FringeFamous

FRINGE APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE Is your favorite time of year...

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:13:00 -0600

FRINGE APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE

Is your favorite time of year Fringe Time? Yup. Us, too. That’s why we’re very excited to bring you this news: the 2010 MN Fringe application is up and ready for your downloadingness.

A few things:

Unfortunately, the application fee didn’t magically disappear. Fortunately, it didn’t go up. You’ll still have to pay $25 for a numbered ping pong ball.
You have until 5pm on January 29th to get your app in.
The MN Fringe is introducing some enhanced producer education options this year. A little something called First Steps will match Fringe newbies with a more experienced production company to help them “win-the-Fringe” (copyright John Heimbuch). A little something called Next Steps will provide support for companies looking to let go of the nookie blanky and produce outside of the Fringe. Both programs will snag participants from a pool of eligible companies via (what else) a lottery.
There is now a “tour application”. Two companies (assuming two companies apply for this) will be lottery-selected to participate in a four-city Midwest Fringe Tour Circuit. Kansas City, Indianapolis, Minnesota, and Chicago are the four cities. One application, four fringes, you, and your insanity.
The BYOVs have been scaled down to a maximum of four slots. And these bad-boys are now due at the same time as the general application. Good job, Fringe.

That’s it for now. Fill out that application and start writing your totally awesome werewolf/vampire/Good Fellas adaptation of The Master Builder.

You can say a lot about the Tenenbaum family, but you...

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:34:00 -0500

You can say a lot about the Tenenbaum family, but you can’t say they’re stupid.

THE 'H' DOES NOT STAND FOR 'HAPPY'

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:15:00 -0500

For those of you that didn’t catch it in the comments, my last post struck a nerve with Lee H....

ROHAN + GRAYDON = GAYER VERSION OF TWO GAY DUDES

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:07:00 -0500

Hey, gang! Didja happen to catch the dumb-as-fuck very enlightening Rohan Preston/Graydon Royce...

"My advice to all actors is, ‘Don’t read reviews.’ So I intend to take that..."

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:44:00 -0500

“My advice to all actors is, ‘Don’t read reviews.’ So I intend to take that...

PLAYLIST IS EASILY EXCITED

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:12:00 -0500

I just got done reading a post on MN Playlist about local companies that have figured out how to...

OH, THE HORROR! Sorry to break it to anyone who thought...

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:23:12 -0500

OH, THE HORROR!

Sorry to break it to anyone who thought otherwise, but Chicago and New York have always been better theatre towns than Minneapolis/St. Paul. We have scrappier baseball players, but they’ve always had better theatre.

THIS SOUNDS COOL Lovingly filed under the How The Hell Did I Not...

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:27:00 -0500

THIS SOUNDS COOL

Lovingly filed under the How The Hell Did I Not See This Sooner section of FringeFamous is a little something called Theatre Arlo. Their mission statement — “Theatre Arlo wants a pony” — is something any artist can easily get behind. But better than that, is their promise to mirror Guthrie Corporation’s season over at the Bryant Lake Bowl with warped, de-glamorized interpretations of each play. And they vow to produce every show on a budget of $50!

So head on over to the BLB on October 11th, 18th, or 25th to check out their “really, really, extremely gay” version of The Importance of Being Earnest. With an idea this fantastic, they deserve a good crowd.

CHAN SOLD FOR UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF WERTHER’S...

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:55:58 -0500

CHAN SOLD FOR UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF WERTHER’S ORIGINALS

Chanhassen Retirement Homes has been sold to local entrepreneur Greg Frankenfield. If you actually give a shit, feel free to check out the Strib article here…and then proceed with your day of watching Wheel of Fortune and mailing $5 to your grandson for his birthday.

THE SUPER SECRET IS OUT! Yes, that’s right. The secret...

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:56:00 -0500

THE SUPER SECRET IS OUT!

Yes, that’s right. The secret location of the TC’s new theatre bookstore has finally been announced: 1771 Selby. The location promises big windows, high ceilings, in-floor heat, and a potential backyard patio — all the things you want in a bookstore.

OH, THAT’S RIGHT. THESE GUYS WERE A THING. Apparently,...

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:13:51 -0500

OH, THAT’S RIGHT. THESE GUYS WERE A THING.

Apparently, it’s been over a year since Theatre de la Jeune Lune closed its doors because “the powers that be spoke with their silence”. You can read the recent Strib article or just take a look at these highlights:

“Jeune Lune is missing, but nobody is going to step into that place,” said Berlovitz, who completed a $25,000 Fox fellowship and has taught at Augsburg, Carleton and the University of Minnesota. “What we did is very specific to us because we had been a company that had worked together for 30 years.”
Serrand, who sometimes threatened to take the company to Berlin and who, along with Gracieux, was knighted by the French government, said he could not have imagined how difficult it would be to find work.
“These 14 months have been awful, horrendous,” he said. “I’ve always worked, and now I’m an unemployed actor. It’s very difficult to deal with.”
That the company collapsed just before the U.S. economy went into a tailspin made it even harder, said Epp. “My huge reputation hasn’t added up to much,” he said.

And they wonder why nobody came to their rescue. These guys could put up a show called Feeding the Homeless While Taking Care of Malnourished Puppies and still figure out a way to come off like pompous assholes.

SHAKESPEARE ON YOUR iPHONE? METHINKS THOU ART A...

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:56:00 -0500

SHAKESPEARE ON YOUR iPHONE? METHINKS THOU ART A CANKER-BLOSSOMED DOUCHEBAG.

BEAUTY QUEEN TO OPEN THEATRE BOOKSTORE! Have you guys ever been...

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:44:00 -0500

BEAUTY QUEEN TO OPEN THEATRE BOOKSTORE!

Have you guys ever been curious to know what became of Caitlin Upton and her adorably inane ramblings? Yeah? Me, too. Well, I received an email in my inbox this morning and after reading it, it seems clear to me that the former Miss Teen South Carolina is opening Play by Play Theatre Bookstore. Check it out:

Greetings!
Welcome to a special “What’s Going On?” Edition of Play by Play Theatre Bookstore’s newsletter. I’m running into lots of “non-theatre” people who are very excited about the bookstore. It seems that everyone has a theatre “connection”, which is very exciting. So, if you are getting this newsletter, please pass it along to anyone you can think of with a theatre or performing arts “connection” - I’d especially like to reach educators, college students, and people who go to the theatre. Pass it on! And thanks.

My first clue that this email was written by Ms. Upton was her need to call this a “what’s going on” edition of the bookstore’s newsletter. Unless there’s a future “finish this sudoku” edition, I’m pretty sure they’re all going to be giving us some version of what’s going on with Play by Play. Also, her clear misunderstanding of how to use quotation marks is simultaneously dumb and awesome. That’s a unique combo that seems to be pretty specific to beauty queens. Let’s move on.

Lots going on in bookstore land. Here’s just a sampling: -attended Midwest Booksellers Association trade show and placed our VERY FIRST book order! -got all of the pesky details of insurance, phones, internet, etc. worked out. -met with reps from several publishers and wholesalers - credit apps in - accounts being set up - opening orders being assembled. -two book signings/author appearances in the works.

Bookstore Land. Bookstore Land.

Oh, and we have picked a space, and hope to get the lease signed this week, and start moving stuff in, painting and getting it all ready! Location Teaser: We plan to have the lease signed and announce our location by the end of this week!!! We’ll send out a special edition so that newsletter subscribers are the VERY FIRST to know! Details coming soon - very soon! (yes, this is a picture of the location. if you know where it is, please keep quiet for just a few more days….)

Keeping the location of your new business a secret in the very newsletter you’re using to create buzz seems like an odd choice. I guess Ms. Upton is afraid some other theatre bookstore owner will swoop in and rent the space right out from under her nose. As unlikely as that sounds, I’ll trust her with this one, and eagerly await the “what’s going on with our location” edition of the Play by Play newsletters.

Play by Play announces Table Read Book Club a monthly gathering, like a book club, but with scripts (but script club doesn’t sound as good) Read the script, or not. Buy it from us for a discount, or not. Be part of the discussion, or just observe…

Actually, I think ScriptClub sounds a lot better than Table Read Book Club…but that’s just me. Anyway, to clarify: you can belong to this book club and not read or say anything. Just come and sit. Ugh! I’m probably confusing you. Let’s get it straight from Ms. Upton:

Table Read Book Club is like a book club. It’s not like a table read. That’s just the cute name we came up with. Sorry if anyone is confused. So, you read the book, if you want, and then you come talk about it, or let other people talk about it. Questions? There will be snackies! You should come.

HINT: This writing style is called stream of consciousness. Apparently, it’s what small business loan officers love to see on your paperwork when trying to assess your potential risk.

There’s much more on the docket, but we don’t want to overwhelm you just yet. We’ll get an events page on our website soon.

Well, I’m excited. The TC theatre community could really use a good theatre bookstore. And if this email is any indication of how well the store will be run, it looks like we’ll have one for about 18 months.

HEY, IVEYS…YOU DIDN’T TOTALLY SUCK! After taking a...

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:44:00 -0500

HEY, IVEYS…YOU DIDN’T TOTALLY SUCK!

After taking a day to reflect on Monday’s Ivey Awards celebration, I’ve come to an odd conclusion: it didn’t totally suck. I know, right? I expected it to 100% suck. I’m used to it 100% sucking. I even kind of wanted it to 100% suck. But it didn’t. In fact, I’d only put the suck factor at about 47%. That’s 53% less suck in only one year! How’d they do it? Let’s look at the math.

Lady Eifrig — Okay, now here we go! If we in the Twin Cities want to play dress-up and pretend like we’re celebrities, Kate Eifrig showed us all how to do it: be a blatantly drunk awards presenter. Duh. It’s so obvious, I’m surprised somebody didn’t think of it earlier. Now next year, if everyone presents like they’re Paula Abdul with a concussion, this would really be a party. Much kudos to Ms. Eifrig for blazing that trail.
After Party — Although I heard some complaints about the location of the after party, I have to admit that I kind of liked it. Not having to walk eight blocks outside to get to the fun stuff was definitely an improvement. And let’s face the facts; a lobby is a lobby. Sure, this lobby was a little tighter for a crowd that size, but it still got the job done. Side note: a great place for this entire event might be…wait for it…Guthrie Corp.
No Fashion Show — Perhaps some people missed this little escalator excursion. I am not one of those people.
Greta Oglesby — She won an award and then “sang” a song from Caroline, or Change. I used quotes because what she actually did was smash us all over the head with a gigantic club of awesome.

Now if you’ll recall, I still felt there was a good 47% of suck floating around out there. Here’s where I found it.

No Host — I pulled this one from last year because it’s still not working. Yeah, the job was turned over to locals and that’s great; much better than people from NYC who have nothing to do with theatre in the TC. However, they were on stage…um…I think three times. Maybe. And as much as we all love Claudia Wilkens and Richard Ooms, they’re not the funniest people in town. Dearest Iveys, we do have some performers in our community who make their living solely by being funny. Sure, they don’t work at Guthrie Corporation, but people still might recognize their names. Grab an actual comedian to host your shindig and let them write their own jokes. The End.
Advertise the Lifetime Ivey — I don’t understand why this is a big secret. It seems pretty obvious that if you let people know ahead of time that you’ll be honoring Dudley Riggs, you might sell a few more tickets to people who want to come out and help you honor Dudley Riggs. ”Come to the Ivey Awards next month, where we’ll be honoring Dudley Riggs with the Lifetime Achievement Ivey”. What’s wrong with that?
No Categories/Nominees — Here’s another one that I pulled from last year’s list. This is the single stupidest thing about the Iveys, and until it’s corrected, these awards will continue to make my butt itch. The lack of clear categories makes the show frustratingly difficult to follow. The lack of nominees creates a fun little moment of surprise, sure…but it comes at the expense of the artist receiving the award. I think I counted four acceptance speeches that included something like “I would’ve invited family and friends had I known I was being considered” (yet another way the Iveys could easily sell more tickets). The justification I keep hearing for this no-nominees decree is that without it, people would feel like they’ve lost. If this truly is the reason, it’s adorably dopey. Having nominees — aside from giving even more people a reason to buy tickets — would give the Iveys a chance to honor an entire group of artists instead of just one. I have a feeling that even after the initial disappointment of “losing”, artists would still be quick (and proud) to add “Ivey Award Nominee” to their bios.

Okay, okay…this post is becoming MN Playlist-long, so I’ll stop here. When all is said and done, this annual dispensation of little green lava lamps is certainly improving. Finally. And who knows? Maybe someday, it will 100% not suck. My fingers are crossed.

WATCHING PEOPLE CELEBRATE THEMSELVES IS FAR TOO EXPENSIVE Big...

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:41:00 -0500

WATCHING PEOPLE CELEBRATE THEMSELVES IS FAR TOO EXPENSIVE

Big thanks to one of our loyal readers for sending us this Ticketmaster receipt for tonight’s Theatre Prom. And that total is with the super-secret discount code. Is it worth it? I’ll tell you tomorrow, but my guess: not a chance.

BEDLAM IS HIP AND COOL, JUST LIKE… Graydon Royce recently...

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:53:21 -0500

BEDLAM IS HIP AND COOL, JUST LIKE…

Graydon Royce recently posted an article about the folks over at Bedlam. And it was really rather nice…until he felt the need to force a Guthrie Corp. connection.

Social experience is just what it sounds like: get people in the door and let them have fun. It’s interestingly similar to another theater not far upriver from Bedlam.
“They don’t mind being compared to the Guthrie,” said Vickie Benson, arts program officer at the McKnight Foundation. “When Guthrie was opening, one of the messages was to come here even if you’re not going to a show. That’s what Bedlam is saying, too.”

Yes. Guthrie Corp. is exactly the theatre in town that Bedlam reminds me of. They totally stole the G’s “social experience” model. In my defense, I probably would’ve noticed this resemblance earlier had I not been hanging out every night at the Guthrie.

GLENN BECK vs. NEA

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:27:55 -0500

GLENN BECK vs. NEA: Have you guys been following this? If not, do.

100% OF ME LOVES THIS If you haven’t been checking out MN...

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:37:00 -0500

100% OF ME LOVES THIS

If you haven’t been checking out MN Playlist’s surveys, you need to start. It’s a bonanza of theatrical enlightenment.

For example, did you know that 48% of Playlist readers think the Minnesota performing arts are “bouncy” while only 24% think they are “razor”? I know, right?! Playlist also unearthed the fact that 74% of their readers live in Minneapolis, 19% in St. Paul, and 7% in southern Minnesota. Wowee Maui! But the one I really connect with is pictured above. Can you believe that only 17% of Playlisters make art to “stir hearts”? I would’ve thought that number to be higher, frankly. On the plus side, there seems to be an awful lot of truth-finding going on in the TC. And if you ask me, it’s about time.

We’re totally going to steal this idea, by the bye. Look for such upcoming FringeFamous surveys as “How many times a day do you tinkle”, “Pick the word that best describes your soul”, and “Which song would you most like to whistle”.

WANT YOUR MONEY BACK?

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:19:00 -0500

WANT YOUR MONEY BACK?: More on this discussion here.

ST. PAUL POLICE ARE EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:31:00 -0500

ST. PAUL POLICE ARE EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT: Nothing to do with theatre…just a little something...