BY ALLAN SMITHEE FRINGE CORRESPONDENT Was denied entry last night to Java Drama. Wasn’t on any kind of list plus the place was packed (sold out) which is a good thing; talking about the packed crowd not entry refusal. Also had problems getting into the Flamingo/Winnebago show the previous night but was finally allowed entry. Went to the box office (National Headquarters) last night and got everything straightened it out. Have tickets in hand for the rest of the shows I plan to attend.
Happened to be walking down 2nd street after avoiding the First Friday art crush when I saw an empty lot
filled with people — turns out with was the Fringe premiere and one time festival performance of “Principles of Uncertainty.” Lots of drummers, dancers in white running around a small lit oval “track” and weaving in and out of the crowd. Video projection against the side of a building counting down the length of time during the performance (15 minutes). Very cool and impressive.
Official program excerpt:
“Fifty drum kits, fifteen dancers, two video artists, and the science of particle acceleration. From the Philadelphia favorites who brought you Lie to Me and shorter stories (2006) and Hurdy Gurdy (2005), comes a unique performance that will expound upon the principles of uncertainty. Dancer and choreographer Amanda Miller, and video and visual artist Tobin Rothlein collaborate with visual artist Nadia Hironaka, leading their stellar company and a host of guest performers at this free outdoor happening. One night only.”
Also, here’s my “proper review” of Flamingo/Winnebago:
Good show. Sorta slow and draggy in a scene or two but well worth it and rewarding for those with an attention span, requisite sense of humor, and patience of a saint. Stage setting very minimal plus live band as accompaniment. Note, the 3-d glasses didn’t work during the atomic bomb video scene but thought it funny anyways. Kinda like the ’50s kids shown on those old films hiding under desks. Everybody in the audience donning glasses and murmuring about the failure of it all. But we all survived the nuke scene regardless. Recommended.
*
RECOMMENDED THIS WEEKEND:
Hearts of Man
The Riot Group
Theater, 70 minutes
From the creators of the runaway hit Pugilist Specialist, Hearts of Man is a three-act New Jersey tragedy detailing the capture, indictment, and defense of a computer sex predator. A young attorney is hired to defend a man caught in a televised sex sting. Internet watchdogs and local police pressure a worldweary prosecutor to convict. A journalist sees his name in lights. Tangled up in red tape, these characters collide in a fiery courtroom drama. Written and directed by Adriano Shaplin and performed by the award-winning Riot Group ensemble, with members of the Neo-Futurists and the T.E.A.M. Click Here for Showtimes
Theater
Religion is RetardedTheater, 50 minutes
*
ADDICTED TO BAD IDEAS: Peter Lorre’s Twentieth Century
World/Inferno Friendship Society
Music, 70 minutes