Ramblings from that Luke Rawluk scamp:

PTE: Souvenirs 2 Stars

The family and I are kinda viewing the PTE on somewhat thin ice... there was some debate as to whether to get the season tickets for it this year, or try the Manitoba Theatre Centre instead. The issue comes down to impact, I guess... PTE is very safe and reliable, while MTC is either very, very good, or very, very bad... or at least, so we are led to believe. The issue with PTE is that 'safe' has come to mean... unchallenging. Predictable. Vapid, at times. Basically, pablum. Not every show, mind you... but enough.

Take Souvenirs, for example. Basic premise: An Czech immigrant, living in the Canadian brush, is visited by his estranged teenage daughter who stops by to rob him blind. (She isn't very good at it.) She's a druggie. (Thus the robbing.) He's dying of cancer. (Thus some pathos and impitus for reconcilliation.) She's got the generic teenaged broken-home angst. (Thus some excuses to yell and cry.) He's scarred from experiences with Soviet Communists and a troubled mother and father. (Thus some perspective to his own personal issues.)

The problem is that besides the occasional breakdown into weeping or yelling, nothing really happens. In any real meaningful way, the daughter doesn't leave any less screwed up then she arrived... sure, she's made up with her father a bit, but she's still all up on the drugs, still clinging to her terrible boyfriend of convenience, and hasn't gained any great insight except that all of her problems sound really, really petty compared to, you know, surviving Communism. She shows no particular virtue in the play... time and again in the show she is caught stealing, there is an argument, people go to sleep resolving to talk about it in the morning (with oft-repeated dog-petting in form of tenderly tucking-in of covers as a consequence), and then ten minutes later she's doing it again with something else. I mean, really... its like the author only had two literary tools, 'conflict borne out of stupidity' and 'heartwarming display of secret tenderness' but hey, we gots to fill time, so lets just keep pulling 'em out, right?

Perhaps I'm just becoming hard in my old age? Perhaps I was supposed to feel for the poor screwed up girl and yearn for resolution to her pathos? Don't get me wrong, I empathized with her problems. She feels purposeless. Boy, do I relate to that. But after so many bad choices, I couldn't work up any great desire to see her overcome her issues. Some of this was probably due to the performance of Rachel Aberle, who did a god job giving off the body language of a oh-my-I'm-so-put-upon teenage girl, but vocally read her lines flat, without much heart or hints of nuance or depth to the character. Ron Lea, who played the father, did a better job... he had some charisma, which I am a sucker for. I liked his performance, I just wish the story didn't have him nothing much more then the whipping boy the plot drives itself against.

Anyway, we left the show feeling that, besides an excuse to display some emotion, the show didn't really mean anything. Here's hoping the rest of the season has a bit more... purpose?

Blue Man Group: Megastar World Tour, 3 Stars
I finally got to see Blue Man Group! I wasn't very familiar with the group, safe for the occasional commercial or YouTube clip, but they looked fascinating in a Jim Henson / Cirque du Soleil sort of way, so my interest was piqued. Last time they were in town, I didn't know until they had already left... this time, I at least got a day's notice. Thank you, radio!

So, the concert itself. It was certainly a spectacle. Pre-show, they had a painter by the name of Garibaldi doing his thing to a techno beat, which was pretty neat to see, though my seat back in the boonies diminished the experience a tad, I suspect... I certainly respected his speed, technique, and general skill on an intellectual level, but emotionally... I don't know, I just didn't feel it.

One issue with the concert was excitement management... the pre-show done, the performer pumping everyone up with cheers and clapping to call out the Blue Men... and then nothing. Waiting. For five, maybe ten minutes, while the crew cleaned up his act. Why try and get our energy up and then have us wait? People kind of looked around wondering whether something went wrong, and whether there was time to kip on over to the washroom quickly or not. This occurred occasionally within the show proper itself, though to a greatly reduced degree, and I probably wouldn't have even mentioned it if the pre-show hadn't sensitized me to it.

So, the Blue Man performance itself. They did not disappoint when it came to spectacle or music... their percussion was marvelously innovative and engaging, and their multi-media hit more then it missed. I am certainly glad I am not epileptic, though... the strobes were certainly epic. Their skill with percussive plumbing leads me continuing to suspect the best music shop in town could well be Home Depot.

Charisma-wise, the performers had "expressive" and "quirky" down-pat, and are quite skilled. What diminished my enjoyment of their antics was a certain sense of... I don't know... aggression, I guess? No, aggression seems wrong... I don't know how to put it. With their voice-less alien mannerisms, uncomfortable-looking masks distorting their features, and their eyes and heads moving in distinctly bird-like jerks and bobs, I guess I felt oddly threatened by their "otherness", I suppose. Mercy, that sounds silly. If they were Muppets, my tolerance for weird shit would have been higher, I figure... odd that the uncanny valley struck me when viewing three guys in blue rubber face-paint.

Ugh, I know reading the above in the future will be a head-shaker, wondering what my deal was. But here we be. The music was fantastic (and phelgm-dislodgingly reverberant), the spectacle was impressive, but the performers themselves didn't draw me fully in.

Paladinian's 2009 Winnipeg Fringe Festival Reviews

Advanced Dnd, The Next Campaign, Red River Serial
4 Stars
Ahh, the Dungeons and Dragons improve show is finally back. How I have looked forward to it! Much like the first one several years back, this was a serial play... namely, a fantasy soap opera... picking up where the previous one left off. This show is pure, unadulterated fun in theatre form. The crowd was (for better or worse) filled with my people, which was soothing. Heck, even Trollman and his lady Elf got called up, which is ten types of awesome. All in all, after the first show, I was certain I'd give this a 5 star. After catching 3 more of them, I grudgingly give it an average grade of 4. What detracted? The Dungeon Master fudged die rolls a bit too often, three of the cast (also in Outside Joke, which had their own show this year as well) had very spotty attendance and the story sometimes suffered because of their absence, and... well... the weakest performer was one of the few left alive at the end. (Wow, I've become blood-thirsty, haven't I?) Anyway, a great time, and I look forward to catching them at the Gas Station Theatre this fall! GLEE!!!

archy and mehitabel, Ausable Theatre
3 Stars
The show was alright. The stories told by the cockroach and cat characters were different, but I'll admit I didn't really find them too engaging. The cockroach mostly talked about how humans are bad (which I am well versed in, sad to say) while the cat was, much like most cats, self-important and entitled. The portrayal was skilled and I'd certainly see the actor in another show, but the plot itself was tiresome and I looked forward to when the show would end.

Are You Priest Enough?, Silent Drum Productions
3 Stars
Not a bad one-person experience-sharing story. His singing wasn't fantastic, but he didn't do it very often... his recollections about going through Priest Seminary were enlightening and engaging. The wrath at the abused children scandal was heart-felt, his uncertainty and questioning nature a relief to behold (cue my Atheist torch), and he did perform charismatically. The show didn't stand out strongly amongst others of its type, but it was quite capably done.

Breakdance for Solo Cello, Solid State Breakdance
5 Stars
An excellent, fantastic show, that was easily 5 stars though still not quite as good as last year's offering. It started off slower, which had me worried, I'll admit, hoping that they would soon get going with the acrobatics... which they did, and did not disapoint, but it frankly shouldn't have taken so long. The Cello music was well done, but did not mesh as well with the dancing as it did to the Swing music of Take It Back. Still, I enjoyed the spectacle immensely, and comparative weakness to their previous show was not sufficient to deny it my highest rating.

Bloodless, White Rabbit Productions
5 Stars
A 90 minute musical that moved along so quickly I never even felt the impulse to check my watch... very well done. The singers all did a great job acting and singing, the acoustics in the venue were spot-on, and there was a fantastically dark charm to the story of a pair of hoteliers who start murdering their patrons so they can sell their corpses to the medical university. Kinda like Sweeny Todd, I suppose, but much less gory and with much more humour. The fact that this was written and performed entirely by local Winnipegers astounds me... the show was better produced then many professional shows I have so far seen in the normal season.

Customer Relations, Fallis and Ball's Productions
3 Stars
A Kevin Smith movie, in theatre form. That really basically covers it. The characters work at a call centre, which is understood to universally suck, but yet... the characters, while never really having it coming, had this odd sense of entitlement that reduced their sympatheticness rather sharply. They certainly don't work to make the situation better, and rather seem to actively sabotage themselves continuously. When they leave (or get fired) at the end, it is treated as triumphant... but really, was it? But beyond the story itself, the performers were mostly quite good (the 'office slut' character being the notable exception) and the first time I saw it, I thought it excellent. The second time, Ushering it this time, I was struck more by the personal failings of the characters themselves, and without the Underdog angle, the whole show was correspondingly less enjoyable.

Don't Make Fun of Jesus, Break the Wall Productions
4 Stars
Stand-up comedy with a story... the best kind, I believe. Kinda like what Mr. Fear-of-a-black-planet was complaining about, but which I have come to understand to be true, whereupon it isn't enough to go up on stage and be funny, you've got to have an angle... you've got to say something. The performer here certainly had some experiences to share, and it made the whole show. Really, she could easily have had more life-story bits and less pure comedy bits, and it would have worked just as well if not better. Life story-wise, the central theme was growing up in the bible belt, joining a cult, acknowledging her homosexuality, and how the three entwined. It was a sad, compelling story, told with much humour and skill.

Fall Fair, Stars and Hearts
5 Stars
Ahh, personal favourite Jayson Macdonald. I am so glad I heard about this show when seeing Trashcan Duet, as otherwise I wouldn't have known he was actually performing in any shows this year himself. This show did not disapoint, and I do believe I can declare it his best yet, even beating out the awesomeness that was Giant Invisible Robot. The story, a series of characters going through the last day (ever) of a Red River Ex style fair, was emotional and fantastically acted... the father character and his daughter were particularly poignant. Jayson Macdonald did a great job switching between very different characters, and I was mesmerized by the goings-on right to the end.

Fidel Castro's Guide to Internet Dating, But Wait! There's More!
3 Stars
The show was alright. Adi Sara Kreindler is a pretty good singer and musician, and her very lefty songs catered... somewhat... to my personal leanings. But fundamentally I'll have to put this down to a faint-praise review. The show was capable, but it didn't really wow. The music was pretty good but not great... the banter was capable not but stellar... the time didn't drag, but I appreciated it when we got to leave.

FemMennonite 3, Saucy Gal Productions
2 Stars
I didn't catch the first two shows of the series, but heard good things about them. This one wasn't much to write home about, unfortunately. I think I agree with the Free Press review: Too much sap, not enough laughs. Leigh-Anne Kehler tells a personally powerful story of being many months pregnant with their first, difficult baby, but she wasn't entirely effective at convincing the audience to care with her. Some of it could certainly be from being on semi-bed rest at the time meaning she had to be reserved in her movements and gestures... or, perhaps, I simply had inadequate empathy. Sorry?

Gimpel the Fool, Nephesh Theatre
3 Stars
Performance-wise, this show probably merits a 4. Moral-wise, a 1, or generous 2. so I'll compromise and give a 3. My beef with the moral? Another 'it doesn't matter how terrible your life is, you'll be rewarded when you are dead if you don't lose faith in God'. Bollocks to that. Bollocks and feh and fum. The main character, Gimpel, is treated like garbage through his whole life because he trusts that those around him are better then they are. And he is punished continuously for his good-naturedness. But its all alright... no justice is necessary for that, because GOD is the ultimate arbiter. To that, I say hell, no, in my best approximation of a Will Smith voice.

Grimmer than Grim, Theatre Public
2 Stars
The biggest problem in doing a set of Brother's Grimm fairy tales even more unglamourous then the originals is that you are left with something utterly unglamourous. Banal. Without heart. A Changeling-killer. The singing and acting was good, don't get me wrong. But the stories were frankly dull, and utterly uninteresting. There were attempts at humour (dark humour, of course), which really did nothing for me... I maybe cracked a smile twice, and never had occasion to laugh out loud. Very disapointing.

Homeless, Theatre Public
4 Stars
A good experience sharing show. Tells the story about one man and his time working at a detox homeless shelter, though really the play was only peripherally about the man, and much more about a set of the patrons he encountered and their histories and experiences. It was interesting to contrast his experiences and my own, or those of my father. I know I am certainly not a good enough person to do what Mr. Baumung did... and as such appreciate the shared experience, to vicariously gain some measure of its perspective.

inanimate jungles have clocks, Gearshifting Performance Works
1 Star
Ugh. This was the most painful part of the festival, not least of which since I had to Usher it twice. I got nothing against interpretative dance in its own right, but it should at least mean something. This show might of thought it meant something, but hell if I know. Technology bad? Civilization is painful? Two showings and I still don't know. It had the occasional interesting concept... the flower petals from roof was kinda neat to watch... but the rest of it was an exercise in nails-on-chalkboard irritation and tedium. I'm sorry, hacking in the dark then loudly sucking up the phlegm for five... ten?... minutes, will not pre-dispose one to an enjoyable experience.

Lavignia, A Modern Fairytale, Monster Theatre
4 Stars
This was a quirky, absurd show that was pulled off well probably only because the endearing zaniness of the performer. It tells a big fish of a tale of a young woman growing up huge and ungainly, convinced that ballet classes would 'fix' her. It doesn't take, and of course a series of fantastical circumstances teaches her to value herself. The charm comes from the good-natured, quirky earnestness of the performer, who did a fantastic job. I could even relate to the material myself... at least as far as the ungainliness goes... though being male, being tall was never anything but awesome, I'll admit.

Moving Along, Beefy Geek Productions
5 Stars
This one-man, one-light-controlling-throne show was gimicky but I found it supremely effective and engaging. (Others, who found the strobes uncomfortable, thought less of it.) The performer told stories of his life and experiences, cut rapid-fire together, jumping memory-like from one to the next, with his stage light manipulations providing the breaks and cuts and highlights to accentuate or diminish each train of thought. The stories themselves were powerful and intimate and painful, and had a big emotional impact on me.

murder, hope, Infinity Live Productions
4 Stars
This is probably my vote for most under-appreciated show this year. I enjoyed it greatly. It comprised a mish-mash of bits orbiting the theme of neuroplasticity (the capacity of the brain to repair itself) and a few conditions that require such an ability to be overcome. Some bits weren't as strong as the others (opening the floor to questions after the show 'ended' was kinda awkward, with people who didn't really want to stay feeling they had to), but most of them were quite effective, and I am still in awe at the sounds she could make emerge from a hand-saw with only some pressure and a cello bow. A very talented performer who I hope comes back in later years.

Pinter's Briefs, Harold and the Boys
2 Stars
Ugh. The actors did a great job here, really. Very capable, very good at their various roles. But the vignettes themselves... dull. Tedious. Utterly without purpose. Even the one, with the cab-driver and dispatcher, that had a nice current of absurdity and menace within it, went on for too long and diluted the effect. The costuming changing between vignettes diffused any enthusiasm between bits. Few bits had anything to say. I am not familar with Harold Pinter, but after the show, I confess to no interest in learning more.

Pipa, Present State Movement
4 Stars
One sentence summary of this show: Summer Glau playing in the living room. (Or, perhaps, River Taim playing in the living room. Could go either way.) A dance show, but was everything inanimate jungles was not. The performer was likeable and showcased her skill continuously. (Without a doubt, the performer is the living embodiment of one who had rolled a natural 18 on her Dexterity.) A fun, impressive performance, done by a talented person being very talented. And flexible. Oh so flexible. I am still in awe.

Raunch, Nelson and Russell
3 Stars
Ranch was basically a Women's Studies lecture told in theatre form. It was an enjoyable, well-done lecture, don't get me wrong! But it told things I really already knew, frankly. Another volunteer I talked to loved it to bits... she described it as enlightening, and a show that completely changed her world view. I kinda wonder where she's been if she hadn't already heard such (completely valid and agreed-with) critisisms of our hyper-sexualized Raunch culture. So yes, a good show, perhaps even an important show, but I kinda had the been-there-seen-that feeling throughout it.

Ryan Paulson: I'm Uncomfortable, Bashful Scandinavian Productions
3 Stars
Ryan Paulson is a charming fellow. I went to catch him after he did a song for us at the volunteer kick-off party, and found the humourous tune of 'Jesus loves the little children but not the Muslims or the Jews' nicely subversive, so gave his show a shot. It was capable. Some songs had that nice bite, others really didn't have much to say. His life story bits, leaving his fundamentalist upbringing and going to gasp New York were interesting and even a little enlightening. After all was said and done, a capable, but not a stand-out, performance.

SuddenlyMommy, Perfectly Norma Productions
2 Stars
A stand-up comedy act about balancing career and children... sadly, the insights were shallow and the laughs minimal. Okay, yes, I can understand how your precious children are just so gosh darned adorable that you can't help but be a doormat to them. But sympathy will only go so far when one suspects you really aren't doing them any favours.

Take You With Me, Aspen Switzer
4 Stars
As I reflect back on the show, after hearing Dad's commentary about it, I am struck by a comment my Billet made about it: 'I don't think there was a man in that theatre who didn't leave the show without a bit of a crush on her'. At the time I thought that was a bit of an under-handed compliment to a degree, but as I reflect after hearing that Dad didn't think the music was anything to write home about, I wonder if some smittenness was a large factor in the appreciation of the show. I do still maintain that her folksy music was well-performed, and her audience banter was charming and endearing... even when she forgot her set-list and had to go off-stage to retrieve it, her charm made it funny, not aggravating. But, again, perhaps that was just the crush talking? Anywho, I still rate the show highly, potential bias understood and disclosed.

Time Boom, Time Boom Productions
2 Stars
I am somewhat conflicted on the star rating for this one, in that favouritism does call to me to at least bump it up a space or so. But, nepotism aside, the show was a good first-try for a group of hobby actors. Some were stronger then others (one in particular was really quite good!), but the story was kinda plain, consisting of four 60's children reminising about how things were, and how badly thing have become, without any analysis about why or how things changed. But certainly not a terrible show, and I hope they give it another go next year!

The Accident, Epicworlds
3 Stars
Jonno Katz does an alright job here, with some dancing, some light-work, but mostly telling a story of a young, wanna-be artist and his flaky brother, having run away from home and living their lives. The titular accident involves the young artist and his brother's fiance, with predictable results. The story kept a brisk pace, the characters were watchable, but all in all the show didn't do much for me. I didn't really like anyone presented (though the fiance was sympathetic, all-in-all), and I left the show thinking it was alright, but nothing better.

TheGoodThief, flaming locomotive
3 Stars
This was a hit-and-miss show, for me. The performer did a great job, really nailing the character of a small-time thug thrust into mortal peril and moral ambiguity. The acting itself was really a sight to see! The story itself didn't really resonate, though. The character himself was unlikeable, but not so much that one really hated him... that, and with whatever sympathetic characters generally getting killed, it became somewhat desensitizing, where what happened on stage didn't really matter... it started cruel, it ended cruel, and any lightness in the middle just exasperated the messy human condition it presented without illumination or explaination. So high marks to the actor, low for the content.

The Mutant, The Weekly Armenian
2 Stars
Wikipedia defines the interjection 'meh' as meaning an expression of apathy, indifference, or boredom. So yes. Meh. But I suppose I should elaborate. This show had, oh, five or so different sets of characters, all doing something different but equally rambling and fundamentally unimportant. There was the occasional bit that had some fire in it, which was then stamped down through tired repetition until nothing but banality remained.

The Secret Love Life of Ophelia, Theatre ABC
3 Stars
The requisite Hamlet play of the festival... it wouldn't be theatre without it. This show was an interesting variant... basically a set of erotic letters between Hamlet and Ophelia, proclaiming their lust for each other prior to the start of the main Hamlet plot, then the complications that come about once that kettle of fish gets put to boil. The show itself started off kinda dull, and ended similarly, as they went over the standard Hamlet stuff we've heard a hundred times. But the middle, which really contained the whole point of the play, was well done and actually quite blush-worthy. (Yes, a manly-man am I.)

The Seven Lives of Louis Riel, PKF Productions
3 Stars
Funny and historically enlightening... I'd probably give this a 4 star rating, but for some pacing problems that made me start to yearn for it to be over and done with. Ryan Gladstone does a good job describing the historically ambiguous Louis Riel, but his little gimmicks per each 'life' on display often fell somewhat flat, or diminished whatever facts were trying to be expressed. It was nice seeing it at the King's Head, though... they have really gone beyond what one would think of Pub Food, and the excellent meal before the show left me quite contented. (So would one call this then Fringe Dinner Theatre?)

Trashcan Duet, If You Can't Beat Em Productions
4 Stars
I'm a big fan of Jayson Macdonald, he of Giant Invisible Robot fame, so catching this show was a given. Though I obviously didn't read up on it enough... he wrote it, he doesn't perform it. Regardless, the back and forth between the two characters is snappy and engaging, and both performers had excellent charm while playing some rather flawed individuals. I'm still not sure how the main guy got away with most of what he did without a restraining order against him... the fact he still stayed endearing was really a testiment to the strength of the dialog and the skill of the performers.

Treading Water, Scott Douglas
4 Stars
I liked what this show tried to do. Starting off as a conventional one-person slice of life show, the performer realizes fairly quickly that his life really isn't interesting enough to merit such a show. As his self-consciousness increases, he starts using his Grandfather's experiences as a crutch, until finally another actor playing the Grandfather comes on stage and starts taking over the show. As the main character acknowledges the value of his own experiences, he is able to reclaim his show, while still honouring the fantastic life of his progenitor. The gimmick worked very well, I thought, and shook up the experience quite effectively.

Vaganza!, Sound and Fury
4 Stars
The first Sound and Fury show I've seen, and came highly recommended. I definately understand the allure... those three are some funny guys. Vaganza was set in a vague Film Noir era, and played the tropes with humour and wit. The story was absurd but rightly so, the characters insane but not Malkavian, and the performers obviously have a great time doing what they are doing, and their energy is contagious. Look forward to catching them again!