Day 2: Even more fringe play reviews

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This article was published 21/07/2023 (1101 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE annual Winnipeg Theatre Fringe Festival is in full swing at 31 venues across the city. The Free Press is reviewing all 140-plus shows — they will appear in the pages of the paper and are all online now. The festival runs until July 30.

ALIENS OF EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY

The Crosseyed Rascals

One88/188 Princess St. (Venue 23), to Saturday, July 29

LOCAL improv troupe The Crosseyed Rascals, well-known and appreciated for their clean, family-friendly style of performance, opened their 2023 Fringe run Thursday night — appropriately enough — to an audience of mainly friends and family.

While the kids had a great time (even if a few tended to hog the audience suggestions), it will be interesting to see how a less-familiar crowd reacts to such an uneven show. One highlight that was literally out of this world (space alien theme, after all) was the “Emotion Zone.” The stage is divided into three segments. Thursday’s audience named them “confusion, disappointment and nausea” and the players seamlessly altered their behaviour while maintaining the plot of the skit as they moved from zone to zone. But in several other games, energy seemed to falter and things were simply muddled when troupe members called out changes and adjustments, making it unclear whether the spectators or the players were supposed to offer suggestions. But, knowing the Rascals, they’ll probably bounce back. ★★1/2

— Janice Sawka

CREATING REM LEZAR

Rem Lezar Theatre

John Hirsch Mainstage (Venue 1), to July 30

BASED on a 1989 direct-to-video film, this musical follows two children who have the same imaginary friend, a blue-haired superhero named Rem Lezar. The kids assemble a mannequin of their imaginary friend that comes to life. Rem Lezar accompanies our heroes on an adventure to retrieve a MacGuffin hidden by a dastardly villain who appears, Wizard of Oz-style, on the screen behind the performers.

With great production design and live musical accompaniment, Creating Rem Lezar aims for the moon but falls short owing to production hiccups. Performers are difficult to hear at times and songs sound muddied as a result, but the production’s run-before-you-can-walk energy is infectious and the cast’s love of the source material is obvious. Grace Downs as Ashlee is a standout. As it stands, Creating Rem Lezar is still in its mannequin stage. So maybe they missed the moon. But they still made it to the stars. ★★1/2

— Sonya Ballantyne

FAKE ‘N’ BAKE

Oh Hello Productions!

John Hirsch Mainstage (Venue 1), to July 30

ELLIE Heath takes us on a journey from her teens to her adulthood, a journey we take with her inner critics who take shape as a mean girl, a basket case, and a male bully. The critics constantly butt into Ellie’s life as we follow her from high school to leaving her Edmonton home for the bright lights and big-city glam of…Vancouver.

The inner critics act as Ellie’s greatest enemies but also her closest friends. They drown out the caring voices of her father and mother who notice Ellie’s disordered eating and how her life isn’t going the way it should.

Heath is not afraid to shine a spotlight on her past pain, hoping that doing so will help someone else in their battles. She brings the audience into the story and we help her quiet her inner critics. It is an experience not to be missed. ★★★★★

— Sonya Ballantyne

FIELD ZOOLOGY 101

Shawn O’Hara

Planetarium Auditorium, (Venue 9), to July 30

DRESSED for a safari, complete with a pith helmet-like hat and a fake moustache, Dr. Bradley Q. Gooseberry is the best kind of class clown: smart, quick-witted and partial to a good sight gag.

His credentials are suspect and his field experience is limited to spurious activities like exploring the Amazon… fulfilment centre, but the professor talks a good game. Making excellent use of an overhead projector, he holds forth on sperm whales, sexy pythons, alluring belugas and the seductiveness of various birds, bees and mammals. Written and performed by Victoria, B.C.’s Shawn O’Hara, the 60-minute comedy had opening-day “students” laughing from the get-go.

Audience members are asked to submit questions about any species before the performance begins, and they’re rewarded with O’Hara’s droll, off-the-cuff responses as the class comes to a close.

Seriously clever and, at times, wildly funny, you could say it’s a work of genus. ★★★★

— Pat St. Germain

GENERIC MALE: JUST WHAT WE NEED, ANOTHER SHOW ABOUT MEN 

Push Physical Theatre

John Hirsch Mainstage (Venue 1), to July 30

At an early point in this hour-long exploration of masculinity, Push Physical Theatre’s Darren Stevenson makes an apology for the fact that the show you’re about to see will include mime. Yet when the mime sequence comes up, it’s gorgeous and powerful, a depiction of boyhood play transmogrified into real-world combat.

As evidenced by the title, the tendency to apology forms the slightly fractured spine of this piece featuring performers Stevenson and Ashley Jones, two Brits transplanted to Rochester, N.Y. One feels an obligatory critique of contemporary masculinity, especially in a slightly tiresome early bit where they exhibit territorial posturing over the placement of chairs on the stage.

It gets much better, including a deft skewering of movie masculinity set to the James Bond theme, or a bit where two young boys react to an evangelist decrying feminine hairstyles and skinny jeans. In particular, one dance sequence underlines the show’s overall cognitive dissonance: How is it a takedown of the patriarchy also manages to be a breathtaking celebration of male beauty? ★★★1/2

— Randall King

GOOD GRIEF

Gangland Productions

MTC Up the Alley (Venue 2), to July 30

James Gangl (In Search of Cruise Control) returns to Winnipeg with an incredibly funny, heartfelt and moving one-man, 60-minute show about grief, the grieving process, guilt and more. The Los Angeles-based performer — one of four sons of a mother from Malta and an Austrian dad — presents a show that revolves around how his father died when he was 25, about losing and missing his father and the way in which his relationship with his mother changed, for the better, after his death.

At a young age Gangl was taught by his brothers to “take the pain,” burying and repressing hurt and confusion about everything, including a childhood trauma. But it’s his parents who are at the core of this show; scenes around Gangl’s father’s bedside during his last breaths are deeply poignant and endearing, and depictions of interactions with his mother both funny and empathetic.

Anyone who has lost a loved one — pretty much everyone, essentially — will find plenty to relate to, and adore, in this well-paced, brilliantly written and stunningly acted show. ★★★★★

— Ben Sigurdson

HOW I MET MY NEURODIVERGENT FRIEND

Autistic Productions

Théâtre Cercle Molière (Venue 3), to July 30

By this stage, local comedian Adam Schwartz is a fringe veteran and in his latest show, tenacity leads to artistic breakthrough.

In 45 economical minutes, he shares the story of his life. He has poached some standup jokes from his act but added deeper, richer material alongside a vulnerability that is both raw and moving. I laughed out loud throughout, as did the small crowd.

Human diversity is a revelation. When you can turn your specific challenges into universal truths — such as how much it sucks to be lonely and different — and you can do it with fantastic jokes to boot, you’re on your way to wider fame. ★★★★

— Lara Rae

HOOKED?

All About Theatre Kids

MTYP Mainstage, (Kids Venue), to July 30

Ahoy, kids! Peter Pan, your favourite friend who refuses to grow up, hits the MTYP stage with his familiar entourage of lost boys, pirates and fairies. The enthusiastic actors in this 45-minute romp are boys and girls enrolled in the local All About Theatre company.

The story is simple: Peter’s archnemesis, Captain Hook, wants him to walk the plank. Unfortunately, the script has too much talking and not enough swashbuckling. The tiny bums in seats at the opening performance got squirmy.

On the plus side, the costumes are marvellous and two performers are standouts: Calum Goetzke as the volatile, violin-playing Hook and Anna Milne-Karn as the captain’s scrappy sidekick Smee. ★★★

— Kaj Hasselriis

IMPROVISION: MOTLEY CANOE

ImproVision

Duke of Kent Legion (Venue 13), to Saturday, July 29

Bad news first: Motley Canoe, “The World’s Outdoorsiest Metal Band,” really doesn’t appear in the show. Bummer!

Good news next: Longtime Winnipeg improv favourites ImproVision had the packed joint rocking and rollicking anyway on Thursday night.

With an opening exclamation of “We’re old! the talented trio of Alan MacKenzie, Ed Cuddy and George McRobb proceed to skewer such subjects as Canadian content, blockbuster movies, and perform one of their trademark improv games, where one performer leaves the room while the others concoct a story with the audience, which the returning member must figure out.

One final problem: While ImproVison has a longstanding affiliation with the Duke of Kent Legion, their venue of choice isn’t such a great choice for audiences. The layout forces the performers to have their backs to about a third of the viewers at any given time, and the cramped space hampers the physical comedy they’re trying to do. You can’t improv your way out of that. ★★★1/2

— Janice Sawka

KEEPING THE MOON

It’s All Relative Productions

Rachel Browne Theatre (Venue 8), to July 30

In this new play/dramedy written and performed by Reba Terlson, Luna struggles to find herself as she transitions through the phrases of the moon. She also seeks to make peace with her late mother, with the 45-minute show (billed as 60) unfolding as a series of flashbacks.

It’s a worthy proposition, and there’s loads of potential here, complex mother/daughter relationships being the stuff of theatre for ages. However, there are more than a few gaping holes in the narrative that lack any real drama, characters are not adequately fleshed out, and there is an overabundance of uncomfortable clichés — such as Luna’s sagely declaring, “Change is constant; we have to embrace it” — that wear as thin as a crescent moon.

It’s always tough to diss someone’s fledgling solo show, despite Terlson’s solid skills as a thespian. However, when an anxiety-riddled Luna repeatedly chugs back her “meds” out of a weirdly mimed cup (why not use a real one?), this writer only wished there were a few more to go around. ★★1/2

— Holly Harris

LESSONS THEY WON’T LET US TEACH IN SCHOOL

Joesph-Herd Productions

The Gargoyle Theatre (Venue 25), to July 30

Winnipeg’s Cuinn and Connor Joseph are brothers. They are also teachers. In this 60-minute storytelling show, the two Mr. Josephs transform the theatre into a sort of classroom after dark, where they can dish the dirt on what it’s really like to be a teacher.

Both brothers — who are actors as well — are charming and are probably the favourite teachers of many students. Aided by animated chalk-board stick figures and a good running gag in which they turn their chairs backwards every time they “get real,” the Brothers Joseph share insights and wisdom that are often both funny and poignant.

The format, however, makes it feel too much like a TED Talk, which is essentially an assembly for adults. A bit more show and a bit less tell would have gotten these teachers an A. ★★★

— Jen Zoratti

LONG NIGHT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

Concrete Drops Theatre

Alloway Hall — Manitoba Museum (Venue 5), to July 30

This world première from New York’s Concrete Drops Theatre stars longtime fringe faves and collaborators Martin Dockery (The Sex Life of Butterflies) and Andrew Broaddus, with direction by Vanessa Quesnelle (all of whom worked together on The Stakeout).

Dockery and Broaddus play brothers, the former a playwright and the latter an actor. The show, which Dockery’s character was supposed to have written but hasn’t, is then salvaged when Broaddus “finds” a manuscript in a library about… brothers, one of whom was supposed to write a play but didn’t.

While both actors are excellent in this cyclical not-a-finished-play that exposes each of the characters’ flaws and travels the bumpy road to brotherly reconciliation, Dockery’s performance in particular is exceptional. Buried deep within Long Night… is a brief play-like plot that does eventually come out, but by the time it does it’s inconsequential; the brothers have spent the bulk of the hour garnering sympathy (and loads of laughs) from the audience, who by this time have become wholly invested in the imperfect pair. ★★★★

— Ben Sigurdson

MAIL ORDERED

Shanice Stanislaus

Tom Hendry Warehouse (Venue 6), to July 30

A collaboration between Singapore’s Shanice Stanislaus and Calgary’s Aaron Cates, this interactive comedy, a potentially divisive bit of satire, sees Lila (Stanislaus) having landed in Canada, looking for a husband (in exchange for US$100,000 to send back to her family, who are in trouble with some thugs back in Singapore.)

Stanislaus involves the audience pretty much right away, with crowd members beckoned to and pulled up on stage throughout in some fairly funny bits. Lila’s knowledge about the ways of the western world is limited (and her morals decidedly dated, by the standards of said western world), and it’s here where the humour hinges (and, occasionally, brings some cringes). Patience is a virtue; while things start off a bit sluggish, the second half of Mail Ordered offers a couple surprises, including an oh-my-gosh payoff at the end that brings this comedy home in a mostly satisfying way. ★★★

— Ben Sigurdson

MURDER… IN THE FOURTH DEGREE

H.A.N.D.

Alloway Hall — Manitoba Museum (Venue 5), to July 30

This noir parody/sex comedy/sustained goof offers a a different slant on the whodunit. The belligerent victim, Bradd, is so obnoxious, the puzzle becomes: Who didn’t kill him? The suspects include a blocked writer, his provocative gal pal, a violence-prone female hockey player, and an evangelical bible-thumper. Bradd died with three wounds. Who chickened out?

It is, as stated, a goof admirably sustained for an hour. It’s also a good example of the perils of Third Circle acting, wherein actors seem to be shouting at the audience instead of engaging with each other. Even in the context of a broad comedy, it gets tiresome quickly. ★★1/2

— Randall King

OBSESSION: THE ELIZABETH SMART MUSICAL

Goltsman-Ferris Productions

CCFM — Salle Pauline-Boutal (Venue 4), to July 30

CanLit is richer for poet and writer Elizabeth Smart’s obsession with the serial philanderer and British poet George Barker, the Ted Hughes to her Sylvia Plath.

By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, a prose poem/novel from 1945, gained praise and wide fame when released in paperback in 1966.

This new musical, not to be confused with the PTE show from 2018, takes a high school musical approach to Smart’s tragic life and what her obsession with Barker cost her in terms of her well being and her ability to care for their children.

Broadway lite ditties in minor keys are no less forgettable than most current musical theatre fare and the passions of the writer and strong-voiced cast are apparent. Despite the period costumes it never really feels like the 1930-’60s and although the solid cast do their best to inhabit the era, young Elizabeth owes more to the Ariel of Little Mermaid than to a Plath or Smart poem. ★★★1/2

— Lara Rae

ONE MAN BATMAN PARODY

Rod Peter Jr.

Tom Hendry Warehouse (Venue 6), to July 30

This show from B.C. performer Rod Peter Jr. focuses less on the Batman films and more on his love of the character. Working backwards from Batman & Robin when Rod was 12 to Batman when he was four, the parody looks at where these films find our young narrator.

Peter wears his nerdiness on his sleeve, showing pictures of himself with his various copies of Batman Returns; Batman fan and fellow nerds will be in hog heaven. Peter’s rapid-fire delivery of his Bat-life means some jokes are unable to land before he goes on to the next. But his earnest messages of “love whatever you want to love” and “be silly” shine through and you get to see what Batman really meant to this performer.

That said, I must get it out of the way: as a Batman Forever apologist, I cannot sanction Peter’s Forever buffoonery. ★★★★

— Sonya Ballantyne

ROBERT WILL SHOW YOU THE DOOR (TALES OF BEING FIRED)

Susan Jeremy Productions

Planetarium Auditorium (Venue 9), to Tuesday

Susan Jeremy, a New York comedian (and babysitter and chip-shop cleaner and horse-track labourer and one-time clown and many other things), brings her lengthy resumé to life in this one-woman show.

As the title indicates, Jeremy gets fired. A lot. Each formative event is shared with the full cast of characters in attendance. Although the 60-minute monologue is a solo endeavour, bosses, co-workers, customers — and even Joan Rivers — appear onstage fully-formed, thanks to the actor’s masterful impressions. The lighting and audio are minimal and well-timed, adding to the show’s effectively simple staging. When you can impersonate all of New York City, set decoration is unnecessary. This engaging coming-of-age memoir takes some surprising twists but arrives at a satisfying conclusion. Just as God intended. ★★★★

— Eva Wasney

STACEY-JEAN AT YOUR SIDE

SJeanS Productions

The Cinematheque (Venue 7), to July 30

Stacey-Jean Sandbury is at your side in the sincerest way possible. This live advice show is exactly as described in the program: Guidance that “emphasizes good mental health, self-care and healthy boundaries.”

It’s a promising concept, but the performance lacks substance. Over the course of 45 minutes, Winnipeg writer and performer Arlene Libich reads and responds to a dozen or so personal conundrums sent in from an imagined social-media public — and not much else. The questions are realistic, the answers are thoughtful, but viewers are bound to leave with their own queries. Such as, who is Stacey-Jean Sandbury? While the Q&A session is presented as a fringe sequel, Libich provides little background on the earnest call-centre worker with a passion for stickers and a desire to help people. ★★1/2

— Eva Wasney

STROKE OF LUCK

Gravity still works

Théâtre Cercle Molière (Venue 3), to July 30

There’s a story Debbie Reynolds told about being insulted by Gene Kelly after she was unable to perform her choreography for Singing in the Rain to his high standards. Fred Astaire found her crying under a piano and invited her to attend a rehearsal of his own. No one ever attended his rehearsals and Debbie watched Fred work to create a routine until he was red in the face. Seeing Fred’s struggle encouraged Debbie to continue.

This story comes to mind while seeing Stroke of Luck, performed by Winnipeg’s Vincent Champagne. A delightful storyteller as well as an accomplished circus performer, Champagne recounts his return to performing a month after a stroke. When your job is to make your performance look as effortless as possible, sharing your struggle to return to it can be difficult. The vulnerability Vincent displays during Stroke of Luck is rarely seen; you’ll be glad he did not give up. ★★★★1/2

— Sonya Ballantyne

TREE

Natasha Mercado

Cinematheque (Venue 7) to July 30

Don’t let the threat of unavoidable participation scare you away from Natasha Mercado’s deep, dark and slightly sexual forest. A master of crowdwork, the Los Angeles “comedy artist” manages to pull even the most hesitant participants into the action, winning them over in the process.

The forest is a safe place — unless you’re a tree. The hour-long affair is part game show and part murder mystery that asks audiences to question the binary of good and bad through the eyes of an anthropomorphic tree.

Clad in felted foliage and wearing root boots, Mercado is a charismatic performer and a deft improviser who jumps from character to character in a series of funny, absurd vignettes. Real-life sticks bolster the impressive prop work. Tree loses some momentum during the wrap-up, but even the rare moments of mediocrity are entertaining. ★★★★1/2

— Eva Wasney

WOLFHAVEN PRESENTS: KING, MAGICIAN, LOVER

Wolfhaven Productions

The Planetarium Auditorium (Venue 9), to July 30

Local writer/performer Matthew Evan Havens is dressed in a soft black shirt and soft grey sweatpants as he speaks, softly, to the audience in the dimly-lit planetarium auditorium.

He spins the tale of Matthew, a farm lad in some medieval village, who is intrigued by tales he hears from a traveller named Middlewolf.

Clearly, Havens is attempting to envelop his audience in an aura of mystery. It’s a good theory, but in practice, one person in dim light relating a story for a full hour with only occasional changes in tone or tempo is just too long. It doesn’t help that he frequently stumbles over his words and corrects himself.

In the end, the inadvertent effect achieved is more sedation than sensation, which may result in some spectators missing the neat little twist right at the end. ★★1/2

— Janice Sawka

WOMEN

The Sexy Snakes

The Gargoyle Theatre (Venue 25), to July 30

If the women of Little Women were the women of Girls, Jo March would totally be a Hannah. She thinks she could be the voice of her generation. Or, at least, a voice of a generation.

Playwright Chiara Atik’s modern take on Louisa May Alcott updates the vernacular and reimagines the March sisters as entitled millennials à la Lena Dunham’s HBO comedy, but leaves the setting as 1800s New England in this 75-minute comedy, ably performed by Winnipeg troupe the Sexy Snakes.

Aside from a couple winks to Girls — the infamous “voice of a generation” line, Jo March eating a cupcake in the bathtub — the sharpest skewering of millennial self-absorption involves Beth’s death. “If it was just Meg getting married or just Beth dying, it’d be fine — but it’s been a lot, you know?”

The script is often one-note (and weirdly faithful) and the momentum is slowed by too many blackout scene changes. Thankfully, this high-energy cast makes it sing. Kudos to Katie Welham, in particular, for doing the impossible: making Meg “First-Born Daughter” March funny. ★★★1/2

— Jen Zoratti