Monday, August 25, 2008

FringeNYC announces 2008 Overall Excellence Award winners

Outstanding Play:
The Umbrella Plays
111
Sailor Man
Too Much Memory

Outstanding Musical:
China - The Whole Enchilada
Perez Hilton Saves the Universe...
Usher

Outstanding Playwrighting:
Montserrat Mendez -Thoroughly Stupid Things...
Paul Cohen - Mourn the Living Hector
Suzie Miller - Reasonable Doubt
Halley Bondy - The Redheaded Man

Outstanding Music & Lyrics:
Julie Nichols, Lames Asmus & Andrew Hobgood - Love is Dead

Outstanding Solo Show:
Krapp, 39
Zombie
Blanche Survives Hurricane Katrina...
johnpaulgeorgeringo

Outstanding Direction:
Bill Oliver -The Alice Complex
Heather Cohen - Other Bodies
Nell Balaban - The Boy in the Basement
Jon Levin - There Will Come Soft Rains

Outstanding Costume Design:
Gem! A Truly Outrageous Parody! - Angela Harner
The Fabulous Kane Sisters... - Jennifer Kirschman
The Gargoyle Garden - Charlie LaGreca

Outstanding Lighting Design:
Teresa Hull - The Permanent Night

Outstanding Actor:
Molly Bell - Becoming Britney
Hogan Gorman - Hot Cripple
Movin Melvin Brown - A Man, A Magic, A Music
Deborah Weston - See How Beautiful I Am
Will Manning - Choke City & Revolution on the Roof

Outstanding Ensemble:
Keep Your Eyes Open
Gem! A Truly Outrageous Parody!
Paper Dolls

Outstanding Set Design:
Tania Bijlani - The Alice Complex

Outstanding Choreography:
Lizzie Leopold - Green Eyes

Sunday, August 24, 2008

2008 Fringe Encore Series


The 3rd Annual Fringe Encore Series has announced this year's participating shows. There are 12 in all and tickets and info can he found HERE.

THE COMPLETE PERFORMER
30 min
Magic! Mindreading! Improv! Escape Artistry! Audience Awards! In 30 minutes!!? Plus a half time show! One person!!? Well, one person plus one mascot! The ride of your life from a creator of Letterman’s wackiest stunts, Ted Greenberg!

“If you only have 30 minutes to dedicate to performance art, then "The Complete Performer," Ted Greenberg's one-man show, has your name written all over it. This multifaceted funnyman (an Emmy-winning Letterman writer, no less) will deliver laughs, mind-reading and other audience-impressing delights.” - Laura Vogel, New York Post


“goes by fast and enjoyably” - Anita Gates, New York Times

Performances in the Huron Club at the SoHo Playhouse

Friday Aug. 29 10:00pm
Tuesday Sept. 2 8:00pm
Thursday Sept 4 9:00pm
Friday Sept 12 9:00pm
Sunday Sept 14 7:00pm

www.TedGreenberg.com



Blanche Survives Katrina In a FEMA Trailer named Desire

1:30hr

Written & performed by Mark Sam Rosenthal

Directed by Todd Parmley

One natural disaster strikes another! A refugee story whose politics and pathos you have read but never experienced through the eyes of Tennessee Williams' tragic heroine, the desperately deliberately fragile alcoholic codependent sex-addicted Blanche DuBois - America's most broken woman™.

[FIVE STARS] “…a thoughtful, laugh-out-loud story based
on one film icon’s descent into reality: hilarious, a
little bit heartbreaking and really smart. Like all great
comedy, it’s funny because it’s true—and even better
because it’s so absurd.” - Time Out NY

“… a loving tribute to a dazzling character and an
unforgiving political commentary.” - Backstage

Performances at the SoHo Playhouse

Thursday Sept 11 10:30pm
Friday Sept 12 10:30pm
Saturday Sept 13 10:30pm
Sunday Sept 14 9:00pm

www.blanchesurviveskatrina.com


MONSTERS IN THE WOODS

1hr 30 min

Like "Where the Wild Things Are" with meth and
firearms, this biting, comic memoir answers the question: What's so funny about murder, poverty, and drug addiction. Come to this double funeral in rural Missouri to find out for yourself.

"A brave, honest work."
Critics pick / four stars - TimeOut New York

"Fascinating unquestionably... A seasoned
storyteller... A Gulliver's Travels of the Bible belt... Hilarious!"
- NYTheater.com

Performances in the Huron Club at the SoHo Playhouse

Friday Aug 29 8:00pm
Saturday Aug 30 9:30pm
Sunday Aug 31 4:00pm
Thursday Sept 11 8:00pm
Saturday Sept 13 9:00pm
Sunday Sept 14 5:00pm

www.monstersinthewood.com


PEREZ HILTON SAVES THE UNIVERSE

1hr 45 min

PEREZ HILTON ... THE MUSICAL explores a normal day in the
life of celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton. Well, were it not
for the evil plans of Islamic terrorists. Oh, and Kathy Griffin.

"Hilarious, wicked-smart, well-done, energetic, fresh,
irreverent, arresting. I can't find words to describe how much I
enjoyed it." -Saviana Stanescu, NYTheatre.com

"Refreshing, nakedly cynical, profane, gleefully
cheesy, and totally,deliciously enjoyable!" -Mike Diamond, The Advocate

"Speedy costume changes, a phenomenal supporting cast
and, as Paris Hilton might say, a "wicked-smart" script"-
Ashlea Halpern, Time Out New York

Performances at the Barrow Street Theatre

Saturday Sept 6 4:00pm
Saturday Sept 6 11:00pm
Sunday Sept 7 5:00pm
Monday Sept 8 8:00pm
Friday Sept 12 8:00pm
Saturday Sept 13 12:00midnight

www.perezhiltonthemusical.com


johnpaulgeorgeringo
55min

Concept created by: Dave Jay and Bradley Calcaterra
Director: Brad Calcaterra

Improvised, impromptu and interactive. Dave Jay seamlessly
morphs between distinct impersonations of the Fab Four. A
British Invasion of truth, tunes and trivia. Created on the
spot by Dave Jay and You.

Performances in the Huron Club at the SoHo Playhouse

Thursday Sept 4 7:00pm
Friday Sept 5 10:00pm
Saturday Sept 6 9:00pm
Sunday Sept 7 7:00pm
Tuesday Sept 9 8:00pm
Friday Sept 12 10:00pm

www.davejay.com/#johnpaulgeorgeringo


The Fabulous Kane Sisters in BOX OFFICE POISON

1hr 15min

Murder, mayhem and muscular bodies fill the stage as the Fabulous Kane Sisters attempt to solve a mystery and prevent their own murders in this bawdy, burlesque comedy. It's like a trip through the sewer in a glass bottom boat!

“...an energetic and seamlessly stylized production...” - Village Voice

“... everyone laughs until their sides hurt ... a phenomenal takeoff on
mystery films, backstage comedies, and gay camp, including delicious oneliners.” - Backstage

“What a ride! An outrageous, riotous, ribald, raunchy, over-the-top, risqué, nonsensical, leave all logic behind comedy...” - Talk Entertainment

“I don't think I've laughed that much at a show since probably "Boeing-Boeing." Just absolutely hilarious... very finely polished ... an absolute ridiculous joy.” - Mostly Legit

Performances at the Barrow Street Theatre

Thursday Sept 4 9:30pm
Friday Sept 5 9:00pm
Sunday Sept 7 8:00pm
Tuesday Sept 9 8:00pm
Thursday Sept 11 9:30pm
Saturday Sept 13 7:00pm

www.thefabulouskanesisters.com


BOY IN THE BASEMENT
1 hr 15min

Writer: Katharine Heller
Director: Nell Balaban

This live action romance novel is the story of four co-eds whose lives change when they find a striking stranger trying to rob their house. Watch what happens when Lance Speedworth breaks into their home- and steals their hearts.

"More than any other Fringe show I have seen over the last couple of years, The Boy In the Basement epitomizes what I think this festival is all about... a finely woven, immensely entertaining play that is not only very funny, but also manages to take a few unexpected turns on its way to leaving you...well, if not exactly moved, then tingly." - Theater is Easy.com

"The Boy in The Basement is a hilarious, smart play ... addresses feminine sexuality in a manner that is always tasteful and often poignantly real....In other words, it’s exactly the kind of theater we should be seeing more of." - Ethan Stanislawski, Tynan's Anger.com

Performances at The Barrow Street Theater

Thursday Aug 28 9:00pm
Friday Aug 29 7:00pm
Saturday Aug 30 7:00pm
Tuesday Sept 2 8:00pm
Friday Sept 5 11:00pm
Saturday Sept 6 9:00pm


www.theboyinthebasement.com



Krapp39
1 hr 15min

Writer: Michael Laurence
Director: George Demas

A voyeuristic prefiguring of Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape," and a deeply personal exploration of ageing and the end of youth. Reeling on his 39th birthday, an actor's obsessive identification with Beckett's famous character compels him to examine his own quixotic life and failures. His hilarious and heart breaking self-scrutiny plays out through intimate audio tapes, archival video, raw journal entries, haunted letters, racy confessions, and recorded conversations with the living and the lost.

“Mr. Laurence gives a superb performance in a beautifully shaped, beautifully revealed work... Tremendously poignant...” -The New York Times

“[Krapp, 39] is a moving and wise 70-minute retrospective of a man's soul: an homage to the self that somehow doesn't feel selfish.” -Time Out New York

“Krapp, 39 is no mere Beckett riff— it’s a thoughtful response, a valuable contribution... a thing of startling, wounding beauty.”--The Village Voice

Performances at The Barrow Street Theatre

Thursday Aug 28 7:00pm
Sunday Aug 31 5:00pm
Wednesday Sept 3 8:00pm
Friday Sept 5 7:00pm
Saturday Sept 13 9:00pm
Sunday Sept 14 3:00pm

www.krapp39.com


See How Beautiful I Am: The Return of Jackie Susann

1 hr 30min

Writer: Paul Minx
Director: Paul Dubois

Sex, drugs and the showbiz fairytale of Jacqueline Susann, author of the original trashy blockbuster VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. A wise-cracking, acclaimed one-person kitsch comedy direct from London with West End star Debora Weston!

Performances at The Soho Playhouse

Thursday Sept 11 5:30pm
Friday Sept 12 5:30pm
Sunday Sept 14 5:30pm
Monday Sept 15 8:00pm
Tuesday Sept 16 8:00pm

www.otctheatre.co.uk


That Dorothy Parker
1hr 30min

Writer: Carol Lempert
Director: Janice Goldberg

A one woman show that weaves together hilarious anecdotes of the ten years Mrs. Parker spent lunching at New York's famed Algonquin Round Table, her involvement in the Spanish Civil war and selections of her writing.

"A cross between Julia Louis Dreyfus & Debra Winger. Funny. Touching. A delight!" -Toronto Star

Performances in The Huron Club at the Soho Playhouse

Saturday Aug 30 5:30pm
Sunday Aug 31 7:00pm
Wednesday Sept 3 8:00pm
Friday Sept 5 8:00pm
Sunday Sept 7 4:00pm
Sunday Sept 14 2:30pm

www.carollempert.com


The Redheaded Man
1hr 30min

Writer: Halley Bondy
Director: Jessica Fisch

A gifted young architect is plagued by visions that inspire his designs, yet render him a walking social disaster. He calls it "insight," others call it insanity. A darkly funny multimedia experience about navigating the secrets our minds keep.

"...may well be one of the finer productions of the FringNYC Festival this year" -nytheatre.com

Performances at The Barrow Street Theatre

Friday Aug 29 9:00pm
Saturday Aug 30 9:00pm
Sunday Aug 31 7:00pm
Thursday Sept 11 7:00pm
Saturday Sept 13 2:00pm

www.theredheadedman.com


There Will Come Soft Rains

1hr 30hrs

Writer: Based on stories by Ray Bradbury, Stanislaw Lem, Bill Pronzini and Barry Malzberg, Adapted by Jon Levin
Director: Jon Levin

"One day Trurl the Constructor put together a machine that could create anything starting with 'N'..." But can it create Nothing? Stories by Ray Bradbury and others are told with actors, puppets, lightbulbs, bedsheets, live video and an upright bass.

FIVE STARS
"Takes your breath away. Performed with ingenious simplicity, this poetic enactment of Bradbury's existentially spine-tingling tale is stunning." - Time Out New York

"...a visually stunning work of theatre.
Sinking Ship Productions is most certainly a company to look out for." - nytheatre.com

Performances at The Barrow Street Theatre

Sunday Aug 31 2:00pm
Thursday Sept 4 7:00pm
Saturday Sept 6 7:00pm
Sunday Sept 7 2:00pm
Wednesday Sept 10 8:00pm
Saturday Sept 13 5:00pm

www.softrains-theplay.com

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Fringe: There Will Come Soft Rains

The thing I loved the most about There Will Come Soft Rains (and there was a lot to love) was director Jon Levin's use of both high tech and low tech techniques to tell these three sci-fi tales about the dangers of, you guessed it - technology. And while the stories seem a little dated, they are staged with such innovation and creativity that this was one of my favorite Fringe shows this year.

For tickets and info: www.fringenyc.org or www.softrains-theplay.com

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Fringe: Krapp, 39

WOW! Bravo to Michael Laurence for Krapp, 39! His solo show is now playing as part of the New York Internation Fringe Festival. Laurence's premise is to record the Krapp-at-age-thirty-nine monologue from Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape at age thirty-nine in front of a live audience and archive it to be played during a performances of Krapp's Last Tape in thirty years at which time Laurence would be playing Krapp in an actual performance of Krapp's Last Tape at the appropriate age of sixty-nine. Got it? It's all really an opportunity to explore Laurence's life, relationships, career, potential parenthood, own childhood, and ton other issues in monologue, journal entries and answering machine messages. The show is both touching and hilarious and a consistently entertaining 70 minutes.

For Tickets & Info: www.fringenyc.org or www.krapp39.com

Saturday, August 16, 2008

FRINGE: Blanche Survives Katrina in a FEMA Trailer Named Desire

My favorite fringe show so far this year is Blanche Survives Katrina in a FEMA Trailer Named Desire. An un-named man takes the stage among obvious ruins of hurricane Karina, finds a blond wig and is transformed into Tennessee Williams heroine Blanche DuBois battling the elements and the bureaucracy of the federal government. Its strength is it's brilliantly simple premise (why didn't I think of that!) and its funny and smart script that fulfills its premise to the nth degree: Blanche arrives at the Superdome, is evacuated to a cheap motel and ultimated dumped in the hands of a faith-based organization and forced to take a job at Popeye’s. Written and performed by Mark Sam Rosenthal and directed by Todd Parmley, Blanche Survives Katrina, shouldn't be missed.

For Tickets & Info: www.fringenyc.org or www.blanchesurviveskatrina.com
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