Every year the Frigid Festival gives us a hangover – of shows, that is!  A Frigid Hangover has nothing to do with alcohol but it has everything to do with shots!  As in — these shows get one more shot at entertaining audiences.

HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP

PRESENTS THE

2012 FRIGID HANGOVERS

THE BEST & BRIGHTEST FROM

THIS YEARS FESTIVAL

Horse Trade Theater Group (Erez Ziv, Managing Director, Heidi Grumelot, Artistic Director) is proud to present the third annual FRIGID Hangovers, March 5-10 at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery). They’re bringing back the best and the brightest from this years festival, so don’t miss your second chance to catch standout performances of the shows below:

FRIGID Hangovers will run March 5-10 at The Kraine Theater. Tickets ($18-$20) may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444.

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Stripper Lesbians

Hangover: Mon 3/5 @ 7pm

Evan, a woman’s studies major, is writing a killer senior thesis– by becoming a stripper at her favorite strip club. In between her current girlfriend, a stripper-lesbian, and her ex boyfriend, an unemployed Tisch graduate, Evan dances the line between love and betrayal. A comedy about what it really means to be ‘in love with a stripper’ and what it means to become one.

What we said: Sure, the show is sexy, shows a lot of skin, and has no problem exploring the more intimate moments of the relationship, but Rising Sun’s inherent intelligence as an ensemble ensures that your skin is served up with a side of thoughtful, though-provoking drama which explores the title rather than exploits it.

Fear Factor: Canine Edition

Hangover: Mon 3/5 @ 8:30pm

The peculiar and misguided true adventures of a man and his very trusting, very forgiving, therapy dog. An award-winning tale of true love and overcoming obstacles, while staring fear in the face.

What we said: In Fear Factor: Canine Edition Grady tells the hilarious and heartbreaking story of his life with Abby, and Abby’s last days before she had to be put down. Grady’s stories are beautiful and impassioned, but told simply, with ease and humor.

Little Lady

Hangover: Tue 3/6 @ 7pm

A physical theatre solo show that peers into the fantastical life of Little Lady.

What we said: Little Lady, is happy to hold you in a spell of fascination as she pricks away at your comfort levels, never allowing you to lapse into a passive, carefree enjoyment of her performance.

LOL: The End

Hangover: Tue 3/6 @ 8:30pm

Come to a place where tragedy meets comedy meets stupid. A funny and physical look at natural and human-made disasters through the eyes of three clowns.

What we said: By the end of the show the audience is shown a postapocalyptic world where humankind is reduced back to their primal state by a believable set of circumstances.

The Terrible Manpain of Umberto MacDougal

Hangover: Thu 3/8 @ 7pm

Umberto MacDougal allows you to look through the window of his tragic manpain. With a beard full of tears and a melancholy guitarist playing a sorrowful tune, Umberto reveals the pain that men feel.

What we said: Instead of Umberto simply being a character who is parading his troubles, he has trouble with that parade and it becomes overwhelming to him at times, adding a greater dimension to the work as a whole.

Daughters of Lot

Hangover: Thu 3/8 @ 10pm

The evening’s entertainment is a sexy and silly retelling of an ancient story, until the performers do a trick that requires more than flexibility. Arousing and agitating in Biblical proportions, this is not your daddy’s burlesque club.

What we said: Welcome to Daughters of Lot where the Bible Belt meets the Garter Belt, where Feminism has as many meanings as Eskimos have words for snow and where women run the gamut from young and innocent to young and jaded.

The Rope in Your Hands

Hangover: Fri 3/9 @ 7pm

A solo show based on the true stories of thirteen different survivors of Hurricane Katrina

What we said: O’Loughlin’s interviews span race, class, and age to bring a fully realized account of the storm and its aftermath. Morphing gracefully into each character, with specific physicality and well-practiced speech patterns, O’Loughlin is a joy to watch.

Missed Connections

Hangover: Fri 3/9 @ 8:30pm

Drawing from the sometimes touching, oftentimes torrid (and almost always grammatically incorrect) postings on craigslist’s most notorious section, Missed Connections is a collection of the best and brightest.

What we said: Whether you’re M4W, W4M, M4M, or W4W, there is something for everyone in Missed Connections: An Exploration Into The Online Postings Of Desperate Romantics.

Coosje

Hangover: Sat 3/10 @ 7pm

Coosje is the story of two artists, husband and wife, finding their playful aesthetic together and attempting to escape death. Meanwhile, the singing Pear embarks on a heroic quest to achieve immortality. Their journeys intertwine in this fantastical love story.

What we said: Coosje allows for intimate interaction with the elements of the creative process. This play highlights the notion that every piece of art is the completion of a journey for an object (real or imagined, sentient or inanimate) to get to the place where its inclusion in the art creates the context and meaning of the art itself.

Rabbit Island

Hangover: Sat 3/10 @ 8:30pm

Alex zigzags irregular relationships with an erratic therapist, his on-again off-again girlfriend, an untamed burlesque dancer and The Cleanse. But what more will it take for this verbose Canadian mime to become a Real New Yorker?

What we said: The cast of four is powerful; each embodying complex characters and finding the dualities so that the audience is able to both identify with them as well as inwardly breathe a sigh of relief at how different we are (one would hope).

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• CHALK: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• All is Fine in Sunny Florida: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
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For those of us tucked up in the Northeast part of the country, Hurricane Katrina is a distant memory, a tragedy of nearly a decade ago. But for those still feeling the effects down South its presence is constant. Siobhan O’Louglin gives a voice to the personal stories in her solo show, The Rope in Your Hands (playing at The Red Room). Through thirteen different first-hand survivor accounts, O’Loughlin deftly moves through the before and after of one of the most devastating disasters in recent memory.

From street performers to university personnel, preachers to clean-up volunteers, the French Quarter to the Ninth Ward, O’Loughlin’s interviews span race, class, and age to bring a fully realized account of the storm and its aftermath. Morphing gracefully into each character, with specific physicality and well-practiced speech patterns, O’Loughlin is a joy to watch.

One can only imagine the mammoth undertaking that came with interviewing and mining the dramatic pith from each of her subjects. The story she tells is cohesive and focused, with a chronology and structure the audience can easily follow. She works her way up to the storm itself, and rather than dwelling too much on the actual rainfall or breaking of the levees (images oft-played on the news), she tells of the evacuations, the forethought, the packing up and shipping out for those who survived.

And then there is the aftermath: the cleanup, the re-building, the government aid (or lack thereof). Here is where O’Loughlin’s point of view begins to surface. The overarching opinion of her subjects is that the government did not do enough to help the survivors, that there should not have been a wait for food, water, and medicine. As one of her characters puts it, “When you see a man drowning in the middle of a lake, and you have a rope in your hands, you don’t debate about whether or not to throw it to him. You throw the rope, pull him out, and then debate about it.” Using the words of activists, homeowners, and cleanup volunteers, O’Loughlin shines a light on the still-in-progress re-building of one of America’s most vibrant cities.

One of the most striking elements of the testimonies is how much love and pride these people have for their city. They do not leave and start life somewhere else. Instead they come back, slog through the gutting of their homes, and try to recreate the color and wonder of the city they know exists somewhere. O’Loughlin, too, feels the same ownership over her characters, and each is presented with respect, grace, humor, and humility. It is a terrific feat, bringing that many voices to life, but she achieves it, and recognizes the importance of their words. After all, sometimes the easiest way to heal is by telling your story, and knowing that someone is listening.

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Related Posts:

• The Rope In Your Hands: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Man Saved By Condiments: Some Time Alone To Ketchup (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Big Girls Don’t Cry: Laughing On The Outside (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)
• Little Lady: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

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

The Rope In Your Hands

Written and performed by Siobhan O’Loughlin
Directed by Danielle Skraastad

The Rope in Your Hands, written and performed by Siobhan O’Loughlin, is an interview-based solo show featuring the stories of thirteen different survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Show Times:

• Wed 2/22 @ 9:30pm
• Sat 2/25 @ 8:00pm
• Wed 2/29 @ 8:00pm
• Sat 3/3 @ 11:00pm
• Sun 3/4 @ 6:00pm

Answers by Siobhan O’Loughlin
(Writer, Performer)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
That’s some title. How did you come up with it – and what does it mean?
Siobhan: The Rope in Your Hands is based on interviews I conducted with survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The title is an actual quote from a homeless man I interviewed in the French Quarter—he said to me, “You got a man drowning in a lake, huh? And you got a rope in ya hand? You don’t debate about whether or not you throw a man a rope!” For me, this embodies the show itself: if we have the ability to help each other, we should. The rope is in your hands as well as mine. It is in our hands.

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?
Siobhan: Honestly, right off the bat, I’d say the people I interviewed who became characters in the play. Granted, there are 13 of them, but the chance to have five would be wonderful. I’ve tried getting in touch with many of them, and their emails are faulty; or they simply don’t respond. I’ve only had one of my “characters” appear in my audience so far—Steve Hoeschele, who was an ACORN Crew Chief I worked with when I volunteered in New Orleans. He’s actually seen the show twice, and he loves it—which is a huge, huge compliment to me as a writer and performer who is trying to capture a moving portrait of a city. In the beginning of the show, I do a quick one liner from every character I have. At the end of the performance, Steve and his girlfriend were both elated—and he said to me, “I didn’t remember saying that line, but from the way you performed it, I knew it was me.”

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve ever made for your Art and was it worth it?
Siobhan: Right now, I would say the biggest sacrifice is a daily lifestyle one. I’ve chosen to live in New York City, with little stability, basically no job security or resources. All of us performer types have many skills and talents—we could all easily get a desk job that is salaried, provides health care and even a 401k. But if we were to do that, we’d sacrifice the chance to audition, to travel on a whim for our original work, to jump on board for any and every project. Artists are some of the hardest working people I know, and also the poorest. Is it worth it? I hope so. It’s gotta be. I’m gonna keep trying, that’s for damn sure.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and, if so, can you share it?
Siobhan: There are constant discoveries that a solo performer makes about themselves and the world during their work. When I first created this project, I became instantly aware of how significant solo performance can be as a vessel for social change and political activism. With only one person on stage, the audience becomes the scene partner, creating an instant dialogue between the two. This is a marvelous experience and opportunity for the theatre to provide, and because of that, I think it is a greater instigator for social change and personal growth. There are very few solo shows I have seen that did not move me and inspire me immensely—and that is because I felt I was part of the performance, I felt the performer address me directly. I urge all audience members of the FRIGID New York Festival to please investigate as many solo shows as possible—I know that I will be! Solo performance is my favorite kind of theatre—it is raw, visceral, and powerful.

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?
Siobhan: Oh, there are so many things. I hope that they are moved by the extraordinarily personal and honest stories from these brave survivors of Hurricane Katrina. I hope that these stories compel audience members to initiate more dialogues with their friends, family, neighbors—about their stories, their truths, their personal journeys, which are so often magnificent stories of triumph as well. This is all to say that I hope The Rope in Your Hands brings a sense of community to the audience, that our community is important, is notable, is worth putting time into. I suggest that the rope be in everyone’s hands, for we all have a rope that we can use should we chose to. I suggest further that it is always worth throwing the rope and engaging in our communities. Whether that means Occupy Wall Street, volunteering at a homeless shelter or an animal shelter, donating time to your child’s school or community garden, cooking dinner for your roommates once a week, travelling to New Orleans or—most recently—Alabama, to do post-disaster storm relief, or even making sure you get to know the names of all of the people in your building, and saying hello to them—I truly believe that this sense of humanity is what rescues us, time and time again. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “Those who help, are helped.” I hope that The Rope in Your Hands fuels the audience with the courage to care.

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament of DEAAAAATH

THM Bonus Question – We’re serious this year!
In the THM virtual Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament of DEAAAAATH which FRIGID Show do you take on? And what do you throw?
Siobhan: Oh my goodness!! But I’m so NOT competitive! Um, okay. I guess I’d pick another solo show—there are several in The Red Room, so I’ll pick  I’m Only Explaining This Once.  I like the seemingly simple premise of this show and I can’t wait to see it. Therefore, I throw Moe a rock.

Wow, Siobhan – I kinda expected you to throw Moe a rope!  But that’s not allowed this year – only Rock, Paper or Scissors so you did the right thing, tossing over a big ole rock to I’m Only Explaining This Once. We have no idea what Moe will throw – but we do know that you’ve been challenged by Love In The Time Of Chlamydia and Judge, Yuri and Executioner. Both of them threw rock as well. SO!  Good thing you’re not competitve because both those resulted in a tie.  A tie!  How fitting for a rope.

Thanks The Rope In Your Hands 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 have a future 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 The Rope In Your Hands!

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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:

• The Rope In Your Hands: Katrina, In Their Own Words (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)