Yellow Brick Wall:Angry White Men Played by Two Happy Asian Girls

My last review for Fringe 2012. I may have to rethink theater reviewing and write something like Adventures in theater reviewing and how i never landed a job doing it. But for now, I'm happy to have covered 5 shows. I also liked this performance piece in which Siho Ellsmore and Marisa Marquez impersonate multiple characters (24 in total)... that take the audience through the journey a fictional book titled Rice Flower undergoes from pop culture criticism (Limbaugh, Kramer ) to Hollywood development (Ann Currie, Mel Gibson) from a postcolonial feminist perspective. Memorable lines include: "I'm not Asian, I'm Ann Currie". It's at once an entertaining and insightful look at two Asian women in the media spotlight.

Fantasy Artists - La Mama etc.

The Fringe is now over but i have 2 more plays to review. I think Fantasy Artists may have been my favorite play out of the 5 i saw at the Fringe this year. It was a well written, well acted comedy drama, by James Ryan Caldwell and directed by Javierantonio Gonzalez, about a phone sex operator who struggles with love and a meddling a sister. I really enjoyed it on so many levels: Mary Jane Gibson was excellent as Mare, the fantasy artist who takes on a slightly more naive yet very quick learning study / new hire, Lorraine, played by the also excellent Lauren Currie Lewis. Together, they make answering a phone sex line look like a vaudevillian cabaret directed by a psychology major. It's quick and slow, funny and sad, and keeps you engaged right to the poingnant finish. Meredith Hozman is also good as Parry, the TV personality sister, who shows up to "rescue" Mare out of her reclusive life. The two couldn't be any more different and that difference is brought to life as they play off each other very beautifully. One scene is especially hilarious in which Mare answers a call in front of her sister, looking over at her after certain things are said. And lastly, Miguel Govea portrays Shorty, the house cleaner hired by Parry for Mare, with gentleness, suave and fun double speak on the word filth. I recommend.

Mormon-in-Chief

My heart wasn't into this fringe festival . i may only review 2 more . There were no after parties. There was no feedback. Therefore i do not see the point in doing this entire fringe. As for Mormon-in-Chief, all i can say is (because i only have 6 minutes left)is if you would like to see a play about the social media and the world of politics, this might be the play for you. I have 2 minutes left. As for the people who let me see the shows. Thank you.

Hadrian's Wall - Connelly Theater

A piece of history becomes the centerpiece of a relationship between three people: an archeologist who never leaves the house, a lawyer ex-boyfriend and a archeology student. Secrets are revealed; old wounds are laid to rest; funny one liners are delivered; women make out and there's a dinosaur! All in all i found this to be a very interesting look at one woman's path to a new lease on life.

Back at NYFringe 2012 - We Crazy,Right? review

After sitting out 2 seasons of Fringe, I'm back with my first review of a solo show written and performed by Jeff Seabaugh called, "We Crazy, Right?". At times funny, at times sad, this soloist takes you on his journey of adopting and raising 3 Dominican kids out of foster care with his partner Randy, playing all these characters and more with verve. We get a heartfelt glimpse of the social workers, the adoption teacher, the adoption agency worker and of the struggle of making family as an adoptive stay at home gay dad. I found it to be a touching and illuminating piece of theater. -- Playing at Jimmy's No.43, located at 43 east 7th.