1. Garage Band: Beanstalk Productions
Meg is determined to start her own rock band. She recruited the hottest guitar player in town. And as the lead singer, she knew she could carry her band to stardom. But what’s up with the rest of the band members? And will that pesky little sister be the end of them?
It was a fun show to watch, and the plotline was interesting. The actors were strong throughout it. My favorite character in the show was Bart. He was great with his mannerisms and could express a lot of opinion with no lines, he was definitely one that stood out to me. The girls in the show were great and the drummer was too. My only notes for them are to keep the pace going. There was some slow moments in the play that made it drag. The drummer Ben could speak a little louder also. I was straining to hear him and I was in the second row. If he is louder then I think the bits between him and Zoe will be better. The show was cute, and I do suggest people to see it if they are looking for some teen friendly shows.
2. Other Than Tragedy: Alison Bergblom Johnson
Alongside the tragedy of mental illness lurks ordinary life. I’ve pieced together historical stories of mental illness in my family. Alma had it and she painted. Emma had it and before that she taught and wove. In Other Than Tragedy I grapple with the stories a family tells itself about the difficult. I raise questions such as how do we talk about mental illness, and why does it matter.
If there is a show that people must see in the Fringe Festival this is one of those shows. I’ve never seen someone reveal so much about their life in one hour before. Alison really sheds light on the subject of mental illness. From her personal experiences she tells you how she has overcome the worst and is living life day by day. This is a very sincere story about family and life. I’m glad that this topic of mental illness is coming out into the open since it is a subject that is not talked about much in today’s society. You can definitely see the hard work she put into it. This show is worth seeing, you do not want to miss it.
3. The Failed Voyage of the Failed Ororo: Nicholas Clark
Being forgotten by everyone for less than a second and thus transported to a forgotten dimension isn’t stupid. It’s dumb.The tale of a soulless cowboy and the loneliest boy in the world’s journey through time and space, back home to the comfort of Ma and Pa. Told through a dizzying mixture of puppetry, video projection, shadows, and dumb-boy-choirs. Ah, if only they knew the title of the show…
This show is a must see as well. Even though I didn’t really get the plot, and couldn’t understand what was happening half the time. The two characters were just so great to watch. This show is like Waiting for Godot, but they aren’t waiting for anybody. The actors looked like they were having fun as they played these quirky characters. I also liked the use of puppetry in the show. With how wonderfully random the show is, it just seemed to fit. Even though I didn’t get what was happening half the time, the actors could still make it really entertaining. I do suggest however that the next time that they enter the Fringe they have a play that has a plot, because this is a show that you will either love or hate. I do recommend this show to others.
4. Alexander at Delphi: Oracle Productions
Before setting out to conquer the world, Alexander the Great went to the Oracle at Delphi in Greece to seek the blessing of the gods, but the Oracle refused him. Why did the Oracle withhold Alexander’s prophecy, why did she finally give in, and was it really the blessing it appeared to be, or a curse? The story of this visit and its aftermath reveals that all politics is personal, too much knowledge is not necessarily a good thing, and Fate always wins out in the end…
This play had a very great plotline. I’m always a big history buff and love plays that use the rich history of the world. But somehow that night I saw it seemed rather off. People were not singing in key or on rhythm. While the actors were strong it was just the singing that seemed to drag the play down. I think that the cast needed to focus on singing a little more. Because it was just obvious that the cast was just off on singing. Fix the singing, then the play will be better. I would recommend the play though for those who want to see historical insight.
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