Chocolate Jesus and Ethan Now are among the highlights at the third annual Capital Fringe Festival in Washington D.C.

By: Dan Bacalzo · Jul 15, 2008 · DC Metro

Eva Salvetti in Chocolate Jesus
(© Sanford Saidman)

Now in its third year, Washington D.C.’s Capital Fringe Festival — which runs through July 27 — boasts over 100 productions spread out over several venues. Like all fringes, the quality of offerings varies quite widely from show to show. However, during the festival’s opening weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend two very worthwhile pieces, as well as a couple of less engaging ones.
My favorite show was Chocolate Jesus, a collection of four monologues on religious themes, written and performed by members of SpeakeasyDC, which is dedicated to autobiographical storytelling. Artistic executive director Amy Saidman opens the performance with a tale of how she got in touch with her Jewish identity — starting with being enrolled in a socialist Zionist camp where the counselors put the attendees through simulations that included waking them up in the middle of the night in order to “flee Russia.” Eva Salvetti shares a funny but moving account of how the Catholic Church “provided a place to rebel” against her permissive Argentinian parents. In the most bizarre story of the evening, Stephanie Garibaldi talks about a time she spent in Mexico impersonating — or perhaps actually channeling — a Mayan fertility goddess. Finally, the charming Travis Wright discusses growing up Baptist and reconciling his faith with his gay sexuality. Each tale contains a wonderful blend of humor and more serious content. While Saidman is the most “polished” performer in the group, all four exhibit a wonderful energy, a real connection with their audience, and a sheer joy of sharing their stories.

Ethan Now, written and directed by James L. Beller, Jr., is a dysfunctional family drama that revolves around the relationship between adult brothers Brad (Mark Ludwick) and Ethan (Majed Sayess). Their father has just died, and the family is convening for the funeral. As the show progresses, a number of long-buried secrets are revealed, including a rather provocative one that had several audience members buzzing as they exited the theater. However, Beller makes a better playwright than he does a director. Several of the production’s transitions are awkwardly handled, and some of the staging choices feel forced, which interrupts the flow. Still, the edgy subject matter is well handled by its cast, particularly Ludwick and Jessica Wanamaker as Ethan’s wife Meg, who share some of the play’s most emotionally complex scenes.

The exterior of Cole Studio
(© Dan Bacalzo)
One of the best things about Fringe festivals is the opportunity to visit some unusual performance spaces, many of which aren’t traditionally used for theater productions. Sculptor Robert T. Cole has lent the use of his Cole Studio, in which his beautiful metallic art works are displayed both outdoors and inside of the venue. Unfortunately, the show I saw there — Joey Maranto’s Good Enough for Government Work — was a rather tiresome piece that was more stand-up than solo performance. The writer/performer, who also works as a government auditor, tells numerous lame jokes and anecdotes that poke fun of himself and his fellow government employees. But there’s no real narrative thread to hold them together, and the hour-long show wears thin very quickly.

Another performance space I enjoyed visiting was the DC Arts Center, which has a visual art gallery that you can browse upon entering, and a theater in the back. Sadly, Scot Walker’s 3 Murdered Clowns, a collection of short plays and monologues, was far less interesting than the “Kid Mutiny” art exhibition currently on display in the gallery. Walker’s work deals with the Kennedy assassination, a tour guide’s really bad day, and a Congressman involved in a sex scandal. While the show deals with some darkly comic material, it doesn’t have the wit or humor necessary to make for compelling theater — particularly in this lackluster production directed by Catherine Aselford and performed by George Balulis, David Berkenbilt, and Jennifer Mayberry.

New to this year’s festival is the Capital Fringe Festival button, which costs $5 and is required for admission into any Fringe show, even if you’ve already purchased tickets. While not all attendees seem keen on the idea — and senior citizens don’t have to wear one — the button enables the wearer to receive various special offers at a number of local businesses. For example, I got a discount on a delicious meal at the Latin American-style restaurant, Rumba Café. In addition, proceeds from button sales are shared out equally to Fringe-run venue participants, so the monies go to support the work of the Capital Fringe Festival artists.

What I take issue with is his making these comments the sum total of his review – to the exclusion of a discussion of the performance itself! Like most Fringe-goers, I rely on these reviews to find out which Fringe performers/performances are ‘good’, interesting, and deserve a viewing. I should never finish reading a review and be unsure of what the reviewer thought of the actual production he attended! His failure to discuss the performance gives the impression that it had no impact on him whatsoever, which implies it must be dull and mediocre.

This is not the case. The main characters gave subtle and well-rounded performances; the dialogue clips along at a good pace; I was riveted from beginning to end. I found this to be an extraordinarily good Fringe production. And the quality of the show was all the more impressive given the oppressive conditions, bad acoustics, and clunky script.

Whether the reviewer agrees with me or not on this, I would ask that he finish his review to include a commentary on the performance – which is what the typical Fringe-goer is most interested in.

See it if you are looking for an interesting and well acted production.
Skip it if you are more interested in your own comfort than in the quality of the show.

someone loves you. you are doing something right. keep on doing what you do.

we rock faces off in spite of heat, electrocution and bloodshed. reviews won’t spare anyone from The Eternal Wake.

Carpe Noctem,
Goddess bless the fringe

Glen’s review seemed very fair to me – he did give his critic’s opinion as to the play itself (which is his and his alone, but is what he’s here to do), he opined on the direction of the play (see previous parenthetical), and yes, let us audience members know about the conditions of the theater itself. That is very “fair,” and in fact, his duty as a critic to let us know. It would be unfair to Fringe and Purge readers if he didn’t let us know about the conditions.

There’s nothing in the review I see above that Glen is “taking anything out” on anyone. Looks pretty fairly balanced to me, and, in fact, prior to the comments, I had been considering attending this production. Hopefully Fringegoers have a high tolerance for Fringey conditions – that part of the fun of Fringe.

I also hope that Fringe artists and audience members have a high tolerance for reviews they may not like. I’m not saying the above comments weren’t truly from passionate audience members (although “a 21st Century O’Neill” as a descriptor for any Fringe playwright gives me some doubt), but as a general rule, comments that look like they were written by an artist or his mother (whether or not they were) tend to strengthen the original critic’s case rather than rebut it.