The Happiest Medium Is Partnering With FRIGID New York Festival 2011

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:40:40 +0000

If this is the first time you’re hearing of FRIGID then you’re either new to THM, new to New York, new to off-off-Broadway theatre in general, or just not paying attention.

The Annual FRIGID New York Festival, presented by Horse Trade Theater Group, is now in its 5th year but I promise you this will be the most exciting one yet. Why? Because this year The Happiest Medium is proud to be partnering with the Festival bringing you in-depth (and very entertaining) Q&As with each of the participating shows, reviewing as many as our hardworking contributors can cover, and moderating a kick-ass Virtual Rock Paper Scissors Tournament. If you’ve never seen one of those in action, you’ll want to stay tuned. These guys are SERIOUS about what they throw.

So what exactly is FRIGID?

“FRIGID New York is an open and uncensored theatre festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in a venue that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. In true support of theatre on the fringe of the mainstream, 100% of box office proceeds will go directly to the artists. Riding the fringe of winter FRIGID will kick off the annual North American Fringe Circuit with a bang!

FRIGID 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 1st 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.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. And, since someone else said it already – I didn’t have to. So, keep watching this space – and let the FRIGID Festival excitement begin!

Feeling the Chill? It’s FRIGID!

Karen Tortora-Lee — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:52:53 +0000

Gosh, it’s cold outside. Like, tried-to-dial-my-cell-phone-so-took-off-my-glove-and-immediately-regretted-it-because-my-fingers-froze-into-a-claw type of cold. But does it have to be frigid inside too?

According to this festival … yes it does! With January ’09 having the sad distinction of being the month that saw the close of such long running hits as Hairspray, Spamalot and Spring Awakening, as well as other fine productions (such as All My Sons, Boeing-Boeing, Dividing The Estate, Grease, Gypsy, and Young Frankenstein), 2009 is already turning into a sorry year for Broadway. But don’t let it get you down! Go catch one or two or five of these great shows at any or all of these cozy theatres: The Kraine Theatre, The Red Room or Under St. Marks. (And yes, I used “cozy” euphemistically the way those people do when they’re trying to get you to rent their “cozy extra bedroom” … come on, folks it’s obviously a closet!).

FRIGID is around for 2 weeks starting February 25th so I again ask you to DVR LOST, put on your mufflers and your mittens, steel yourself with the Luden’s cough drop flavor of your choice (nothing’s more annoying than having to listen to that annoying chick two seats away dry-choke her way through the show. Having been that annoying chick at three recent performances now, I can tell you — if spitballs were still popular with the over 4th grade set, my hair would have been littered with them) and get your little butts out to see one of these great shows!

And don’t forget, this is a theatre festival … just like those street fairs where endless booths of home made soaps and funnel cakes and throw-the-dart-to-win-a-prize games hold secret joys you could never predict … that’s what this festival will do for your mind. There’s Comedy at one theatre. Drama at another. Solo Shows. Poetry. Puppets. WHAT? Yes. I said it. PUPPETS. Real live (but not alive) puppets. And all tickets are between $8 and $15 dollars. That’s less than three rings in the ring toss game. (Because you know you need more than three rings if you’re gonna win, right?) And what do you actually win anyway? A Spongebob Squarepants doll? A Stewie Griffin doll? Something equally loseable-on-the-way-home-able?

But instead, for $8 – $15 dollars the Frigid Festival will give you all these words and thoughts and emotions and visuals. And … you know, like I mentioned before … puppets. Which are like dolls. Only dolls that stay in the theatre and don’t get lost on the way home. (Or, at least if they do, it’s not YOUR fault … it’s their own fault. And that, my friends … is just a little creepy.)

Look at this. Look at what you have to choose from.

Sorry. That was probably a little too overwhelming. Why don’t I give you a small sampler platter, a dainty dim sum platter, a tiny tapas bar portion of what you could see some time in the next 2 weeks:

The Dysfunctional Guide to Home, Perfection, Marital Bliss, and Passionate Hot Romance
This “How To” piece will use a blend of vintage and original writings to teach you how to be the perfect housewife (or househusband) – Dysfunctional style.

habeas corpus
“What would you like to be rid of?” Fueled by anonymous responses from all over the country as well as live audience responses within the theater itself, the real kim harmon performance collective creates a voracious and tender multi-media performance art experience.

Hysteri-Killy! A One Freak Show
A magical, multimedia march through the mad mind of a manic -depressive, cockeyed optimist.

The Expatriates-Liz Maher as Zelda Fitzgerald

The Expatriates
F. Scott, Zelda Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, and Ernest Hemingway are placed into a devilish purgatory to face their lives all over again. Flappers, booze, and jazz are the guides to untold wealth and unimaginable excess leading this fast paced show barreling towards certain destruction.

So, now … go grab your honey, or use this as an excuse to find a new honey … and go get Frigid.

The Happiest Medium » Kraine Theatre

The Happiest Medium Is Partnering With FRIGID New York Festival 2011

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