Inside Straight - Johnny AceImage by Ivan Farkas

In poker terms an inside straight means you have everything you need to get all the cards in your hand in order except you’re missing the one in the middle.  In actor/writer George Ridgeway’s Inside Straight the play/docudrama/solo show illustrates that as we progress through the second decade of the 21st century, we as individuals, may be reaching out into realms of information security just so we might stay a step ahead of  being played ourselves.  As the internet moves from 2.0 to 3.0 and New York and other megacities such as London are moving toward becoming Panopticon-ready, and RFID’s are being used for tracking our pets or even ourselves, Johnny Ace (George Ridgeway) enters the scene.

Virtual Doorman (Image by Ivan Farkas)

Johnny Ace was a Detective on the NYPD before graduating to becoming a private eye on his own.  Now they call him an “information engineer”.  In this day and age, there no longer needs to be someone bringing in a case to be solved, a good information engineer has an eye for what might be worth something, and the connections to track down what it means.

Inside Straight begins with a protest rally filled with high-heeled corporate women, except for one who is wearing running shoes.  Using intuition and research skills moves our investigation from an overview of how omnipresent cameras are in our lives nowadays, to a virtual doorman and we stream by an internet evangelist expounding on the virtues of Connectivity to his minions scattered across the world, and back to the girl in running shoes who may just use those shoes for running as the web of interest surrounding her begins to suffocate her normal existance.

Internet Evangelist (Image by Ivan Farkas)

George Ridgeway plays several characters, each giving a brief rundown about various aspects of our supper-connected world.  Johnny Ace acts as the connector in this sea of connections as well as narrator throughout.  While watching this show it comes off as a piece of near-future science fiction, but since George Ridgway’s biography includes a journalistic background investigating many of the same issues covered in this play it is likely there are many bits of truth mixed up in this grab bag of insightful monologues.  We can see director Letty Cruz’s influence as the piece moves effortlessly from scene to scene educating the audience as it entertains us in a detective story that couldn’t have been imagined even 5 years ago.

For those who feel like they’re being watch, only to have friends chide them about their paranoia, Inside Straight will justify those feelings.  And for those of us who never worried much about it, after seeing this show you’ll be looking at this city through new eyes.

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FRIGID New York Festival 2011 will run February 23-March 6 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 1sr Ave and Ave A). Tickets ($10-$16) may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444. All shows will run 60 minutes long or less.

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Welcome back to another installment of FRIGID New York Festival 2011 Q&A!  We’ll be running these throughout February until the Festival starts, so be sure to check back to read all about the great shows that will be taking part in the festival.  Also – don’t miss the winner-take-all game of Rock Paper Scissors! Today’s Q&A is with George Ridgeway who is the Actor-Writer of Inside Straight.

Johnny Ace is a street-smart surveillance expert. He plays poker with our lives and tells us like it is. A “New Age Noir” detective, he tracks a life-and-death story about the invasion of privacy in our high-tech world.

George Ridgeway as Johnny Ace, the narrator of Inside Straight (Photo by Ivan Farkas)

answers by George Ridgeway, Actor-Writer

Antonio Asks: What makes FRIGID such a warm and welcoming experience for your production?

Frigid Fest has a great spirit – open, innovative and enthusiastic.

Diánna Asks: What about this play do you feel most drawn to personally, and because of that, what message do you hope the audience walks away with?

I hope people get some good laughs out of this show, but afterwards they realize that we all deserve our privacy in this high-tech world.

Karen Asks: That’s some title.  How did you come up with it – and what does it mean?

An Inside Straight is a Poker hand that may not be as good as it seems.

Stephen Asks: You must have a favorite part of your show.  What makes it your favorite?

My favorite part is when the Narrator (Johnny Ace) challenges the audience to find the real truth in their lives. With high-tech gadgets all around us, it’s something we all need to do.

Lina Asks: How much of your show was inspired by true events?

My show has its roots in reality, and I continually update it according to current events.

THM Bonus Question: If you could play a virtual game of Rock, Paper, Scissors with another FRIGID Show which show would you take on?  And what would you throw?

You got me. I haven’t seen the other shows so I just don’t know where to start.

Thanks Inside Straight – for participating in The Happiest Medium’s FRIGID New York Festival 2011 Q&A.  And for playing our game!  You’re officially showing us your POKER FACE. Clever! Of course, it keeps you from winning this round. Still – you’re keeping with your theme, which is admirable. This is how it works in the crazy world of the VIRTUAL ROCK PAPER SCISSORS TOURNAMENT!

Meanwhile, for the rest of you – don’t forget to check out Inside Straight!

FRIGID New York Festival 2011 will run February 23-March 6 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 1sr Ave and Ave A). Tickets ($10-$16) may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444. All shows will run 60 minutes long or less.

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• Inside Straight: The Twisty Path Of Personal Investigation In A Modern Age (FRIGID New York 2011)
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