As you know, I’m covering the Fringe for RochesterSubway.com, my favorite local website. Saturday, however, was designated for me as “no work day.” Instead, my friend and improv partner Laura and I had tickets for several shows and we were going to spend the day just hanging out. It was raining, so I left the camera in the car and didn’t take the notebook out once.
The good news is that we had a blast – I mean, a really rip roaring good time. The bad news is that I have no photos to show you of the shows we saw. So you’ll have to just close your eyes and imagine …
We started out at at Blackfriars Theater for Thank You Kiss Presents Tender Gestures, featuring Marc D’Amico, Megan Mack, John Forrest Thompson, and Beth Winslow. It’s super funny, super smart, super polished sketch comedy. I’ve taken classes with Megan Mack and John Forrest Thompson, but this was the first time I’ve seen the perform. I’m really grateful that we have so much great talent in Rochester, and that they’re willing to share it with us. Thank You Kiss performs again Tuesday 9/22 at 9 PM at Blackfriars Theater. Definitely put that one on your calendar.
We grabbed burgers on Gibbs Street, and walking over to the Spiegelgarden we ran into Alexander Morgan, who does the music for the Cabinet of Wonders show at the Rochester Fringe Festival. You know that I’ve been gushing a bit about him since I saw the show the other day. He was with Heidi Morgan, who along with her husband Matt created the show, and two of the performers, Goulia Pivaral and Sasha Pivaral.
Because Alexander and I are now like, besties and everything (on Facebook, anyway), I stopped to introduce myself in person, give him a hug, and then proceeded to gush yet again to the whole group about how much I enjoyed the show. While my write up about what’s happening at the Spiegelgarden won’t post at Rochester Subway until Monday or Tuesday, I’ll tell you what I told them: The show is breathtaking. The music and acrobatics are achingly beautiful. Even the comedy, which is hilarious, is simply gorgeous in that venue setting. It’s two hours of smart, sassy entertainment in the stunning Spiegeltent, and if you’re looking for a way to really experience Fringe, check it out. The show runs daily in the Spiegeltent (times here). Here’s a taste of what you’ll see:
You know what? Since you guys know that I’m not a professional photographer, here are a few more pics that I snapped that night, which quality-wise won’t make it to the Rochester Subway website but will give you a taste of the show.
Anyway, I should have taken a selfie with the group, but I’m not huge on selfies. Plus, I was blabbing away in the middle of the intersection and they were trying to be polite without getting hit by a car. Here, how about a photo I took a few minutes later on Gibbs Street, of this guy with a groundhog on his shoulder? You don’t see that everyday on the streets of Rochester.
I also ran into my friends from the Mystery Company, doing a promo for their show, Murder By MacGuffin. My other improv partner Don is in the show, which you can catch on Friday 9/25 and Saturday 9/26.
Laura and I (and everyone else, it seems) trudged in the rain over to Geva to see Estrofest. These ladies of comedy – Dresden Engle, Andrea Holland, Norma Holland, Allison Roberts, and Freyda Schneider – had everyone in stitches with their sketches, including “Real Housewives of Rochester”, along with a lot of video. There are shows today, 9/20, Thursday 9/24, and Saturday 9/26.
We checked out Nuts & Bolts improv, which was lots of fun. The group consisted of six guys and a girl doing short form games, and was hosted by Rich Caniglia. It’s spontaneous fun, heavy on the audience input and, if I’m being honest, a lot of guy humor 0r maybe it just seemed that way after Estrofest.
We also got to see one of Rochester’s best improv groups perform a really unique show. Unleashed! Improv Presents: Other People’s Shows was an hour of, well, everybody else’s shows. They had the audience pick a show from the Fringe guide and then they performed their interpretation of what they thought the show was. I was literally laughing so hard I was crying. And just when I thought I had it under control, they set me off again. The group includes Kerry Young and Abby DeVuyst, who also bring you Hot Tub: The Musical; Bushwacked; and Dashboard Diaries, running throughout the festival.
Unfortunately, this was your only chance to see Other People’s Shows. See what you missed? Don’t let that happen again. Check out the Fringe guide for hundreds of other great shows taking place all week. Tonight, there’s a Pedestrian Drive In at the Spiegelgarden, showing “The Blind Side” under the stars.
The movie starts at 7:30 and it’s free. Seating is first come, first served.
Today, I’m headed to Writers & Books to see Left For Dead improv at 1 PM. They’re just back from traveling to two comedy festivals in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. If you’re looking for something fun to do this afternoo, feel free to join us!
And be sure to visit RochesterSubway.com for lots of great local news and events coverage, including my review of the Remote Rochester event, which might must change your life a little bit.
You can find links to all of my posts from the Fringe here.
Notes From The Funny Farm 