Here Be Dragons

There's much to be admired about Stephen J. Miller's sophisticated new dramedy Here Be Dragons, which receives a world premiere mounting at this year's Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. If the subject matter is heavier than one might expect for presentation at such a festival - that of a gay atheist confronted by a Christian couple in a scenario that is considered a miracle for some minds and a living hell for others - at least it offers some of the perks many Fringe-goers expect from Fringe productions: adult themes, strong language, and nudity.

And so what if the nudity doesn't really advance the plot? It does keep things light enough at the beginning of the piece before jumping into wordy, philosophical discussions of religion and cartography, much of which is lost in the lengthy middle section of the play during which many audience members fidgeted in their seats and looked through their programs. Miller's gift for dialogue, witty and intelligent at the same time, has worked better in his other works (anyone who saw his superb Intermission a few years back at the Fringe can attest) - what we get here is a play that doesn't seem to have a specific point of view, especially when it panders to gay stereotypes on one hand and then rises to a level of metaphysical verbosity bordering on some of Stoppard's most weighty subjects. Some trimming and further focus will turn an interesting concept into something entirely engrossing.

What works most in this particular production is a uniformly strong cast - David Almeida, Todd Allen Long, and especially Marcie Schwalm - who manage to deliver the dialogue intelligently and honestly. Almeida, a gifted comedian, proves to be more well-rounded than expected, and delivers a performance that is at once hilarious and genuine. Schwalm is entirely believable on top of being an actress with great diction, and brings a lovely earthiness to her character's spirituality. Miller's staging is simple and occasionally hits an elegant stride; his sound design is much like the dialogue at its wittiest. There's a terrific play to be found in Here Be Dragons, and here's hoping that Miller will continue to map it out.

Dysfunctional Fables

Dysfunctional Fables, produced by Excellent Adventure Productions (the company behind last year's Fringe hit Cupid and Psyche), is more along the lines of what you expect to see and enjoy at the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. But even a dynamite cast can't solve what is essentially problematic writing. The script and score by Sean Hartley and Sam Davis try to take familiar fables such as The Gingerbread Man, Demeter and Persephone, and The Three Little Pigs, and give them modern-day translations to appeal to an adult audience. Where some of the musical numbers are witty, namely a duet for Dorothy (of Oz fame) and Alice (of Wonderland fame) entitled "What Was I Thinking?," others try too hard to make the simple morals of these tales contemporary - proving that, in some cases, there are stories that deserve to be left alone.

The cast is dynamite, however - especially Ame Livingston, who manages to play three distinctly different types believably and winningly. With Rachel McCabe (excellent in spite of a natural British accent that occasionally distorts words) as Dorothy, Livingston provides some of the wittiest moments on page and stage as Alice in the aforementioned duet "What Was I Thinking?." One wishes that Hartley and Davis could have made everything else around this entirely too short four minutes as creative and blissful. James Berkley is equal to Livingston in most respects, providing a strong voice and fantastic comic timing throughout. S. Elizabeth Block mostly plays the straight woman (to great effect), but it's her facial expressions at the very top of the show that give her the funniest moments she has in the entire show. Dexter Foxworth somehow manages to make the Gingerbread Man, Internet chat rooms, and apartment envy incredibly sexy, and what he lacks in singing strength is made up for in dramatic earnestness.

Michael Rodgers' staging is a bit problematic for the thrust space the piece is performing in. Much of it seems to be staged specifically for the center section to enjoy - only a few of the performers seem to know to play to the sides as well. Quite a few audience-pleasing moments were lost to anyone sitting house right at the performance I attended due to this problem. Luerne Herrera's skillful music direction is evident in both the voices and her own piano playing, although the electric piano's sound leaves much to be desired on some of the gifted musician's more "flourishing" moments.

In spite of the qualms with the script, Dysfunctional Fables should be seen - if only for the work of Livingston, Berkley, and a flask-chugging Dorothy and a weed-smoking Alice.

The Screw You Revue: Deja Vu

Whether he's co-hosting fundraisers, offending the holiday spirit, or making public appearances at AIDS walks and gay pride events, it's easy to say that Wayburn Sassy, a character from the creative genius of the brilliant Dewey Chaffee and the star of The Screw You Revue: Deja Vu, is an Orlando arts superstar. This self-titled entertainment legend is quickly becoming just that - and while this edition of Sassy's show is wildly funny, superbly performed and incredibly fast-paced, reviewing the show is incredibly difficult - only because the performance this critic attended will be completely different from the performance any other audience will see at any other point during the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. In fact, it will be completely different from any performance Sassy, his sexy sidekick Nurse Gracie (the phenomenally funny Robyn Pedretti), and pianist John deOrderly (actually the gifted John DeHaas) will give throughout the team's open-ended run of their work to play at Sleuth's Mystery Dinner Theatre beginning May 30, 2008.

Deja Vu is a send-up to the television talk show that Wayburn Sassy hosted back in the early '70s, complete with a "Tonight Show"-esque set which lovingly mocks and recreates an Orlando of that era. After tiny bits of what can only be assumed to be scripted, the rest of the show is improvised, which certainly adds to the humor when things don't go entirely as expected for Sassy and Gracie. In fact, sometimes the audience reaction is so funny that even these two brilliant comics crack up. But their breaks of pitch-perfect characterizations aren't disappointing in the least - in fact, they add to the aura of a good time seldom found elsewhere.

Any event featuring the presence of Wayburn Sassy is not for the weak - there is not one minority that isn't lampooned by this crazy octogenarian. At the performance attended, it seemed that midgets and homosexuals were the most picked on - but the elderly, African Americans, and Jewish weren't left alone. So, if you're easily offended, you might want to stay away. But if you're in the mood to be highly entertained by superbly crafted satire by two of Orlando's greatest treasures, The Screw You Revue: Deja Vu is not to be missed.

High School Queerbook

Let's get something ... er ... straight. The title of this series of monologues as presented by the Orlando Youth Alliance is slightly misleading. To judge the title, or even the presence of the youth alliance itself, one would assume that the cast would be made up entirely of high school-aged individuals and their experience with the homosexual lifestyle. Three of the performers are, in fact, college students who have been affected by their involvement with OYA, which doesn't take away from the profundity of the evening - and in the case of one of the actors and one of the actor-writers, adds to it.

There are six monologues presented, two of which were actually written by students (one with help, one completely on his own), three that were written by some of Orlando's most influential gay artists, and one that was adapted from the work of James St. James (the man who wrote the novel Disco Bloodbath, which is now published under the title Party Monster). The pieces run from hilarious to heartbreaking, and the experiences conveyed by these young people - whether based on their own or entirely from the imaginations of the writers - are fresh, provocative and most certainly entertaining.

And the honesty! Kids are brutally honest, even without intention sometimes. The simplistic approach to the staging and the actors' delivery provide not only engaging acting, but real acting. Even Aaron Stoller, who wrote the monologue he performs and then ended up having to perform it seemingly against his will, is able to convey an honesty that some adult professional actors have difficulty playing. Nay Burton brings a childlike innocence and terrific personality to her piece about the feeling of not fitting in, and Taylor Grimes and Kyla Swanberg bring earnestness and understanding to their performances simply by not overdoing it.

It is the work provided by Ryan Grajo and Abigail Maguire that is the most impressive, however, and this is aided by the fact that they have the juiciest material to work with. Grajo's presentation of a piece written by Michael Wanzie is sublime. Funny and far-fetched, with the exact level of humor one can expect from Wanzie, Grajo enhances the dialogue with a warm, inviting delivery. Maguire has the privilege of having the best monologue of the evening. Written by David Lee, her piece is a poetic mantra of survival -beautifully evoking the memories of those who suffered most for their sexuality and this young woman's determination to live and honor their memories. It is a chilling moment, and a credit to both the young actress and the gifted writer.

Scottie Campbell's staging manages to keep the performers still most of the time, which allows the focus to be where it belongs: on the dialogue and the emotions that come from it. Occasionally, an unnecessary movement detracts from the words, but, with stories and performances as honest as those in High School Queerbook, it's easy to forgive such a minor quibble.

The Orlando Internatioal Fringe Theatre Festival runs through May 26 in Loch Haven Park. For information regarding remaining performance times and ticket prices for the above shows and many others, visit www.orlandofringe.org.

- Matthew MacDermid