#chanceitla

#ChanceItLA

Jane Austen’s Emma Frankenstein is a fun show from start to finish. The script relies on kitsch and novelty, sprinkling just enough of it in to keep the audience entertained, and then relies on what people already know of Austen and Mary Shelley’s characters for everything else. FYI - even if you’re only familiar with one of Austen’s works, you’ll be fine.

As a self-proclaimed book nerd I loved the literary jokes, but missed the point of the old TV jingles. Judging by the laughter they elicited, other people got those. So there’s enough in there to cover a wide range of interests. The actors are also well aware of the type of show they are in and act accordingly - no one is too small, no one is too big, they’re all just right. Which can be tricky to pull off, so I applaud the production for that.

What makes this show a Chance It instead of a See It, is the music. The musical numbers would have benefited from additional rehearsals and some microphones. The Main Stage is a big space, and even sitting half way up the audience, it was hard to hear the majority of the singers. In addition, the group numbers were clumsy and lacked polish. As this is a musical, singing encompasses most of the show.

That being said, it was still fun. If kitsch is your jam, definitely go check this out.

What Went Wrong produced by Shinbone Theatre Company

#SeeItLA [with a caveat: fellow audience members can make this unenjoyable]

What Went Wrong is the perfect piece for those who love watching romance reality TV, for those that participate in The Bachelor brackets, or for those who generally like to judge other people’s relationships.

The basic premise of What Went Wrong, is that the audience members are new employees for Closure Inc. and view memories of the clients to figure where a relationship went wrong.

The memories are seen through virtual reality headsets and, though the technique and execution was visually stunning, the scenes of the “memories” were no different nor exciting than watching the preamble to a generic failed romance story.

Though predictable writing, the actors who play the broken up couple (Jon Owens and Dana Benedict) do an excellent job of building intimacy on film, which was quite a challenge as only one character is seen via the headset and the other is only heard.

As for the experience outside of the headsets, the audience can tell they’re in good hands once they enter the room and meet their new supervisor (Claire Frederiksen). Frederiksen was an absolute delight to watch and interact with: amazing comedic timing and seamless improvisation that it almost made one forget she wasn’t going by a script; her performance alone made the experience worthwhile.

After watching the memories, the audience is to discuss what they saw and make a decision about who is to blame. This, along with the ending (which I’m respectfully not discussing, as it is a surprise) - is what makes this piece a See It LA [with a caveat]. Depending on the fellow audience members, this could be a fun exciting time - with debates and deeper understanding how people see relationships or it could feel like being with 7th graders forced to do a group project. I was in a group that was like the latter and despite Frederiksen’s different attempts to guide the audience to talk, it unfortunately didn’t grow into anything more than short one sentence answers.

As for the surprise ending, it needs a little more work and felt overly scripted to the point that the audience could respond: “Banana?” And the ending would be unchanged.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and interesting piece, whether solo, on a date, or with a group of friends. I would suggest that the best way to go is with a group of 4-6 friends (buy out the performance) and gain a fun memory with them.

For tickets and more information go to the Hollywood Fringe site.

Guess Who(m) by Various Writers

#ChanceItLA (on the verge of a #SkipItLA)

This production has been mislabeled and is not a cabaret, but rather a monologue showcase.

Honestly, the actors in this production are very talented performers, and if someone is looking for an actor showcase - this is exactly that.

Sadly, where the actors excelled in performing; the writing lacked to match. There were some funny moments, but most of the time the punchlines came from low hanging fruit - which grew tiresome and predictable during the hour.

This is definitely not a show for everyone: for those who want to see a cabaret, or a variety of skills, instead of stream of monologues, this isn’t the show to go to.

On the other hand, for those that enjoy monologues, sketch comedy, or looking for actors to cast: this is for you.

For more tickets and information go to the Hollywood Fringe site.

A Mile in My Shoes by Kathryn Taylor Smith

#ChanceItLA

A Mile in My Shoes has left me with mixed feelings. Kathryn Taylor Smith is a highly skilled performer and the content/message of this play is gorgeous. Through monologues, dance and visual projections Smith introduces the audience to a number of different homeless people and the people they encounter - both those who help make their lives better, and those who wish they would just go away. It is clear that Smith has spent a lot of time with homeless people and has great compassion for them. For this alone, I would say go and check out the show.

The reason that I am torn in my recommendation is because the play itself meanders with no apparent intentional pacing. Toward the end there were 3-4 different places that felt like a natural end, but then the play would pick up and continue. The character that should have served as the guiding force to keep the piece on track, was so frenetic she often confused the progress instead of helping it forward. Because of this I left the theater feeling enlightened and more empathetic toward homeless people, but I had no call to action. I had no overall message to share with the world other than homeless people are people too. Which is a good place to start, but that’s where I started when I walked in, and I was hoping for something more.

In addition, which is critical to a Fringe Festival where people see multiple shows back-to-back, the show ran long. In the catalog the run-time is listed as 60 minutes. Online the run-time is listed as 75 minutes. The preview that I saw ran almost 90 minutes. I had to run to make it to my next show, so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time after this show if you are fringe-binging.

For more info or tickets visit the HFF website.

Hamlet surprisingly lends itself to a one-man interpretation, and in that light, it is entirely possible that the entire story of Hamlet took place in the disturbed mind of one man. For the most part, the ravings in this one-man show are intriguing. Watching this play I felt like an observer through the small window of a padded room. Which was at times fascinating, and at others it felt like the audience was superfluous. With regularity the ravings would devolve into a fast-paced yelling rant that was both indecipherable and indulgent. Much like a toddler’s temper-tantrum you simply had to wait for the fit to pass to get back to the good stuff.

The story of Mary Seacole, The Clash's music onstage, and a snack sized show about a New Zealand real estate developer.

Everyone except @fentonova went to see Buffy Kills Edward, @lemwerks & @noteswoutapen are immersed by the Speakeasy Society.

Caveat: This episode acknowledges the existence of sex and vaginas, so if that's an issue for you, FYI.