Thanks for checking out the LAFPI “tag team” blog, below, handed off each week from one interesting female playwright to another.
Who are they? Click Here
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Matt & Lilly Get Together
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHO: Lily Kerrigan
WHAT: Matt & Lilly Get Together
WHERE: Actors Company (The Little Theater), 916 N. Formosa Ave.
WHY: Because being trapped by a threesome is a great way to start a meet-cute and a Fringe show. Comedians Lily Kerrigan and “her straight boyfriend” Matthew Marcus deliver in tandem the hysterical history of their 10-year relationship, starting with a production of A Klingon Christmas Carol, his pining, the besmirching of Gaston’s (from Beauty and the Beast) name and Matt’s evolution beyond vanilla. Together they share stories from the deeply personal anecdote of Matt getting his testicles slapped accidentally by the third in a threesome to his mother’s “closeted” subtle homophobic remarks toward Lily’s bisexuality, a pant-less Pan ruining their scene at a Disney-themed dungeon party and so much more. The raunchy humor is sharp, fearless and honest.
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13964
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Bean vs. The Robots
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHAT: Bean vs. The Robots
WHERE: Hudson Theatres (Hudson Backstage) 6539 Santa Monica Boulevard
WHY: Grief, like space travel, thrusts you into the unfamiliar, where time and gravity cease to exist. You are invited (trapped) onto “Bean’s” spaceship and taken against your will into space and back through time. Worry not, intrepid space/time travelers! “Bean” will sing you sad little songs, chat with her keyboard (named Keyboard), flirt with her Evil Robot Boss, and of course, sing and make goo-goo eyes at “Elijah Woooooood.” Don’t make eye contact with her; you might fall in love. Midge Lema has crafted an immersive and sweet, tender, wistful sci-fi musical that catapults you through space, time and grief. “Bean” shares stories of redacted and redacted, her fascination with doors and feet, and songs about time vampires. This solo show taps into childlike nostalgia. It is a hilarious, sweet and an enjoyable evening of solo theater!
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13683
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: I Totally Would’ve Had a Threesome with You
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHO: Ellen Relac
WHAT: I Totally Would’ve Had a Threesome with You
WHERE: Actors Company (Other Space Theater), 916 N. Formosa Ave.
WHY: Because young adulthood is made of chaos, questionable life-choices and hormones. This is a teen comedy with a brain and heart. It navigates consent, trauma and the chaos of young adulthood with compassion, wit and precision. Every character has genuine emotional intelligence and depth, and the cast chemistry is electric. You can see the sparks. This funny, intelligent romp in the woods, directed by Ava Alexiades and penned by Ellen Relac, will take you on an emotional rollercoaster with heartfelt moments and a ton of laughs. A must-see at Fringe this year.
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13685
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: What Survives
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHO: Rachael Meyers
WHAT: What Survives
WHERE: The Broadwater (Second Stage), 6302 Santa Monica Bl
WHY: In the demographic mosaic of Los Angeles, ICE’s tendency to grab first and verify later has created fissures. This socio-political one-act drama centers on a community’s struggle to come to terms with the disappearance of 10-year-old Isabella from school, under her principal’s watch. Told through a series of vignettes that move as seamlessly as the props between scenes. It is an exploration of contemporary culture, accountability, and denialism through the interactions of an ensemble of 10. Writer/director Rachael Meyers has crafted a thoughtful narrative with stunning performances.
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/14386
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: ROAR!
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHO: Holly Shaw
WHAT: ROAR!
WHERE: Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre 5636 Melrose Ave
WHY: Holly Shaw, a writer, performer and comedian, asks us, “What happens when a loved one dies, but they won’t stop talking?” With that, away we go on a journey that is funny, emotional, spiritual – and, yes, a little bit spooky! Shaw shares the story of losing her father, who was her biggest fan but also, a real problem. Then she talks about the sudden death of her boyfriend later in life. Yet, another complicated relationship with lots unresolved. But her story suggests that there may be a way to get those much-needed conversations complete – with a very long distance connection.
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13398
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Inconceivable
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHO: Alice Cutler
WHAT: Inconceivable
WHERE: Actors Company (Other Space Theater), 916 N. Formosa Ave.
WHY: Actress and Comedian Alice Cutler’s show offers an extraordinarily honest, surprisingly funny and incredibly vulnerable examination of procreation. Anyone who has wanted to have children of their own will not only relate, but they will likely feel seen in the chapters of her story. Offering her perspective from a stand-up comic’s point of view allows for an especially fun ride even with such a serious subject. And she doesn’t shy away from letting us experience the struggle from her husband’s perspective, too. Her one-person show is so relevant, as Infertility affects about 11% of women of childbearing age in the United States.
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13398
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Bless This Jess
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHO: Jessica Erin Martin
WHAT: Bless This Jess
WHERE: The Broadwater (Black Box), 6322 Santa Monica Bl
WHY: This is a charming, funny, and deeply fascinating one-woman show that weaves together the true story of Joan of Arc with the writer’s own journey through mental health and wellness. Jessica Erin Martin is mesmerizing and moving; she delivers historical context and condemnation with no small amount of sass, then triumphantly concludes with what feels like a clarion call to listen to our own higher angels. This show is for history buffs, feminists, and tender hearts — a very funny and enjoyable evening of theater!
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13684
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: Mother
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHO: Christine Dickinson
WHAT: Mother
WHERE: Madnani Theater, 6760 Lexington Ave
WHY: Because the mother wound is deep. In “Mother,” the words said by Daughter to Mother on her last trip home have led to a fracture in their relationship – silence is the only response Daughter has received from her countless phone calls and texts to Mother. So Daughter explores the unique pain she is experiencing through recalling trauma studies on rats, and must handle life’s challenges and womanhood alone. Producer/playwright/actor Christine Dickinson has crafted a psychological thriller that questions what role we play in our ancestral line and the trauma we inherit.
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13347
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: The Master’s Piece
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHO: Narmar Hanna
WHAT: The Master’s Piece
WHERE: McCadden Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Place
WHY: Because sometimes you do something bad to get what you want, and it doesn’t turn out the way you wanted. Queen Lavinia, the fourth wife of King Augustus, knows the difference between a coincidence and a pattern – she has a strong since of self-preservation, and refuses to sit for her portrait, the common denominator that precipitated the mysterious deaths of her predecessors… something nefarious is afoot and it has to do with a little book. Writer/director/performer Narmar Hanna has created a hysterical historical high comedy with lots of twists. Because the chemistry and comedic timing of Narmar, and fellow cast members Amir Levi, Joe Clark, Steven Allerick and Sarah Haruko will leave you in stitches.
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13494
#FringeFemmes Check-Ins: In the Beginning
Quick peeks at #HFF26’s “Women on the Fringe” by Fringe Femmes who are behind the scenes this year. Click Here for all Check-Ins
WHO: Kylee Q Robinson
WHAT: In the Beginning
WHERE: Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Avenue
WHY: Good is good, and great is better than good. In the beginning, Adam was simple and Eve was advanced. God gave her the gift of critical thinking. Because what is good if you don’t know why? God the Father changes his wardrobe as often as he changes his mind. Eve doesn’t trust God’s marvelous plan, she deliberately makes “a bad choice.” Writer/director Kylee Q. Robinson explores heartfelt inquiry, family dynamics, and the divine through quippy lines that pack a punch with hand puppets and the first humans.
HOW: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13036
