Urban Meditation in the Bronx

The  poetry of this piece of travelogue theater will leave you lulled out of space and time. But the power of it is in the now. The adventurous Foundry Theater has taken a step out of the conventional in The Provenance of Beauty, a performance piece set on a bus trip 'round the Bronx. This New York Times review captures the essence of this beautiful, haunting urban meditation. Great theater sometimes does expand outside stage. Kudos to The Foundry for expanding traditional notions of performance space, and doing so with such gentle gusto. 

First Published Article in NYC!

Well, big milestone. I got published for the first time in NYC. Wrote an essay on the play Exit Cuckoo, which I've covered on this blog but not in quite this delicious a length. I am beyond thrilled.

The piece is in the May 09 issue of the Brooklyn Rail, the respected art, opinion, culture and political magazine. If up for it, read Navigating the Nannyhood: Lisa Ramirez's Exit Cuckoo and better yet, go see the play. 

Must See Theater: Exit Cuckoo Opens April 17

Get ready. Some of the most thought-provoking theatre you've ever experienced is about to hit Off Broadway. Lisa Ramirez's Exit Cuckoo is playing April 17-May 17 at the Clurman Theater on Theatre Row (410 W 42nd Street). Exit Cuckoo fearlessly explores the often complicated world of nannies, mothers and children with humor and spot-on accuracy.

This production is directed by fellow actor/writer/director Colman Domingo (Passing Strange, Single Black Female) and presented by The Working Theater. I've seen the work in many incarnations, and with each production the poignant, important message of actor/playwright Ramirez's work is even more of a revelation. The writing is sharp and exquisite, and the acting prowess of Ramirez allows for the characters to genuinely enter your heart, and speak with full-on truth.

Read this Theatre Development Fund article if you want info on the play's development. Tix are available here. Please, without fail, go see.

Standing Clear: Your Theatrical MetroCard to All Things Subway

Standing Clear, a new play by Coffee Cup theater company, takes you on a subway ride without the commuter torment of the N or W line. But even if you take a cab to the theater, beware - you'll be met with a barrage of wackadoo subway staples that are the human grid of New York City public transportation.

Written by performers Ishah Janssen-Faith and Jack McGowan and created with input from the entire cast, Standing Clear is an ode to the daily here-to-there grind. You'll identify with hapless subway sheep as they are surrounded by freaks, weirdos, arguing lovers and clueless tourists. The subway shenanigans shift from poignant to horrifying to humorous smoother than the trains run, largely due to the talents of an able cast playing a diverse array of characters.

Melinda Ferraraccio, with her sharp tongued strength, plays full tilt. Becca Hackett has a real girl presence so sweet it makes you wonder if she's even acting. Jack McGowan ably juggles cute boy and fed up husband among others, and Ishah Janssen-Faith is spot on as a talks-too-much butt-in-ski that we just want to shush, and then shames you with her palpable loneliness. But it is Ben Holbrook's perfect portrayal of a not-all-there subway dude with a heroic streak that steals your heart.

While the plots and pace occasionally veer off track, it is nicely directed by Barbara Karger. The real fun of the show is the nodding laughter of recognition that bonds the audience, met as we are with clueless iPod blasters and cramped crowd choreography. Commute on down to the Access Theater at 380 Bway at White Street before Standing Clear closes on June 21, for a show we can all relate to. Tickets are $20 or $15 for students.

Bonus: There will be a talk back on June 16 at 7pm with Hollaback NYC and Girls for Gender Equity at $30 a ticket.

Saved from Shopping by Rev. Billy

Can I hear a hallelujah? Rev. Billy preached his freakalicious gospel at the Highline Ballroom this fine Sunday afternoon, compelling all to put down their credit cards and raise their hands to heaven. That is right, children, the holy spirit was among us in the form of trapeze artists, Coney Island freaks, a talented choir in green robed glory, and a message that speared your shopaholic sternum.

Leader of the Church of Stop Shopping, Rev. Billy is perhaps best known outside NYC as the subject of the documentary What Would Jesus Buy? produced by Morgan Spurlock. But he is a staple of the New York arts and activist scene, protesting corporatization, capitalism, and commodification of our once divinely diverse city. Delivered in a Southern Baptist style, his stop the buy buy buy madness message is aimed at big business and consumers alike.

As New York City is bulldozed into just another megamall filled with Banana Republics and Best Buys, Rev. Billy tirelessly takes to the pulpit with a trinity of prayers - stop gentrification, preserve culture, and suspend your spending. The preacher strives to save your soul with a communion plate of performance art and cleverly lyric-ed gospel music. For me, it was more cathartic than any wafer and grape juice divinity I was ever served.

Catch the Rev in action at Union Square Park on Thursday, June 5 at 5pm on the NW corner. Face the Shopocalypse, confess your carnal commerce sins, and be saved!

(credit: Photo by Dogseat.)

Mike Daisey Never Fails in 'How Theater Failed America'

The theater is dead. Long live theater.

That is how the fearlessly forthright monologist Mike Daisey sees it in his one-man-band ballyhoo How Theater Failed America, hilariously snarking on everything from arts funding to NYTimes reviewers to complicit Joe's Pub ticket holders. With a manic, occasionally maniacal energy and dead on analysis of the modern day mainstream arts scene (with the tongue-in-cheek lament of 'Why can't we be more like Sweden?'), Daisey leaves no truth unturned. And the basic truth in Daisy's world is that theater - and by extension our nation - is so devoid of community that artistic evolution is all but impossible.

Frankly, Daisey doesn't point out anything new. Let's face it, the death bell for theater has been ringing at a deafening pitch for decades now. But the sign of a great artist isn't always exploration of the next new thing, but rather the uncovering of a universality through startlingly fresh means. As a performer Daisey delivers, diving in with everything he's got - intellect, humor 'til it hurts, hulking physicality and sweat to the point of dehydration. And as an audience, we sit transfixed and wondrous.

Armed only with a water glass, Daisey's armchair philosopher orator has so much heart we willingly partner on his rant. With everything you expect in a one man show - personal humiliations, suicidal tendencies, and nostalgic role play (his actor portraying a masturbating bishop being the most memorable) - Daisey is entertaining to be sure. But that isn't enough for a master artist, so he just doesn't stop until he makes you think. And lament. And leave the theater changed.

Personally, I've been trying to get into Daisey's monologuing class for months now, and it always fills up lickedy split. So until then, I'll get my Daisey on Monday's at Joe's Pub until May 11.

'My Dead Mother is Funnier than You' is Drop Dead Good

The subject of death is rarely presented realistically in theater, yet Katherine Williams' My Dead Mother is Funnier than You does this heartbreak justice in her tale of a serial dater whose mother's passing touches every aspect of her emotionally raw life. Williams' dead-on portrayal of Nicole poignantly points out the humor, horror and hysterical in death-too-soon, and stays true to the trauma that comes after someone beloved passes unexpectedly. And for this teenager and the woman she becomes, the loss of mama leaves quite a mark.

Her dead mother may be funnier than you, but nothing is funnier than dating in New York City. Nicole is deadpan hilarious as she trollops through man after man, linked to them by their own earlier loss of a loved one, finding immediate intimacy with emotionally unavailable Lotharios. Fortunately, the cast is to die for, and her lengthy list of love interests are fully fleshed and never trite. Our heart breaks for Nicole as she is left over and over by men not her equal, played to perfection by Franklin Abrams, Dan Almekinder, Michael Scott King and Jeff Stevens. All are mirrored superbly by her forever-mourning father, portrayed by the stellar Joseph Callari. It is enough to make a gal delete her Nerve profile.

Nicole is advised by a loveline of insightful armchair philosophers - older sis Laura (played with wry perfection by Jaye Maynard), kindhearted, cursing shrink Dr. Garcia (the deliciously empathic Todd Conner), the hell-bent yenta Jessica (blond and versatile Makenzie Caine) and her father's eloquent, devoted poodle Mr. Brown (played by Gabriel Silva, whose take on a love smitten lapdog is hump-o-licious).

Williams' script is deftly directed by Clyde Baldo, who does a fine job balancing life's rotten, joyous curves, taking us on a seesaw ride that is loss, love and personal conflict. I was expecting a laugh-a-minute joy ride of irreverence, and while I did guffaw at this wonderfully written play, I got so much more than I bargained for. Death is a bitch, but it doesn't have to turn you into one.

Please, please extend this run. Playing until Sunday, 4/13 at the ArcLight Theater at 152 W. 71st St. Tix $18, available at http://www.theatermania.com/.

Sporknotes and Other Worthy Improv in NYC

Improv is one of those random acts of performance that can have you hurtin' yourself with laughter, or bulldozing fellow patrons as you skedaddle for the exit. But if you want to see this ancient artform at its most skillfully wacky, then see improv in New York City. You've got the ticket-lines-around-the-corner Upright Citizens Brigade, fantastic site-specific Improv Everywhere, randy Peoples Improv Theater, legit National Comedy Theater, and of course just single comics galore. Really, you can't go too wrong with improv here.

I had the pleasure of seeing Sporknotes, an ensemble improv show by the Rising Sun Performance Company, as part of the Frigid Festival 2008. If you are in the mood for thumbtack sharp improv wit, all under the guise of a literary roundtable, then check it out. Essentially, the actors - all unskilled non-academics - do their best to improvise abridged versions of highbrow literature. I was fortunate to be there on the night when that great American masterpiece, The Little Engine That Could, was shouted out by an audience member to became the madcap plot outline through which eight or so actors tapdanced. Wackiness ensued, but so did political commentary, sexual innuendo and Transformers. Let's just say, it takes deliciously sick minds to come up with this stuff, and its pure delight to go along for the ride.

Hats off to the whole cast, who never failed to roll with the punches, even when they were below the belt. The show will have a more regular schedule soon, through Horse Trade Theater Group. It makes for a fun go-see, so if you can't wait go to a special show on April 11, 8pm at the Endtimes Underground @ Gene Frankel Theater, 24 Bond St.

'Looking Up' Risks Love Without a Net

For a unique bit of superb, twisted storytelling of high flying love between an engaging aerialist and a star-struck bartender, look toward Looking Up, playing until March 2nd at the Theater for the New City at 155 First Ave. Written and performed by the multitalented Carla Cantrelle, and featuring tantalizing trapeze acts, this fast-paced tumble of a theatrical dialogue explores the budding relationship between Wendy, a circus artist falling to earth, and Jack, a burnt out bartender in need of a lifeline.

Sure, this premise is ripe for corny metaphorical zingers, one liners and a kick of circus kitsch. But lucky for us playwright Cantrelle neatly balances the cutsie premise of love on the high wire with insightful commentary on the fears, foibles and downright pain inherent in budding love. With just the right dollop of cynicism, she doles out life observations available only to those whose job is risking death every day.

With a powerhouse performer with tricks up her sleeves such as Cantrelle, it takes a strong and steady leading man not to get tangled up in her nets. But Bryant Mason endears as the charming, conflicted bartender-with-a-heart-of-gold. So palpable is his vulnerable, love-without-a-net Lothario that we root for his risktaking and eventual climb to heights formerly unthinkable.

Kudos also go to the creative team, with top notch direction by Giovanna Sardelli. In a limited engagement, don't miss this intimate yet dynamo show with a unique twist-get tix at TheaterMania or by calling 212-352-3101.

Hamlet Gets The Shock Treatment

In The Wooster Group's trippy, tripped up production of Hamlet, currently playing at The Public, Shakespeare's greatest play is deconstructed into bits of visceral video lunacy. The result is compelling, confusing and as haunting as a freshly murdered monarch. Ultimately delivering a boldly visual, headbanging feast of experimental theater, the sheer bravery of this production is an informed achievement that occasionally veers into brilliance. While it may not completely satisfy, this disconcerting and challenging work acts as a thorn in the side of the NYC theater-goers psyche.

Juxtaposed against a backdrop of Richard Burton's 1964 filmed portrayal of the tragic prince, with characters digitally erased and technical glitches enhanced, the agile cast mirrors the screen in an odd start-and-stop choreography that is at once beautiful and as grating as nails on a chalkboard. But then, that is the point. Through the lens of legendary director Elizabeth LeCompte, in this world that Hamlet inhabits - where the revenge-obsessed dead claw the earth and mothers bed their bloodstained brothers-in-law - it is perfectly normal to have the tape of reality rewound, sliced and sped up to warp speed. Unfortunately, it also means that the humanness of Hamlet's pain, like his terror at mistakenly killing his beloved Ophelia's father and her resulting madness, is at times muddied and hidden beneath layers of directorial constraint.

Yet in the hands of this cast, particularly the beyond-brilliant Scott Shepherd as the prince and the double duty Gertrude/Ophelia turn by Kate Valk, the majority of Shakespeare's poetry is delivered with a grace that paradoxically grabs the throat. Ultimately, in the hands of the Wooster masters, this ghost in the machine production illuminates Shakespeare's musings on this mortal coil with a daring that shouldn't be missed. Extended through Dec. 2 at the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette St., just below Astor Place.

'Turn of the Screw' an Unsettling, Creepy Terror

For a night of theater that will so seriously weird you out that you have to sleep with the lights on, the horror tale The Turn of the Screw, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the Henry James classic, is just what the doctor-of-dread ordered. Presented by Wake Up, Marconi! Theater Company and running until Nov. 17 at the Bank Street Theatre, this is one tale of repression and supernatural ambiguity that will give you psychological creepy crawlies for days.

You know the drill - a naive, impressionable governess starts experiencing hauntings while caring for her two weirdo charges, the pre-pubescent troublemaker Miles and the silent, sullen Flora. Played with both repression and an urge for the improper by the fresh faced Melissa Pinsly, you are never quite sure if this caretaker has a screw loose or if she is as genuinely and purely loving as she professes.

Providing the play's most ominous moments is Steve Cook, who portrays many of the characters with a enigmatic undercurrent of madness. Is Miles manipulated by demons or just a spinning, ADHD suffering hysteric? Is the housekeeper a clueless, caring dimwit or is she suppressing something sinister? The sparse direction by Don K. Williams makes full use of stylized, shadowed presentation, but with wise restraint leaves much of the terrifying plot twists to be imagined by the audience. As we know from many a horror flick, especially the heavily James-influenced The Others and my childhood favorite The Innocents, the scary scenarios in our pretty little heads are far more horrific than anything presented in plain view. But if twisted classic lit is your thing, make sure you catch a glimpse of the sinister goings on in this 'Turn.'

Societal Decay Disarms in The Chaos Theories

In physics, chaos theory explains the underlying order and elegance in apparently random data, illuminating that the slightest act can ripple out wildly to global impact. In the recent production of Alexander Dinelaris' charged tragi-comedy The Chaos Theories, this idea is not only relevant in weather patterns and cosmic black holes, but also in the way the human spirit grapples with the desire for deep rooted connection in an age of post-9/11 fear.

In the hands of playwright-in-hyperdrive Dinelaris, who directed with Stewart M. Schulman, this play treats and teases with layer upon lush layer of vivid and relentless dialogue, masterfully handled by a team of eight actors playing 21 diverse characters. Each archetypal New Yorker is caught in their own personal chaos: A driven, trash-talking stockbroker pummels her client to humorous effect. An dotty, heartfelt homeless woman lives in remember-when land. A father berates his daughters beau, a senator's wife verbally castrates a smarmy lobbyist, a charming waiter serves acidic sarcasm on a platter. But if everyone would just put their cellphones and career drives aside for a split second, they'd discover they are all connected in the most human of ways - through loneliness, love, fear and loss.

To sometimes hysterical, often shocking effect, Dinelaris shows that underneath today's techno chatter there is a humanity striving to be released. In a world where the random is revered, the message of The Chaos Theories comes through crystal clear. Playing until Nov. 17 at the McGinn/Cazale Theater, 2162 Broadway (near W. 76th St.)

Bonus: There was an inspiring audience talkback with playwright Alexander Dinelaris after the performance, where he enthusiastically and refreshingly supported fellow writers and artists. Dinelaris' play Still Life is slated for Broadway in early 2008, and he is working on writing the screenplay for Alejandro González Iñárritu's (Babel, 21 Grams) next film.

Double Bonus: The courage of Dinelaris to have a play with a large cast, and the talented actors who fulfilled his vision. Check out Richard Bekins, Max Darwin, Alison Fraser, Todd Gearhart, Ted Koch, Amanda Mantovani, Darcie Siciliano and Maryann Towne in anything they do!

Modern Twist Makes for Masterful "Misanthrope"

From the second your eyes gaze upon the Philip Johnson Glass House inspired set, you know you are in for an ultra-modernist take on The Misanthrope at the innovative New York Theatre Workshop. Jan Versweyveld's pristine Plexiglas architecture provides the ideal Autobahn for director Ivo Van Hove's 120MPH interpretation of Molière's classic comic satire on society's feigned civility.

In his gleefully genius, no-risk-unturned production, Van Hove displays with cutthroat wit that today's society hasn't changed much since Moliere's day. In polite circles, proper behavior dictates lying to the face and laughing behind the back. But intellectual truth-teller Alceste (played with sexy, sharp command by Bill Camp) aims to propel humanity forward by pointing out that such hypocrisy leads to a destructive placation. But his chorus of society hounds just don't get it, driving him to unimaginable acts of behavioral shock-and-awe, including showering his body with chocolate sauce, ketchup and jam in the midst of a gossip-infused dinner banquet. As evidenced by the stench that subsequently wafts into the audience, along with the visual affront of an imaginatively placed donut, he certainly knows how to get his point across.

Of course, others on this madcap playground share an opposite view, including Alceste's dearest friend Philinte (a nuanced, nimble turn by handsome Thomas Jay Ryan) who promotes civility and white-lie kindness. Making Alceste's morality even more of a mishmash is his obsession with the self-absorbed young socialite Célimène (played with a beguiling, strong beauty by Jeanine Serralles). This opposites-attract pairing provides roll-on-the-floor passion that is as destructive as it is addictive.

But it is the ingenious use of technology that puts Van Howe's production into the can't-miss category, providing almost as much wit as Molière's sharper-than-ever dialogue (translated here to crystal clarity by Tony Harrison). With exquisite video production by Tal Yarden offering commentary on the misguided antics of the brilliant cast, along with constant Blackberry glances and snapping of cell phone pics, this new society is kept from connection as much by machine as by pretense. A Steve Jobs-created world may look pristine on the surface, but when garbage is strewed about it and food left to rot and fester, it takes a gigantic hose to return us to decorum. The set may be waterproof, but luckily the philosophical and psychological insights of this production don't easily wash away.

Bonus: It is always a treat to see New York City actors who elevate the craft to art. In addition to the Camp/Serralles/Ryan triumvirate, Quincy Tyler Bernstein as Eliante, Jason C. Brown as Clitandre, Amelia Campbell as Arsinoé, Joan MacIntosh as Acaste and Alfredo Narciso as Oronte admirably bring their A game to meet the direction head on.

Big Dreams & Bigger Hair in Savage in Limbo

At the start of The Process Group's recent production of John Patrick Shanley's Savage in Limbo, I knew I was in for an 80's nostalgic treat when Denise Savage (played with quirky glee by Rebecca Whitehurst) entered the scene by teasing her hair into a blond birdsnest of permed glory. Playing from Oct. 18-Nov. 4 at the beautiful DUO Theater at 62 East 4th St., the play offers an often hilarious and sadly authentic look at the aimless, drunken dreams of five Bronx barflies.

A string of deliciously crafted monologues served on a Brandy Alexander stained platter, Shanley's play is a frozen-in-time fest of belly-button gazing. Ultimately an actor showcase, the cast ably rises to the script's significant demands, bringing humor and humanity to their working class characters. Denise Savage is a 32 year old, bored-to-tears virgin, and Whitehurst's idiosyncratic presentation makes this remarkable fact believable. The luscious Linda Rotunda, played with ballsy aplomb by Jenny Grace, laments the life of a va va voom woman on the verge. And the not-so-cute couple of drunken, failed nun April White (Brooke Delaney) and smitten, uber-enabler bartender Murk (Henry Zebrowski) gives us booze-fueled moments of compassion. The action heats up with the arrival of Linda's beau Tony Aronica (Robert Bray), a leather clad hottie-pants on a misguided search for life's meaning.

Despair over dreams lost and deferred is always dangerous theatrical territory, but Bryan Close's direction wisely lifts humor to the fore. Despite the (perhaps too young and pretty) cast's occasional lapses from realism into trying-too-hard delivery, Savage in Limbo offers an enjoyable, I-remember-when night of theater. Tickets are available at SmartTix.

Bonus: Getting to experience The DUO Theater and its beautiful interior, and chatting with associate artistic director and NYC Downtown Short Film Festival director Luke Valerio. The DUO Theater, under the artistic direction of Michelangelo Alasa, is dedicated to developing and producing works by Latino playwrights as well as employing Latino directors, actors and designers.

The Boy in the Bathroom: Not Your Average Musical

Set entirely in the unexpected musical environment of a suburban bano, The Boy in the Bathroom is the antidote to Disney-obsessed Broadway. With a talented three-person cast and book and lyrics by Michael Lluberes both profound and disturbing, this is innovative, risk-taking musical theater unlike most you will see in New York City.

The severely obsessive-compulsive David (played with quirky appeal by the endearing Michael Zahler) works on his thesis while living in the bathroom of his mother's home. Totally paralyzed with fear of the outside world, he happily reads philosophy and eats the food slid under the door (flattened to one half of an inch) by his enabling mother Pam. But his tightly controlled world is rocked when mama breaks her hip, and the pretty young thing Julie (delightfully presented by fresh talent Ana Nogueira) enters the house as her caretaker.

Of course love ensues, and the twist of two polar-opposite 20-somethings desperately wanting to escape their surroundings yet imprisoned by psychosis and financial fear makes for great emotional tension. But it is the story of the severely overweight Pam (a masterful performance by Mary Stout) that pulls you in. Her powerhouse solo I'm Full but I Want More presents a gripping, heart wrenching, can't-take-your-eyes-off-her wail about addiction (in this case, to food) that makes you sympathize with this monster Ma. This peak inside an emotionally ravaged woman explains why she is torn between wanting to hold on to her little boy by all means necessary, and knowing that to love is to let go.

The musical score itself is rather repetitive and could offer more variation, but perhaps composer Joe Maloney is trying to echo the OCD of the protagonist. Still, The Boy in the Bathroom keeps hope alive that musical theater just might advance rather than be doomed to the bland, play-it-safe film adaptations now dominating the Great White Way. The play is part of the New York Musical Theater Festival, which showcases more than 30 musicals during a 3 week period in mid-town Manhattan. Runs until September 29 at the 45th Street Theater.

Trying to Get to the Moon

In Jordan Schachter's new play Trying to Get to the Moon, an undiscovered, philosophically driven artist goes missing for a full year, prompting his heartbroken inner circle to host a fundraiser showcasing his poetry, plays and film. Certainly not by consensus and each with personal agendas, those involved with the MIA genius meet in an off off Broadway theater to ponder the reasons behind his disappearance (suicide? Ashram? an Into the Wild-like wrong way turn?) This leads to a battle of wills over the morality of presenting a shy, tortured talent's personal musings to an audience made up primarily of strangers.

At its best, Trying to Get to the Moon is an examination of creativity's importance and whether it is the art-or a person's soul-that more deeply affects those left behind. Existential questions raised in the absent artist's work are echoed by his friends, who take turns contemplating the nature of love and man's search for meaning as opposed to his quest for happiness, with the validity of artistic expression at the top of the heap. Luckily, the talented ensemble cast, well directed to mingle with the audience as well as command the stage, engagingly portray a tight knit clan whose bickering stems from a sense of deep loss and regret.

The only cast member not fully realized, of course, is the enigmatic missing artist himself, despite being intensely analyzed, glorified and mourned. When his verse play is presented by this cast of friends and lovers, illumination of the real inner workings of a tortured artist's mind is the goal. Instead, it steers us a tad too far afield from the entertaining and meaningful issues raised earlier. Despite this detour, Trying to Get to the Moon provides a night of innovative theater that examines weighty issues with both humor and insight. Playing through September 29 at the Interborough Repertory Theater.

Bonus: A free screening of Schachter's film The Legacy of Walter Frumm was shown prior to the play, a real treat. A dying man seeks revenge on all who have wronged him, but his elaborate pranks fail to maim and instead bring about joyous, enlightening revelations for his intended victims.

Deserved: Naked in a Fishbow Among FringeNYC Encore Series!!!

Twelve New York International Fringe Festival 2007 plays will be part of the FringeNYC Encore Series, and thankfully the phe-freakin-nomenal Naked in a Fishbowl improv will be one of them. Billed as 'unscripted theater, uninhibited comedy,' four super-close gal pals and their neurotic NYC lives provide the perfect ingredients for a different comedic stew at each performance. Improv relies heavily on the talents of its actors, and in the capable hands of Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg and Lauren Seikaly the audience was given an impulsive thrill ride beyond compare. Four gorgeous, talented, ballsy women with the comedic chops to make you laugh until you snort? Now that is entertainment worth an encore.

Bonus: In addition to Naked in a Fishbowl, the extended plays at the FringeNYC Encores series include the amazing A Beautiful Child. Other plays are As Far As We Know, Double Vision, Hillary Angonistes, Lights Rise on Grace, Mary Brigit Poppleton Is Writing a Memoir, Bombs in Your Mouth, Jamaica Farewell, Paper Son, Piaf: Love Conquers All, and Fringe Festival Audience Favorite Riding the Bull.

One Women Shows Rock New York Fringe Festival

Sodomy & Pedicures: A post-feminist, femme fatale wannabe finds she is just a little bit dirty in this hysterical solo manifesto. Through the skilled writing, super sharp wit and charming brazenness of the talented Jessica Hedrick, we are shown that the spawn of an Irish Catholic women's studies professor and an American communist will grow up to rebel through acts of submission. Conflicted by her wants of politically incorrect bedroom behavior and the good, old fashioned need to be loved, Hedrick provides perfect fodder for a performance that is over-the-top, laugh your ass off funny, and just a little (okay, a lot) naughty. Try as you might to resist your primal theatrical urge, you can't help but be riveted by Hedrick's heartfelt journey from confused innocent to confident babe ready for intimacy and a fabulous mani-pedi. Pure, outrageous, quintessentially far-out Fringe fare, let's hope this exploration of womanhood has life beyond the Festival.

Jaspora (Imitation Haitian): And now for something completely different. Knockout performer Nancy Moricette sparks a firestorm of energy, anger and conflict in this one woman show on cultural identity and racial prejudice. Super-fueled by a rage from within, Moricette's explosive and emotionally powerful performance exposes painful details of growing up the spirited child of religious Haitian immigrants. Switching deftly from youngster to adolescent to out-of-place college student, Moricette paints a perfect picture of a brilliant woman in tormented conflict with her surroundings. White boys, television fantasy and college degrees all play carrot to motivate Moricette's trek, which ultimately leads back to family and acceptance of self. Jaspora is Fringe theater with depth and a message of importance.

More Fringe: A Beautiful Child and Angst: The New Teen Musical

More entertainment from the New York International Fringe Festival:

A Beautiful Child: Of all the Fringe offerings I've seen so far, this short and sweet tale of Truman Capote and Marilyn Monroe conversing throughout New York City is the one most likely to have life beyond the festival. Polished, well written, directed smartly to showcase its talented actors, A Beautiful Child delightfully delivers snark and heartbreak in the voice of the still-relevant Capote. The dialogue crackles and sparks between the two icons, each played with delicious originality and non-caricature by Joel Van Liew and Maura Lisabeth Malloy. My only complaint is that this too-quick glimpse into fame and folly lasted but a brief 50 minutes. More, please?

Angst: The New Teen Musical: Well, New York Magazine agrees with me. Angst: The New Teen Musical is, like, totally awesome. It features a MySpace obsessed narrator's observations of his classmates, each a classic, conflicted teen with [insert sex, drugs, identity, isolation here] issues. We all know that Disney cookie cutter high schoolers don't exist, and this cast kicks that to the curb without being too, you know, overdramatic and sulky. Featuring a rousing rock-and-roll score by an unbelievably talented Eric Mayson and gifted performances by him and the rest of the teenaged cast, the show is a spot-on microcosm of current high school life. Spring Awakening, beware!

U.S. Premier of "Dirt" at NY Fringe Festival

Another admirable solo show at the New York International Fringe Festival, Dirt is the timely story of an Iraqi immigrant and his struggles as a stranger in the strange land of NYC. Desirous of assimilation yet hyperaware of his physical and cultural differences, the tragic, conflicted character of Sad leads us through a beautifully scripted one-man rant on racism and how it destroys from the inside out.

Through the extremely capable, charming performance of Christopher Domig, we are taken deep into the scraping-by world of rose vendor 'short-for-Saddam' Sad, exposing his self-hatred for his name, dark complexion and suspiciously large pores. He adores the English language and the pale white hands of those in the western world. So desperate is he for acceptance that he refuses letters from his mother and berates himself for soiling public toilets with his foreign waste. His inward repulsion is made all the more horrific as he elevates white American culture to impossible, illogical heights, purchasing the best English-Iraqi dictionary possible with his meager savings and pledging to turn over his Iraqi roommate should the Secret Service arrive. Betrayal is a minor sacrifice should it lead to even a crumb of acceptance.

Dirt was the most performed solo show in 1990's Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and you can see why. The script by Robert Schneider (well translated by Paul Dvorak) is tight, timeless and gripping. The show plays at The Players Theatre Loft Space at 115 MacDougal St., 8/18 @ 8:45pm, 8/19 @ 5pm, 8/21 @ 4:30pm and 8/22 @ 8pm. $15.