeness … all living up to the straightforward title and leaving nothing hiding undercover.

The intention is for Bare. to go on from here; three more performances are in the works: September, November and capping off with a final show in December. For those interested in a REALLY different set of circumstances, the September show will feature a switch up: the burlesque performers will write the stories and the writers will strip down.

Curated and hosted by Peter Aguero this special Mini Fridge volume starred Adam Wade, Sarah Jenness, Diana Spechler, Magdalena Fox, Francine, Amelia Bareparts, and Mary Cyn as The Kraken.

Written by Alexis Roblan and Rachel Kerry, Bible Burlesque is what happens when your FRIGID show, Daughters of Lot, needs to raise money to get to the Edinburgh Fringe.  Whereas Daughters of Lot was the story of the two bible gals told through the eyes of feminist burlesque performers, Bible Burlesque goes behind the scenes to tap into the funnier side of what goes into creating a show  - especially one with a premise that tries to marry Bible with Burlesque.

“The events depicted in this show are real … at least the parts about fundraising” states the program … and so, without pulling any punches, begins the meta telling of this journey.  Equal parts storytelling and burlesque (with maybe a little more storytelling) Roblan and Kerry are portrayed by Marelena Kalm and Victoria Longwell who re-enact the process of how one (or in this case, two) exactly go about creating a unique burlesque show built on biblical themes.    Everything from a Noah’s Arc theme to “What if God F*cked one of us?” crossed thier minds and crossed the stage with often hilarious results.

The good news is that as of the time of the show they raised enough money for Daughters of Lot to get to Edinburgh … just not enough money for any of them to eat during their overseas stay.  Let’s hope when they’re abroad they meet a dude who can work a miracle or two around some loaves and fishes.  Hey, it worked once, right?

Bye Bye Bombay was full of the sights, sounds and personalities of India, all channeled through Gauri – a young woman who makes the trip to follow in her mother’s footsteps.  Cara Yeates – who wrote and performed – channeled many different characters convincingly and used screen projections and a driving soundrack to bring the world of Bombay – and Bollywood – alive.

Most impressive among talents such as puppetry, mimicry and storytelling was the way Yeates  performed a showstopping dance as she lip-synched to a dazzling Bollywood production number, bringing the lavish world of Bollywood to UNDER St. Marks.  Yeates also notably embodied an arguing couple who fought with each other in one of the many languages spoken in India.  When Ms. Yeates says she lived in India for a year, there’s no doubt about it.

By turns both forceful and delicate, Bye Bye Bombay was a true delight.   As a New Yorker I thrilled to the fact that, through this one-woman-show, I was given confirmation that a place exists which appears to be crazier, more crowded, and more chaotic than New York.  However, what India also appears to have is a plethora of spirituality and a means to find your center if only you can break away from the hypnotic Bollywood beat … something else which Ms. Yeates was able to capture and manifest beautifully.  Bye Bye Bombay may be bye bye for now, but I’m hoping we have another chance to meet again soon.

A striking combination of futuristic noir, multimedia and music ranging from lounge to complex ambient initium/finis  is a gripping story that pulls you through many layers of a world that represents – as the title implies – the beginning and the end, melding past with future.

Metropolis fans will find an echo of that world here.  Ellery Royston embodies two clones who are experiencing two sides of a story which involves murder, intrigue and a journey toward self discovery in an alien future.

initium/finis was mezmerizing, with deep themes  that were well executed with a stunning multimedia component which alone was worth the price of admission.   It depicted an overlay of lush city scenes as well as short movies.  These shorts captured Royston’s stunning range —  for while she’s expressive on stage she’s even moreso in the filmed sequences.
Possibly most compelling were scenes executed in shadow play where much of the “real” action happened at times – the intrigue of this heightened version of the characters offered an extra note of theatricality and dimension.

Back after a successful FRIGID run, initium/finis shows that there seems to be no end in the near future for this deeply affecting story.

As usual Killy Mockstar Dwyer and her talented band delivered an inside-out performance  – crowds who know and love KTB should know better than to expect run of the mill when it comes to this bunch!  Kill the Band: Mock Bottom  started off with a dark theatre – extremely so – as we’re all trapped in the darkness with Killy who gropes about and tries to figure out where she is.

Of course it’s a relief when she comes to find she was simply lost in a closet after a night of drunken debauchery right after recording Kill The Band’s new album, Mock Bottom.

Killy then launches into a strong opening performance which got the crowd pumping.  What followed was 60 minutes of pure energy and frenetic joy delivered in typical Kill The Band style as Killy and her loyal (and seriously talented) musicians- Joe Yoga, Mike Milazzo, Blair Frowner and The Human Drum Machie- delivered one song after another that was both funny, thoughtful and catchy.

No simple concert, though, the songs were couched in the centeral theme of Killy at her shrink’s office with each of her band members representing one or more of the stages of grief.   A monologue of the creative process would then seque into a Mock Bottom song.

And if you found yourself loving these catchy songs (which include favorites Ben Kingsley, Girl Balls, Clone U, See Something Say Something and Famous Baby) an album was included with the price of admission.

If you weren’t able make the show that doesn’t mean you have to be empty handed with no Kill The Band songs to sing – never that.

• To order the hard copy CD (with 12 page art/lyrics/liner notes booklet!)  visit www.KILLYTHEKID.com.
• To buy the album on ITunes click here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mock-bottom/id530564603.
• To buy on Amazon http://amzn.com/B0086JZTHQ

Legendary: A Man-tasia was first described to me as a drag show without the drag, but Legendary: A Man-tasia wound up being much, much more.  Sure, there was superb lip-synching with so much sass, attitude and choreography that at times it was impossible to sit still in your seat.  But the story was expertly woven through the showstopping numbers – finely crafted to tug at your heartstrings.  Not simply a backed-into plot to accomodate the songs, this story of two men: Larry (Michael Awusie) and his love Stev (Mark O’Connell) trying to define their relationship as they try to define themselves was heartwarming, bittersweet, loving, sexy, and a triumph.  But oh, let’s talk about those lip-synch numbers!

Larry’s rendition of Sheree Whitfield’s – “Who Gon Check Me Boo?” was absolutely inspired (and I can’t stop YouTubing it.  Not for the original, but in memory of  Michael’s version). The show was filled with moments of pure, joyful production numbers like this. To watch O’Connell and Christopher Burris as Bishop Eddie Long (who has a naughty, nasty hold over Larry) duke it out in a battle with musical fireworks worthy of those spewed forth by Harry Potter and Voldermort as they channeled superdivas Whitney Houston & Aretha Franklin for “It Isn’t, It Wasn’t, It Ain’t Never Gonna Be” to underline the point that “he aint never, ever, never never, never gonna be your man” gave me goosebumps.  In fact,  it made me wanna go out and steal someone’s man just so I could re-enact this scene on my own.  I mean … seriously boo.

Cap this all off with a stupendous Jennifer Holiday channeled by Kimberlee Walker who had me shaking and, well – could you want more? Oh … wait … a fantastic story. All this lucious lip-synching is draped over the terrific bones of a strong story of one man who is trying to shake off the past (Bishop Eddie Long – who is actually there in spirit, but what a spirit it is) and embrace his present: Stev, a tall drink of water who loves him like Islands In The Stream (aww! Sweet!) but can’t quite come out of the closet far enough to shout it from the mountains. Well, not yet.

And, I did mention Jennifer Holiday, right? This was A Man-tasia in the truest sense of the word -and while I actually don’t KNOW what the truest sense of the word ‘Man-tasia” actually is I will say it’s a  fantasy, told from the heart, set to a driving soundtrack of amazing songs (and a little Babs in there too of course). This was no show – this was an experience. I want it back again, ASAP. Weekly if possible – with surprise guests! Pleeeez???

 

Xmas in July?  You bet your buttons!  Or, in the case of Lord Gregory & Mademoiselle Godin’s miniXMAS Spectacular - you bet your bouton!

This french brother and sister act have it all.  Charm, style, talent … and what friends they have!  Greg Levin and Michelle Leona Godin don the outfits of a bygone french era and the personalities of french twins to create a salon in which their charming circle could congregate to celebrate  miniXMAS for our enjoyment.

One after another their talented friends came to the stage to kick up their heels with the crowd.  So many! Joe Yoga was there and you know what a fan I am of his!  Leslie Goshko did the most inspired version of Frosty The Snowman I ever heard … If Frosty was actually that guy whom Alanis Morrisette wrote about in You Oughta Know.  (WHY did no one ever do that mashup before?  No matter … Leslie did – and it’s brilliant).  AND imagining FROSTY is a lot better than imagining that guy from Full House putting it to Alanis, non?

Michael Birch reminded everyone that We Need A Little Christmas … and also reminded us that the whipping sound in Sleigh Ride (1:07 in this beloved Boston Pop version) is actually … you know ... a horse being whipped.  Still, it didn’t keep us from merrily participating whip and all.  After-all, miniXMAS is all about tradition!  Then Beezy Douglas weighed in with an anti-christmas song because it is JULY after all.

But there were skits too!  Lord Gregory himself wound up playing the Santa who got caught in a sting set up for a pedophile … though he digs himself deeper and deeper (But Becky wrote me a letter!  I brought this bag of toys!  Children write their fantasies to me!!!)  Later after Chromatic Stampede sang about wanting nothing more for christmas than consumer debt forgiveness Peter DeGiglio flipped the script on Twas The Night Before Christmas and pulled out an aresenal of voices from his bag of tricks as he told a Mook miniXMAS story — in verse.  C’est Manifique

With a Krampus making an appearance via shadow puppet master Ceili Clemens the whole evening was pretty much complete.

Like any good miniXMAS there were a few other little surprises under the tree, but the real present was the great feeling of joy and good will toward men and … oh forget it.  It’s JULY.

Thanks Lord Gregory and Mademoiselle Godin for sharing your love of miniXMAS – and your love of each other  … and sharing your friends with us!  See you next miniXMAS!  Whenever that may be!

And that’s it for Mini Fridge this year.  Good job everyone.  See you next year, starting with Elevenses.

Related Posts:

• Grab A Snack From The Mini-Fridge
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Kill The Band – Mock Bottom Mockumental CD Release Experience!
• Last Looks At The Happiest Medium In 3-D – Pull Your Glasses Out
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Bible Burlesque!
• Daughters Of Lot – A Lot Going On (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

The Mini-Fridge Elevenses*

11 Questions, 11 Answers … ZERO calories, and 100% YUMMY!

 *Elevenses is a snack that is similar to afternoon tea, but eaten in the morning and might consist of some cake or biscuits with a cup of coffee or tea. The name refers to the time of day that it is taken: around 11 am. 

initium/finis

Produced by: Theatre Reverb

A lush sci-fi noir told with myth, media, live music, red-light cabaret and Indian dance-theatre. Voyeurism, eroticism and terror converge in this sensual tale of violence and revolution in a futuristic world. This unique, total theatrical experience is the result of a cross-discipline collaboration between artists from the US, Central Europe and Asia.

Show Times:
• Sat. June 30, 5:00pm
• Sun. July 1st, 7:00pm

Answers by: Kristin Arnesen,

co-creator, performer
 

 1. Your tag line is featured above, so we know the PR version of what this play is about. But when you talk to your family and friends, how do you explain the show to them?
Kristin:I tell them it’s like the films Blade Runner and Metropolis mashed up and cradled in Christian and Hindu creation and destruction mythology. It’s a science fiction tale set in a nightclub with violent revolutionary cells, comedy, horror and beautiful and cruel religious myths.

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Kristin:  I hope they’re discussing the way it made them feel. I hope they’re discussing how they felt in the position of voyeurs that we cast them in. And ultimately I hope they’re discussing any ideas the production may have stirred in them about the politics of oppressive hierarchical societies and empires and ethics of violent retaliation.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Kristin:  All of the above, though I think character is the primary driving force. The project began as an exploration of the creator/destroyer figure in religious mythology (e.g. Kali, Shiva, Christ as he appears in the Book of Revelation, God as he floods the earth and destroys Sodom, etc.) Our show is largely an exploration of how this figure (or character) manifests itself in different forms but is always driving towards the same harmonizing end.

4. What’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you the most proud?
Kristin:  We thought Michelle Augello Page’s review for The Happiest Medium was pretty awesome and insightful but here’s one line an anonymous FRIGID festival goer posted that made us pretty happy:
“If Godard had directed Blade Runner as a stage play, it might look something like this deeply weird-and I mean that in the good way- mixture of sex androids, conspiracies, narration and homages to Marilyn Monroe in Let’s Make Love.” Radical :)

5. Let’s fantasize for a moment. Let’s take the “off-off” off. Imagine this show is on Broadway. What would that change about the production itself?
Kristin:  To put it simply, we would keep the spirit the same but we would add lots of $money$ to this production. Our sci-fi premise includes an internet-like network where things that happen in cyber space can make visceral impact on bodies in the world and we would love to create some stage magic around that… Monitors that things can fly from… T.v. that can make you bleed? Yes please.

6. Taking that one step further – after paying everyone what they’re worth of course, what is the most lavish, luxurious, frivolous thing you would spend money on if there was no constraints? (Think of the helicopter in Miss Saigon).
Kristin:  We’d rig our mythological narrator for aerial entrances and during her tale of Kali’s dance of annihilation, we would have her sing from within a circle of flames.

7. Is there a scene, a moment, anything that gets a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Kristin:  The sushi scene is terrifying to some audiences and a delight to others.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Kristin:  My name’s Lolita and I just have to be-have, because Da-da-da-da Daddy says so– and Daddy’s the tops.

9. Is the world of this play sustainable outside a theatre? In other words … do you think people live the way the characters do? Would you want a world where they do?
Kristin:  People definitely live in captivity, as some of ours do, though the sci-fi future world aspect is certainly not exactly real-world. I definitely wouldn’t want to live in the world of this piece but there are elements of it that we’re headed for now. I think that’s what the science fiction dystopian genre’s all about.

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Kristin:  Harrison Ford. I hope he’s not here to expire anyone.

11. Time for Elevenses! Go to the mini-fridge of your fantasy hotel. What’s your dream 11:00am snack?
Kristin:  A cheese platter with figs, honey and lots of champagne!

Thanks, Kristin, for having your Elevenses with us here at THM!  We can’t wait to see initium/finis!

If you’d like to catch initium/finis at The Mini-Fridge Festival find out more by clicking this link.

~~~

HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRIGID NEW YORK PRESENT THE 2012 MINI-FRIDGE

JUNE 28 – JULY 4 @ UNDER ST. MARKS The mini-festival will play at UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Avenue and Avenue A) June 28-July 4. Tickets ($15/$12 students & seniors) are available online  or by calling 212-868-4444. 

Related Posts:

• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Kill The Band – Mock Bottom Mockumental CD Release Experience!
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Lord Gregory & Mademoiselle Godin’s miniXMAS Spectacular!
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Bye Bye Bombay!
• Outskirts of Eden: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Why So Much Shame?: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Initium / Finis is “a sensual tale of violence and revolution born in a futuristic metropolis. Theatre Reverb combines media, red-light cabaret, live music, Judeo-Christian and Hindu myth, and classical Indian dance-theatre to envelop spectators in a lush sci-fi noir.” This Frigid Festival performance is an excerpt from a larger work,  which will be two hours in length and is scheduled to be presented in 2013.

Initium / Finis is an ambitious project, carried by Kristin Arnesen’s performance throughout, as the story expands in many layers, as well as many directions, including an interesting sci-fi premise, sub-plots of intrigue, and cabaret-style entertainment. The play is  supported by live music, visual images and written information in montages of video, and the use of screens to paint pictures with light and shadow. Kristin Arnesen pulls all of these elements and more into a riveting performance; she is a delight to watch on stage as she illustrates the story, demonstrating her evident talents as a performer.

There are many visually stunning moments throughout this play. In the beginning sequence, a video montage of the beginning of creation, as told through Hindu myth, is displayed as backdrop on the screen. In front of the screen, Kristin Arnesen performs a ritualistic dance, retelling the myth in the spirit of classical Indian Dance-Theatre. Her facial expressions tell the story as much as her body does, engaging the audience with allure and humor, taking them through both light and dark. Towards the end of the dance, a scroll of canvas screen is held in front of her, illustrating the remainder of the myth in song and shadowed movement, creating a mesmerizing effect.

A series of cabaret-style performances are woven into the play and comprise some of the most interesting and engaging moments throughout; the role of fetishistic entertainment in this futuristic metropolis is demonstrated and explored, and Kristin Arnesen shines, revealing her amazing ability to hold the audience in her thrall, rapt, willing to go wherever she is going to take them. Initium / Finis is a multi-sensory, funny, serious, erotic, and fascinating piece of theater, which takes the audience on a journey into the complex landscape of a futuristic world.

~~~

The 2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL will run February 22-March 4 at The Kraine Theater & The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave and Ave A). Tickets to all shows may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444.

Related Posts:

• Initium/Finis: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With initium/finis!
• 2nd Season Mini Fridge – Tasty, Filling And Leaving Audience Wanting More! (Jun 28, 2012 – Jul 04, 2012 )
• The Rope In Your Hands: Katrina, In Their Own Words (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Fear Factor: Canine Edition – Puppy Love (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Five Questions. Five Answers. And One Big Decision: Rock, Paper, Or Scissors?

Initium/Finis

Company: Theatre Reverb
Written by: Kristin Arnesen and Radoslaw Konopka

A sensual tale of violence and revolutions born in a futuristic metropolis. Theatre Reverb combines media, red-light cabaret, live music, Judeo-Christian and Hindu myth, and classical Indian dance-theatre to envelop spectators in a lush sci-fi noir.

Show Times:

• Wed 2/22 @ 8:00pm
• Sat 2/25 @ 9:30pm
• Tues 2/28 @ 8:00pm
• Fri 3/2 @ 8:00pm
• Sat 3/3 @ 8:00pm

Answers by Kristin Arnesen

(Co-creator, Designer, Performer)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
That’s some title. How did you come up with it – and what does it mean?
Kristin: Initium-beginning; Finis-end (Latin). When it’s connected it means “the beginning of the end.” We put a “/” in between the two words to imply a connection in their meaning and a reversibility of the terms. Our piece explores the connection between creation and destruction in a journey through East/West mythology and science fiction media. This piece is a section of a larger production we are developing so it comes at the beginning of our end times project and the title also fit the subject matter so that’s why we picked it– though it’s hard to pronounce so we are having second thoughts! The larger project we are working on is called “Reliquum” which has a double meaning: mortal remains, and things yet to be. We are hoping to finish it next year.

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite five people, anyone from past and present, to see your FRIGID show – who would you invite and why?
Kristin:

-Slovoj Zizek because he is a popular culture genius and we’d love to find out what our favorite bad ass would think of our mash up.

-Elizabeth LeCompte- Because we are in awe of her creative work and she’s one of the most incredible women in theatre.

-Cornel West- Because he’s one of the greatest minds of our time and he has an amazing sense of humor and an uncanny knack for speaking the truth.

-Krzysztof Kieslowski- because he explored human nature with the curiosity of a child and the eye of a great director. Plus he was Polish.

-An international producer with lots of money and a taste for curious sci-fi theatre because we need you!

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve ever made for your Art and was it worth it?
Kristin: We don’t have any money but we never have. We really love working as artists so I think we are OK with that. Probably the real sacrifice is in our social lives. When we’re working on a piece, we don’t have weekends or any real clock out time which can be tough, but it’s all worth it in the end.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and, if so, can you share it?
Kristin: One of the happiest discoveries with this project was the wisdom of the saying “ask and you shall receive.” We were able to enlist and work on this production with fantastic collaborators who were excited to work hard –which was pretty awesome.

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?
Kristin: We hope they are surprised at moments, laugh at other ones, and find some beauty somewhere in the mix. Overall we just hope to create an immediate, visceral, unexpected exchange.

Kristin: Rock.

For Everyone?

Kristin: Rock for everyone.

So – you’re using the Love In The Time Of Chlymydia strategy! Whew!  Well, now I’ve got my work cut out for me!  Let’s make this easy …

The other shows who threw ROCK were: Love in the Time of Chlamydia, Judge, Yuri, & Executioner,  Death, it happens: A girl’s guide to death, The Rope in Your Hands, and Afternoon Tea with Jane Austen.  So that’s FIVE TIES.

The shows who threw SCISSORS were: Breathe Love Repeat,  Little Lady, Rabbit Island, Daughters of Lot, Missed Connections: An Exploration into the Online Postings of Desperate Romantics, The Stranger to Kindness and The Terrible Manpain of Umberto MacDougal. That’s SEVEN WINS!

And finally …

The shows who threw PAPER were: I Married A Nun!, Fear Factor: Canine Edition, Poe-Dunk: A Matchbox Entertainment,  Coosje,  Blind to Happiness, Big Plastic Heroes, and Scratch & Pitz: Burlesque Variety Hour.   That’s SEVEN DEAAAAATHS.

Hmm … so, your wins cancel out your losses and the rest are ties.  wish I had better news for you, but at this point that’s about the beginning and the end of it.  Or, you know — the initium and the finis.

Thanks Initium/Finis for participating in The Happiest Medium’s FRIGID New York Festival 2012 Q&A. And for playing our game! You’re officially ROCK in any and all challenges. You may win, you may not – who knows! This is how it works in the crazy world of the Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament of DEAAAAATH!

For the rest of you don’t forget to check out Initium/Finis!

~~~

Initium/Finis

Related Posts:

• Initium / Finis: Bold From Beginning To End (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Stripper Lesbians: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• I’m Only Explaining This Once: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Man Saved By Condiments!: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Big Girls Don’t Cry: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)