The Day the Earth Stood Stoned

Blot Blomblum Productions—Planetarium

There isn’t much going on here; this might be the kind of script I would write if I’d been smoking dope. Everything happens one-dimensionally and there’s no attempt to penetrate the next layer—just like
when you’re on dope and everything’s funny so you don’t need to dig any deeper.

According to the program, personal conflicts exist between the buds and alien avoidance gives them a chance to unravel those conflicts. I didn’t get much of revelation and exploration of their dynamics.

The drama started slowly and by the time it picked up, it was over. I looked at the clock and thought “no wonder.” It only runs 30 minutes. Even at the listed 45 minutes, there’s still plenty of time left to cut
deeper into the characters.

Ray Yuen

El Diablo of the Cards

Ewerton Martins—Son of Warehouse

High energy clown smashed into superb and rapid card based magic. The Brazilian magician packed his hour run time with constant card tricks, laughter, and what was probably the most exasperated 10 year old girl (forced to deal with his madness) that the Fringe has ever seen. A wonderful show, and if the performer comes back, a consistent Fringe mainstay in the making.

Josh Fidelak

Letters

Parachuting Camel Productions—Alto – Portage Place

Letters takes place on two continents during the Second World War. While it follows Winnipegger Paul Bailey’s war experiences, it highlights the impact of the war on his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. Told through letters, separated in time between the minimum of two months it takes for them to be delivered and the other two-month minimum for their response to be returned, the play uses these spaces of time to punctuate changes in emotions and circumstances for every character.

The cast works together well. I attended the second performance and already they were beginning to gel into a tight ensemble. The venue, while amazingly comfortable for the audience with its theatre seating, presented some challenges for the staging. Previously a movie theatre, the long, narrow stage in front of the
screen enabled the separation between the war scenes in Europe and the family scenes in Winnipeg. On the other hand, with no back stage, and little depth, the complex entrances and exits combined with the need to walk the full width of the stage, required some adjustments to the staging of almost every scene. While one could occasionally sense the adjustments, especially when a scene on one continent morphed into a scene on the other continent, the actors handled the challenge well and seemed comfortable with the long walks to entrances and exits.

Emotions are intense throughout the play, ranging for despair to depression to anger to fear to acceptance and gratitude. Each actor understands his or her character’s emotions and projects them – and the changes to them – clearly. The director, Jessina Cheffins, well-known in the Winnipeg theatre scene, has adeptly captured these emotions in her efficient and effective staging.

Paul Bailey’s young daughter, Dorothy, plays an innocent foil to the adult fears, only vaguely aware of what her father is actually experiencing in the war. Isabel Haderer, who has played this character recently in a radio production, deftly modulates her journey from innocence to awareness.

I cried. I don’t generally cry at the theatre, so this surprised me. More than that, it spoke of the effectiveness of the cast and crew in bringing the realities of this play onto the stage.

I won’t be a spoiler but do pay attention to the curtain call and the different emotions that play inside you as you have to decide whether or not — and then when — to applaud.

Sharon Hamilton

Crazy for Dick Tricks: A Dirk Darrow Investigation

Tim Motley—PTE – Mainstage

Tim Motley returns with another outing as Private Dick, Dick Darrow, solving another mysterious case through “mind-reading” and “magic.” His wit plays the audience well and expected dick jokes translate excellently. I’ve seen a lot of illusionist/magic shows at Fringe and this always stands out as one of the best, even if you’re not into this field.

Ray Yuen

GOAT: A Sketch Comedy Revue

TwoSon—Comedy at Wee Johnny’s

Sketch comedy from a 2 woman team, at a bar with open service. What isn’t to love? Broken into very well defined time blocks (with a nightly free segment improvised fresh every evening), energy is maintained throughout the entire length of the show. Extremely well paced, with superb comedic timing and irreverent humor, this is definitely the show to see if a bar-like atmosphere calls to you.

Josh Fidelak

The Container

SgaHdaMdaS—MTC Up the Alley

The very mysteriously short Fringe program description and puppetry classification drew me to this show and I am very glad I went. First a warning, this is an adult show, additionally if you are overly squeamish about bodily functions, do not like someone talking about death, or are afraid of somewhat creepy looking puppets, this is not for you.

For those that get past the warnings, as you walk into the venue, the stage floor is littered with various piles of stuff, in which you can spot a number of puppets. You also hear some eerie pre-show music to set the mood. Once the show starts you will instantly recognize why this is an adult show. I will not describe the costume the performer, WGD, is wearing or the remainder of the first scene as it would ruin the audience reaction. After that opening, she uses various puppets to talk about many uncomfortable topics in very fun and interesting ways. A lot of the talk is improvised and plays off the audience, as it was mentioned no two shows will be the same. Kudos also for the inventive teeny-tiny matchbook sized show program.

Murray Hunter

Magic: The Musical

Magic: The Musical—Asper Centre for Theatre and Film (U of W)

Don’t miss this way-too-much-fun show! If you are a fan of magic, if you are a magic-hobbyist or pro, if you’ve ever seen a magic show, if you’ve ever been to Vegas, if you’re a kid of the 70s who grew up watching prime time variety shows on TV… This show is hilarious. Every single magician or mentalist on the Fringe circuit (and their audiences) must attend! Great for all ages.

Kim Zeglinski

Graceland

Shoestring Players—Planetarium

I was delighted to be able to attend the opening performance of Graceland and would like to share my experience with Jenny readers, as it was entirely different from that of the first reviewer.

From the moment Laura Harrison (Rootie) and Merri-Lou Patterson (Bev) hit the stage, fireworks sparked. These two experienced actors took control of the audience and kept us (most of us) in thrall for the next 50 minutes. Ellen Byron’s script cleverly manipulated our affiliations with Bev and Rootie, first guiding us to relate slightly more to Bev’s position, despite her crass behaviour, and then shocking us with the poignant story of Rootie.

These two actors are amazing. Every one of their moves, grandiose or miniscule, was clear, intentional, and revealing. Not only are they to be commended for their performances but also the director, Maureen Taggert, for making the most of these two impressive thespians.

In the spirit of the statement that “There are no small parts…,” I would also like to acknowledge the brief but nonetheless effectively realistic performance by Connor Hopper as the radio announcer.

In response to the first reviewer, yes, there is an ending, with a clear revelation of who won the contest. I won’t reveal it here because I don’t wish to be a spoiler. Graceland is a tight, cohesive, superbly directed and acted production. I highly recommend it.

Sharon Hamilton

Farrago

Dark Horse Theatre—Centennial Concert Hall – Rehearsal Hall

One element of Fringe that sustains everyone through long days of diverse entertainment is the buzz. Entering a sold-out theatre (only three available seats), hearing the excited discussions of what people have seen and are about to see, prepares Fringers for the dramatic adventure about to unfold.

On most levels, the performance of Farrago that I attended met these expectations. The crowd laughed spontaneously, reacted vocally to the ineptitude of the bank robbers, and were with the actors from start to finish. Mike Seccombe, playwright, co-director, and the leader of the bank robbers, is a seasoned Fringer. His sense of what will please a Fringe audience came through in the actions and dialogue, but what mostly struck me was his (and the actors’) firm delineation of an array of quirkily intriguing characters. Within the cleverly quick changes of plot and tone, each character touched the audience in some way, showing nuances of their character within a rich understanding of their character’s back story and of their role in advancing the plot.

Those who projected well and were clearly audible were most enjoyable. Those who did not weakened the tension of the plot and the energy of the play. Most imbued their roles with crisp, definite movements and intense energy while some did not, with the same unfortunate effect on the flow of the story. The ending was as it had to be but I kept hoping for another surprise – there had been so many good ones.

I should also mention that the venue is a good one – the Rehearsal Room in the Centennial Concert Hall – with a bar and snacks for further enjoyment!

Sharon Hamilton

ImproVision

ImproVision: Meow Chicka Meow Meow—Duke of Kent Legion

To the nice lady George accidentally collided with while playing a sassy dog; we apologize (we know that hurt; you were a real trooper about it). If it makes you feel better, George sprained his foot. Can 3 people perform improv on 5 legs and 2 crutches? We better; $20 from every sold-out performance goes to Craig Street Cats.