Fringe Interview: Jo Firestone & Dylan Marron

The Critics agree: Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite was the funniest show we saw in this year’s Capital Fringe Festival. The Critics being, in this case, Fringe & Purge Action News and Commentary Squad Founding Institutional Memory Trey Graham and yours truly.

Festival honchos Julianne Brienza and Scot McKenize would seem to agree with our agreement: At the Pick of the Fringe Awards Sunday night, they presented Jo Firestone and Dylan Marron, the writers and performers of the show, with the Directors’ Award, recognizing an outstanding artist in each year’s fringe as chosen by Brienza, McKenzie, and their associates. There may be no bragging rights in theater, but this prize comes with some very practical perks: GoHorses, Firestone and Marron’s company, is automatically accepted into next year’s Capital Fringe lineup. They’ll receive a free advertising package and their participation fee will be waived. Not too shabby.

Trey and I sat down with the pair shortly after they collected their award to discuss their show and its origins. We’d give you a one-sentence synopsis, but it’s in the title for crying out loud, and anyway, we’re going to get Jo & Dylan to do that. Senior Fringe & Purge Action News and Commentary Squad member/comics obsessive Glen Weldon has pointed out that some of our X-treme camera angles create the impression this interview took place in Catwoman’s secret lair; you may rest assured that was utterly intentional.