MAKING (UP) HISTORY, while an interesting story of the first person (Annie Moore) registered thru Ellis Island and how her identity was mistaken over the years to be rediscovered by a geneologist just isn’t that compelling. The writing is uninspired/storytelling level and recreations of Annie are basic, but much better than the contemporary hand-wringing scenes of geneologist debating on whether to but paying work aside to rediscover this woman’s story. A lively cast, but only mildly diverting. At the Scientarium (7th & D).

MY FRIEND HITLER at the Warehouse didn’t hold up either. While this may have been a provocative play when Japanese writer Mishima penned and performed it in late 60s, I didn’t feel it provided much insight into this monstrous historical figure (especially in light of such recent films as Downfall) nor did it gain anything being performed by a woman (capable but could have been much more dynamic) as did last year’s Never Swim Alone.

THE HEFFNER MONOLOGUES (in the slightly warm but intimate and Fringey upstairs space at the Warehouse) doesn’t stride any new territory and could have used a few more Hugh Hefner-isms threaded thoughout, peformer was a live wire and quite often very very funny with his tales of being second cousin to the Playboy magnate and learning to discover his own inner ‘Hef’. Elaborate stand-up but funny and antic.

CORDELIA’S FOOL is now over after only 3 performances but was also fun and lively if scrappy and still in need of more structure (upstairs at the Warehouse). Lots of non-cloying clowning and bits and pieces of the Lear tale, with quite enjoyable audience participation, the full crowd had a great time playing around with the performer. I’d love to see her structure the piece more and add more play references for those of us less familiar with it beyond even the basic plot to fill it out.

BLUE LAGOON THE MUSICAL at Playbill Cafe is alot of fun. A two person cast, an inflatable pool, the composer at the keyboard, minimal lights and lots of references to dick…I mean Dick (the male character is Richard). The score is simple, romantic and straightforward but the witty and double entendre filled lyrics and dialogue pick up the slack. While I would have liked a bit more camp and sexual allusions, the performers have very nice voices and do a great job. It’s a tiny space so get your tickets in advance or you’ll be stranded on your own island of sexual awakening and unfamiliar (but welcome) desires. “Dick are we doomed to die in this dinghy?”

CAUTIONARY TALES… was, along with the Pabst & Popcorn Faustus, the hoot of the Fringe so far for me. Juvenile? Yup, but freakin’ hilarious. Titus, the musical and Lunch composer Shawn Northrip provides some silly and slightly crude songs (though he could use some help to write better lyrics that go beyond one or two lines repeated over and over) and the fun cast enlivens the proceedings like the show was sponsored by Red Bull. FRINGE FUN!

THE NEON MAN AND ME. Well I must be in the minority about this one from the other postings on this show. I was disappointed in how slight this show was after reading about it in advance. Putting that aside, performer/writer Slash Coleman is a fun and engaging presence and he does have a great story to tell about his best friend, and while I found many parts funny, others were a bit hoakey or overdone. The few songs didn’t add too much for me except a little more variety but Coleman provides ample amounts of that with the many characters he portrays thoughout the show. A nice testament to a very important person in his life.

THE EXFILES (Woolly Mammoth’s rehearsal hall) is a slight 25 min (not 45min) one-act about a lesbian mom who conjurs up old lovers to summon the courage to confront her ex over expanded custody of their son. It’s a mini sitcom with medicore writing but has a couple of fun ideas and passages all kept afloat by some funny & talented cast members and Dot Neumann’s direction.

INDIGO A BLUES OPERA (Warehouse) has a lot of potential but is in too raw a state for public viewing – and this is supposedly an excerpt of a longer piece about the passionate relationship between two black womean in atenbellum times. Now, I did see this at a midnight show but am a night bird, so it wasn’t like I was tired – even though the show went 30minutes over its stated 1:15 length. There is some exciting and frenetic dance/movement, many creative staging ideas and EXCEPTIONAL live blues guitar playing as a score and pretty good voices to give flight to those songs. BUT, they need a much stronger theatrical hand to shape all of these pieces, to tighten up the staging and keep things moving at a much more brisk pace (there were too many dead patches and the momentum was just glacial at times). I’d love to see that.

ABSTRACT NUDE (at Source) I saw the readingof Gwydion Suilebhan’s play staged as a reading in last year’s fest. The play about the affect an abstract nude painting (described but never seen) affects a bunch of unconnected people whose connections develop as the play progresses is very engaging, funny and has some interesting things to say about art, its affect on us and what we each individually see in it (or not). The new ending feels underbaked and less nuanced than what preceeds it, but still a solid contemporary new play and a great cast that includes Naomi Jacobson, John Lescault, Jen Plants and Clay Steakly amomg others. It’s selling out so get a ticket – or you’ll have to wait ’til a small company in town (Catalyst? Theater Alliance?) adds it to a future season schedule.

Today I saw:

Air Heart
This solo/aerialist show is a one-woman tribute to Amelia Earhart. There’s a fascinating article in the Washington Post about the performer, Mara Neimanis, that you can read Here. The tiny, sticky-hot Scientarium Theater is not much more than a converted store-front, but inside it is sparse and striking. Rows of chairs on the main floor are flanked by welded steel benches and scaffold seating. Some audience members find themselves just feet away from the main contraption, which is a 12 foot tall rotating steel model of an airplane. The performer, (sometimes talking as Amelia, sometimes talking about her) wears simple browns, donning an aviator jacket and helmet with goggles for her ‘flights’. Ms. Neimanis’ skill is never in doubt as she swings, spins, hangs, and perches on the perfectly balanced structure. At the rear of the stage, a map of the world hangs with her route marked out in red, as voiceovers and news recordings move along the action. I found this performance to be very moving and fascinating. The only thing I would suggest is a small change to Ms. Neimanis’ intimate vocal energy. I was in the front row and had trouble understanding some lines – a lot of jokes and points would land more clearly with simple attention to volume and articulation. That being said, it was a heartfelt and visually unforgettable performance.

We did manage to see:

THIS DIGITAL LIFE: BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR COPING WITH THE 21ST CENTURY, which we really enjoyed. Feel free to arrive a bit early if you decide to see this one, they’ll keep you entertained while you wait for the show to begin with an interactive on screen diversion (which is nicely incorporated throughout). As long as you aren’t a luddite, you’ll likely see yourself and your own relationships in the story to some extent, and the actors kept our interest for the full hour nicely. There are AT LEAST two good stories here, possibly more, we aren’t exactly sure…

EXFILES: Was a decent show, wasn’t sad we attended. Decent acting by most of the players, TJ probably stole the show in our opinion. Ghosts from the romantic past converge to give relationship advice. It was pretty short (like less than 30 minutes). It was OK, but we weren’t blown away.

I’m so glad that DC is hosting a Fringe Festival and I look forward to checking out more of what the Fringe has to offer this week!

BurlyQ was a dissappointment…It was my top pick for puppetry and burlesque, but didn’t meet my expectations for either.It had it’s cute moments, but overall more of a $5 show than a $15…

KOUN KUKKI is an absolute must see….an amazing contemporary work that utilizes Japanese theater form, it is a clever political satire… 4 Talented actors play 8 different characters….This one was well worth it!

Today I’m hoping to hit BOBRAUSCHENBURGAMERICA…will report back tomorrow!

BOBRAUSCHENBERGAMERICA in a gallery at 9&N by the convention center was a perfect Fringe show. Chuck Mee’s plays are all pretty much non-linear and a bit obtuse, riffing on a theme which is exactly what this is. A bit like Rauschenberg’s art, bits of this and that collaged together, some relating to him the artist, themes of love and Americana. Don’t try to make sense of it but they did a nice job and cast features Gabriella Fernandez Coffey who was in Rorschach’s References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot. I think this only plays thru Sun 7/22.

A SWEDISH TIGER (in Woolly Mammoth’s rehearsal hall) sounded intriguing but despite a lively and exuberant performance by the writer of the piece and his cute companion dressed in a tiger suit, it was a bit all over the place and the pieces to complete the whole. Only about 1/4 of the text focuses on the Sweden/WW2 line the blurb describes.

EN ROUTE is dance and has a live band performing with them for almost all the performances at Flashpoint which was my draw. I like dance but live music always makes a performance more engaging especially when its contemporary music. The dancers were terrific in a small space. Not very Fringey but still nicely done.

THE PABST & POPCORN HOUR PRESENTS AN ADAPTATION OF THE TRAGEDY OF DR FAUSTUS was a fuckin hoot. Plus you get free popcorn and Pabst Blue Ribbon on the way in, so if thats your drink of choice, go and have a great time in this lively side-show style retelling of the Faustus story and the fight over his soul from God and the Devil himself. FUN FUN FUN. There are some Fringe performances at Goethe Institute (across from Hooters) and some at DCAC in Adams Morgan also.

NUTSHELL is Callie Kimball’s latest play on the Woolly Mammoth mainstage. Features a very talented cast across the board including many of them playing African wildlife! You’ll see Kimberly Gilbert, Michael Willis, Abby Wood, Daniel Eichner (the naked MacBeth, in clothes alas) and many many more (like were there 50 people on stage?). I won’t go into the plot but it involves an actress on a temp job who gets sent with the non-profit to Africa to negotiate with the elephants to try and save them. Yeah, freakin weird huh? There’s some inspiration from The Waste Land and Hamlet, but when its funny its really funny, but then some it, though good, got more serious toned. The two halves don’t mesh as well as you want them to but its a first production and really well done.