First-Person: Stéphanie Morin-Robert on the Fringe Tour of Body & Light (Dance)

Stéphanie Morin-Robert (photo by: Stéphanie Morin-Robert)

Body and Light on The Fringe of Existence
by Stéphanie Morin-Robert

Multidisciplinary artist Stéphanie Morin-Robert graduated first from Cégep de Drummondville with a DEC in dance (2008) and then from Concordia University with a degree in Contemporary Dance (2011) and a designation as the most outstanding graduate of that year. She is the choreographer, artistic director and administrator for the company FOR BODY AND LIGHT (a collaboration with musician/spoken word artist Ian Ferrier) creating pieces that are intimately inspired by memory, imagination and the strength and fragility of the human body. After creative residencies at L’arrêt de bus (Montreal, Québec), Main & Station (Parrsboro, Nova Scotia) and at MainLine Theatre (Montréal, Québec), Ms Morin-Robert's company is currently touring western Canada. Over the last four years, her work has been presented at the St-Ambroise Montréal FRINGE festival, the Fundy Fringe Festival, the Frigid New York Festival, the Bouge d’ici dance Festival, the Mile End Poets Festival, Festival Carmagnole, the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, Festival Phénomena, Studio 303 and the Tangente dance series. She  recently joined the DIRTY FEET podcast team as a co-host and is also a collaborating member of the multidisciplinary improvisation collective BODY SLAM directed by Greg Selinger. Stéphanie Morin-Robert currently works as Artist Liaison for the Montreal FRINGE festival and is Media Ticket Coordinator with the Just For Laughs PR team in Montreal. 

Trying to decide what to write this article about was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be, especially because as I write this we are still touring.

Review: (Winnipeg) Red Wine, French Toast, and The Best Sex You Ever Had (Fringe)

Visible Figures
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

When I opened up the programme for Red Wine, French Toast, and the Best Sex You've Ever Had before the show and read the preamble by director/choreographer Jake Hastey about its origins in a trip he took through Europe due to his First World Problems and the inspiration of the Salvador DalÌ painting Surrealist Composition with Invisible Figures, I was afraid it would be one of those shows: an inscrutable, incoherent mess made up of random thoughts which make sense to the show's creator and no one else.

Review: (Winnipeg) Wanderlust (Fringe)

The Voyage Home
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

There is a peculiar phenomenon familiar to Winnipeggers who endeavour to travel elsewhere for any length of time--a kind of invisible bungee cord that always seems to draw you back to this city eventually. While people who aren't from around here might also feel this way about their own places of origin, almost any worldly Manitoban will surely identify with it.

Kaitlin Aiello and Rachel Smith attempt to explore these contradictory impulses in Wanderlust, but the result is too much of an esoteric grab bag of theatrical techniques to prove successful overall. Although the programme is straightforward in explaining that the show is a work of Devised Theatre, this collaborative creation can't sustain one's interest for any length of time--just as one scene begins to draw you in and get interesting with elements that feel universal, another scene in a completely different style comes along which is just as alienating as the preceding scene was relatable.

Review: (Winnipeg) Nothing Serious (Fringe)

Thrice the Frustration
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

Before seeing Nothing Serious, I was unfamiliar with the work of New York playwright Rich Orloff, but there is seriously nothing in the three (mercifully) short plays making up this show which makes me want to seek out more of his work.

Playwriting 101: The Rooftop Lesson starts out promising to be an interesting metafictional look at the nature of dramatic conflict, but it says nothing particularly insightful and finishes with a gratuitously shocking 'twist' ending that isn't helped by having its characters pointing out the tropes as they happen.

Review: (Winnipeg) ChubRub Cabaret (Fringe)

Go Big or Go Home
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

Criticism of a show about accepting yourself just the way you are seems unfair.

I could say that some of the members (Ray Eskritt,  Melissa Granovsky, Johsa Manzanilla, and Heather Witherden) of this Winnipeg burlesque and cabaret troupe seemed more comfortable on stage, coordinated, or well-rehearsed than others. I could point out that ChubRub Cabaret often falls into the same trap as a lot of Fringe shows in terms of pacing, with long transitions between some sketches and periods of darkness that halt the show's momentum. I could even list my preferences for which dances or jokes or videos were most entertaining and which fell flat for me.

(To be fair, I could also say I'm trying to have it both ways with that last paragraph.)

Review: (Winnipeg) Significant Me (Fringe)

(photo by Dahlia Katz)

It's Not Me, It's Me
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

Significant Me is a relatively rare phenomenon at the Fringe: a straightforward sequel to Christel Bartelse's previous show ONEymoon, seen at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival in 2011, with the current show revisiting protagonist Caroline as she prepares to celebrate three years of solitary matrimony after choosing to marry herself over all other potential suitors.

As befits a sequel, Bartelse structures and performs the show in more or less the same style as before, including a mild amount of audience participation. (I didn't participate this time, but I was briefly brought onstage when I went to see ONEymoon to portray the role of Caroline's sexually adventurous ex-boyfriend. There are worse fates.) The odd mishap, such as a prop going astray, is handled smoothly with no interruption to the flow of the performance, and Bartelse has an easygoing charm that always makes her watchable.

Review: (Winnipeg) Executing Justice (Fringe)

Hatred on Trial
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

There hasn't been an execution in Canada since a double hanging on December 11, 1962, but Bill Pats takes us into a hypothetical Canadian future where capital punishment has returned, with Daryl Kane scheduled to be put to death on April 7, 2030.

On a personal level, I consider the death penalty to be cruel and unusual punishment--I'm glad it was abolished in Canada and hope this future never comes to pass. Regardless of where your opinion lies in this debate, however, there is at least one element of the story Pats has crafted in Executing Justice to give you pause. For every heinous crime Kane has committed, there is someone else who benefitted from it; and for every seemingly ignorant opinion, there is a fact to justify it.

Review: (Winnipeg) Eurosmash! (Fringe)

Rock Bang!
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

Anyone who has seen a concert by German siblings Astrid and Otto Rot (the alter egos of Australian non-siblings Clare Bartholomew and Daniel Tobias) will already know what to expect from Die Roten Punkte's latest appearance at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, their first since 2010: rocking out and squabbling in equal measure.

Eurosmash! continues the fictional narrative of Astrid and Otto's rock career, with the pair finding themselves facing the classic musician's dilemma of art versus commerce. For all that they accomplished on their last album, Kunst Rock (Art Rock), the band needs to crank out some hits to pay the bills, so their newest tracks (such as show opener "Do You Speak Dance?") show a lot more of an electronica influence, and Astrid is quick to shoot down Otto's effort to include a socially conscious song on the new record.

Review: (Winnipeg) The Surprise (Fringe)

Expectations and Separations
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

For all that The Surprise (as the title suggests) concerns itself with how to confront something astonishing when it comes at you out of left field, the thing I liked most about Martin Dockery's latest show was its return to familiar territory.

I feel a certain amount of guilt in admitting that. I've been very happy to watch other Fringe performers like Shelby Bond get out of their comfort zone in recent years, but neither of Dockery's efforts to do the same thing in 2013 did anything for me. (I was especially unimpressed by The Pit, his play with Vanessa Quesnelle which I also reviewed on this site.) Hypocritical though it may be, I can't help my personal preference for having him stick to his usual popular storytelling style.

Review: (Winnipeg) One Man Back To The Future (Fringe)

Where We're Going, We Don't Need Roads
When this baby hits 88 miles per hour...
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

Back to the Future is my favourite movie.

As such, I could've been a really tough crowd for Shelby Bond's latest show as it premieres at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. I know the residents of Hill Valley like it's my hometown, and I have to resist the urge to include endless trivia (Eric Stoltz was the original Marty McFly!) in this review. It's possible I could recite the entire film from memory if I tried, so when Bond took up the challenge of adapting the words of Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale for the stage, it was people like me he'd have to worry about most.

Review: (Winnipeg) Undress Me (Fringe)

Taking It Private
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

Kevin P. Gabel writes and performs the role of Julian in Undress Me, and he has obviously put in a lot of work getting to the emotional core of the character around which this show revolves, but the coherence of its plot suffers for it.

The play is framed as a conversation between Julian and Beth, the woman on the verge of marrying his brother, but it's unclear why he's telling her certain things, giving a lot of 'as you know' exposition about events she took part in or witnessed. The most intriguing part of the programme writeup for me (and a lot of other people, I imagine) is Julian's job as a webcam performer, but the play barely gets into how that affects Julian's life or what motivated him to pursue that living--especially since he's doing it with his laptop alone, implying he doesn't take it seriously enough to invest in a separate camera or any other equipment.

Review: (Winnipeg) Crumbs (Fringe)

The Truth Shall Set You Free
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

Stephen Sim and Lee White are Winnipeg Fringe Festival institutions, having performed as CRUMBS at every Fringe since 1998. (In fact, when I went to double-check that date, I was surprised to discover they weren't already performing together when I first started attending the Winnipeg Fringe five years earlier.) As such, it's to be expected that their longform improv show is a well-oiled machine at this point, and Made Up Truths is no exception.

Review: (Winnipeg) Roller Derby Saved My Soul (Fringe)

Be Your Own Hero
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

To the best of my knowledge, Buffy Summers is never seen wearing roller skates.

Neither is Ellen Ripley or Princess Leia Organa, but Amy (playwright Nancy Kenny) desperately needs to tap into their heroic spirit to make her life worth living when re-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer just isn't enough, and roller derby gets her there. While going through her own heroic origin story, however--and worrying about whether she'll live long enough to see herself become the villain--Amy must also learn that every hero is only as good as their team, in whatever form that takes: Fellowship of the Ring, Justice League, Rebel Alliance, or Scooby Gang.

Review: (Winnipeg) The Cockwhisperer - A Love Story (Fringe)

A Long, Hard Learning Process
by Edgar Governo
@pseudohistorian

When Nicholas Evans first wrote The Horse Whisperer and brought that term into the public consciousness, I'm sure he never imagined that people would also end up whispering to dogs and ghosts...and, eventually, penises.

Keir Cutler on the "I'm A Genius" Syndrome, Part III

"I'm a Genius" Syndrome - Part III

by Keir Cutler

This is my third look at the “I’m a Genius” Syndrome.  In the first two instalments I looked at how various artists can see themselves as such geniuses that they will not rewrite, correct or alter their art, even when it’s necessary for the success of the work to do so.

I would now like to look at a group often thought not to contain any geniuses, or rather self-proclaimed geniuses. I’m referring to the audience. More accurately I’m referring to rogue audience members who are convinced that their unique 'genius' takes preference over the rest of the audience.  

Review: (Toronto) Strapless (Fringe)

More Than Just the Jiggle
by Dena Jackson
@DeenDawg

I was delighted when I found out that I was going to see Strapless during the Toronto Fringe Festival this year. As an ex-West coaster, I was more than excited to see these Vancouver-based comediennes perform. I sat down to a nearly sold-out show to watch Jackie Blackmore, Amy Auchstaetter, Lauren Martin, and Megan Phillips dance their way onto the stage in strapless tops that were often falling down and exposing their boobies. Yes, I saw naked comedy within the first 5 minutes of watching this show and it was delivered via highland dancing and a lot of jiggle!

Review: (Toronto) Baker's Dozen (Fringe)

Beyond the Puppet People
by Jessica Yen

Baker's Dozen is a fun one-man puppet show that delightfully pokes fun at the justice system. 

A jury has been assembled to determine whether the Butcher killed the Baker. A motley crew of characters have been assembled, all portrayed by one puppeteer (Adam Francis Proulx) and a box full of interchangeable lips, eyes and hair.

Review: (Toronto) Birdy (Fringe)

Circumstance and Emotions
by joel fishbane
@joelfishbane

Sombre and serious right from the start, Birdy, written and performed by Karie Richards, is a one-woman show that dives headfirst into intimate territory as it crafts a portrait of a girl, her father and the issue of mental illness that at once divides and unites them. It’s a deadly earnest script which is given an equally earnest performance. This isn’t always to the script’s benefit; while intense and emotional, the show at times teeters on the edge of self-indulgence which threatens to detract from its impact.

Review: (Toronto) No Chance In Hell - A Musical (Fringe)

When Hell Is Heaven
by joel fishbane
@joelfishbane

As irreverent as it is entertaining, No Chance in Hell - A New Musical succeeds in being something that’s all too rare these days: a musical comedy that’s actually musical and a comedy. With no aspirations other than to be entertaining, writers Chris John (book and lyrics) and Kevin Fox (music) have crafted a song and dance confection that, with its echoes of Damn Yankees, calls us back to the musicals of the golden age.The show isn’t perfect, but that’s something that can be fixed the next time around – and let’s hope there is a next time, hopefully in a production that includes the same talented cast.

Review: (Toronto) The Summer Spectacular (Fringe)

Walking Through The Mirror

by Jason Booker

Small Wooden Shoe, one of the big daddies of indie theatre in Toronto, has a show in the Fringe. Well, outside the normal Fringe venues. Well, outdoors altogether. And they call it a Summer Spectacular, which they hope is the first in a series.

A very casual atmosphere, participants assemble in a the appointed park, given a quick introduction by a man on stilts (Jacob Zimmer, Shoe’s AD) and then divided into smaller groups, each with its own tour guide/storyteller. I say participants since this isn’t really an audience show – we had a neighbourhood kid drop into our group for a while.