Angels and aliens
jeff Leard is one of my sure bets for any fringe festival, and he remains so. What I love about his work is that, while he has a strong and consistant presence and style, he does not get stuck in a single structure, and is never repetitive.
Angles and Aliens is a two hande that juxtaposes an awkward day after the night before conversation (two room mates, a sexual tryst, and something to do with qinuoa) with the angels and aliens of the title and their experiences watching, influencing, and being frustrated by the totality of human progress.
The humour is smart, and the construction of the piece is solid. The performances, as expected, are strong. Two performers at ease with their audience and material, and able to make improvised asides (at least at my performance). I have to give praise, as well, for the ending, which is more complex and "true" (whatever that means) than your average comedy-driven fringe fair.
Not a surprise that I highly recommend this piece.
Life list
Alex tries to straddle the line between birdwatching tour and sharing personal stories related to his childhood, and the love of birds cultivated through his relationship with his late mother.
He does a good job of constructing the universe of the play. Chance run ins with his friend, Andrew, give a particular quirky richness to the world he creates. However, in trying to strike the balance between immersion and story telling, it falls too early into the immersion of birdwatching, and short changes the potential emotional payoff of the story arc. Still, a unique experience and a welcome change of pace to the usual dark room theatre experience.
Recommended.
note: once you check in with your ticket, ask to be shown directly to the meeting place. It will help the show get off to a faster start.
The Harvester
in the distant future, humanity has found a way to stay young and healthy indefinitely by harvesting and injecting time. However, the process has levied a cost on society. The harvester of the main title is one of the last remaining members of human race, waiting out the global destruction and anticipating the earth's renewal. When a woman from his past arrives, he must choose his future.
The premise of this show is strong, and the actions flows well. Strong performances from both actors, and a well realized set design. Unfortunately at 45 minutes, this feels more like an extended scene in search of a wider context. While the conceit of the show is explored, the impacts of the various revelations are not, and the result is that I left feeling unsatisfied. to make a written word analogy this show was more than short story, but less than novella.
Part of me wants to recommend this show for its 45 minutes of performance, but I don't think it's quite enough to carry my recommendation. However, if you happen to be in the area and are considering using this show to fill up your fringe card, I wouldn't discourage you.
Not recommended (but only barely)
Get Yourself Home Skyler James
This piece by Jordan Tannahill is based on the real life experience of Skyler James, a young woman who fled the US army and fled to Canada in 2007 after being outed as lesbian and facing ongoing harassment in the us army under the Don't Ask Don't policies.
Presented here as a one woman monologue taking place prior to James' deportation hearings, we witness Skyer James (at this point a KFC employee) telling her story after having tot come clean about her previous life to her current girlfriend (never seen but locked in a bathroom after learning of Skyler's past).
Natasha Raymondino as the titular character, gives an engaging performance, and a moving climax. Ali Joy Richardson's direction make good use of the performance space, and keeps the momentum going going. My only strong criticism is that, typically in the more introspective and emotionally vulnerable moments, the production either forgets or ignores that fact that Skyler's audience is actually behind a door and drops the volume. This does affect the audience's ability to enjoy the play, but bothered me on reflection. However, it is not a criticism that will stop me from recommending what is, in the summary, a full and satisfying character study.
Recommended
Getting Odd
Despite a promising first few minutes in which, on a stormy night, a neophite hiker lost in the woods stumbled on a cabin in which a solitary recluse peels her vegetables, the show, like the hiker, quickly lost its way. Fantasy scenes, flashbacks, hard-to-track timeline, and inconsistent character actions created a muddle. Illustrative examples: a newbie hiker lost in the woods for three days, yet still chipper enough to want to share her trail mix, and not ask for water; a woman with an operational truck who does not like visitors, and yet makes no offer to drive a lost wanderer to town.
A confused story of an author whose fictional work about dealing with an unspecified mental illness is taken as autobiography and the fallout of that... maybe. As I said, a muddle.
Not recommended.
The Pirate Queen of the Stars
Pure fun and enjoyment! A musical comedy and homage to the main players of science fiction fandom. With nods to Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Firefly and firefly (and probably some others), an upbeat score, and witty writing, this was my late night treat!
The plot, such as it is, involves the eponymous Pirate Queen returning to the first ship she ever served on, one on which a mutiny occurred oh so many years ago. Accompanied by her trusty, though lovestruck, robot, shananigans occur when a wanna-be arch villain and the leader of the space army also arrive. And who is the mysterious figure wafting through the scenes?
Uniformly strong performances all around. My only major desire would be the addition of an epilogue as the fates of a few characters are left somewhat in the air at the end. Perhaps there will be a sequel.
Recommended, especially for fans of Star **** parody.