Orlando Fringe FestN4 reviews: Think, laugh, stroke
Orlando Fringe’s FestN4, formerly the Fringe Winter Mini-Fest, runs through Sunday in downtown Orlando. Today’s reviews are of “Caught,” “Malunderstood” and “Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation Throughout Performing Arts History,” all seen at previews.
‘Caught’
Christopher Chen’s brilliantly twisty show-within-a-show-within-a-show is all about the truth — and how far we are from it. It’s a roller coaster of reality where just when you think you know what’s going on, everything changes.
Presented with panache (and total commitment) by Montreal’s Raise the Stakes Theatre, the show opens with Chinese dissident artist Lin Bo sharing his story about how he spent two years in a Beijing prison for creating an “invisible protest” as an artistic expression. The opening scene beautifully almost mocks the Fringe one-man storytelling show, one of many clever touches, but just as Lin Bo has won the audience over, the scene and mood shift.
The journalist who told Lin Bo’s story has questions, and just when you think you have it figured out, Chen turns everything upside down. Director Anton Golikov’s all-in attitude adds to the delightfully disorienting sensation.
Who owns the truth, what is the truth, can we ever comprehend someone else’s truth — and why are we obsessed with the idea of truth — these are weighty topics, but this fast-moving production feels even lighter as it gets more and more theatrically meta.
I’d praise the cast, but their names aren’t given — except for Lin Bo and fellow artist Wang Min as themselves. Wait, are those their real names? Or just their idea of truth? Either way, it’s an exhilarating ride. (70 minutes)
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‘Malunderstood’
In the fine Fringe tradition of one-person autobiographical sketches, Kenny Streule gives a fun look at his family’s most comical — and terrifying — member: His Swiss-German grandmother, whom he affectionately calls the “Beaver.”
She delightfully imparts such grandmotherly bon mots as “What? Are you dumb?” and “Go to bed before I beat you!” as Streule shares coming-of-age vignettes (the best: a lesson in bullying that has a moral without ever moralizing).
Fringe vets will have seen this sort of show before, but Streule has the peppy personality to win the audience over. Sometimes, the pep is too much as there’s barely a breath to let the codas of his stories land and resonate for a moment. But his obvious adult affection for his battleax of a grandmother makes this amusing collection of childhood recollections all the sweeter. (45 minutes)
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‘Stroke of Genius’
If you ever sat through an endless college lecture with a professor who was oh-so-proud of his arcane knowledge and technical jargon, “Stroke of Genius” will strike a happily laughable chord with you.
The comedy, from Tampa’s Vulva Va-Voom and Shane Mayforth is a showcase for each. Mayforth is the pleased-as-punch professor, teaching a class on the history of pantomime masturbation in the performing arts. Vulva Va-Voom plays a silent-film era movie star who epitomizes the course (and coarse) subject matter in a series of clever and comical mini-movies shown as actual recordings.
Obviously, euphemisms are trotted out over and over, and to the team’s credit, they don’t wear out their welcome as you might expect. A third Southern matron character didn’t add much to the proceedings for me: I was too busy chuckling as I pictured every know-it-all I’ve met, especially the artsy ones who have to find dramatic social significance in every flick of the wrist. (50 minutes)
FestN4
When: Jan. 11-14
Where: Fringe ArtSpace, 54 W. Church St. in Orlando
Cost: A $3 button is required to see any ticketed show; individual show tickets are $15 each.
Info: See the whole schedule and buy tickets at orlandofringe.org/festn4.
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