A bit of a marathon was interrupted by some sellouts (and poor planning on my part). Thank you to those providing comps!
My Google Doc, The Harris Herald, will be providing recognition of a few shows in the next few days and I will link that on a later post. Please note, that is recognition from me personally, and not on behalf of Orlando Theatre Review.
Back to the regularly scheduled thoughts on five shows!
Younger Us
This is a really touching ghost story that is muddled by an oversized cast and set. I had trouble finding performers’ eyelines among the ensemble and the background conversation of a party was not just pantomimed, but sometimes whispered which meant I lost some dialogue during the show.
The concept here is really sweet, with some good revelations that unfold, and a stellar tone from the soundtrack and non-spooky supernatural elements. It reminded me of the shoegaze genre of films about navigating young adult life that hardly are seen on stage. While compromises were not really made for the venue’s size, I think there is a unique tone and story here that will play best to the center tier of seats.
Tickets and future showtimes here!
The Fast and the Bi-Curious
A very funny slideshow presentation takes us through the representation of bisexual characters and celebrities through the 2000’s and just beyond. Our performer takes us through what was a huge trip down memory lane for this writer as it delivers on the pop culture references as promised. While I am not sure if the nostalgia factor will work on all audiences, the throughline about a parental relationship comes through and delivers with a great finale. The performer shares her self-discovery, coming out, and very deftly sends the audience to horny jail.
Tickets and future showtimes here!
Far Too Heavy
Packing and unpacking trauma is framed as a move and the audience is here to help. The performer provides jokes and bits as segments among some heavier stories from her past. While the abruptness of a few segments made the pacing feel a little lop-sided, the message of the show is felt by the end, even if a little simplistic compared to the rest of the show. Some stories from the performer’s past are heavy, some are zany, some darker than others, but all are vulnerable.
A guest segment was a great tie-in for cross-promotion of another show. A volunteer segment was a very risky move, having an audience member share their trauma which could be catastrophic, or even verged on comparing traumas. Ultimately, this was handled exceptionally well due to a great story from the audience member, and did connect the audience and performer better.
There is a master stroke worth mentioning: while many stories are recounting recent history, there were flashbacks to childhood scenes. They are presented seriously, and are what I consider to be the darkest of the show. The expertise comes in the writing. These are haunting to the performer and feel haunting to the audience. Despite the repressed memories being recounted on stage, they are made more effective by the point in which the narration ends. The audience is treated as intelligent and has to read between the lines. This was my personal highlight of the show.
A brief tangent: If you or someone in your party has had one drink too many, please quietly head out and get some water on the lawn or get home responsibly. Not every show needs interaction and we can only shoot so many dirty looks.
Tickets and future showtimes here!
Private Parts: The Secrets We Keep
Framing a life story and a lifetime of shame through secrets is simply brilliant, and is followed through delicately. To perform secrets in front of an audience, something you hardly would ever want to share, is delivered with expertise. I found the reason to share these secrets, something explained during the performance, as honest, true, and necessary. This performer lays out her secrets bare and does not seem to erase her feelings on them, even if they are sometimes still sensitive.
There was a special air in the room, something that only live theater can generate. There were a few people close to the performer in the room, identified with a shout out near the beginning of the show, that seemed to make these confessions feel just a little more vulnerable and a little more honest. Moments of the show felt like a conversation between close friends. This was a very special showing of a beautiful show.
Tickets and future showtimes here!
1-MAN NO-SHOW
This performer is completely unbreakable. He takes any and all interaction into account and treats it as gospel. He even encouraged more comments. I really thought the show was being rearranged before our eyes. One of the more interactive clown shows among the festival, the entire audience got to be the butt of the joke, but this clown took most of the heat and generated non-stop laughs.
Tickets and future showtimes here!