Day 2 of the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival began with A Feast of Snacks, the latest production from one of the Fringe’s best groups, Theatre Unleashed. This year the group is using the Lounge Theater as their base of operation, and the place was packed and filled with anticipation as we chatted with one another and eagerly awaited the show. On top of that, it was the birthday of their Director of Development, Jim Martyka.
The show is a smorgasbord of musical delights but calling them “snacks” is like calling a filet mignon a Big Mac. Every one of these mini-musicals could have stood on their own, and getting all four was like being at an all-you-can-eat buffet in Vegas after winning the jackpot on one spin.
Michael Gordon Shapiro has written not one but four masterpieces that kept this writer laughing with glee and totally enthralled, and 75 minutes flew by in the blink of an eye.
Beginning with the first segment, “The Charmed Life,” which featured Heather Lake in the lead role, the cast hits the stage like gangbusters, and never lets up. Every member showed the multi-facets of their talents in both starring and supporting roles. Lake once again showed the audience why we all clamor to hear her voice and laugh at her comedic performances. She truly has a gift for making the absurd believable.
The second segment,”Climb the Smallest Mountain,” featured David Foy Bauer in the lead role, with a scene-stealing assist from the birthday boy himself, Martyka. combined elements of Karate Kid with Happy Gilmore to create a wonderful show.
The third segment, “The Escape Artist” was making its World Premier at the Fringe, and introduced to us the brilliance that is Graydon Schlichter, a delightful con man trying to get out of jury duty, until he comes across an equally gifted con woman (Lindsay Braverman) who is doing the same thing.
Last but surely not least was “HMS Headwind,” which also featured Schlichter as the captain of the ship which was pursuing the pirate vessel commanded by Black Abigail (Sammy Lappin). This was my favorite portion of the show, and it was the perfect way to cap it off.
Hats off to Managing Director Greg Crafts and his lovely bride Jenn Scuderi Crafts (Artistic Director and Feast Stage Manager) for his leadership of Theatre Unleashed that allows them to consistently deliver some of the best entertainment during the Fringe. Kudos also to every member of the cast (Braverman, Bauer, Margaret Glaccum. Lauren Holiday, Lake, Lappin, Mark Lopez, Carey Matthews, Matthew Martin, Martyka and Schlichter) for doing what they do best – entertain.
Feast continues on June 19 at 10 p.m., June 24 at 8 p.m. and June 25 at 11:55 a.m. Don’t miss it!
As wonderful as Feast was, my second show, Chemistry, brought me back to earth with a serious show about mental illness, which told the story of what happens when a depressed girl and a manic boy fall in love.
Written by the brilliant Jacob Marx Rice, Chemistry educates its audience with a rapid fire dialogue and performances by two very gifted actors, Autumn Bruewer and Colin Conrad, who turned in very believable representations of individuals facing the trappings of mental illness.
The beauty of Fringe is that you can be entertained and you can be educated at the same time. For that reason alone, we highly recommend Chemistry. Although the material is dark and serious, it is a truly timely and necessary piece of art that must be experienced.
Chemistry has two more performances on June 16 at 8:30 p.m. and June 18 at 3 p.m. It is well worth the price of admission for the real-world education you will receive from viewing this show.
My third show of the day, Sex, Nudity, and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction was the dramatic equivalent of Feast, with five short plays by members of The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights.
All five plays were brilliantly written and performed, and covered topics including gay rights, wounded veteran issues, sexuality in the deep south, and being single. Every member of the cast turned in believable performances that kept the audience engaged. I was especially enthralled by the fourth story about two sisters who were running a small town café. I won’t give away the shocking ending, but it alone is worth the price of admission.
Definitely check out this show at Fringe. You can catch it on June 18 at 11 p.m. or June 25 at 2:30 p.m. at Asylum @ 6470 within the Complex Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard.
The remainder of my Sunday shows will be covered in my next post.