Fringe Binge! Show #7: White Trash Wedding and a Funeral

You have to give these guys props for the name. The cast of White Trash Wedding and a Funeral  looked like they had a lot of fun doing the show, and the feeling was contagious. They would randomly break out into the song Motorin'. Actors Jacob Smith and Phil Kelly perfected their roles as a borderline-special-needs Wayne and Garth. The tempo was fast-paced and jokes were sprinkled in everywhere.

The play was not without some anomalies. All of the characters sported a deep Southern twang, though the setting was in Illinois. The poor South - people always inherit Southern accents when imitating stupid people. We also had trouble understanding what the character Shirley was saying at times.

But all in all, it was a visual blast of caffeine, and a dern tootin' good time.

Fringe Binge! Show #5: It's Important to Leave, As Well

If you think a play called It's Important to Leave, As Well sounds out of left field, wait until you see the show. The frazzled stage manager storms in front of the house, threatening suicide. The actors come and go as they please, completely absorbed in their own personal dramas as they rehearse scenes. The writer/directer interrupts often, calling everyone out on their agendas.  

In this fast-paced play within a play, viewers are treated to an inside look of the human condition that is so prevalent in stage productions. Actors falling for one another in real life after faking intimacy on stage, female frenemies in competition with one another, and yet another whining man-child who makes selfish decisions.  In fact, I believe one of his excuses for infidelity was, "I kissed her so I could experience the reality of your reaction to it." Yep. It was so pathetic and yet so familiar, the audience burst out laughing.

While the gratuitous stretching on stage in short shorts was a bit confusing, I'm sure the boys appreciated it. In all, Joshua Morrison's play was clever. The actors were very talented. The sexual tension between Marisa Persson and Mikie Beatty was palpable. Director Scott Marden helped exacerbate the unpredictable twists, and the bits of sadness that were interspersed with humor. The highs and lows made the production feel real, and touch close to home.

Fringe Binge! Show #4: Rodeo Town

David Lynch called. He wants his play back.

For anyone who craves that eerie noir feel and the relief that comes at the end when they are brought back to real life, this is their play. It didn't take long to get sucked into the lonely desert enclave of Rodeo Town. The acting was impeccable. Combine that with a few bottles of whiskey, a wood fence and a picnic table and within minutes, you were a million miles from The Beverly Center.

The darkness in this play is hidden at first, slowly unfurling in layers until your skin crawls. When the character Richard (played by Dustin Gooch) accidentally stumbles into this forgotten place, it was almost a sigh of relief to see someone with a Smart phone and pressed khakis. He reminded us of a more secure, familiar place, if only for a few minutes. It didn't take long for Garth (played by Eric Cire) to work on deconstructing Richard, and sucking him into his deranged web at Rodeo Town. Cowboys within Garth's web struggle against the control he has over them, including Lonnie, played by actor Harry Beer. Beer seems to be another character straight out of a Lynch story, (specifically Bob from Twin Peaks). Weakened by alcohol, his attempts to rise above the cult of personality dissolve before good is done.

Tension mounts as the cowboys (and their new guest) prepare for the biggest night of the year; a whiskey-soaked party where women (who only visit once a year) are expected to attend. But all the hootin' and hollerin' in the world won't prepare them for the one single woman who does show up. After this night, Rodeo Town will never be the same.