The FrINgeSIDER 08/16/2010 1:02pm

At last the veil of secrecy can be lifted and I can announce to you, my Fringe Blog reader (who I think might just be me - I'll have to check the IP address) - I was in The Damn Audition, acted in and written, directed and produced by Joseph Scrimshaw! Wow. It feels good to finally admit that. So what's it like to be in a Scrimshaw show at the Minnesota Fringe Festival? Pretty awesome. I recommend it to everyone. The biggest surprise - like Jethro Tull, Joseph Scrimshaw is not an actual person. "Joseph Scrimshaw" is a consortium of Eastern European businessmen who made a fortune in the blood diamond trade and now want to produce contemporary comedy for the stage. They were really nice. My fellow actors, David Mann, Randy Reyes and Maggie Chestovich are, as you may have guessed, dreadful human beings. Preening, carping, fatuous stuck-ups. The three of them drink Malibu and Cokes before each performance, then demand to be pleasured by Venezuelan rugby players recruited for this purpose by "Joseph Scrimshaw." It's weird. My final Fringe wrap-up coming soon!