Unintended Consequences: Three One-Act Comedies
Warehouse - Next Door

Remaining Performances:
Saturday, July 19 @ 8:30pm
Wednesday, July 23 @ 6:30pm
Saturday, July 26 @ 3:30pm

They say: “What the hell were they thinking? The delightfully perplexed characters in this trio of one-acts cope with the unintended consequences that ensue when the INS investigates illegal trafficking in undocumented genies, the Devil issues an RFP for a consultant, and an agenda-less retreat ends improbably, yet inevitably, in romance.”

Glen’s take: The laudable mission statement of the recently formed Senior Moments Theatre Company (”To encourage and support emerging dramatists over 55″) probably had a lot to do with the demographic makeup of Unintended Consequences‘ Sunday afternoon crowd, which, I merely note, skewed a bit more, ah, Applebee’s-five-o’clock-dinner-rush than Fringe audiences generally do.

Look: I get that satire is inherently pushy. It is, after all, just Funny With Something to Prove. But the trick of it — the way you get audiences to swallow your pill — is to spend more time worrying about the Funny than the Something to Prove. Satire goes wrong when its makers are so keen to poke you in the ribs that they neglect to tickle them.

Take the first two playlets in Unintended Consequences, both of which suffer from being overwritten and broadly performed. That, as it turns out, is a near deadly combination, because by insisting so shrilly and laboriously on their central satirical premises (Genies = Illegal Immigrants and Consultants = Satan), both plays reveal how little value they place on things like character, dialogue and recognizable emotion.

But as soon as the third and final one-act starts, something happens. Something surprising, and really kinda great. Even though its satiric premise isn’t particularly fresh (just some familiar pokes at meeting facilitators and org-speak), even though it’s written by the same guy responsible for the genie comedy you sat through earlier, that last play hits you like a revelation, for two reasons: Karen Lange, as a hopeful Arts Administrator, and Washington Improv Theater regular Stuart Scotten, as a hesitant meeting attendee. These two performers concentrate on creating characters — rounded, funny, utterly believable characters — and allow themselves to find the script’s jokes, instead of lunging at them.  Scotten in particular offers a master class in what offhand, unforced comic timing can do for a production; as a result, precisely 33.3% of Unintended Consequences is easily the best thing in Fringe I’ve seen so far.

See if if: You are possessed of both a Zen-like patience and a fondness for jokes about media consultants.

Skip it if: You’d rather catch Scotten at WIT.

You’ve heard about The Button, right? The Button is new this year. Fear the Button.

The Button, in economic terms, is a transfer of wealth. Specifically, from you to a Fringe performer. The Button costs five bucks, or roughly 5/7ths of the cost of a warm domestic beer at Nationals Park. The money gets divvied up among all Fringe artists.

And The Button Is Required.
For Everyone.
At All Times.

Or Julianne Will Send Your Ass Home.

The basics: You must buy The Button. Even if you’ve bought tickets. Even if you’ve bought a pass. (Though one Button comes for free with some passes. You may still need another Button if you’re using a pack, though.)

Your ticket, it is no good without The Button.

More in the video.

Trouble viewing? Try the YouTube version.

Watch and listen as Fringe & Purge chats with Jeffrey of Speakeasy D.C., Mark and Sabrina of Happenstance Theater, and Julianne and Scott, the masterminds behind D.C. Fringe.

Trouble viewing? Try the YouTube version of this video

First-time Fringer Jonathan Padget is taking a literal plunge with his play The Blue Lagoon: A Musical. Turning films into musicals is all the rage these days, but Jonathan deserves much credit for going where even Hollywood wouldn’t dare venture. And in true Fringe spirit, the production was built largely from dollar-store items.

The next performances of The Blue Lagoon: A Musical are Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29, at 8 p.m., at Playbill Café, 1409 14th St. NW.

(And apologies to Jonathan and everyone for the intrusive camera mic that keeps peeking into the shots.)

Who doesn’t enjoy a good nail through the nose? Stephon Walker certainly does. But when we met the artist better known as Swami Yomahmi in the middle of Silver Sprung, we barely recognized him. No nail, and no turban.

But we weren’t disappointed, because Walker’s inner geek is never far from the surface, and when the Green Lantern oath came up in conversation, we got to strut our own geekiness a bit.

A founding member of the Cheeky Monkey Sideshow, which played at last year’s fest, the Swami is bringing his “Unnatural Acts of Comedy” show to the Scientarium this year, which sounds like a good match of venue with performer.

Do pay attention, because in this video the Swami does indeed perform an unnatural comedy act. I’m surprised he survived…

Swami Yomahmi: Unnatural Acts of Comedy is at the Scientarium, 709 D St. NW, on Tuesday, July 24, at 7 p.m.; Wednesday, July 25 at 9:30 p.m.; Friday, July 27 at midnight; Saturday, July 28, at 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday, July 29, at 2 p.m.

So, Trey has had it up to here with Shakespeare. Perhaps watching this video will change his mind.

Hilary Kacser invited us to a rehearsal of her Fringe offering Love & War: With the Bard’s Broads and Dames, and of course we said yes. Hilary was freshly back from London, where she was invited to present her last year’s Fringe show, In Pursuit of the English: Rose, at the Doris Lessing Conference. Tally-ho, eh?

The two-part play is directed by Jennifer Crooks, who is also filling in for an unavailable actor. Love & War also features Jordan Boughrum, Liesyl Franz, Jason B. McIntosh, and Mike Wong.

Herewith, some visual snippets to give a brief idea of what’s in store when Love & War: With the Bard’s Broads and Dames plays at Touchstone Gallery, 406 Seventh St. NW on Friday, July 20 at 9 p.m.; Saturday, July 21 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, July 22 at 6 p.m.; Friday, July 27 at7 p.m.; and Saturday, July 28 at 9 p.m.

Laura Zam seems to specialize in one-person shows with two-word titles about three subjects. Last year’s Fringe offering, Stupid Frailty, dealt with Internet dating, death, and genocide. This year, Laura returns with another one-woman show, Collaterally Damaged, about art, sex, and genocide. The shows are comedies. Kinda.

Shirley Serotsky is the play’s director, and she’s not only pushing Damaged to the stage, but also shepherding two “mini-musicals” for Bouncing Ball Theatrical Productions, Cautionary Tales for Adults and The Many Adventures of Trixie Tickles. Busy, busy, busy.

We caught up with Laura and Shirley one hot afternoon in the relative shelter of the courtyard at Laura’s apartment to discuss life and theater and Fringe Freaks.

Collaterally Damaged is at the Colosseum at the Warehouse Theater, 1021 7th Street NW, at midnight, Friday, July 20; 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21, and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 29.

Everywhere you turn, it’s Julianne, Julianne, Julianne! Which is all well and good and certainly deserved. But let us interrupt the Brienzafest for a brief–too brief, perhaps–moment with the other CapFringe founder, Damian Sinclair.

We caught up with Damian at the Fringe Box Office grand opening last week. The location, also known as the Unified Launch Theory, and incorporating a stage called the Launching Pad. The site was designed by noted D.C. artist Robert Cole and Fringe technical director Scot McKenzie. It’s a fun spot, reminding me of a Tastee Freeze stand, circa 1962. Probably not the intention, but that’s how my mind works, especially in this heat.

A sell-out hit from last year’s Fringe, The Eddie Lounge Show returns this year with an all-new revue. We caught up with Mr. Lounge outside the Fringe Box Office during the official opening as he was distributing promo posters and postcards. Rule one: never stop promoting. Take it away, Eddie…

Don’t talk to Fringe playwright Kristen Cantwell about her new work at dinnertime, because you will be overtaken, as I was, with fierce hunger pangs. Because Kristen’s play is the musical cabaret, Butter: A Love Story.

Kristen scored at last year’s Fest with Confessions of an Invisible Woman (Here’s Trey’s video interview.), and if my stomach is any indicator, Butter will repeat that triumph.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz9-mqYsM6I]