(Some of our reviewers have seen Fringe shows already reviewed by LATR. They wanted to present their own views of the pieces, so I am putting the first few of these here. I will do more as they come in. – ed.)

4 Clowns at Art|Works Theatre

by K. Primeau~

This hilarious and surprisingly deep show tells the tale of 4 archetypal “clowns” – Sad, Mischievous, Angry, and Nervous – as they maneuver childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and death. Between heartbreaking and incredibly human (read= absurd, funny, awkward, erotic) moments, the characters improvise song, interact with the audience, and entice our inner devils. More incredible comedic timing & acrobatic movement than stereotypical white face & polka-dotted pants clowning, this piece is a must-see for lovers of spontaneity, devised-movement theatre, and laughing til you cry.

Run time is a little long at over an hour & 1/2, so plan accordingly. Adult subject matter, not for children.

—–

The Packer at Theatre of NOTE

by Geoff Hoff~

Shane is a man who packs boxes for a living. The show starts with a rap about bubble wrap and wraps back around to the very next moment. Between those two moments, we see a recent afternoon and evening in his life with his alcoholic mother, the new neighbors (a father and daughter), his ex-girlfriend and his best mate.

The mother is at first distrustful of the neighbors, they are “Island people.” The new girl-next-door is at first distrustful of Shane. The ex still wants to be with Shane and so does his best mate, although from deeply inside the closet. The amazing thing about The Packer is that all these diverse people are played by Jay Ryan. Using the brilliant script by Dianna Fuemana and under the smooth direction of Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, he jolts from one person to the next, not with costumes or set pieces, but with gesture and posture. At several points in the show, he plays as many as four people in one conversation and all are distinct.

The play is raw, there are several sex scenes, lots of drug use, bigotry and violence, but there is also a very tender, funny scene where Shane and the girl-next-door try to decide whether or not to kiss. Mr. Ryan plays both parts so seamlessly that in my mind, I see two people on a front porch slowly leaning in to each other, not one performer doing both parts. He achieves a similar effect in a scene where two people are engaged in a very rough, passionate coupling.

The set and light designs are simple but good.

There is one more performance on June 27 at 2:00 at Theatre of NOTE

—–

4 Clowns at Art|Works Theatre

by Ashley Steed~

WARNING: Do not hire these clowns for your 5-year-old’s birthday party. But definitely go see 4 Clowns (sans the little ones, of course). The archetypal clowns (Nervous, Mischievous, Angry and Sad) go through the stages of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and death. Not necessarily a morality play, it does leave the message that even though life is horrible – I mean really f***ing horrible – at least we can laugh our way through the pain. Each clown is an honest, albeit exaggerated, version of humanity, expertly crafted and directed by Jeremy Aluma and his quartet of brilliant clowns: Alexis Jones (Sad), Kevin Klein (Angry), Amir Levi (Nervous) and Quincy Newton (Mischievous). Last but not least is Ellen Warkentine whose musical accompaniment is superb and playful.

A mixture of classic clowning techniques with singing and improvisation – this is definitely a must see. You’ll be sure to cry…from laughter.

—–

Deicide: A Sort of Musical at the Paul Gleason Theatre

by Ashley Steed~

There’s a lot in Brandon Baruch and Michael Ciriaco’s “Deicide: A Sort of Musical” that ought to be funny. After all it makes fun of religion, science, liberals, stupid people, fanaticism, botox and Oprah. But making fun of something doesn’t necessarily make it funny. This would make a great sketch comedy piece, but there is a reason why sketch skits are short. Deicide‘s jokes are stretched out, thereby diffusing the humor.

The look of the production is interesting, reminding me of children’s Bible storybooks with wonderfully saturated costumes (Laura Wong) and the cool card board cut out set and props (David Offner).

The music was just ok, nothing memorable. Most of the time the sound overpowered the actors singing —The Paul Gleason is not a good venue for musicals.

I really wanted to like this show. Baruch writes in his director’s notes “I hope you enjoy the show. If you don’t… well I’ll see you in Hell.” Well Baruch, as I always say, if I believed in Hell, I would go there. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

—–

Brownsville Bred at Theatre of NOTE

by Ashley Steed~

Elaine Del Valle is a charming, charismatic and optimistic woman. Her infectious smile and Brooklyn accent will capture you instantly as she takes us on a journey through her childhood neighborhood in the Brownsville projects. The writing is strong and her seamless transitions between characters are even stronger.

Despite poverty, gang violence and losing her heroine-addicted father to AIDS, Del Valle’s sense of humor and enthusiasm for life is truly inspiring.

Director Paul J. Michael has masterfully guided a stunning performance from Del Valle. She’ll have you laughing and crying and leave you wanting more. Open, honest and heartfelt – this is a definitely must see.

—–

Pagan Play at Complex Theatres

by Ashley Steed~

I think this group of young actors has great potential. However, Pagan Play seems more like a class workshop rather than an actual production. The idea is there, but the story is not quite there yet. It feels like it is trying to be too much with no real focus. The rectangular set with sticks and leaves is great and very effective but the moving of each set piece for every single scene change makes the story drag on…and on. Costumes were interesting and creative and I personally loved music choices.

Claire Kaplan as the Queen completely steals the show – a finely nuanced and wonderfully timed performance. I hope to see more work form her.

There are a few moments of lovely and poetic text that should be kept as the basis for further development. There was a movement dance-esque sequence between the Faun and Allerleiruah that was beautiful but wasn’t properly built up to nor was it ever referred to again making it seem out of place.

Overall – the group needs to really develop the text and the world more for it to be effective.

—–

The Packer at Fringe Central

by Ashley Steed~

I’m not going to lie – I had no idea what New Zealander Jay Ryan was saying half the time – which didn’t matter because his characterizations are precise and cleverly distinct. This funny and dark one-man show, written by Dianna Fuemana, takes us into a seedy lifestyle of drugs, prostitutes, alcoholic mothers and philandering fathers. There’s no real story line or even character arcs, rather The Packer is more of a collection of characters – all of whom stay the same. Which is fine because Ryan makes each one thoroughly entertaining. Well directed by Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, the scenes flow allowing for quick succession of character changes.

Anyone who is doing or wants to do a one-person show, see Jay Ryan in The Packer. His caliber of acting is truly top-notch.

—–

A Picnic At the Asylum at Hudson Theatres

by Ashley Steed~

A Picnic at the Asylum is a touching an honest look into Angela Neff’s relationship with her larger-than-life bi-polar father. She aptly transitions between all the characters in what feels like a vignette of childhood memories. Although well written, the text seems like a better fit for prose or even transformed into visuals for a film. Each scene is detailed and descriptive but not very theatrical.

That being said, this is definitely a compelling story, told and performed with ease by Neff. Director Mark Kenward lets the text speak for itself and trusts Neff to simply tell her story.

For anyone who has had a difficult relationship with a parent (lets be honest, most of us have) this is definitely a must see. Her realization that her father isn’t necessarily the enchanting man of her childhood is both brave and very real. Both her love and animosity for the man in the asylum urges us to look the crazed in the eye. That manic homeless man on the street? Well, he may be someone’s father.

—–

The Event at the Paul Gleason Theatre

by Vince Duvall~

STOP! WAIT! THIS IS IT: THE ONE YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS. YES, YOU.

I’m quite certain I can’t review it here, but I do know that you will most likely spend years learning what you miss if you don’t see this show. Even if you don’t “see theatre,” even if you don’t “like people,” you must be there.

I am metaphysically compelled to deliver show times here (rather than at the bottom) so that you can reorient yourself to being there for the 70 requested minutes.

Saturday June 26th and Sunday June 27th at 7:30pm -your last two chances to see The Event at the Paul Gleason theatre on Hollywood, west of Cahuenga.

– go ahead, I’ll wait….

(“Saturday and Sunday, huh? I guess I could squeeze in an hour before…ok.”) Good.

The common moments we share, may be the only way to vouchsafe truth – moments we have experienced directly with others. The rest, after all, is hearsay. And for all we know, it isn’t even true. Clancy turns on the sun and the sad and needy resentments of all our crippling illusions melt back into that one purpose that we all share. What is it? Don’t take my word for it, please, put yourself in the consecrating and winning hands of Paul Dillon – the man in the suit.

GO SEE THIS SHOW.

You’ve have been notified. My job is done.

Still need more?

There’s also singing, magic, circus acts and even a dance of sorts. It’s not avant-garde and you don’t have to participate. But you will. I guarantee it. There’s no plot, no story, just spoken words that mean nothing. And, oh yeah, a chair.