Review: San Diego’s Fringe fest is smaller and harder to find this year, but some shows sparkle

The San Diego Worldwide Fringe Pageant returned this month after a two-year pandemic break, however many native theatergoers might have missed its arrival.

This yr’s fest, with simply 25 reveals, is a fraction of its previous dimension, and outside signal and tent guidelines in Balboa Park have made it arduous for passers-by to identify its vibrant signage. But regardless of these challenges, the modern, indie spirit of the Fringe lives on with a number of well-conceived and unique new reveals, lots of them written and carried out by San Diego artists.

The pageant runs by way of Sunday with online-only ticket gross sales ($10) at sdfringe.org. Under are some temporary opinions and suggestions of what to see on the Fringe.

Paco Erhard: ‘Worst. German. Ever’

Union-Tribune columnist David L. Coddon may have extra on Paco Erhard and his solo stand-up comedy present in his Artwork & Tradition E-newsletter this week, however I’m singling out Erhard for my favourite present of the fest, to date.

Erhard’s hourlong set focuses on his pointed and hilarious observations of the variations between Germans and People, primarily based on his time dwelling within the American bible belt as a highschool change scholar and his very German private devotion to order, punctuality, recycling and high-speed driving. His present present is all new to U.S. audiences, so it’s altering day by day primarily based on viewers response.

Critic’s choose. Remaining reveals: 9 p.m. tonight. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, 2130 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park

Terri Park and Reegan Ray in “Castaways” on the 2022 San Diego Worldwide Fringe Pageant.

(Michael Prine)

‘Castaways’

This tragicomedy by San Diego playwright-producer Liz Coley is surprisingly shifting, due to a robust efficiency by Terri Park as “Ginger,” a delusion senior lady who lives in a reminiscence care middle.

Ginger believes she’s the film star character Ginger Grant on the Sixties TV collection “Gilligan’s Island,” the place she thinks she’s nonetheless marooned. Her companion is “Mary Ann,” a fellow resident who believes she’s the TV present’s farmgirl character Mary Ann Summers. Reegan Ray performs Mary Ann as a loyal pal who performs together with Ginger’s delusions and infrequently slips into the island reverie.

The early scenes and finale of “Castaways” are performed for laughs, with the ladies interacting with one another, a pale of male nurse-attendants (Michael Rodriguez performs each) and a kindly physician (John Tessmer). However the play’s coronary heart, performed with figuring out perception by Park, is how frightened Ginger turns into when her dementia triggers emotions of confusion, abandonment, betrayal and despair. Will Erickson directs the 50-minute manufacturing.

9 p.m. Tuesday. 4 p.m. Wednesday. Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater

Gabriela Sosa in “Love within the Time of Taksim on the 2022 San Diego Inernational Fringe Pageant.

(Michael Prine)

Gabriela Sosa: ‘Love within the Time of Taksim’

This multilingual, Panamian-born writer and filmmaker stars on this comedian solo play impressed by her e-book of the identical title. It’s about her early Nineteen Nineties crush on former Vice President Al Gore, and the way her plan to stalk him at a local weather change summit in Istanbul, Turkey, was foiled by road protests and an surprising love affair together with her Turkish information.

The writing within the 60-minute play is descriptive, attention-grabbing and amusing nevertheless it most likely comes throughout a lot better on the web page than the stage. In its present format, it feels extra like an illustrated TED Speak than a full-bodied theatrical expertise.

7:30 p.m. Friday. 4 p.m. Saturday. Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater

‘On The Spectrum’

Mom-and-son actor-singers Marybeth and Blaize Berry co-wrote and star on this musicalized true story of how their lives have been formed by the Blaize’s autism and the demise of his father from most cancers. It options songs by Alex LeFevre and course by Tyrie Okay. Rowell.

The hourlong drama particulars how the center school-age Blaize suffers by way of bullying and loneliness at college, how he and his mother wrestle to attach and her emotions of guilt and grief. The story is unique, sincere and insightful, nevertheless it may simply be shortened by quarter-hour. The pre-recorded bully taunts, the songs, the poetry studying and the mom-and-son photograph slide present all really feel too lengthy.

4 p.m. at present. Centro Cultural de la Raza, 2004 Park Blvd., Balboa Park

ACE Theatrics performs a scene from “Hamlet” on the 2022 San Diego Worldwide Fringe Pageant.

(Michael PRine)

Advertisement

Exhibits I’m additionally intrigued by

I haven’t gotten to those but, however they give the impression of being and sound promising from what I’ve seen in preview performances and opinions from my colleagues.

• “Ha Ha Da Vinci”: This quirky present by tuba player-illusionist Phina Pipia is about about time journey, magic and the “Mona Lisa.” She has good vitality and stage presence, and I used to be intrigued to see extra. 4 p.m. Tuesday. 4 p.m. Friday. 1 p.m. Saturday. Centro Cultural de la Raza
• “Hamlet”: New child ACE Theatrics, a troupe product of former and present SDSU theater college students, is doing a 60-minute “Hamlet” that’s options trendy dance and motion and Viking-style tribal make-up and rituals. It appears recent and attention-grabbing. 9 p.m. Friday. 6 p.m. Sunday. Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre
• “Flip Me On, Useless Man”: Phillip Magin’s new play is in regards to the supposed conspiracy behind the Beatles’ backward recording of “Paul is Useless” on the Beatles’ “White Album.” Appeared promising and well-staged in a preview 7:30 p.m. at present. 6 p.m. Thursday. 4 p.m. Friday. 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre
• “Are You Lovin’ It?”: This zany comedian theater duo from Osaka, Japan, returns to Fringe with a bizarre and wild present that seems to be a few Japanese businessman and his costumed assistant making an attempt to persuade individuals to both put money into or purchase “wholesome” meals at a McDonald’s rip-off chain. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. 9 p.m. Thursday. 6 p.m. Saturday. Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre
• “Shelter, a One-Lady Present”: Getting back from the 2019 Fringe fest, Renee Westbrook of San Diego is as soon as once more presenting her solo monologue “Shelter” on the horrifying and lonely time she briefly spent dwelling on the streets in L.A. and the individuals she met. 4 p.m. at present. 6 p.m. Tuesday. Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre
• Teatro San Diego New Works!: I’ve heard rave opinions on this program of two one-act items: “Physique Speak,” a collection of vignettes that tells tales with the physique by Clinton Sherwood and “The Dropout: The Unofficial Musical” by Victoria Matlock Fowler. 9 p.m. at present. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Centro Cultural de la Raza
• “The Pandemusical Diaries”: San Diego actor William BJ Robinson has written a parody musical set to the rating of “Hamilton” the place he rewrote the lyrics to explain his two years of isolation and self-doubt in the course of the pandemic. From the preview, it seemed artistic and humorous. 9 p.m. Wednesday. 4 p.m. Thursday. Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre