Bezinkule

Written and Performed by Christopher Rozzi
Directed by Tasha Gordon-Solmon

What a wild ride! As the lights come up, Christopher Rozzi appears in an outlandish, foppish outfit (first laugh) He introduces himself as the hologram of a mad scientist named Dr. Lawrence Fishburn (second laugh). From there on, through a series of black-outs, he proceeds to tell us a story of multiple dimensions and a quest for a never-explained magical object, the Bezinkule.

Dr. Fishburn must conquer monsters, tame giant baby-men and trek through dark caves; predicament after predicament, each more ridiculous than the next. Christopher Rozzi is an eloquent and mad storyteller with a wonderful physicality. He creates these worlds with only his words and his gaze. The writing is inspired. I laughed at his tiny gestures, and his subtle asides.

I do wonder if this is fits in a clown festival. It hovers there, because of the imagination of the performer, but Dr. Fishburn seldom connected to his audience. The few times he did, it was even more engaging. After a while I wanted him to stay in one place to get truly into trouble, instead of running off to the next far-fetched and far-flung dimension.

Two small disappointments:

1) after conquering the monster and saving the people, Dr. Fishburn never got the Bezinkule! We still do not know what it is! An unfulfilled promise.

2) Mr. Rozzi did not come out for a curtain call. We all wanted to give him our applause and appreciation, which would have been loud and long.

Odyssey Schmodyssey

Created and performed by Hew Parham

Hew Parham has come all the way from Australia to debut his one-man mythology. As Schmoo, he presents us with the story of his birth and his hero's journey. He is hampered by a monstrous, powerful enemy, and by his own fears. He comes through his tribulations to the strains of, and on a raft made of...Nana Mouskouri!

Hew plays all the parts, switching seamlessly from a baby to a beast. Hugh is one of the best practitioners of what of what I want to call "illuminated gibberish," that I have ever seen. This is ranting in gibberish with occasional recognizable words. Hugh can do it in French or with a Scottish accent! He is also an eloquent physical performer, so his body tells the story a much as his wonderful chatter.

There are no easy gags, few familiar routines. Schmoo will charm you with his deep love of a feather, and scare you with the deep growls of the monstrous Oog, but most of all he will make you laugh at his antics and original dilemmas.

I could have wished that Hew had given us a bit of time and breath to catch up to his rapid fire imagination. And that he had taken his eyes off the feather a bit more to let us see him. But all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey!

There is only one more chance to see Odyssey Schmodyssey--Sunday, 9/11 at 5 pm.

Flocked

Created and Performed by Audrey Crabtree and Gabriela Muñoz
Directed by Hilary Chaplain
Costumes by Valentina Muñoz with Adriana Sarda

Mix two birds, two cages, dancing, singing, flying and fighting and two talented clowns and you get--"Flocked." Audrey Crabtree and Gabriela Muñoz have created a funny and thoughtful look at the uneasy relationship between neighbors. As they mention in the description of the show, they sort out their differences and learn to live together.

This basic story, of two individuals who start out suspicious of one another, undergo adversity together and find a friendship (or love), has been played, written and filmed many times. "Flocked" feels fresh because it adds the dimension of the cultural clash between the US and Mexico. I wanted to see that conflict enrich their interactions even more!

Audrey's character is big, haughty, sexy and messy. Gabriela's little birdie is flamboyant, fidgety. She adorns her cage with flowers, and a piñata. Their competition builds, each asking the audience for approval.

This is a great beginning--I look forward to the development of "Flocked," as Crabtree and Munoz delve deeper into the material with the able direction of Hilary Chaplain.

I loved these birds, they are more amusing than the budgies in my kitchen.

2011 Amuse Bouche Clown Theater Festival Opens with a Cabaret

The lively LeRoi Sister were out hosts. Their dance numbers, made the intervals amusing, and their competitive relationship gave us lots of laughs.

We were treated to tantalizing tidbits of all the upcoming shows in the Festival. Each one was full of fun and made me eager to see the whole thing.

Have a look at the festival website for a list of shows.

http://www.bricktheater.com/