Rochester Fringe Festival: Get a Foot in the Door: the Dance of Late Capitalism

Colleen Culley’s multi-media presentation was arguably the ‘fringiest’ of the Fringe Festival performances I attended.  Not only is Colleen not well known (unlike, say Garth Fagan Dance, or Dave Barry, who, when he took the stage, admitted he’d never been to or performed at a Fringe Festival, and didn’t understand how he qualified!), but the show took place in the Bernunzio Uptown Music store, not a traditional venue for a performance.  She explained the genesis of the project – her master’s thesis – and introduced the six performers, including her husband (none was a trained dancer, which was partly the point – to show how movement is related to our everyday working world).  While they read various passages and moved on the “stage,” clips from Colleen’s video of “Foot In…” ran on a screen behind them.

The live movements complemented, rather than duplicated the film, and at times the performers simply watched the screen, encouraging the audience to focus on the film, rather than themselves. For those who hadn't seen the video before, Colleen carefully balanced the live versus filmed action, so that one didn’t compete with the other.  Not all of the performance involved movement; one particular segment involved the performers sitting on the stage and writing words or phrases on large pieces of paper.  Curiously, while many of the men’s messages were boastful, the lone woman’s were mostly self-effacing. 

It was exciting to see Jeff Spevak (arts reviewer for the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle) in the audience, and even more exciting to see that Colleen’s performance made his column!  The show definitely challenged the audience to think, rather than sit passively and be entertained (as one would at, say, a performance of The Nutcracker).   I’m guessing that some in the audience left the performance thinking: ‘Huh?’ But the next time they, or the rest of the audience, sit in front of a computer, or drive a car, or become aware of whatever repetitive motions they perform in the course of the day, they just might think: ‘Aha!!!’

"The 39 Steps" - Part I

(The 39 Steps, directed by Sean Daniels, opens October 22 at Geva Theatre)

Back in 2008 I had tickets to Roundabout Theatre’s production of The 39 Steps as part of my subscription.  My friend Mary Beth had seen the play in London and advised me that I would hate it, so I donated my tickets back to the theatre.  Except for not agreeing about musicals (I love them, she hates them), we usually have the same taste in theatre, so I trusted her implicitly.  When I told another friend, Nanette, that I was not necessarily looking forward to ‘cohorting’ for this show, she told me how much she had enjoyed the Roundabout production, as well as one at a local repertory theatre in Florida.  And I trust her taste, too!  So now I was in a quandary, and curious about this show that had evoked such different reactions from two of my best friends.  Now I had to see this play, and I have a unique opportunity as a ‘cohort’ to watch it from read-through through rehearsals to production.

In preparation for being a cohort on this play at Geva Theatre, I rented the original 1935 Hitchcock film (which I’d never seen), and I’m glad I did, because not only could I see how it begged to be parodied, but it laid the foundation for me to understand many of the jokes in the play that I otherwise might not.  And even then, I’m sure I still missed quite a few!  Luckily for Rochester, the Little Theatre is running a Hitchcock film series (http://thelittle.org/hitchcock), and has invited the Geva actors to post-screening talk-backs.

At the Meet & Greet for The 39 Steps, Sean Daniels introduced the show and the four actors who will be playing all of the roles.  He explained that he will try to put in additional Hitchcock references, since Rochester has a relatively well-educated movie audience (he added that “audiences like to come to the theatre and feel smart” and he’s so right – there’s something self-congratulatory about getting a reference or a joke, or at least not feeling left out if you don’t!).  He called The 39 Steps a “torture play,” in which the audience watches the actors sweat, as well as “a celebration of all things theatrical and cinema.”  Since Hitchcock’s use of lighting informs the action, Sean’s production will use “cinematic lighting in a theatrical setting” to achieve a similar effect.  I particularly liked his description of the show as being “built to break”:  that the action will be so fast-paced, with props coming in and out and actors donning and discarding costumes and roles, that each performance is bound to be unique in its mishaps or near-mishaps.

After the introductions, and a break for the union members to vote in private on various issues (including rehearsal schedules and lunch break duration), they did the first read-through of the script.  The play follows the plot and script of the movie, although not religiously, and highlights many of the laughable moments of the movie (which may not have been laughable in 1935?) in some additional bits of silliness.  The actors had already found their various British accents, with only occasionally mispronunciations, which I’m sure will be corrected in rehearsals. 

I found myself chuckling quite a bit, and even laughing out loud occasionally.  So while I still trust both of my friends’ taste in shows, I think I’m inclined to give my friend Nanette the benefit of the doubt on this one…  I look forward to future rehearsals and watching the hijinks ensue!

Rochester Fringe Festival: Cirque du Fringe

This year the Fringe Festival imported a Spiegeltent (literally - mirror tent) from Belgium, and hosted several events there, including Cirque du Fringe (which we attended, with friends Rachel and Kevin) and Silent Disco (which we did not).We were lucky with the weather – it was chilly but clear, so we arrived early to grab a bite to eat, but were disappointed that there were only three food carts (and one was just candied nuts) and only one selling alcohol.  

There weren’t really enough seats (although there were some heaters, which was a nice touch), since seating was also being used by those attending the Pedestrian Drive-In, a cute concept involving a movie on a big screen and headsets (probably the same ones as for the Silent Disco).  The website advises that seating is limited; it ought to advise the moviegoers to bring their own folding chairs!

The Speigeltent was like a miniature circus tent, and the Cirque du Fringe felt like a scaled down, but very intimate version of Cirque du Soleil.  The performance was in-the-round, and walking around, it was easy to become disoriented because of all the mirrors. The acts were a mix of acrobatics, magic (I figured out two of the tricks immediately, thanks to David Pogue’s magic class I took 30 years ago!), strong men, and creepy stuff (I think involving things going into a nose and out of a mouth, but I’m not sure, because I closed my eyes during those bits!).  

My favorite acts were the juggler, the hula hoops (at one point the woman must have had about a dozen going at the same time, all up and down her body), and the female aerialist (perhaps part of the ‘R’ rating for the event was her Fredericks of Hollywood style costume?).  Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take photos during the performance, and given the layout of the stage and audience, it would have been very visible if I'd disobeyed!  

Even on a Tuesday night the performance was completely sold out, which bodes well for the organizers booking the event again for 2014, and maybe they will include more food cart options... 

Rochester Fringe Festival: Bill Evans Dance

I’d like to think I had heard of Bill Evans Dance prior to seeing them on the Fringe Festival program, but I probably hadn’t – my familiarity with modern dance companies is extremely limited.  I went with Colleen, my dancer-friend, who actually knows Mr. Evans from her studies at SUNY Brockport, and who will be presenting her own show on Thursday at Bernunzio Uptown Music (http://rochesterfringe.com/shows/show/get-a-foot-in-the-door-the-dance-of-late-capitalism).

The performance was in a rehearsal hall at the Eastman Theatre, which made it very intimate – there weren’t more than 100 or so people, so we were all quite close to the ‘stage.’  Music for the four pieces was a mix of live and recorded, and Mr. Evans introduced each dance to give the audience some background on the development of the work.  For example, the second piece was a duet he had originally choreographed for himself and prima ballerina Cynthia Gregory, of the ABT.  It began with a young woman dancing en pointe in suspenseful silence, with the audience cooperating by remaining very still.  The male role’s choreography was more modern, and it was an interesting juxtaposition of the two styles of dance.  And as we were so close to the dancers, we could see their facial expressions, which helped convey the mood of the piece, and even hear the ballerina breathing, perhaps echoing the breaths of the flutist in the recorded accompaniment? 

 

The final piece started with a wonderful tap solo by Mr. Evans himself, and then he was joined and then displaced by a very graceful, ballet-like trio.  The repertoire displayed the versatility of the dancers, and their mastery of difference dance techniques.  It was incredible to have the opportunity to be so ‘up close and personal’ instead of sitting many rows back in a large auditorium.  I felt very lucky to have gotten tickets to this SRO performance, and hope the company will return to Rochester again next year!

"All Your Questions Answered" - Opening Night!

(All Your Questions Answered, written by Greg Kotis and directed by Sean Daniels, will open September 19 at the Geva Theatre as part of the Rochester Fringe Festival)

We went to opening night with our friends Colleen and Bill.   While we were waiting to enter the theatre, we noticed movement on a large monitor just outside the doors.   I recognized the actors, of course, and at first it wasn’t clear whether this was a recording or live, but I quickly realized it was the latter.  How interesting to display the actors’ warming up as an intro to the show!  It definitely added to the actor-audience experience.  I was surprised, though, that they weren’t dressed more uniformly and flatteringly.   

 The 180-seat theatre was about a third full (it was at 9pm – unusually late and not a time I would have chosen, if I hadn’t been watching the show unfold, and hope that the upcoming shows at normal times are better attended).  Bill was up for the audience interaction, so I steered us to a row I thought would be good, and Bill sat on the aisle.  We got lucky later in the show – he was in exactly the right spot to be singled out by an actress in one of the skits.

Greg Kotis was in the audience, which changed one of the skits slightly (it’s normally a mock phone interview with him, where, consistent with the conceit of the title, no questions are actually answered).  He actually did answer a few questions from the audience (although I suspect the questions were planted?).  It’s always interesting and exciting to hear the author in his own words!

This was the first time I had seen the show with lighting, and it definitely enhanced the show, especially the ‘bad’ series (you have to see the show to understand – so see the show!).  Afterward, when we talked about the show (which was also a skit in the show…), Colleen’s reaction to those skits was “oh no, not again,” whereas Bill was excited each time that particular pair of actors reappeared – it was so interesting to hear their reactions.

There were so many moments that were really well done – the slow motion chase scene and the middle of the show song in a voice like Joe Cocker (complete with not being able to understand some of the lyrics) – that I can’t list them all.  I was really proud of the actors, and noticed only one tiny missed line, and no nervousness at all.  Just before the show started, the actors milled around a bit in the audience, greeting their friends and families.  One of the actresses whom I had pointed out on the TV screen to Colleen as particularly talented (she plays a multitude of instruments in the show, in addition to acting and singing) noticed Mark Cuddy (Geva’s artistic director) sitting right in front of us, and as she approached, she and Colleen recognized each other from school!  What are the chances?  I guess in Rochester, very high.  That’s one of the things I love about this community – it is a community – someone you meet might be a cousin of your husband, or daughter of a friend (“or your brother, or your other brother” – funny lines from one of the skits).  And it’s a community with this amazing resource – Geva Theatre.  So go see the show – you might meet someone you haven’t seen in a very long time and have a nice catch up, in addition to being entertained for 90 minutes!

Rochester Garden Club Flower Show at Seneca Park Zoo

My friend Bernie invited me to meet her at the zoo to admire this juried show of animal-inspired flower and horticulture displays (appropriately titled “It’s a Jungle Out There”).  I’m glad I got there a bit earlier than she, because it allowed me time to wander the zoo a bit and focus on some of the animal exhibits as well.  I stood for quite a while watching the orangutans before passing by the rhinos, who didn’t seem to be enjoying this beautiful, hot autumn day.  

The polar bear was even less happy – he remained mostly submerged, with a nice waterfall cascading on his head!  I was mesmerized by the trainers drilling an elephant (lifting feet, facing different directions, flapping its ears) in return for what appeared to be chunks of bagel.  I was only able to glance casually at the wolves and tigers and hyena and alligators, and will have to return on a cooler day, perhaps with a 2-year-old grand-niece in tow…

one of Cathy W.'s winners

Bernie, of course, knew many of the women floating around, some in Rochester Garden Club aprons, but even I recognized a few (mostly from bridge…), including my neighbor Linda, and my husband’s sister’s ex’s wife, Margaret!  The displays were all incredible, even those that only took Honorable Mentions. 

Too many 1^st Place ribbons to count decorated one incredible arrangement after another by my talented neighbor Cathy W.  I was also excited to see my friend Victoria’s entries (including that unusual ‘leopard’ hat). 

One of the imaginative arrangements of succulents in the shape of an orangutan will apparently remain on display at the zoo.  It won the Rosie Jones Horticulture Award (“for a horticulture entry of exceptional visual appeal that reflects the spirit of growing with joy and enthusiasm and inspires others to propagate, grow, show and share horticulture”), and the judge’s citation summed it up:  “enthusiastic swinger, evokes the spirit of the show.”

What impressed me most about so many of the entries was how original they were. Bernie and I enjoyed reading the judges’ comments, as well, and I tried to understand when a particular vase was or wasn’t quite right for the arrangement, or when a sparing use of non-floral material was just the right amount to complement the flowers and give a sense of harmony, but just a bit more seemed to be too much… I kept thinking that while I might be able to copy one or two of them, I doubt I will ever have the inspiration necessary to create something original.  Hat’s off to these ladies and their creativity!

Highland Park – Lamberton Conservatory & Warner Castle

Friends from Arizona visited briefly this past week.  While Charlie and Mike golfed, Cindy helped me discover another part of Rochester that was unfamiliar to me – Highland Park (I’ve missed the Lilac Festival both years we’ve been here!).  We started at Lamberton Conservatory – a miniature version of the New York Botanical Garden. With only 1800 square feet, you can easily breeze through in 5-10 minutes, but it’s worth lingering to admire the collection of really odd-looking plants.  There isn’t very much information about the Conservatory on-line, maybe because it’s owned by the Monroe County Department of Parks, and they don’t have the budget to keep a website updated.  I did learn from rocwiki.org that the Conservatory was originally constructed in 1911 but was totally reconstructed in 2007, and that it is named for a president of the parks board.

The first room is the Seasonal Display House, which changes five times a year.  Passing into the Epiphytes, Orchids, Ferns and Exotics section, a sign on the door warned to be careful of quail underfoot, which we weren’t lucky enough to see (I’m wondering if they would be the same type of button quail you find at the Strong Museum’s butterfly exhibit?).  

We did see lots of turtles, oddly

huddled together.  This section and the Tropical Dome had some of the most interesting plants – Spanish Moss, giant palms, and things with roots that looked like immobilized snakes. 

The Desert Environment  contains an abundance of succulents, including something interesting that looked exactly like its name:  the String of Pearls.  The House Plants room had what you might expect there, and I think that’s also where we saw the vine called Aristolochia gigantea, with its bizarre flowers.  We missed the Courtyard Garden (I only discovered there was such a thing when I read the brochure later at home).  I guess I’ll just have to plan another trip back, perhaps when the seasonal displays turn to winter!

Warner Castle is an odd building, modeled on a Scottish castle, and it’s obviously seen better days.  It isn’t what I expected – apparently you can take a self-guided tour, which we were too late to do, but in just poking around, it appears that the interior is used mostly for offices and functions, not as place to tour and get a feel for how it looked in Horatio Warner’s time (there was no period furniture, for example).  

The “castle” is home to the Rochester Civic Garden Center, and boasts a lovely sunken garden, which Cindy and I remarked would be a lovely spot for a wedding photo (and indeed, it is for rent for just such thing!).  It isn’t planted, though, and a volunteer who was working on the perimeter garden explained that they hadn’t yet raised the funds or come to an agreement on a plan for that garden, so any color in that space is at least a couple of years away.

I’ll obviously have to return here, as well, to take the self-guided tour and see what I missed!

"All Your Questions Answered" - Part IV

(All Your Questions Answered, written by Greg Kotis and directed by Sean Daniels, will open September 19 at the Geva Theatre as part of the Rochester Fringe Festival)

My first run through!  The cast has done several so far, but always at the end of their rehearsals, and the timing hasn't been right for me to attend.  Sean even commented on the difference the reversal of timing might make, since they'd only had about 45 minutes of rehearsal before they jumped in.  He explained that the actors would have to find their energy without rehearsing the entire show, much as they would have to for the actual performances.  The cast quickly formed a circle and did some very interesting warmup exercises (including an adaptation of the German drinking game Ja, Nein, Scheisse?!).

Sean used the initial time to work on a couple of transitions - the passages between skits that allow the actors to move the sets and get themselves into (or out of) place - and to "take space out";  he tightened up several of the transitions and eliminated many pauses in a couple of skits. The changes were very subtle but also critical to making the pieces work.  Whodathunkit?

I finally got to see a few of the skits I'd only read in the script, one of which will probably be one of my favorites of the show.  Another reminded me of yet another Roundabout Theatre production I saw years ago - Ashes to Ashes (a matinee, a Pinter play...).  It was bizarre but mercifully short, and it was so pretentious that the 45-minute show was followed by a 45-minute "discussion" on the meaning of the play, which was still opaque when we finally fled the theatre.  Watching one of the skits in AYQA made me wonder if Kotis hadn't also seen that production - he seemed to be poking fun at just that sort of navel-gazing, self aggrandizement.

There are a few skits that break the barrier between the actors and audience and which might make an audience member a bit uncomfortable, depending on where he or she is sitting (I'm not giving away where that interaction primarily occurs, but I'll definitely be scouting for a few of the "safer" seats when I attend...), or his/her tolerance for being drawn in to the action (again, some people love to be on the periphery of the spotlight!).

Seeing the show start to finish also made me think about the satire of the show's title, since many of the skits left me thinking, "Huh?", "What just happened?", or "Seriously?"  The "answer" is sometimes just a wink, or a nod, or a shrug, or in many cases, another question.

This was the cast's 22nd rehearsal, and the 5th one I attended  At the 4th, which I didn't write about separately, Sean had rearranged some scenes so there would be some "light amidst the darkness."  Again, it wasn't until I saw a complete run through that I understood the nuances of the pacing, and how important the order of the skits might be to letting the audience react to them. I can't wait till the actual performance, though, to see how the actors will react to the audience reacting to them!  Will the audience's laughter interrupt their tempo?  Will they keep their faces straight during a skit, or will the audience's laughter cause them to break character and smile (as sometimes happens on SNL, or happened in hilarious Carol Burnett Show skits)?  And how does Sean know when a scene is perfected?  Will he keep tinkering after the show opens?  (Again, I'm reminded of a quote from Tina Fey's Bossypants - it's one of the things she learned from Lorne Michaels:  "The show doesn't go on because it's ready;  it goes on because it's 11:30.")

I suspect that...all of my questions will be answered...when I attend opening night on the 19th. Then again... maybe not!  ;-)

"All Your Questions Answered" - Fringe Festival Context

I had the opportunity to attend a talk given by Erica Fee (Festival Producer) and Justin Vigdor (Chairman of the Board of the Fringe Festival), and learned a great deal about Fringe Festivals in general and the Rochester Fringe Festival, in particular, that helped put Geva’s offering into context for me.  The first fringe festival occurred in Edinburgh in 1947, when shows that didn’t make the cut decided to perform anyway – in any space they could find, on the “fringe” of the official festival.  There are now 50 Fringe Festivals in the United States, and although Rochester’s is only in its second year, the attendance at last year’s inaugural festival propelled it into one of the country’s top five! 

Several years ago, Joel Seligman, President of the University of Rochester, thought that our city should have a Fringe Festival, and he got local artists (including Mark Cuddy, Geva’s Artistic Director) together to discuss and plan the event.  They got sidetracked for a while, but when Erica Fee, a London theatre producer, was visiting her hometown of Rochester, she helped revive the concept, and moved home to run it.  Several of the area’s institutions of higher education (e.g., U of R, Nazareth, and MCC) are partnered with the Fringe Festival, which might explain the youth of many of the performers (including those in All Your Questions Answered).

One of the ideas behind a fringe festival is bringing together audiences and performers in non-traditional ways (and again, All Your Questions Answered fits this theme), to revitalize a city – to make it a better place to live. This year the festival is expanding from 5 days to 10, and will include 360 shows in 28 different venues around the city.  The Festival organization requests that shows be kept short, but otherwise does not participate in the selection process.  Instead, the venues review the applications themselves and decide which shows to sponsor.  The Fringe Festival only takes 10% of the ticket prices (and they encourage venues to set prices at or below $16 so that the shows are accessible to a wider audience).  Again, this explains why tickets to All Your Questions Answered are so inexpensive…

One of the highlights this year will be a Spiegeltent, which has been imported from Belgium.  In addition to performances in the round in that space, there will also be “silent disco”: a dance party with no audible music except through headphones!  Another will be the return of BANDALOOP in Manhattan Square Park (it’s estimated that 10,000 people attended the two performances last year, so let’s hope for good weather this year).

scene from Colleen Culley's "Foot in the Door"

It looks like I’m going to be in for a very busy 10 days, since I’ve circled a lot of performances in the Official Fringe Guide, including a friend’s offering called “Get a Foot in the Door:  the Dance of Late Capitalism” (if that isn’t “fringe” I’m not sure what is).  Hope to see lots of my friends at Geva’s All Your Questions Answered and at other shows throughout the festival. We might have to carpool – I can only imagine that parking is going to be stressful!

Rochester "Staycation"

It probably isn’t often that you get a chance to stay at a hotel in your own hometown.  Because seriously, why would you bother?  The last time I did was in the late 90’s, just after I had moved in with my fiancé (now husband) and he went on a business trip.  For some reason I couldn’t fathom, the alarm system wasn’t working (it turned out to be a minor electrical problem, but in my irrational fear mode, Charlie had done it on purpose to have me killed while he was away, so he’d have an alibi and not have to marry me!).  I checked myself in, nightly (giving no address – I didn’t want the hotel staff to know the house was unprotected), to the local Best Western, leaving early each morning to get home and ready for work.  Thankfully, since then, either we’ve had functioning alarm systems or I’ve made friends with people who would let me crash with them when Charlie traveled!

Luckily, this stay, at the Del Monte Lodge Renaissance Rochester Hotel & Spa, in Pittsford, would be as a couple, and for fun, not fear.  We had “won” a spa/stay package at a silent auction at some benefit gala, and we had to use it last weekend before it expired.  We put our dog in jail (I mean a kennel) and headed over for our evening massage appointments.  The spa was lovely and calming; the women’s side was decorated in beiges and creams, including the gas fireplace, and I was told the men’s side was darker and more manly.  We both had very relaxing massages (and I even ran into my neighbor Kathy, who’d just had a mani/pedi!) before heading to the Erie Grill for a delicious dinner. 

The hotel recently renovated the restaurant, so the décor now complements the cuisine.  There seemed to be a good crowd for a Friday night, and many of the diners were locals who were not staying overnight.  The large windows overlooking the Erie Canal let us enjoy the crew teams practicing as well as a lovely sunset through the rail bridge. We took a short walk around the village of Pittsford after dinner before turning in. I was a bit worried that being so close to the railroad tracks would make sleep problematic, but incredibly, I did not hear any trains over the white noise of the air conditioner. 

After a yummy breakfast, we departed, leaving early to ‘beat the traffic.’ The staff were all very friendly and the room was quite comfortable – I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone with ‘overflow’ guests, and the restaurant to anyone especially craving red meat!

"All Your Questions Answered" - Part III

(All Your Questions Answered, written by Greg Kotis and directed by Sean Daniels, will open September 19 at the Geva Theatre as part of the Rochester Fringe Festival)

What a difference a week makes!  At the next rehearsal I attended, none of the actors was using a script (although an actor would occasionally call 'Line!' in the middle of a bit and be supplied with it immediately by the stage manager).  This allowed much more freedom of movement than the last rehearsal I witnessed.  It also impressed me when Sean would stop them mid-scene and ask them to repeat a spot to rework it, and they'd be able to rewind the script in their heads to the appropriate point, without having to start all over again!

It's interesting to watch a show being created, rather than just rehearsed.  Since this combination of skits has never been performed as a collection, and some have been newly written, the actors and director don't have the pressure of having the audience compare them to whoever set the standard in the 'original' (it must be very difficult for actors in revivals of famous plays or movies - I know I couldn't help thinking that Leonardo DiCaprio was no Robert Redford as Gatsby...).  Sean and the actors have more latitude in interpreting the words on the page, and they seem also to have the authority (not sure if it is in conjunction with the playwright or not?) to change or delete lines, both of which I noticed in this rehearsal.

Almost half of the skits are theatre-centric, many are very dark, and, surprisingly, only two brush at political themes.  I wonder how the actors feel about the skits - do they like them?  Do they enjoy them?  Does comedy come easily to them, or would they rather be in a juicy drama, but they're just glad to be employed?  

At one point in a break, I caught Sean's eye, and even though I wasn't 'there,' I was there, so I asked a question about the staging of a particular playlet.  He explained to me that "confusion is the enemy of comedy" and that the first ten minutes of comedy are extremely important.  That's when the tone and pace of the show is set, and when you "let the audience know they're in good hands."  I'd never thought about that, of course, because either I've been taken care of without knowing it (Book of Mormon comes to mind), or not (coincidentally, ten minutes in is just about when my companion and I escaped from Kotis' Pig Farm at the Roundabout Theatre in 2006).

I snuck out of rehearsal as the cast began running the transitions between scenes, so they could make sure their props are in the right places.  In addition to performing, the actors will also be responsible for setting up and breaking down each scene. I know I keep using the word "impressed" but when I see how versatile these kids are, I can't help that feeling, watching them making theatre, but also singing and playing guitar.  I suspect that more than a few of them can also dance when the role calls for it.  It's amazing how many more talented people there are in this world than there are outlets for them to display their talent.  My wish for these ten is many more outlets.

Comedy Club Redux: Judah Friedlander / Gilbert Gottfried

Uncle Trent

There are several ways to gauge the popularity of a comedian at the Comedy Club.  The obvious ones are the ticket price (more popular = more expensive;  for the less famous it's sometimes free on Thursday night) and the size of the audience (Judah Freidlander had a modest crowd on his Thursday appearance;  Gilbert Gottfried’s audience was sold out last Thursday night).  Additionally, the bigger the main attraction, the more warm-up comedians there seem to be.  Judah was preceded by the host (a comedienne, which made a nice change, who was originally from Brockport but current lives in Dubai...???) and an additional comedian who was very funny - most of his jokes were about his girth.  Before Gilbert took the stage, two comedians (including Uncle Trent, the 2013 winner of the club’s Funniest Person in Rochester Contest) and a host entertained us.  We had cajoled our friends Gwen and Leigh to go to this show with us, and the warm-up acts picked on them quite a bit!

Judah Friedlander

It’s interesting to compare the styles of different comedians.  Judah, who is on his "World Champion" tour, was extremely comfortable and interactive with the audience, and very quick on his feet.  Anything the audience said they did, he did better.  He informed us he was going to run for  President, and invited people to name an issue for him to state his position.  His solution for homelessness: have them be 24 hour toll collectors, since they're good at asking for change.  Weed:  he'd start with legalizing heroine because that would make legalizing marijuana easier.  His response to the person who asked about immigration was that he'd deport the person after the show.  I asked him if he missed 30 Rock and he said he'd never watched the show, but he’d heard it was good!  Someone else then asked if he had slept with Tina Fey and without missing a beat he replied "how do you think I got the job?"

Gilbert Gottfried

Gilbert, on the other hand, didn’t converse with the audience at all, but gave us an incredibly funny and “politically incorrect” show, and he did at least respond to our laughter (or groans).  His political incorrectness wasn't just a comment here and there, but long riffs on the Japanese (the reason he's no longer the voice of the Aflac duck...) and on midgets.  And maybe that's part of the humor - a single off-color joke might be uncomfortable, but five over-the-top minutes on the same subject really is funny.  When the evening was over and I was hoarse from laughing, we didn't wait in the long line for a photo with Gilbert, but Gwen did buy a book of poetry from one of the warm up comedians whose day job is as an English teacher in Buffalo.  Well, they have to make a living somehow!

"All Your Questions Answered" - Part II

(All Your Questions Answered, written by Greg Kotis and directed by Sean Daniels, will open September 19 at the Geva Theatre as part of the Rochester Fringe Festival)

I missed the second rehearsal of the show (I am not going to be a totally consistent Cohort...), and by the third, some playlets had been cut, others added, and parts had been assigned to the ten extremely young actors (all either still in college or freshly graduated, and mostly local). Again, I could only stay for two (of the eight!) hours, so I only saw a few skits rehearsed, but I was impressed with the speed with which the actors responded to Sean's excellent direction.

All of the actors were still holding their scripts, of course, so it was difficult for them to speak their lines and move simultaneously.  Nevertheless, the scenes were taking shape, and it was amazing to see in just a few read-throughs how well the actors incorporated prompts from Sean about their characters' motivation or a scene's tempo and dynamics.  Some of Sean's direction seemed necessary because of the actors' youth - they aren't old enough to have experienced some of the situations, or to know the pronunciation of some of the words...  At one point in a scene that didn't seem to work, Sean had the two actors improvise the subtext instead, and I'll admit that I found the improv funnier than the actual scene.  But perhaps that was the point - for the actors to figure out how to convey that subtext in the actual text that seemed totally unrelated.  Confused?  I was!

The show reminds me a bit of Paul Sills' Story Theatre, which I saw on its post-Broadway tour in the early 70s, but darker (although some of Grimms' fairy tales, which are the basis for much of Story Theatre, are much nastier than their sanitized Disney versions).  Both are comprised of little morality tale vignettes, many of which portray a slightly conflicted morality, with characters who are both good and bad, sweet and macabre, innocent but also complicit.

It's odd sitting in "the audience" and watching a rehearsal - it feels a bit voyeuristic.  It is evident to me that even though the cast are all young, they are taking this business of making comedy very seriously.  And they obviously understand that part of their job (and it is a job, rehearsing eight hours a day, six days a week) is to make the enormous effort that goes into producing those couple of hours of entertainment seem effortless.  I am distressed that I will miss a whole week of rehearsals while I go on vacation - I can't wait to get back to the theatre after Labor Day and see the progress they've made!

I tried to buy tickets to opening night at the box office on my way out, only to find out that the first five performances, which are part of the Rochester Fringe Festival, are only available through the Fringe Festival:  http://rochesterfringe.com/   I made my purchase on their website, and I guess I'll have to get to the theatre early - it appears that there are no assigned seats!  Tickets for subsequent performances can be purchased from Geva directly (if not on their website, then in person at or on the phone with the box office).

Geva Cohorts Kickoff & Read-Through of "All Your Questions Answered"

(All Your Questions Answered, written by Greg Kotis and directed by Sean Daniels, will open September 19 at the Geva Theatre as part of the Rochester Fringe Festival)

So, full disclosure about my theatre preferences.  First of all, I am "always in thrall most, to anything almost" by Stephen Sondheim.  In the spreadsheet of all of the shows I've seen (part of my mild OCD), the highest counts are for Sondheim musicals, and a few non-Sondheim musicals/plays, such as Chess, Grey Gardens, Three Tall Women, and Proof.

There are some wonderfully quirky shows that I've always wished either to see again or to see other shows by their creators, including Waverly Gallery, Joined at the Head, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and Urinetown the Musical.  How lucky could I get to have the opportunity not just to see Urinetown again this year (at Nazareth College in October), but to meet Greg Kotis, who wrote the book and lyrics, and see a new work by him - All Your Questions Answered!

Geva Cohorts Kickoff
The Cohorts were invited to the kickoff meeting for Pump Boys and Dinettes and All Your Questions Answered (although we would only be involved in the latter show, both were starting rehearsals on the same day). It seemed a bit chaotic as we crammed into a rehearsal hall upstairs at the Geva Theatre.  After we formed an enormous circle and everyone introduced him/herself, there was an overview of the costumes and set for Pump Boys (audience members will be invited onto the set at intermission to buy pie - how cool is that?  I'm glad I already have my tickets to that show!) and an introduction of All Your Questions Answered by Greg Kotis (playwright) and Sean Daniels (director).

All Your Questions Answered Read-Through
After we split up into our two separate shows, the Cohorts were invited onto the stage as the eight actors, stage manager, director, and playwright sat around a table and read through the script for the first time.  Parts had not yet been assigned, so actors just jumped in, although it seemed more premeditated to me!  (An actor later confirmed that despite my impression, there were indeed no assignments, although they'd all read the script beforehand, so perhaps had some ideas of which parts they might like to play.)  Sean and Greg explained that there was substantially more material than would fit in the eventual 90-minute production, so the read-through would also help them decide which skits to select for their "theatre tapas."  I found that description quite appropriate - there will be lots of little playlets, and since not everyone has the same taste, or sense of humor, not every play will appeal to every audience member.  It reminded me of a quote from Tina Fey's Bossypants:  "It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don't like something, it is empirically not good," and that some people actually think the Three Stooges are funny, or that Jon Stewart is not - go figure!  But with luck, each play will appeal to enough people to provoke the desired response.

There seemed to be quite a few theatre-centric skits.  One of them reminded me of Invocation and Instructions to the Audience, from Sondheim's The Frogs.  Another sketch and song parodied the financial system, but I couldn't quite figure out whether it was ridiculing the banks, the consumers, or both.  As I proceed, I will try to refrain from talking about the details of the specific skits, so as not to give anything away before you see the show in person.

In rehearsing comedy, there is the challenge of "keeping it fresh as an actor."  I wonder if the Cohorts will also be challenged in hearing the same scenes multiple times - will we still find them funny (or not funny, as the case may be) when we see them as part of a real performance?  I only had time to stay for the first few skits and songs (which Greg sang and played guitar for), and I already got a glimpse of the actors' enthusiasm and talent.

Finally, I apologize that I won't have photos to share during this process.  They're forbidden due to union rules, I think!