Best bets for the 2014 Fringe Festival
We asked a mix of folks from Cincinnati's performing arts community to tell us what Fringe show they most want to see.
Burgess Byrd
Actress
Byrd couldn't narrow her choices to one or two, but her experience at the Fringe makes her picks well worth considering.
Her pick: "An Unauthorized Autobiography of Benny Hill" (Four Humors Theater)
Byrd says: "I saw their first outing, 'Bombus & Berylline,' in 2012 and I loved it. Their shows draw you in quickly with their ingenuity."
Her pick: "Blogging Behind Bars" (Unity Productions)
Byrd says: "I'm a fan of this company. I find the subject matter thought provoking and interested to see how they will use Whitney Smith's writings to tell his story."
Her pick: "Something Something New Vagina" (Rebecca Kling)
Byrd says: "The title drew me in. I'm very interested in how people articulate their history of who they are; what influences shaped them into the person they are today.
Her pick: "HEIST"(Performance Gallery)
Byrd says: "This is Fringe in all its glory. This merry band of excellent performance artists have been creating edgy pieces in this city for many years. Go!"
Her pick: "Traffick" (Pones Inc.)
Byrd says: "This is another group of artists that is Fringe-tastic! I love how they blend movement and theater along with an original narrative. Their shows will generally invite the audience to collaborate right along with them."
Her pick: "Hot Damn!! It's the Loveland Frog" (Hugo West Theatricals)
Byrd says: "This is the same group that wrote the very popular, 'Don't Cross the Streams: The Cease and Desist Musical' at the 2012 Fringe. I saw it and laughed a lot. This tongue-firmly-in-cheek musical will be clever, funny – and it's about a frog!"
Sara Clark
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
Her pick: "BOOTY! A Revolutionary Pirate Tale" (Cincinnati's Tangled Leaves Theatre Collective)
Clark says: "Having worked with Serenity and Robin on last year's 'Vortex of the Great Unknown,' I'm excited to see what the dynamic duo presents this year with 'Booty!' I know they've enlisted the fabulous Jared Joplin as well this year, who I'll have the great pleasure of playing opposite in September in CSC's 'The Great Gatsby.' Can't wait to see what they've come up with."
Her pick: "An Unauthorized Biography of Benny Hill"
Clark says: "Four Humors Theater's three-man 'Lolita' was one of the highlights of last year's festival for me. As someone with an appreciation of a good Yakety Sax chase, I look forward to this year's send up of Benny Hill."
Jay Goodlett
Former Cincinnati Ballet dancer and associate artistic director at Children's Theatre Cincinnati.
His pick: "Aquarian Exposition: A Trip Back to the Original Woodstock" (Philadelphia's SHARP Dance Company)
Goodlett says: "I think it is quite a challenge to capture the meaning and essence of the '60s. It would seem very innovative to tackle this subject matter because the piece could come off as a caricature of the '60s. The music of that time period is very controversial and poignant so I am interested to see how it is portrayed, as well as the overall focus of the piece."
Joe McDonough
Playwright
His pick:"Papa Squat's Store of Sorts" (Paul Strickland)
McDonough says: "I'm hoping that this show, which is billed as a 'memorial of a quirky trailer park troubadour,' is as filled with heartfelt tall tales, odd characters and Strickland's witty, laid-back storytelling as last year's 'Ain't True and Uncle False.' "
Dave Powell
Co-director of OTRimprov
His pick: "The Ultimate Stimulus" (Felipe Ossa)
Powell says: "Tanya O'Debra has been a great performer the last two years with her two shows 'Radio Star' and 'Shut Up, Emily Dickinson.' She brings a wicked sense of humor to her performances, and I have a hunch this show will produce more great belly laughs."
His pick: "Bryyann Loves You" (a one-night show from Kevin Thornton)
Powell says: "I was there last year and witnessed the birth of this character and look forward to what Kevin Thornton concocted in his red jumpsuit. I grew up on the absurd delight of Pee Wee's Playhouse, and this show promises to be in the same vein."
Blake Robison
Playhouse in the Park artistic director
His pick: "BOOTY! A Revolutionary Pirate Tale"
Robison says:"Anything that combines pirates and '70s music and sexy Brits is something I want to see! It sounds gloriously Fringe-y."
His pick: "Slut Shaming" (Trey Tatum and Bridget Leak)
Robison says: "Trey Tatum is an exciting young writer. This sounds like a provocative play that tackles big issues with some time travel thrown in for good measure. I'll be there."
And: "A vibrant, fun, and irreverent Fringe Festival is the sign of a healthy theater scene. I look to these hungry performers to keep us all honest and a bit off-balance. Bring on the Fringe!"