Au Cul du Loop “Score” – While intrigued by “Mousson” at the 2002 Fringe, this production has totally captured my attention. This cacophony of sound with fully orchestrated movement is a pleasure for the eye, the ear and the funny bone. I definitely look forward to fully explore this option. The production may not be as refined as some, but the elements are very worthwhile.
Song of the Goat “Lacrimosa”
While beautifully executed, this production lost me early on and gave me little to try and find my way. Admittedly, it’s a company from Poland and the bulk of the religious fervor and fear are communicated in frantic paced Polish. The occasional English phrases thrown in for the primarily English audience only add to the confusion as they are mostly the poetic moments. The performers were able to convey the heart of the story very effectively, but any nuance was lost on me.
Stan’s Café (pronounced “caff”) “The Cleansing of Constance Brown”
This one still has me thinking – which is always a good sign. This is a site-specific work that would not work in a traditional space and requires a limited audience size due to sightlines. It’s a visual phenomenon with ultimately very little audible dialogue. The first set change in the opening moments promises a different kind of experience, and this show delivers. I look forward to following this company closely.
Rude Mechs “Get Your War On”
This Austin-based company needs to consider its delivery as well as its content. The f*#k count (which they conducted on their own) during one scene mid-show only accented the core issue with this production. It has one thing to say and only one word with which to express the thought. Profanity as a tool in expression is one thing. Here it just points up a lack of creativity. The actors looked tired and distracted, and soon so was the audience.
Traverse Theatre Company “Night Time”
The most interesting thing about this production was the couch that pivoted on a central point slowly during the production which represented the passing of time, a full cycle from night to morning.
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1 comment:
Howdy Charlie, Sorry you didn't like our show. Most of what we do is physical theater with a more lyrical bent. You might like Match-Play or Decameron. But with Get Your War On we wanted to make a piece of good old fashioned agit-prop. We wanted to cuss and spit and laugh. While you didn't like it we did win a total theatre award (http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A531562 ) Of the thousands of shows at the fringe only 400 were nominated and only 5 won. It also might be worth mentioning that the comic on which the work is based is done with clip-art (www.gywo.com), so we were trying to match the two-dimensional feel. I wonder what sort of feel your post is meant to evoke. It strike me as snarky and mean-spirited. I wouldn't want to work at a theater based in that sort of spirit. It seems we'll both be blessed by never having to work with one another. If anyone wants more info on the Rude Mechs you can find it at www.rudemechs.com
All the best.
Kirk
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