Tag: American Conspiracy

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Awards Hollywood Fringe Festival Theatre Women in Entertainment

Top ten shows at HFF 18 and Indie Voice Awards for Theatre

The 9th Annual Hollywood Fringe Festival has been put to bed (with the exception of those shows selected for encores) and we are safely back in Montana, so it is time to reveal our favorite shows of HFF18, as well as our winners for the Indie Voice Awards for Theatre.  You can find the “official” list of winners that were handed out on June 24 here.

We saw a total of 46 shows during the 13 days we were at Fringe.  So many of them were great, and we wish we could give credit to more, but here are our favorites.

TOP TEN SHOWS

10.  Met Again.  Once again, Theatre Unleashed delivered a breathtaking drama of infinite worth.  The duo of Julia Plostnieks and Michael Lutheran were stunning in their portrayal of a loving couple who had ups and downs during their lives.  This one left us with tears in our eyes.

9.  Blind Spots.  This was the only show we saw at the beautiful Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre, and it was definitely worth the trip.  The show was female written with an entire cast of females, and they demonstrated by their amazing performances that they are definitely forces to be reckoned with.

8.  The Parisian Dream.  Cabaret Versatile is the master at creating interesting shows, and this amazing French Cabaret was definitely one of their best.  It was told through mime, skits, song and dance, and it represented the historic Assistance League Playhouse well.

7.  With my Eyes Shut.  Esther Mira led a strong cast and told the story of two people with Asperger’s Syndrome who were learning how to function in life.  Through incredible dancing, music and physical theatre, they told the story as lovingly as they could, and made us proud to be part of HFF18.

6.  SQUIRREL!!  Jessica Lynn Johnson directed and Sarah Rose Reynolds delivered a stunning and revealing story of dealing with ADHD.  Reynolds even wowed us with her singing abilities, on top of her hilarious telling of her life story.

5.  Stripped.  Another great Johnson directed show featuring Julia Cavanaugh as the exotic dancer with a heart of gold.  Like Reynolds, she has an excellent singing voice, and totally tugged at our heart strings as she told the story of her life.

4.  The Word.  Victor Isaac is a comic genius and he puts it all on display in this comedic romp through the discovery of how to forgive yourself.  This one truly deserved its Fringe recognition.

3.  Doctor Nympho vs. The Sex Zombies.  The triumphant return of the Michael Shaw Fisher rock musical claimed three Fringe Awards, and was truly one of the highlights of HFF18.  Just seeing the entire cast safely navigate the small stage at Three Clubs was an event worthy of recognition.

2.  Play On!  A one-woman musical event, Laura Jo Trexler stole our hearts and our ears with these amazing original songs about the heroines of Shakespeare.  She also showed her stage presence and skills as she brought the songs to life, with nothing but herself and a grand piano.

1. The Women of Lockerbie.  We think it is a travesty that this show was not even nominated for a single award at Fringe.  This amazing cast brought the story of Pan Am Flight 103 to life by showing its effect not just on the passengers but those in the town of Lockerbie, Scotland as well.

INDIE VOICE AWARDS FOR THEATER

We agreed with some of the awards given out by the community, but not all of them, so here are the shows we would have given awards to:

In addition, we would also award these shows:

What were your favorites?  We would love to know.

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it Theatre Women in Entertainment

HFF18 day 7 – see it or skip it (part 1)

We somehow survived eight shows on Saturday, and after a few hours of sleep, were back at the Fringe for five more shows on Sunday.  We started out at the place where we had closed out the previous day, The Lounge Theatre.

TITLE OF SHOW:  American Conspiracy

VENUE:  The Lounge Theatre

REVIEW:  Most of us remember where we were when John Hinckley tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan.  Was it the act of a lonely young man, or a conspiracy?  This play presents a plausible explanation, and does it in such a manner that you will leave the theatre contemplating that question.  Playwright Benjamin Schwartz and director Matt Richey give us a golden opportunity to witness the possible behind the scenes dealings in this matter.  The brilliant cast, including Katelyn Schiller as Jane the waitress, Spencer Cantrell as Alan, Edward Hendershott as the D.O.E. agent, Amy Smallman-Winston as Fran, the diner owner, David Garner as Trent and Hank Doughan as John, make us want to believe the story, and all turn in amazing portrayals of their respective characters.  Remember, the truth is out there, we just have to find it.

RECOMMENDATION:  If conspiracy theory is your thing, or you just want to see a stimulating drama, then you should definitely see this show.  They have remaining performances on June 22 at 10 p.m. and June 23 at 6 p.m., but hurry and grab your tickets here, as every show has been sold out.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Jane Austen’s Emma Frankenstein

VENUE:  The Broadwater Main Stage

REVIEW:  Sacred Fools is quickly joining the list of theater companies that consistently deliver great Fringe shows, and this show is definitely one of their best.  We loved the fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously, but know how to deliver a show that is fun for the sake of fun without the necessity of having to say anything.  The use of 80’s sitcom theme songs, and the amazing cast of mashed-up characters make this one of the most fun times we have had at Fringe.  The special guest cameo by French Stewart didn’t hurt either.  Cheers to the amazing ensemble cast for delivering one of the true gems of HFF18.  We can’t wait to see what you bring us next.

RECOMMENDATION:  If you love to laugh, and want a break from all the issue-driven shows at Fringe, then take a moment and enjoy the sheer pleasure of this show.  They still have one final performance on June 23 at 8 p.m. and tickets are available here.  Don’t forget to also check out the other two parts of the Monster Mash trilogy – Dracula’s Taste Test and Crunch.

We had time to grab some lunch at Burgerim before heading over to Studio/Stage for our next show.

TITLE OF SHOW:  God:  The Apologies Tour

VENUE:  Studio/Stage

REVIEW:  Immersive theater is becoming quite the rage at Fringe, but it has never been one of our favorite formats.  Nevertheless, the level of immersion in this show was more of a manageable level, and we did not feel violated.  It was an appealing opportunity to have the chance to have a face-to-face and intimate meeting with the Creator, so we decided to give it a chance.  We are so glad we did, as it turned out to be not one but four opportunities to interact with the God we knew best, or explore the ones we didn’t.  I chose to spend the first session with the main character, but was chosen to also spend time with the mystic and mysterious one.  It was an experience we will not soon forget, and are thankful that we took a chance on this show.  Congrats to Erik Blair, Heidi Appe, Stephy Kamei and Zachary Johnson-Dunlop for an amazing hour of therapy.

RECOMMENDATION:   Don’t miss their final show on June 22 at 8 p.m.  It is time well spent.  Grab your tickets here.

Back with part 2 in just a bit.