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by Geoffrey Paddy Johnson on March 1, 2011
Kevin J Thornton stars in I Love You (We're F*#ked) Photo by Chris Wage
Kevin J. Thornton nimbly takes the stage at 4 in the afternoon for another performance of his one-man show, I Love You (We’re F*#ked). “It’s early in the day, isn’t it?” he asks. “I feel like I’ve just gotten up.” And looking at him, with a slight rawness around the eyes and a gracefully rumpled quality to his stage ensemble, you could quite believe it. But there’s nothing of the grouch, morning or otherwise, about Kevin. His speaking voice is low, calm, almost velvety; the sort of voice that could induce a tranquil confidence even as it asks you to ensure that your seat belt is fastened, your table tops are stowed, and your seats are in an upright position, as the captain will shortly be attempting a crash landing. Standby.
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by Stephen Tortora-Lee on March 1, 2011
Way, way back before the dawn of the internet, in the days when Microsoft was DOS (not Windows) and PCs were called by their full name (Personal Computers) and learning institutions were oufitted with Apple IIe’s, there was a game that infiltrated homes and schools across America. A game that put you in the role of the leader of a group of interpid pioneers trudging across more than 2,000 miles from Independence, Missouri to the fabled land of Oregon in the year 1848 along the Oregon Trail. The game of Oregon Trail was one of the few educational games true to the claim of being “fun as well as educational” (at least in my school in the 1980′s), and has become extremely popular over the years. So popular that it has insprired a a great new musical by No.11 Productions for the Frigid Festival called Oregon Trail: The Quest For the West!
Personally, I really enjoyed playing the game as well as seeing the musical, but a question I was asked, adds an interesting texture to this discussion, “Do you have to have played the game before in order to enjoy the play?” It definitely helped that by being in the audience I got to relive the joy of playing Oregon Trail in more ways than one, but the play is entertaining and even moving at times in ways that take this now age-old story to whole new heights. Besides, if you wanted to try your hand at the original game it is available to play just like it was back in 1985 … Continue Reading…
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on March 1, 2011
F*#king Girls featuring Ben Thompson & Carolyn Gilliam (Photo by Andrew Bisdale)
The Bromance has come into its own and is now permeating black box theatre – behold F*#cking Girls the new Bromantic Comedy brought to you by Ben Thompson and Bro. I mean, and Co. Well, both really. Written by Thompson and directed by Paul Leopold this short, sweet, easy-to-digest play doesn’t cover new ground, but it sure does repave the familiar road admirably.
Set up like every typical comedy of its type F*#cking Girls is comprised of one good guy and one bad guy – or rather one faithful (borderline emotionally pathetic) guy and one cool (that would mean promiscuous) dude. James (Jon Bass) hails from Column A; as the lights come up we find James drowning his sorrows over the demise of his long-term relationship. Quick to step in is his best Bro Mike (Brendan McCarthy) who offers up a simple plan full of the hi-jinks that make for a laugh-packed short play: James needs to sleep his way through all the ex girlfriends who didn’t give it up to him the first time around.
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by Antonio Miniño on February 28, 2011
Christel Bartelse in ONEymoon (photo by Shawn McPerson)
The road to self can be a very bumpy one – even bumpier is the road to finding your other half – unless that other half is yourself? The need for that special someone is the favorite topic of most of our happiest mediums, being the center crux in hundreds of books, movies and theatre. Written by Jimmy Hogg & the bubbly Christel Bartelse, ONEymoon is an entertaining if sometimes convoluted look into finding solitary happiness and going all the way – so far as to marrying oneself and taking oneself to a lush tropical “all you can drink” Caribbean honeymoon – with sexy bartender included!
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by Geoffrey Paddy Johnson on February 28, 2011
Joe the Perfect Man featuring Rachelle Elie (Photo credit: Sandy Nicholson)
Why are so many people repulsed by (and fearful of) clowns? Could it be because the barbaric humor they deploy is played, in part, to mock the audience? Who, after all, but fools would be entertained by such crude gestures and antics? Or is it because those white, white faces, with broadly drawn features, are just plain scary? Rachelle Elie, in her one-woman show, Joe: The Perfect Man, at least spares us the white clown make-up, but everything else about her character’s grotesquely padded physique and appearance is from the classic costume rack: a hopelessly unconvincing grey, curly wig; wide-lens glasses; penciled-on goatee; black taped tooth gaps. Did I mention the loud plaid jacket and wide-striped pants? Yes, settle back folks, because this brand of entertainment will be, well, broad.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on February 27, 2011
JapJAP written and performed by Una Aya Osato (photo by Ari Issler)
When we first meet JapJAP (Una Aya Osato) she’s a green blob projected onto a screen – rolling around joyfully and joyously. Cleverly, her projected image rolls from the screen in two dimensional form onto the stage in glorious 3-D. This is a device that Osato will continue to use throughout the performance, and it serves her well; enabling her to be multi-dimensional as well as keep her characters separate.
On the stage JapJAP is a lovable creature – childlike, unblemished, a sweet creation of unknown origin who says nothing but “JapJAP”, not unlike a Pokemon says its own name over and over. Clumsily, dizzily, happily dancing about in an effervescent homage to the unrestrained happiness that is an existence free of names, labels, classifications, designations and even further breakdowns, JapJAP appears to be content as is. Soon enough, however, she is corralled by the Left and the Right – played by Osato’s Left Hand and her Right Hand – clad in Blue and Red satin gloves respectively (and appropriately).
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by Stephen Tortora-Lee on February 27, 2011
According to The Bitter Poet (real name, Kevin Draine) when the audience first meets him, he makes it clear that this is no “show”, and that he has no “narrative”. He has no pretenses, just poetry. He also has a ruffled red shirt as well as a beautiful and rich perspective and the “luck” to “live in interesting times”. He warmly invites us into his life for this hour to hear of everything from a purging of crazy self-help books to a quest to woo many unavailable women who just pulled his heart-strings the wrong way.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on February 26, 2011
We Might Be Experimenting On You featuring Kym Bernazky and Melanie Jones
I could say SO MUCH about We Might Be Experimenting On You - but I’ve been sworn to secrecy. Seriously. I have been. Doctors (and writers) Kym Bernazky and Melanie Jones are very clear about this. But I can tell you this much – We Might Be Experimenting On You was a delightful surprise and I’ll try to explain why while still being as cryptic as possible.
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by Geoffrey Paddy Johnson on February 26, 2011
Denmo Ibrahim as Mohamed Hosni (Photo by Wesley Cabral)
Titling a show FUNNY A Trunk Show is perhaps somewhat daring, if not theatrical wishful thinking. Some people’s funny is other people’s camp. So it’s a good thing that Denmo Ibrahim’s one-woman show, just opened in the FRIGID New York Festival, knows what it is about, and blithely transcends its title.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on February 26, 2011
Welcome back to another installment of FRIGID New York Festival 2011 Q&A! We’ll be running these throughout February, 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 Olivia Lehrman, performer in Pretty-n-Papi.
The very last reality show to be made. Are Pretty-n-Papi the first ‘reality’ lesbian couple? The 1st immigrant couple? Poster children for love after sixty? Let this zany trio of women take you on an energetic and absurd ride to the future of reality television.
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