Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 19, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A14 A14 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, JULY 19, 2015 THE FRINGE winnipegfreepress. com WORLD'S GREATEST DAD Morgan Cranny Son of Warehouse ( Venue 5), until July 25 MORGAN Cranny has been a father for 20 years and yet, a World's Greatest Dad mug - that mass- produced- soas- to- be- meaningless yet still coveted trophy of fatherhood - eludes him. This despite the fact he's faithfully followed the four easy steps required to be the world's greatest dad. ( The first step is " have kids.") In this 60- minute one- man show, the amiable Victoria, B. C., comedian shares what he's learned in his years as a father and mines his own childhood for comedic gold. ( Duck hunting makes for a truly traumatizing eighth birthday.) But while Cranny's timing and delivery are consistently great, some of his material is regrettably as cheap as a World's Greatest Dad mug - particularly the fat jokes at his own expense, as well as the world's longest vasectomy bit. Next- generation dad jokes, maybe, but dad jokes all the same. Still, Cranny delivers more laughs than groans in this show - and he delivers them with plenty of heart. �s �s �s - Jen Zoratti CLINK Her Productions Red River College - Roblin Centre ( Venue 11) to July 25 AUDIENCES should say " I don't" to this unsatisfying and overlong romcom that wants to be edgy but comes across as hopelessly naive. There's more to gritty realism than a light sprinkling of F- bombs and onstage drinking. Although Clink clearly has a well- rehearsed and talented Winnipeg cast, with Kaeleigh Ayre as bride- to- be Rachel being the standout, the story itself leaves much to be desired. Every wedding- night clich� is thrown at the wall, but nothing quite sticks. There is promise in a prolonged scene of drunken speechifying in the middle of the production, but what both precedes and follows is trite, pat and, to top it off, badly staged. Entire scenes were played with actors' backs to parts of the audience. Ultimately, this comedy is about as much fun as a wedding with a cash bar. �s �s - Ben Wiebe JUST ED. Leithelle Productions Eckhardt- Gramatt� Hall - U of W ( Venue 9), to July 25 WINNIPEG'S Leith Clark returns to the fringe with another set of anecdotes about his life as a teacher, and he's brought some drama students to help him. Clark, who teaches theatre, plumbs the humour in the teenage drama that happens before the curtain goes up. Why does the drama teacher always have feminine protection? When is it acceptable for teachers to cuss, and is it an effective teaching tool? What are the perils of introducing a student to members of your family? And can a teacher still be cool when he is gassy? Clark's delivery is as comfy as a kaffeeklatsch, and the rest of his company does a fine job proving life is funnier than fiction. He actually likes his students! Shine an apple for this teacher. �s �s �s - Wendy King DADDY ISSUES Selardi Productions Red River College - Roblin Centre ( Venue 11) to July 25 NEW Jersey native Peter Aguero, a big man with an even bigger heart, is a master storyteller and wordsmith. His one- man show is about many things: father- son relationships, definitions of masculinity, intergenerational cycles of abuse and mental illness, but above all it's about words and the redemptive power of effective communication. This well- crafted hour of stories of a son's volatile relationship with his father holds the audience in absorbed attention with surprise, invention, detail, heartbreaking pathos and breathtaking confession, every word informed by Aguero's wry wit and compassionate outlook. Many of his childhood anecdotes end with the phrase " I didn't have the words." Luckily for both him and his audience, he found them. Better late than never. �s �s �s �s - Ben Wiebe SHARDS Downside Up Productions The Rachel Browne Theatre ( Venue 8), to July 25 THE first question asked in the local production Shards is, " Could you kill someone?" It's a thought- provoking start, but that intensity doesn't hold up throughout the dramatic 70- minute show that features 23 different sketches, monologues and fourth- wallbreaking interludes/ disclaimers about different forms of violence. The two- person cast of Jennifer Hooper and Hailley Rhoda do their part in holding the audience's attention in every scene and bringing a variety of characters to life. The best segments are when writer/ director Wren Hookey makes a pointed comment about society, such as during a powerful monologue about how women have to be more fearful and careful than men when they go out; sometimes, though, the dialogue is unbelievable and forced, as in a scene about a how a person on a date deals with inner self- loathing. Cutting the weaker shards could make this show into a solid whole. �s �s � - Rob Williams THE MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL Peachy Keen Productions PTE - Colin Jackson Studio ( Venue 17), to July 25 NATHAN has suffered a couple of muggings, one physical and the other in print for his terrible plays. The trauma triggers a visit from the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, an offbeat muse who shows up at his door, complete with suitcase, selling an unusual " timeshare" and determined to help him write a proper play. Together they work through draft after draft, trying to write " boy meets girl." The biggest hurdle they encounter is Nathan ( Justin Otto), who doesn't seem to be able to come up with a female character that will make the pixie ( Sydney Hayduk) happy. Hayduk brings all the " perky" to her winsome pixie, and Otto is suitably distracted ( although, why all the yelling?) as a tortured writer. This energetic, musically driven Winnipeg comedy is likable, if a little meandering. �s �s �s - Wendy King WHITE PANTS Hip. Bang! Alloway Hall - Manitoba Museum ( Venue 4), to July 25 YOUNG Vancouver sketch comedians Devin Mackenzie and Tom Hill bank too much on their good looks and enviable charm and not enough on their material. Their sketches tend toward the absurd, the through- line being their white pants, which are admittedly kind of stupid and stay white just long enough for the duo to do a little awkward dance routine. Hill and Mackenzie are best when they're fast, like the " cool tips" sketches and their staccato riff on ESPN sports promos. But too many bits aren't quite tight enough and don't offer enough laughs. There's a little improv thrown in, some minor audience participation and some mild language. A decent postbeer- tent option. �s �s �s - Mary Agnes Welch HOW OFTEN DO I DREAM... Transitus Cinematheque ( Venue 7), to July 26 HALIFAX performer Katie Dorion greets her audience at the door of the Cinematheque, asking each person their for first name and inviting them to peruse her memory museum onstage. She inquires if any of the objects, smells, sounds or the taste of orange Jell- O bring back memories for her patrons. How Often Do I Dream... is not a conventional theatre piece but more of a loosely structured get- together where everyone is on a first- name basis and the genial Dorion juggles stories about her family, especially about her adored Opi, who developed dementia. She wants to know who we are if we lose our memories and personal histories. The most resonant part of Dorion's hour- long dialogue is her repetition of a memory of a young girl who met the love of her life at a New Year's dance. Each time she recounts it, bits are left out and the audience is witness to the way a beloved memory fades, a development awaiting us all. As we ponder that loss, Dorion provides a parting reminder about the power of memory by accurately naming each of the 40 or so members of the audience. �s �s �s �s - Kevin Prokosh TRANSITION Jurasco Productions Red River College - Roblin Centre ( Venue 11), to July 26 WAYNE James' rambling show is described in the fringe program as a spoken- word piece, but it's really more like a sermon. With a little focus and theatrical discipline, James, a resident of the tiny hamlet of Lydiatt, could be a laid- back John the Baptist: a barefoot voice from out of the wilderness signalling the alarm for change. Unfortunately, the way the show is performed, it's difficult to imagine James converting anyone. Although he's emotionally upfront and knowledgeable about his many subjects ( his presentation covers, among other things, more than 60,000 years of human anthropology), it's tough to imagine for whom he's performing. Like- minded people will glean nothing new from his passionate defence of responsible environmental stewardship, and more conservativeminded folk will likely stay away. �s �s - Ben Wiebe THE EXCLUSION ZONE Martin Dockery Alloway Hall ( Manitoba Museum) ( Venue 4), to July 25 FRINGE veteran Martin Dockery is in fine meta- form in his latest one- man storytelling show, one that weaves together the Chornobyl nuclear meltdown, the Burning Man festival and his fan- boy love of an author and art critic. The New Yorker is best when he's telling his own story or recapping, with some fun editorial licence, the Chornobyl disaster and his recent trip to the radiation zone. His 60- minute tale wanes a bit in the middle with a long, deliberately tedious explanation of a pretentious Soviet art film. But few performers knit together disparate narratives as seamlessly as Dockery, with his characteristic frayed energy. His wittiest bits are punctuated with a surfer- ish " Riiight?" and his infectious wonder at the world carries us along with him as he explores the ephemeral interconnectedness of art. �s �s �s �s - Mary Agnes Welch NICE IS NOT WHAT WE DO ( TALES OF DEATH & FAMILY) Kathleen Denny Planetarium Auditorium ( Venue 10), to July 25 THE rule is, you don't speak ill of the dead, but Oakland, Calif., storyteller Kathleen Denny does speak the truth as she rewinds a family funeral that brings six adult siblings back to their childhood home in Milwaukee. Funny, a wee bit poignant and entirely honest, it's a nice spin on a universal tale. One of two siblings asked to pen eulogies for their father, Kathleen struggles to find words to describe the man she knew and realizes he was quite a different man from the one her brothers and sisters knew. " It's like every child grows up in a different family," she says. That Rashomon effect becomes even more apparent at the funeral, as friends and acquaintances weigh in with perspectives that are as surprising as they are illuminating. Life's like that. Death, too. �s �s �s �s - Pat St. Germain THERA GROUPATHY Broken Record Productions Eckhardt- Gramatt� Hall - U of W ( Venue 9), to July 25 THIS company from Winnipeg sets the cheerfully brittle tone for this comedy right from the get- go with doctors Dick and Jane ( Bill Moore and Judy Arnason), late to their therapy appointment, sniping at each other for everything from too- cheap holiday plans to hippie in- laws while stuck at a train crossing. Meanwhile three couples, who are waiting to get help with their own marriages, duke it out on their own, picking their way through their issues using methods that the most senior couple, Diane and Donald ( Dorothy Talman and Bob Galston) have learned from previous sessions. To torque things up, a pair of interlopers has joined the group, which has everyone a little rattled. How do you " win" free therapy? They tease out their conflicts, largely of the Bickersons variety ( no drugs or adultery here), so it's pretty lightweight, but amusing nonetheless. �s �s �s - Wendy King BIGGEST LITTLE CHILD STAR Crazy Dog Face Productions Centre culturel franco- manitobain ( Venue 20), to July 26 THIS 60- minute comedy penned by city thespian Melanie Dahling proves all you really need for a fringe show - or any production, for that matter - is razor- sharp writing, keen acting skills and a charming plot with more heart than a cardiac ward. You scarcely notice the decidedly no- frills set is only a lone mime cube. Dahling plays pigtailed Roberta Townsend, a. k. a. " Little Robbie T," who's been at odds with childhood gal pal Ashley ( Jessina Cheffins) ever since the latter " stole" a coveted acting role in a church play. After pursuing her acting dreams in the big city, Roberta falls down the rabbit hole of sex, drugs and yoga before returning home to confront her past. Sarah Martin's hilarious stable of larger- than- life characters includes a blissed- out yoga guru, stage director, bus driver and spot- on church lady. This show is not only about healing past wrongs, but the enduring bonds of friendship. But mostly, it's a quirky, laugh- out- loud show that demonstrates less can be much, much more. �s �s �s �s - Holly Harris NOTHING TO DECLARE Erik de Waal Planetarium Auditorium ( Venue 10), to July 25 IF you were stranded on a desert island, Erik de Waal would make a fine companion. You want standup comedy? A couple of Broadway show tunes? Maybe a bedtime story? De Waal brings all that and a shaggy- dog tale to boot. Best known for the magical artistry of his African Folktales , which he's performing at the Kids Venue, South African storyteller de Waal unpacks a more casual, intimate biographical yarn for adults in this engaging travelogue. Maintaining his reputation as a consummate raconteur, he takes us along on a childhood jaunt through the backyards of his Cape Town neighbourhood, recalls a frigid December trek to a corner grocery in Winnipeg and recounts warts- and- all explorations that took him to London, the Middle East, South America, the Yukon and the most essential destination of all - home. �s �s �s �s � - Pat St. Germain LORCA Bolero Dance Theatre Centre culturel franco- manitobain ( Venue 20), to July 26 DOOMED Spanish poet and playwright Federico Lorca is brought to life in this " flamenco ballet," including his bromance with fabled artist Salvador Dal�. The loose narrative follows Lorca's travels to Madrid, Cuba and " Nuevo York" before winding back up in Granada, Spain. Colourful characters, including dancer La Argentinita and actress Margarita Xingu, also appear, with Bolero's artistic director Pedro Aurelio convincing in the title role. The 60- minute local production works best when it ventures into metaphorical waters, such as seeing a ghoul- faced Moon/ Death ( Jousette Sanchez) hovering in the shadows right until Lorca's tragic end. The flamenco dancing is too polite, and cheesy pantomime only dilutes the dramatic energy. Still, the four- piece band, including arresting vocals by the husky- voiced Elena Infante - adds heat, and the final dance, in which Lorca is confronted by lockstep soldiers wielding canes that morph into shotguns, is compelling. More surreal imagery such as this would have made this show sizzle. �s �s �s - Holly Harris Check out winnipegfreepress. com/ special/ fringe for more reviews Insanely interesting - �s �s �s �s �s Eccentrically entertaining - �s �s �s �s Absurdly average - �s �s �s Maddeningly mediocre - �s �s Foolishly futile - �s Fringe ratings DADDY ISSUES A_ 14_ Jul- 19- 15_ FP_ 01. indd A14 7/ 18/ 15 7: 43: 53 PM ;