More Sorry Sorry Sorry and a few thoughts
I have been in such a personal hell recently that it has been hard for me to do as much blogging as normal. I like to say what I really think and leave the more literary stuff to Matthew and others. I am basically a straight ahead type of blogger. Little artifice and a certain absence of eloquence. I saw fewer shows this year than in the last couple, but still managed to see 15 shows. As my wife and I headed back to Stillwater without stopping to see an Encore show (has never happened before) and totally blowing off the party at First Avenue, I told my wife that I was somewhat disappointed this year with a lot of the shows I saw. They seemed flat, not really risk taking. That made me feel bad. But after some reflection, and reading other’s reviews, I was left with the realization that what was flat was me. I hate to be so damn confessional here, but it’s true, I was in a personal hell during this Fringe and should probably not have agreed to do a last minute show. I hoped a show would pull me out of what ails me. It didn’t, which is really a drag. I love Fringe more than just about anything and now it’s over until next year. Damn that hurts. Ah well, soon it will be 5:30 AM Monday morning and life goes on.
I loved watching Penny Freeh dance in small aida at Jeune Lune. I loved Fool for a Client at BLB. I missed Squirrel, but I’m certain that Joe Scrimshaw et al were brilliant as usual. Allegra’s Tipping the Bucket was great fun and I was thrilled to see Allegra off the page so much. Allegra rocks! I missed seeing Amy Salloway and Kevin Kling. Cody Rivers was a knockout, Regi Carpenter in The Dog, Moses and Me made me want to laugh and weep simultaneously, and gave me a knew friend, Deviants at the Soap Factory intrigued me but not much more (although that may have been my, not the show’s fault), Spaceman Chronicles at Jeune Lune took my mind off of the blues for an hour this evening and for that I am indebted, and perhaps my personal favorite this week was The Pumpkin Pie Show by Horse Trade Theater Group. Man, you two just grabbed my by my limp shirt collar and pulled me to my feet, smacked me upside my head and gave me one big fat smile that lasted an entire evening. There were several shows I saw that I just didn’t like very much, including one of my own, but except for mine, there is little to be gained by being negative here, especially as I said somewhere, I’m not sure how much was the show, how much my crappy mood.
