BrokeAss Fringe 08/05/2011 7:45pm
Editorial
Ah, Fringe. It’s like the awkward family Christmas or high school reunion of theater. There’s people you haven’t seen in a year, a holiday spirit shared amongst strangers, and the gifts of what each show will bring.
But how will you keep a balanced diet amidst the gluttony of theater to be had, and avoid busting the bank? To survive the holidays, it’s important to have a game plan. Here are five handy tips on how to make a schedule:
1. On the Fringe Website, pick the shows you wish to see.
2. Add ALL the possible times for the show.
3. On “My Schedule” Look for clusters of shows on the same day in the same part of town.
Les Kurkendaal delivers a heartfelt look at the sea of awkwardness that one must navigate at a high school reunion- especially one that’s not your own. When his producer boyfriend brings Les into his high school reunion, the combination of homophobia and racism that ensues could be catastrophic. But like Romey and Michelle’s High School Reunion, Les emerges from the night a little stronger and with a whole lot more grace. Les’ reenactment of his interactions with the ignorant Bakersfeildians became so cyclical they made their point, and then some. Unfortunately, with the audience slightly lower than the stage, I frequently felt the best stuff was literally going right over my head. I wouldn’t have thrown down the 5 Pass, but I’d Rush to Rush this guy any day.
Four Humors show exactly met my expectations for a series of zany riffs on the James Bond world. A bumbling leading man, a triple-crossing-double-agent in a sexy red dress, and about a million surprising stick puppets. This show is chock-full of diversions and delicious digressions, but keeps clipping along at a great pace. My only beef with the shtick is how much it feels like eating lots of cotton candy too fast. But it’s a sweet Fringe confection that I’d recommend spending even real money on. Which I did.
Tally $10 to the BrokeAss Account today.
HOT TIPS: HUGE Improv Theater. is so excited to have the Fringe in their venue, that they are GIVING AWAY free tickets to their shows next season. Molly Chase, the charming managing director, met the first show-goers in the lobby with passes to go online and redeem free tickets. So, go to see a show at HUGE, and get a free ticket to a future show. This pays for itself! But hurry- only the first 100 to redeem to coupon get it.
- Staying to one section of town in an evening is common sense, AND easy on your pocket book. You reduce the gas/bus fare costs you incur by traveling.
- Staying in one location may mean that you have an open slot. Take some risks. Go see something that you haven’t heard anything about, but looks intriguing. You may be pleasantly surprised.
- In the interest of full disclosure, I have a show in the Fringe and I have an artist pass. So while I could try rushing every show and Fringe it up for no dollars, that’s not always a wise choice. You could volunteer and get passes for as many shows as you want to see (which I will also be doing), and you may still not get into a show. Which is what happened to me last night. I knew it was the only night I could see Four Humors’ You Only Live Forever Once. When I got there and saw the mondo line, I knew the smart, thrifty lady thing to do would be to get a 5 show pass. I grabbed two friends and split the cost and got to see the show I wanted to see. Sometimes you have to know where to spend your dollars.
Les Kurkendaal delivers a heartfelt look at the sea of awkwardness that one must navigate at a high school reunion- especially one that’s not your own. When his producer boyfriend brings Les into his high school reunion, the combination of homophobia and racism that ensues could be catastrophic. But like Romey and Michelle’s High School Reunion, Les emerges from the night a little stronger and with a whole lot more grace. Les’ reenactment of his interactions with the ignorant Bakersfeildians became so cyclical they made their point, and then some. Unfortunately, with the audience slightly lower than the stage, I frequently felt the best stuff was literally going right over my head. I wouldn’t have thrown down the 5 Pass, but I’d Rush to Rush this guy any day.
Four Humors show exactly met my expectations for a series of zany riffs on the James Bond world. A bumbling leading man, a triple-crossing-double-agent in a sexy red dress, and about a million surprising stick puppets. This show is chock-full of diversions and delicious digressions, but keeps clipping along at a great pace. My only beef with the shtick is how much it feels like eating lots of cotton candy too fast. But it’s a sweet Fringe confection that I’d recommend spending even real money on. Which I did.
Tally $10 to the BrokeAss Account today.
HOT TIPS: HUGE Improv Theater. is so excited to have the Fringe in their venue, that they are GIVING AWAY free tickets to their shows next season. Molly Chase, the charming managing director, met the first show-goers in the lobby with passes to go online and redeem free tickets. So, go to see a show at HUGE, and get a free ticket to a future show. This pays for itself! But hurry- only the first 100 to redeem to coupon get it.
