Fringe nyc 2004, the annual festival of new theater and dance that takes over the city through August 29th. The largest multi-arts festival in North America, presenting programming from 194 of the world’s best emerging theater troupes and dance companies. Shows will be in various theaters & are too numerous to list completely in these pages. You will find several listed here, but for a complete look at the schedule of shows, their performance times, and for tickets (which are generally $15 each) call 1-888-fringeNYC/212-279-4488 or go to fringenyc.org.
A is for aardvark, a story about famous last words, awkward first kisses, and poorly behaved parents. A heartwarming tale guaranteed to delight anyone who was raised in a cage, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, THE STUDIO, Cherry Lane Theater, 38 Commerce St., through Aug. 29, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
The adams conglomerate high school drama club presents: tales of the 8th grade!!!, follow the fictional adventures of five teenage girls as they experience friendship, love, death, smoking, sex, shoplifiting, pedophilia, kidnapping, basketball…you know, high school stuff, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, THE PLAYER’S THEATER, 115 MacDougal St., through Aug. 28, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
Africa & plumbridge, troubled teen meets her fairy-godmother and becomes Cinderella in this life-affirming musical based on a true story, a cast of 16 sing a score featuring rock, opera, soul & soaring ballads in this musical fit for the whole family, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, THE PLAYERS THEATER, 115 MacDougal St., through Aug. 29, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
All the help you need: the adventures of a hollywood handyman, a hilarious and frightening autobiographical one-man show by Tim Ryan, a NY actor hires himself out as a jack-of-all-trades in Hollywood, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, ACCESS THEATER, 380 Broadway, 4th fl., through Aug. 28, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
Alphabet city II, a new series of monologues based on East Village interviews that spotlight the vital history and present diversity of the Lower East Side, METROPOLITAN PLAYHOUSE, 220 E. Fourth St., through Aug. 28, 8 p.m., Aug. 29, 7 p.m., $10-$20, 212-995-5302.
The awesome 80’s prom, a new interactive theater piece in the style of Tony & Tina’s Wedding & the Donkey Show, a unique experience that brings you back to the time when movies featured Molly Ringwald, where the audience picks the winners, WEBSTER HALL, 125 E. 11th St., Fri., 8 p.m., through Aug., $25 plus two drink min., 212-868-4444.
Black martian, a Haitian-American, in search of identity, trips over himself encountering psycho cooks, bible-toting street “playas” and knife-wielding Italian women, journey through 3 countries and 15 chracters in this coming-of-age one-man show based on a ture story, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, THE NEXT STAGE, 312 W. 11th St., through Aug. 28, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
The black swan of trespass, a new, very intimate existential musical theater piece based on the creation of the hoax poet Em Malley, combining elements of multimedia, live music, puppetry and a wicked sense of the theatrical, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, MAP PENTHOUSE THEATER, 42 Ann St., through Aug. 28, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
Blood of the bear, tells the story of a seventeen-year old William Faulkner, future Nobel laureate in literature, who embarks on an annual deer hunt that quickly becomes a contest with the crafty and elusive bear Reelfoot, WORKSHOP THEATER, 312 W. 36th St., Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 7 p.m., through Aug. 28, $10-$15, 212-695-4173.
BlUE MAN GROUP: TUBES, a multi-faceted and unique performance by silent and blue-faced iconoclasts and actors/ dancers/musicians, ASTOR PL. THEATER, 434 Lafayette St., open-ended run, Tue.-Thur., 8 p.m., Fri., 7 & 10 p.m., Sat., 4, 7 & 10 p.m., Sun., 2, 5 & 8 p.m., $55-$65, 254-4370.
Bright day, during a presidential re-election campaign, Richard Nixon plans to stop at upstate New York’s liberal Hartwick College while a professor of 18th century poetry tries to incite his students to protest the occasion like he did in the 60’s, causing problems when four hippies spike Nixon’s water with LSD, BANK STREET THEATER, 155 Bank St., Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., through Aug. 29, $15, 212-868-4444.
Browntown, these days, every brown actor is wondering, “Should I even audition for that terrorist role?” What will Omar, Malek, and Vijay do when put to the test? Who are the hostages and who are the hijackers in the entertainment industry?, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, THE LUCILLE LORTEL THEATER, 121 Christopher St., through Aug. 28, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
Bug, a dark comedy exploring themes of isolation & delusion, about residents of a motel who are visited by mysterious strangers, haunted by events from their pasts, and attacked by bugs, BARROW STREET THEATER, 27 Barrow St., Tue.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sat.-Sun., 3 p.m., Sun., 7:30 p.m., open ended after a successful first run, $35-$60, 212-243-6200.
The chair, How far would you go for your boss? How far would your boss go for you? Two women draw blood as the line between them snaps and they find no matter what their choices as women, they must still choose, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, THE SPOTLIGHT LOUNGE, Pace University, 13 Spruce St., through Aug. 28, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
The cosmic calamities of henry noodle: a sci-fi musical comedy adventure, join lovable loser Henry Noodle on a raucous romp around the galaxy where you’ll encounter psychotic Venutians, horny alien vixens, and wild, infectious polka beats, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, THE SCHAEBERLE STUDIO THEATER, Pace University, 41 Park Row, 12th fl., through Aug. 28, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
De la guarda, the off Broadway, death defying sensation where gravity is not an option continues its succesful run, DARYL ROTH THEATER, 20 Union Square East, at 15th St., Tue.-Fri., 8 p.m., Fri., 10:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun., 7 p.m., Sat., 10 p.m., final performance will be held on Sep. 12 at 7 p.m., $20-$55, 212-239-6200.
4A: a hot summer piece, a production where what you least expect to happen does, featuring eight actors from ThiS Theater Company, an ensemble with a common vision dedicated to bringing works that capture & excite us to productions that live in each moment, CONNELLY THEATER, 220 E. Fourth St., Thu.-Mon., 8 p.m., Sun., 7 p.m., through Aug., $15, 212-581-3836.
From my hometown, a rags to riches celebration of the American dream in classic rhythm & blues about three young men just off the bus with a song on their lips, style in their steps and big dreams in their hearts of performing at the world famous Apollo Theater, GRAMERCY THEATER, 127 E. 23rd St., Mon.-Sat., 8 p.m., Wed. & Sat., 2:30 p.m., through Aug., $21-$66, 212-777-4900.
Hair of the dog, the theater company presenting two new comedies: “Secret Bridesmaid’s Business,” in which several perceptive bridesmaids uncover seemingly damning evidence of an affair between the fiance and another one of their female intimates on the night before the wedding and “The John Wayne Principle,” in which an anti-establishment trust-fund kid lands at the top of a multi-national company and must do battle with his conscience and a rapacious sister, OHIO THEATER, 66 Wooster St., opening Sep. 7 & 8 respectively, call for specific schedule of performances, $15-25, 212-352-3101.
Hospital, a show with four episodes, each one running for two weeks, where the audience comes face-to-face with a man in a deep, terminal coma, travelling along with him on his last few days in the dark interiors of his own brain, THE AXIS THEATER, One Sheridan Square, Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., through Aug. 28, $5-$10, 212-807-9300.
I love paris, “Paris Hilton,” played by Kevin Shinick, makes her stage debut in a one man show which captures an intimiate moment with the world renowned socialite as she prepares to audition for the fifth co-seat of the ABC daytime television show “The View,” BLUE HERON ARTS CENTER, 123 E. 24th St., Mon., 8 p.m., through Aug. 30, $20, 212-868-4444.
Jesus & mandy, in the bubblegum 70s, Jesus is on a collision course with depression and his only hope is a recently deceased, plucky pre-teen and her imaginary friends, this black comedy proves the after-life can be a super-cool place, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, THE STUDIO, Cherry Lane Theater, 38 Commerce St., through Aug. 28, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
Le scandal, a unique blend of neo-burlesque and vaudeville, with a touch of downtown edge and a dash of Coney Island, a mix of striptease, sideshow acts and performance art, THE CUTTING ROOM, 19 W. 24th ST., Sat., 10:30 p.m., open ended, $20, 212-868-4444.
The life and times of a wonder woman, meet the high-kicking, villain-flooring, superheroine inside every woman; Amazonian princess, 50s comic-book heroine, 70s TV icon-this woman is forever, part of the NYC Fringe Festival 2004, THE PUFFIN ROOM, 435 Broome St., through Aug. 29, call for performance times, $15, 1-888-FringeNYC.
The marijuana-logues, three comics riff on the rites & rituals of pot & regale the crowd with the highs & lows of Marijuana, an intense exploration of this oft-taboo but tittilating topic, THE ACTOR’S PLAYHOUSE, 100 Seventh Ave. South, Tue.-Sat., 8 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 10 p.m., Sun., 4:20 p.m., open ended, $20-$55, 212-239-6200.
Medea in jerusalem, Roger Kirby updates Euripedes’ classic to modern day Jerusalem and tranforms the main character into a Muslim and her husband into a Jew in order to examine passion & alienation. In this new interpretation, the playwright removes the safety net of time, breathing new life into the classic themes of passion, rage, revenge & pride, RATTLESTICK PLAYWRIGHTS THEATER, 224 Waverly Place, Tue.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sat.-Sun., 3 p.m., through Sep. 4, $35, 212-868-4444.
Metropolitan operas, a play with music that explores the flight of life from the creation of ourselves, through the journeys we take to our passing into the next world, consisting of 10 vignettes that reveal how life can be tragic but in opera beautiful, WINGS THEATER, 154 Christopher St., Wed.-Mon., 8 p.m., Sun., 2 & 7 p.m., opens Sep. 9, $19, 212-627-2971.
Mrs. farnsworth, a very proper and well educated Connecticut wife and mother signs up for a writing course with the intent of penning a tell all book about our current president with whom she has shared a shady past, THE FLEA THEATER, 41 White St., Wed.-Sat., 7 p.m., Wed. & Sat., 3 p.m., through Sep. 4, call for ticket prices, 212-352-3102.
Musically speaking: the world of bill solly, a cast of two men and two women guide us through the musical life of Bill Solly, a composer/lyricist from Canada/London/New York City, whose beautifully crafted melodies take us through love, laughter, heartache and loss – all with an unlimited optimism, THE DUPLEX, 61 Christopher St., Mon., 9 p.m., Tue., 7 p.m., through Aug., $10 plus 2 drink min., 212-255-5438.
