I'm not performing 08/04/2013 - 10:41pm

Lord of the Files - Theater Garage I'm not going to lie that I thought it was Lord of the Flies until I got a program. I just wanted to see what I thought was going to be an office version of the classic book that we read in Jr. High. It turned out to be a one woman show about a tech company that dissolved in the mid naughties and she was funny, although she needed to talk louder and the blackouts were bugging me. It's one woman and we can see you transitioning anyways so y not just enjoy the music - because the transition music was great and it was bumpin' loud too. Good job on the tech. Tighten up the ringtone section. Lesley Tsina had a deadpan delivery that was funny, and her story was engaging. It also felt like a beginning, because as her company dissolved and the show came to an end, I realized that she was definitely no more than a work friend to me - like some of her characters. I didn't know anything about her personal life, only her life as an employee. She was one of the serious people on a crashing plane, with an unreasonable crush and only a passing interest in her work. And, in the way that things in the company started going to shit, it turned out to be a version of Lord of the Flies anyways. My thoughts: People of Color count (poc#) 3 - including Lesley Tsina. People I Know count (pik#) 0. When we were at the meeting, I mentioned that I might write about Blackness. Alan said that another blogger already wrote about being a person of color and looking for people of color at the Fringe. I'm not going to lie and act like I read that blog, but y did I feel defensive about my right to write about being a Black woman and the fact that I ALWAYS look for how many poc's are in the house and I'm ALWAYS prejudiced toward art of color? So recognize that it was a score to stumble upon a show by an artist of color, Ms. Lesley Tsina. Lord of the Files: http://www.fringefestival.org/2013/show/?id=2424 Standing on the Hollow - Intermedia Dance homie alert: Tamara Ober is an artist I like. This show, though, I was mesmerized by the music. Julie Johnson played the bass flute and loped it with a pedal to create some amazing earthy sounds - the sounds of the flute that I heard were sometimes guttural and rhythmic and totally unexpected. Her use of the pedal was smooth and she created long loops and then improv'ed over them accordingly. I was reminded again how much the musician who accompanies dance has to know the choreography and the structure of the work almost better than the dancer. Julie was so responsive to the mood created by the movement and the film work, and the whole piece was grounded as a result. My thoughts: poc#2 pik#4. So this is a dance show so of course I ran into people I dance with. I see how the collective labeled it something different, because it feels like not giving respect to the other two art forms: music and film, that make up this show. But to call it theater is a stretch, its really narrative dance with live music and film. The film environment was cool and a bit different, allowing for Tamara to interact with it - but Julie still stood off to the side with her materials and I noticed she has a wireless mic so what's up with some movement?? Also, shouts out to the Toni Morrison Beloved inspiration on this work. As a Black woman I feel that-- - nah just kidding:) Standing on the Hollow: http://www.fringefestival.org/2013/show/?id=2501 Gwen and Mary at Glen Ross I'm not going to lie I forgot which show I was at. I was so worried about being on time and I never really wrote down the show titles, I just put the venues and times of my possibilities. I ran into fellow blogger Paul de Cordova and I was glad because this was my first show of the Fringe and there was a long line so I budged with him - is that a Fringe no-no? Anyways this show turned out to be the bomb! First on walks Jamila Anderson who I feel like I knew when I was in Jr High. She's playing this school teacher and then the little white girl starts in talking and bam! this show starts snapping off. The girl is going off about test scores and being on the honor board and I remember vaguely seeing GlenGaryGlenRoss and not getting it at all, but this is making sense and these girls are really really good. Not just saying that because they are kids, they are really good and they look young like Jr. High. I love them all for different reasons! Georgina, played by Sophie Haviland, might be my favorite though. Her character seems to have the most conscience of all the girls and she's trying to figure out how to hold on to it. I hope she finds a true teammate sometime. Colfax Theater is doing good work, they got me caring about these characters like they are gonna keep living after the play! Brenda Bell Brown (Auntie disclaimer) is so good at being a bad administrator, and Jamila is a jaded educator. I love the dynamic of these two powerful women crashing into each other verbally: Brenda's Mrs. Brayden demands to be addressed as such, while calling Jamila's character 'Jaqueleeen' and trying to overtake her classroom with super competitive pep talks. I laughed and laughed at this show and the audience was warm and large. My thoughts: I was just happy my first show turned out to be good and have people I know and people of color in it. And as I walked in, I recalled that the Mixed Blood is where I did one of my first Fringe shows - it was called Fragile Lines with Pramila Vasudevan. Had to be like 2004 or 05. Ashe! Gwen and Mary at GlenRoss: http://www.fringefestival.org/2013/show/?id=2489