Halifax Fringe Day #2

I had another fantastic day at The Halifax Fringe. 

My day began once again at the Neptune Theatre Scotiabank Studio Theatre, this time for Speaking Vibrations created by a collective from Ottawa made up of Carmelle Cachero, Jordan Samonas, Jo-Anne Bryan, and King Kimbit.  

This show explores a wide range of diasporic and intersectional identities, and through movement, dance, American Sign Language, spoken word, hiphop, music, and percussion the four performers take us on a journey of finding ways to connect and communicate with one another when this is a challenge. How can we connect with someone who is Deaf if we don’t understand ASL? How can we truly understand where someone is coming from if we aren’t familiar with their culture, their specific lived experience, or if we don’t understand how their minds and bodies work differently from ours? How can folks communicate honestly when the majority in their community always see them as being “other.” 

Speaking Vibrations’ Accessibility is built right into the show; it is made specifically to be inclusive, especially for audience members who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. There are special vibrotactile devices available at the shows as well for anyone who needs one. From the perspective of someone who is not Deaf, I found the show extremely captivating. I loved the way that the focus of the scenes were often on two of the performers interacting with one another, showing how we are constantly maneuvering around one another, often hoping for some kind of kinship, but often encountering shocks and prickles instead. 

The audience can physically feel the joy and the swell of energy when the artists are able to perform in unison with one another, especially with the tap dancing, which works so beautifully as something that can be seen, heard, and/or felt. Speaking Vibrations has been carefully constructed for folks to be able to experience it in their own unique ways. For me it highlighted the ways we have been conditioned by society to do the bare minimum and to expect that our good intentions will be enough. Building bridges takes patience, and time, commitment, and often real hard work. But in the end it is beautifully worth it. 

TWISI Fringe Rating: Two Thumbs Up

Speaking Vibrations plays at the Neptune Theatre Scotiabank Studio (1589 Argyle Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia) at the following times. 

September 2nd: 8:30pm

September 3rd: 1:00pm.

I enjoyed Joel Diamond’s play An Angel in India, which plays at the Neptune Theatre Imperial Studio. Diamond plays Patrick, a grieving father, who is struggling to stay afloat in his life after a devastating accident has shattered his world. He is in Mexico trying to escape from his life, but his life keeps popping up on zoom and on his ringing cell phone regardless of how much he tries to hide from it. Amid the phone calls Patrick ends up making a connection with someone absolutely unexpected. I loved the over-all conceit of this play. I love the way that it played with language: the Spanish backdrop of Mexico, Francophone Patrick who mostly speaks English to communicate with others, but for whom French continually slips out too. I loved the ending. It is very difficult for an actor to play largely to a screen, either on the phone or on the computer, but Diamond has great command of the stage, and really does well to set up the high stakes for this emotionally intense character. When Fabien Melanson comes on as Richard near the end of the play the two have a nice chemistry together, which gives us a little glimpse into what Patrick’s real life looked like before. 

I think there’s room to play with the pacing of how Patrick’s relationship with his new friend develops, even if that means making the play a bit longer. I was curious what it would look like if it took a bit more time for the two of them to trust one another, and for them to confide in one another. How might the friend keep Patrick on the phone at first in a way that is less immediately vulnerable? I appreciated the realism involved in the telephone dynamics, as to whether Patrick was on speaker phone and we could hear his friend’s voice, or whether he had his ear buds in or was talking directly into the phone, and then we couldn’t hear the friend’s voice, but I preferred to hear the friend’s side of the conversation, not just for clarity, but it also provided a nice additional dynamic to the show.

Overall, I found that this play hits on a lot that I’ve found to be true about grief in a charming and creative way. 

An Angel in India plays at the Neptune Theatre Imperial Studio (1589 Argyle Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia) at the following times:

September 2: 6:30pm

September 3: 6:00pm

September 5: 9:45pm

September 6: 9:00pm 

Next I went to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia to see A Monster’s Journey, created by Laura Stinson, Rachel Lloyd, and Noella Murphy. This musical puppet adventure seems to be ideal for those between four and eight years old, or, perhaps especially, those between four and eight years old at heart. 

The story centres on Goober Monster, played by Rooks Field-Green, who has a very important job at the Office of Order. He is given a special quest from his Boss to save their town from angry emotions that cause fighting and biting amongst monsters. Along the way Goober begins to doubt whether his mission is a wise one. Could feeling big emotions turn out to be a superpower after all? 

The set by Ian MacFarlane, the puppets by Laura Stinson, and the costumes are truly magical. The Boss Monster puppet, and the way that Stinson manipulates him, is children’s television program worthy, as is the adorable Lowry, keeper of the water supply. The way the set grows an enchanted forest is so charming. There’s also a very large puppet with a very life-like snout, and moment after moment that is filled with delightful surprises. 

Rooks Field-Green plays Goober with such a beautiful earnestness that we remain firmly on his side throughout the story, even if he is, at times, misguided. There are songs inter-spliced throughout the action, my favourite being the one that is most often repeated, where Goober reminds himself of the landmarks he must past in order to find Lowry and the town’s water supply. 

This show is absolutely a-rawr-able. I really hope some children find their way to the Art Gallery to join Goober on his adventure!

A Monster’s Journey plays at The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (1723 Hollis Street) at the following times:

September 2: 6:00pm

September 3: 4:15pm

TWISI Fringe Rating: Two Thumbs Up

I finished off the evening at Man Crush Monday, which unfortunately was a One Night Only event at the Fringe, but don’t fret, if you missed it, you can also catch this Drag King Series at Grafton Street Dinner Theatre. 

The evening was hosted by Colin Sick and it featured a huge array of local Drag Kings. I’ve obviously been living under a Covid rock for three and a half years because I was astonished by how many amazing Drag Kings we have here. 

All the Kings are experts at lip syncing, and they all have fun, sexy, well choreographed numbers that really pumped up the crowd at the Neptune Studio Theatre and inspired many to break out their wallets and throw a tip in the butterfly net. There were a few especially memorable moments including both Mike Hunt and Richard Rockhard’s live singing performances. I loved watching the way Asylum Jack can work a crowd by doing relative subtle movements, but oozing stage presence. I marvelled over Clark Kunt’s specificity.  I was charmed by ADHDick, and entirely entranced by Vincent St. Grace, but Sunny Daye and Timothy Shivers absolutely blew my mind. Sunny Daye’s performance was such a weird mixture of the innocent and the lewd. At this Draglesque Circus, he is definitely the clown, but with so much charm and a twinkle of mischief that roots the audience firmly by their side. Timothy Shivers performed this absolutely perfectly choreographed number to “All I Care About (Is Love),” as sung by Richard Gere as Billy Flynn in the film version of Chicago. When it was over I wanted to rewind it immediately and watch it again. Colin Sick was a fantastic host, warm and funny, and good at keeping the momentum of the evening moving. 

I always love ending at least one of my evenings at Fringe with a Drag Show, and I’m stoked that I got to see an entire evening of Drag Kings this year. I will absolutely be venturing out to Grafton Street Dinner Theatre sometime to catch Man Crush Monday some other time! 

TWISI Fringe Rating: Two Thumbs Jump

Halifax Fringe runs from August 31st to September 10th, 2023 in a myriad of venues throughout the Downtown and the North End of Halifax. For more information and to purchase all your tickets please visit this website. Masks are mandatory again this year inside all Halifax Fringe spaces. For more information about accessibility at the various venues please check out the 2023 Program Guide here.

You can follow Halifax Fringe on Facebook. Instagram. TikTok.

A Note On TWISI Fringe Ratings:

I have never liked rating Fringe shows, or any shows, using the 5 Star system as I have done in the past, so this year I’m doing something new. From now on I will just be highlighting what I think are 4 or 5 Star Fringe Shows. A Two Thumbs Up Rating equals roughly to 4 Stars, while A Two Thumbs Jump Rating equals 5 Stars. I have stolen (with permission) “Two Thumbs Jump” from my friend Lenny Clayton, who is awesome, as she has used it in her film reviews in the past.