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1 Quandary Place
Abundance
ADVENTURES OF A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
Barroom Philosophers
Border Crossings
Class Notes
Embarrassment & Death
The Falls of Vincent Millay
Found and Lost: Goals for 2002
Frisco Fred's Cabaret!
Fuck You Cancer
Great Hymn of Thanksgiving / Conversation
Storm
The Hasheesh Eater
Heavy Metal Playground
HER KIND: The Life & Poetry of Anne
Sexton
i hate my friends
Jesus Rant
Kiss My Booth
Korean Badass
Low Hanging Fruit
Monkey Poet Stand-Up!
Organic Boxed Chicken Stock
parts is parts:
Party of One
RM3
The Sewers
Shopping as a Spiritual Path
Spotless
Stetson Manifesto
A Strange Black Passion
Super Glossy!
TeleMongol
Terrible Voice
Tesla's White Pigeon
Turn of the Screw
You Go First
Play: Terrible Voice
Reviewer: yawza
5 Stars
Somehow this gem of a show seems to have fallen through the cracks at the Fringe , either as the result of it's curious scheduling or a title that doesn't do it justice. The forty minutes went by far too fast and all I could think of was , "don't stop now." No idea if this review will get posted on the last day but it's worth making the effort if at least one more person is convinced to see this show on the last day at 7 pm.
Play: Spotless
Reviewer: Steven Karwoski
5 Stars
Should be called Flawless! Her physical characterizations were perfect.
In all my years of fringing I have never seen such an impeccably flawless
performance. I was in awe as an audience member. As a fellow performer,
I was humbled and felt I needed to back to acting class.
Play: Found and Lost: Goals for 2002
Reviewer: Found and Lost: Goals for 2002
5 Stars
I'm one of those "dance isn't really my thing" guys. However if
more dance ensembles put on shows like this one, I would be a convert. All
of the components, the excellent and enthusiastic performers, the use of
dialogue, props, and good music made this a much less sterile experience
than traditional modern dance that I have seen. Each of the vignettes was
a discernbile story, and while me and my partner debated the actual meanings/interpretations
it was worth debating. Go see it!
Play: Terrible voice
Reviewer: Art
5 Stars
This woman makes me laugh, gasp, and can bring tears, too. Here gift with
language is extraordinary - she's got an amazing ability to bring you into
her world. She is audacious and courageous, full of heart and steamy in
her unique southern way.
Play: & billions more
Reviewer: yawza
5 Stars
This was really just a lot of fun. Exactly what the Dr would order for Sat night for your mental health. Great ensemble work with short sketches based around people finding out the earth is about to be swallowed by a black hole. Guys being guys , it's your last chance to score unless you're committed to saving the world after making sure you've got on clean underwear. This was sold out Fri night and there are no advance tickets left for Sat , but like all Fringe shows , half the tickets are sold at the door starting 30 minutes before show time. So , for Sat's 8:30 show plan to be there early so you can get in.If you snooze you'll loose here. It's Original Joe's so serious drink and food is available and you can take it all inside with you. Perfect.
Play: Low Hanging Fruit
Reviewer: Jello Biafra
3 Stars
Some very sweet, touching, tender moments. Some of the script is filler.
Acting could have been more natural. Dances were very appropriate
Play: The Sewers
Reviewer: Jean Beatrice
5 Stars
BRAVO!!! One of the best pieces of theatre I've ever seen! Surreal, creepy,
hilarious. The cast is top-notch. The set and the way the cast moves around
in it is minimal but impactful. YOU CAN'T MISS THIS SHOW!!
Play: The Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Jean Beatrice
4 Stars
Excellently and innovatively executed. The cast morphs in and out of the
various characters like a dream. Intense. Highly recommended
Play: SUPER GLOSSY!
Reviewer: cast of ihatemyfriends
5 Stars
Show was great! Lots of Fun! Interesting characters and thought provoking
story...a definite must see! Something(s) for everyone! Can't stop shouting
SUPER GLOSSY!!!
Play: The Sewers
Reviewer: matty p
5 Stars
If Rosencrants & Guildenstern got into bed with Terry Gilliams Brazil
& encouraged Juenet's Delicatessen to make a threesome - 9 months later
the big bastard baby of that tryst would be The Sewers. Brilliant! Now say
Dadda!
Play: The Sewers
Reviewer: Marcus Sternski
2 Stars
This show is a lot of fun to look at, and the visuals are very imaginative,
but that's about it. Even absurdist farces need a story, and the story here
(a play within a play) was pretty dumb. There was lots of (heightened) dialogue,
most of it lame. I liked the two actors but not the two actresses. The soundtrack,
with a couple exceptions, was overdone and distracting.
The dialogue is the big problem. It's not compelling in any way. It doesn't make me pay attention. It weighs down the forward motion of the show. It adds nothing. I think the show might work better by either cutting all the text or by converting the text into some kind of opera.
Right now, the whole thing feels very general.
Play: Barroom Philosophers
Reviewer: Edward Albee
1 Star (editor's note: What does Edward Albee know?)
Bad acting, bad script. Sometimes laughably bad
Play: terrible voice
Reviewer: Liebe Wetzel
5 Stars
a fresh original voice. clearly a woman who has logged more time behind
her computer writing thanmost programmers. she is fantastic. go see it.
Play: Dona Budd (Terrible Voice)
Reviewer: Ms V
5 Stars
So, if you are truly an afficiando of the written word, and have your head
and heart connected, you might truly enjoy the heartfelt expression of Dona
Budd... Dona's material is poignant, with unique and unexpected twists and
turns, and her delivery is dynamically authentic... A true treat!
Play: Terrible Voice
Reviewer: Jenny Schaffer
4 Stars
Dona's writing is extraordinary, just extraordinary. Do not miss this show.
Play: Found and Lost: Goals for 2002
Reviewer: Found and Lost: Goals for 2002
5 Stars
I'm one of those "dance isn't really my thing" guys. However if
more dance ensembles put on shows like this one, I would be a convert. All
of the components, the excellent and enthusiastic performers, the use of
dialogue, props, and good music made this a much less sterile experience
than traditional modern dance that I have seen. Each of the vignettes was
a discernbile story, and while me and my partner debated the actual meanings/interpretations
it was worth debating. Go see it!
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Peter
5 Stars
This was one of the best executed plays I've seen in a long time. The four
actors are simply first rate, really experts at their craft, very expressive,
very emotive, just superb. Next the way they stage it, with the use of lighting
and simple props is so clever, but with purpose, not just for show. As another
reviewer implied, you become so wrapped up in the dialogue and plot that
your imagination takes the cues from the simple props and manufactures the
rest. I really can't praise this performance enough.
Play: Barroom Philosophers
Reviewer: wolfe
3 Stars
I remember this group from last year, really great people. But, I guess
I have to agree with Victor on this one, only I'm going with the 3 stars
instead of 4. It's hard to perform your own work without an outside director
to see things you didn't even know were there, to tell you that you know
the words too well and that after, what, 10 double bourbons even the thickest
of barflys is going to be showing the effects, sometimes (most of the time)
even more so than the newbie. I agree this wasn't just a "talking heads"
show, the characters absolutely reminded me of some people you'd meet in
a dive bar in Lodi, but I did find some of the language unnatural. I thought
Tina, Steve and Derek did a good job, but again, with the director on stage
it's hard for him to give you everything you need. I think the pacing may
have been a bit off, it seemed a little slow to me, could have just been
the night, but again... director's job. I didn't hate this show, which is
great because !
I'm a persnickety son of a bitch, it was just... 3 stars for me. But hey,
who the hell am I? Judge for yourself.
Play: RM3
Reviewer: J. Lee Vocque (Barroom Philosophers)
4 Stars
A very well acted piece. I enjoyed the way the songs were split amongst
the cast. With the music of Ben Folds I didn't think I would go in this
direction for a show however it was pulled off great. Some lulls in the
show but over all it flowed nicely. I do have to say that the two stand
outs for me were the father and Kate, both with amazing singing voices and
a lot of acting talent to back it up.
Play: Barroom Philosphers
Reviewer: Jason
5 Stars
Great show. Very active, fast paced, thought provoking, and funny. All the
actors did a wonderfull job and to know that the writer/director had to
pick the main part due to a dropout was very impressive. Pulling triple
time never looked so easy! Definately a must see for the fringe this year!
Play: Great Hymn of Thanksgiving/Conversation Storm
Reviewer: Dan Carbone
5 Stars
These guys are the REAL DEAL! A trio of astonishing performers. If you want
to see something that actually IS experimental, with some sort of deep depth,
rather than the lame, faux stuff that gives Avant-garde theatre a bad name
in this town, THESE ARE THE FELLOWS TO SEE! I'd give 'em 10 Stars but the
damned thing only goes to 5! Beefheart, John Cassavetes, Firesign Theatre,
Godard, Fassbinder, John Cage and Edgard Varèse all rolled into one
big ball of wax! Bravo Gentleman!!
Play: Barroom Philosophers
Reviewer: Holly P
4 Stars
I really enjoyed this show. The concept was great: strangers sitting around
at a bar talking, each one forced to face their respective truths. The story
arc was really clear and well-constructed and each character was pretty
nicely defined. I wasn't that impressed with the acting, but it didn't really
seem to matter! Great job, guys.
Play: & Billions More
Reviewer: Brett
5 Stars
Preoccupied lately about the world coming to an end by being swallowed up
by a man made black hole. Not to worry. Ripe theatre will show you what
it will probably be like
& how to laugh it off. Go see it before it's too late...
Play: Monkey Poet Stand up
Reviewer: Brett
5 Stars
5 stars! 2 Thumbs up! No thrown bottles!
Help Matt Panesh overcome that Monkey Poet
Stand Up on his back by going to see his show (his therapist says it's highly
therapeutic for him to be doing FRINGE)by going to see his show. But be
warned - watching him jones from Monkey Poet Stand Up on stage is not pretty.
Lots of poetry,
stand up comedy, music, fully clothed & intelligent women (all 2 of
them), & trained monkeys that will steal the money out of your wallets/purses
when the lights go down. No this is not Matt Panesh writing his own review,
but a real person
(I know what you're thinking, "what is reality?") who's actually
seen his show. So get off your dead ass, pony up your 9$ & go! Okay
I'm done.
Play: The Hashesh Eater
Reviewer: Bob Hayden
5 Stars
The Hashesh Eater is well worth the climb up Mason Street to the Phoenix.
Tom Fletcher’s over-the-top and florid prose takes you back to the
time when San Francisco was awash in cheap booze, men were men, and there
weren’t nearly enough women to account for the legendary sexual activity.
In a day when it costs a fortune to mount even a one-man show, The Hashesh Eater flaunts a cast of seven, as well as the live background music of a fiddle-playing minstrel. Moreover, there was no skimping on costumes. Based on an historic character in an historic era, the play opens with a rather factual representation of a slice of life in San Francisco in the mid-18th century, albeit seen through a boozy lens. This lens becomes more and more befogged as Mr. Ludlow’s hashesh fix takes hold, finally culminating in a demonic ballet. Never a dull moment, the stage is akways filled with the boisterous action that displays the full range of Tom Fletcher’s debauched imagination.
The cast knows what it is doing. You may think the sailor’s tattoos are faked, unless you saw Mr. Satyricon in "Wilde Boys", in which case you will also remember that his red hair is not faked either. Mr. Wilcox turns in his usual fine performance. He is a frequent star of Tom Fletcher’s plays, and one hopes that Fletcher will soon give him a part that does not force him to alternate between rat-like groveling and declaiming to the heavens like a madman.
Highly recommended.
Play: Adventures of a Substitute Teacher
Reviewer: yawza
3 Stars
This show probably resonates a great deal more if you're a teacher ,otherwise it's just OK. Some of the material works and is funny but then again if you don't have experience to connect with it starts wearing thin as the show goes on. In the world of "The Little Man" , this is the one where he's sitting in his seat looking straight. He's not going to fall asleep , but he's not moved enough to be come overly enthusiastic either. I'm also curious about the "Japanese" generated "humor". Doesn't seem that funny for SF. The dinner theater option is a plus here.
Play: Stetson Manifesto
Reviewer: Patti
4 Stars
I found this show to be intelligent, thoughtful, well-written, and highly
entertaining. Joe Carrig gives an exceptional performance as Catfish, the
cranky, drunken old-school cowboy who is out of his element in the brave
new corporate world, and isn't willing to suffer it gladly. The other two
actors give credible performances, but don't quite match Carrig's energy.
Play: Barroom Philosophers
Reviewer: yawza
4 Stars
This is a nice change of pace from what is a more usual than normal solo performance driven festival. I stayed engaged with the show from the beginning and found it to be entertaining. Throw in the ability to have a serious drink and a real meal at the same time and this makes for a perfect Fri or Sat evening out. We're talking dinner theater here. Good deal
Play: Terrible Voice
Reviewer: vanda
5 Stars
WOW! Dona Budd thrills with her audacious curiosity and superb writing.
Her individualism and delight in language stay with me and give me hope
in the bland blah PC ness of our current landscape...
She has given me a rich insight into the American interior, and I will not
see armpit hair the same way again:)
Play: Monkey Poet Stand-Up!
Reviewer: He who shall not be named
5 Stars
Take the in your face style of Lenny Bruce. Add the intelligence of Eddie
Izzard. Mix in the raw emotion and outrage towards a dark unyeilding world
of Allan Ginsberg. A dash of George Carlin's comic timing. A pinch of Robin
Williams' energy. And you have MONKEY POET STAND-UP!
Play: The Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Ben Yang
5 Stars
I saw this and The Sewers back to back at the Garage.
These two plays made up the finest night of fringing I've had so far (I've
been to this year's and last year's). I would consider both to be 5 star
plays but for very different reasons.
Sitting in one of the seats adjacent to the stage, I think, was a great
idea. The ability of the performers to develop a combined sense of urgency
and creepiness through the use of sound, lighting, and choreography was
amazing. The strength of the acting made sure that, although the individual
actors often swapped roles, the story was still tight. There is honestly
no negative criticism I could give this play.
Play: Found and Lost: goals for 2002
Reviewer: He who shall not be named
5 Stars
Your first goal for 2007 should be too see this show! No words to describe
the beauty and talent of these preformers and this show. Do yourself a favor
and put this show at the very top of your list. Skip everything else and
see this first!
Play: Barroom Philosophers
Reviewer: He who shall not be named
5 Stars
Let's take this one by one shall we? SUZ: Beautiful, sad, great facial expression,
really taught us a lot about the main charater and we could easily tell
she "loved" him. STEVE: pulled off the young niave thing well,
did a great job of showing us that he was feeling the alcohol and loved
his flirtation with Tina. TINA: very sexy, a great talent, heartbreaking
in one scene, flirty and lively in another and showed us true fear towards
the end. DEREK: intense, but balanced it well with the pathetic nature of
his character, made me jump several times. I am going to split the main
guy into three parts being he was the writer. director, and star. PAUL:
fragile asshole if there is such a thing. He showed us a soft sad side to
the drunk we see every night at the bar. DIRECTOR: I was worried with four
people sitting around talking I was going to get bored. But the direction
and the acting combined to keep me on the edge of my seat. WRITER: this
was without a doubt the best written sho!
w I have ever seen. Honesty is rare in theatre, we often see people attempt
it and fail, the situations are just a little too out there to be real.
But not in the case of this show, each actor WAS their character, and judging
from watching them interact with each other after the show it wasn't type
casting either! Over all just plain amazing and should not be missed. Well
done and drinks are on me!
Play: Border Crossings
Reviewer: Victor
3 Stars
Well done. A bit too much "pause for effect" for me. And he seemed
to just want to show off his singing, dancing and storytelling without gelling
them into one solid show. But with a little work he could have a real winner
on his hands.
Play: found and lost
Reviewer: Victor
5 Stars
I want to marry each and every one of these women. Gorgeous, energetic,
fun, funny, talented, and hot hot HOT! The CAN'T MISS show of Fringe!
Play: a strange black passion
Reviewer: Victor
1 Star
I think the word "crap" is tossed around too lightly nowadays.
That being said, this earned that word.
Play: barroom philosophers
Reviewer: Victor
4 Stars
I was torn in giving this show 3 or 4 stars. I thought the script was excellent
and would give it 5 stars on that alone. The cast was good looking and very
talented, most of them. The one thing that made me think of giving the show
3 stars was Paul. I think the actor/writer/director spread himself too thin.
He brought the show down for me. Maybe I saw just an off night by this actor.
But the show gets a 4 because of the great work of the rest of the cast.
Paul really knew how to surround himself with talent to help carry this
show. Congrats to the rest of you for taking his great words and poor acting
and combining them into a very enjoyable show.
Play: The Hasheesh Eater
Reviewer: John
4 Stars
As with any drug-narrative, the trip is the story; so there is no plot,
no arch to characters. There is, however, a fantastical journey through
the underbelly of 1860's San Francisco via the mind of the Hasheesh Eater.
The minimal lighting and the intimate Phoenix Theater setting perfectly
suggests gas-light parlors and dark streets along the Barbary Coast. The
costumes reinforce the time and place and obviously allow the performers
a proper skin in which to embrace their parts with such zeal. All of the
performances are wonderfully demented and there isn’t a weak link in
this collective. And most striking are those elements that comprise the
hallucination, reminiscent of Dutch and German silent film images that celebrated
the occult and the wicked. And where else can one enjoy period fiddling
while under-the-influence?
The Hasheesh Eater delivers a lot more than the previous posts suggest;
make up your own mind on this one and take the trip yourself.
Play: Tesla's White Pigeon
Reviewer: Joe
4 Stars
Tesla's White Pigeon, it's like watching some new game that has been invented
and you're watching it being played for the first time. not knowing the
rules yet can make it seem like an inside joke at times, but this sensation
dissappears when you give up trying to "figure it out." it's more
like a painting than a play. fragmented. illusive. intriguing. though it
can be confusing at times, a strange intimacy creeps over the whole experience.
the space stays charged from beginning to end. i almost hated not knowing
how. perhaps abstract, but it is representative of performance at it's simplest
and athletic form.
Play: The Hasheesh Eater
Reviewer: Ilsa Schindler
3 Stars
At the post-show curtain speech, we were admonished to donate some dollars
to keep the cast drunk and horny. But such a pack of drunk and horny creatures!
The level of degeneration depicted by the characters made me feel we're
all just sacks of blood, guts and s---. Who could be horny for that?
I loved the costumes and props; very imaginative and innovative. The 'hell'
vision was over-the-top and the most fun to watch. Acting-wise, Eric Wilcox
was credible as the 'hop-head' writer, Steven Satyricon was a great binge-bent
horny sailor, and the super-lanky Paul Knowles was a stand-out, truly fascinating
in both his roles. I also liked the fiddler, Artemas Rex, who underscored
the whole e play beautifully.
Very dark, with a good dose of buffoonery, this was an enjoyable hour of
theater.
Reviewer Email: Mr. Walforf
Play: The Sewers
5 Stars
Banana Bag & Bodice, perennial fringe favorites, are back with a show
a lot darker and more dangerous than their seminal production of "Sandwich".
"The Sewers" is a dank, dripping look at individuals living on
an ugly edge of society. It's never clear if they are the last people on
Earth or merely trapped within their own "Play Show".
The plot is largely abstract, but there are two basic tracks: one is the three principles, theoretically a man, his wife and her sister (plus the strange and largely silent "servant"?), but the second is a metaversion in which the man is the playwright and the two women are merely cast in his playshow -- to play his wife and her sister.
It's fascinating watch this all evolve (or devolve?) as what is real and what is written merge and mingle. If you're looking for something straightforward and funny, you might be in the wrong place; if you want something provoking and just a little disturbing, go see the Sewers.
As always with BB&B shows, Dave Malloy's soundtrack is phenomenal.
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Lena & Chris
5 Stars
Victorian gothic (a particular personal favorite!) with very inventive set
and light manipulation, psychological spookiness and ghosts, excellent costumes,
well-developed characters, great acting... Very imaginatively staged. One
of our 2 favorites this year.
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Mr. Waldorf
5 Stars
The FoolsFury production of "Turn of the Screw" is without hyperbole
one of the best Fringe shows I've seen in five years of heavy fringing.
I came in to the performance without familiarity with the Henry James story
and that was not a problem at all; I found the story quite easy to follow
and more importantly the performances were thrilling.
Few Fringe shows are so completely realized due to the technical restraints of the festival. But because FoolsFury is only sharing their venue with one other company (Banana Bag & Bodice) they can get away with more elaborate staging -- and they know how to use it.
I would recommend sitting on the stage (set up in the round) if at all possible; being so close to the action heightens the claustrophobic effect that the Victorian ghost story is trying to achieve.
The actors are fearlessly committed to the work. The intensity with which they take on their roles (three of the four portraying multiple characters) is inspiring, and the lead, playing the governess, was positively gripping.
This is by far the best and most fearless show this year and as I said one of the best Fringe productions I've ever seen.
Their use of on-stage lighting is worth the price of admission alone.
It makes an excellent double bill with BB&B's "The Sewers" since some of the same performance techniques -- carefully crafted absurdity, actor controlled lighting fixtures -- are utilized, and they play on the same set.
Play: Low Hanging Fruit
Reviewer: Kelcey
5 Stars
I thought the show was terrific - the writing was concise and emotionally
sincere, and the choreography was very exciting and engaging. The performers
were well directed, and engaging as well. It was quite an exciting and fun
show to watch, especially for a one-act piece. Thank you!
Play: Low Hanging Fruit
Reviewer: Schmarie
5 Stars
Fabulous choreography, engaging performances, beautiful performers, great
direction, and one seriously troubled young fellow.
Play: the hasheesh eater
Reviewer: eric
see a slide show of current images from
THE HASHEESH EATER:
http://www.myspace.com/sfbuffoons
Reviewer Email: whoisthemysteryman@yahoo.com
Play: Heavy Metal Playground
Reviewer: Tom
4 Stars
An overall delightful theatrical event.
Play: The Stetson Manifesto
Reviewer: Kelly
4 Stars
I really enjoyed watching this production -a lot of great stuff packed into
one act. There are three great characters - and I especially enjoyed Catfish
and the actor's portrayal of him. There was some really funny stuff amid
more serious and thought-provoking ideas. Loved the theatre itself. The
Fringe staff was great. But the play is definitely worth checking out!
Play: The Sewers
Reviewer: Natalie
3 Stars
I am giving the overall production 3 stars but would give the set design,
the sound, lighting and the acting 5+ stars (all incredible) . Brilliant
setup with the dreamlike, nightmarish world the audience is brought into
in this apocalyptic look at the world after "the leak". I also
love the bits of humor that are woven through it. So why three stars? "Sewers"
has been described in other reviews "as absurd or surreal". I
didn't find this to be the case because so much put into creating a world
that we the audience believe. The atmosphere and bleakness of this story
is so unique and beautifully done. But once we are brought into the "Sewers"
world I felt we were set adrift when all of the setup seemed to promise
like any story, conflict high stakes and resolution. Instead it sort of
floats to the ground. I also wasn't sure why this group gets their own set
stage and longer running time than other Fringe venues. But definitely a
highlight of this festival.
Play: Super Glossy
Reviewer: Gemma Wilcox
5 Stars
Amazing woman, amazing show. Funny, and thought-provoking. Don't miss! I
saw this in Minneapolis AND New York....she kick's ass...
Play: Spotless
Reviewer: Gemma Wilcox
5 Stars
Wonderful embodiment of 3 deeply engaging and likable characters. Morwen
is a incredible actress. Don;t miss this play. I saw this play twice i loved
it so much!
Play: the sewers
Reviewer: buzzy
1 Star
crude images and talk of feces, urine, menses/miscarriage, stench, rape,
masturbation and sex saturate nearly every moment of this 75 minute play.
there are no heros and no one is happy. i don't mean to be criticize, but
i do mean to warn playgoers who may be sensitive to incessant depravity.
i understand this is the fringe and i love the fringe, but i have my limits
and this one was no fun for me.
Play: Monkey Poet Stand Up!
Reviewer: Miz Rowdy
5 Stars
"Monkey Poet Stand Up!" is AWESOME!!! This performer needs all
the support he can get after having a trash can of bottles thrown at him
on stage (whoever did that needs to be shot). One of my favorite Fringe
shows I've seen, his poetry his witty, raw, touching, and insightful. Got
to love a guy who drinks on stage, he makes you feel like you're hanging
out with him in some pub in England. Cheers!