Orlando FringeWinter Mini-Fest lets viewers set the schedule
LindsayTaylorwants people to knowthat Orlando Fringe is there for them.
I caught up withTaylor, who became the Fringe’s producer in summer 2019, to talk about the 2021Winter Mini-Fest, which opens Thursday, Jan. 7. Nearly all of the mini-fest’s shows will be recorded— but Fringe fans can gather towatch them communally.
“The goalwas honestly to keep Fringe in people’s minds, to know we’re still doing things to cater to people’s comfort levels,” Taylor said. “Wewant people to feel included and don’twant anyone to miss out.”
To that end, Taylor designed a festival thatwouldmake recordings of the short comedies, musicals and other plays available to thosewhowant towatch from home. But for thosewho miss the camaraderie of a true festival, she alsowanted to provide amore social experience— whilemaking it as safe as possible amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The result: Nightly outdoor gatherings where people, masked and kept apart with physical distancing, canwatch the shows together on a big screen. Actually, the Fringewon’t even use a screen: The shows will be projected on the side of the Lowndes ShakespeareCenter. Food and drinks will also be available.
“It’s something fun where people could be together,” Taylor said, “something fun where people are outside.”
About80peoplewill be able towatch together-but-apart
nightly at the Shakespeare Center. Four of the festival’smore than20shows will be screened each night. Oneproduction will be performed live: BruceRyan Costella, whoperformed Fringe hit “Muttnik,” will present “AHappyAccident” onthemainFringe lawnin LochHavenPark. About 25 people will be able to attend each performance.
And if you’re looking for something Fringe-y, Costella’s showsounds as if it will fit the bill. Taylor described it as a “BobRoss horror story,” referring to the mild-mannered art instructorwhofound fame with a painting programon PBS. More generally, it’s a “darkly comedic look at art, obsession and expression.”
The recorded shows run the gamut, with the return of a few previous successes— such as Lily E. Garnett’s“War Paint,” a look at self-image, social conditioning and perceptions of beauty. But most productions arenew entries, including multiple shows by artistsnewto the Orlando Fringe.
German comedian Paco Erhard pokes fun at his nationality with his “5-Step Guide to Being German.” In “The Creepy Boys,” two unusual twins throwa birthday party that involves “possibly Satan. Probably cake.”
Not one but two shows
put a gay twist on Scripture. In BeeJayAubertin-Clinton’s “Judas,” we meet the great betrayer’s lover, while “The Fabulous King James Bible” fromOrlando’sNew Generation Theatrical takes a comedic look at the Britishmonarch’s revisions to the good book.
“We have a nice, diverse group of people,” Taylor said. “People will truly see shows by artists they enjoy that they haven’t seen before.”
Amongthose returning artists withnewshows areDKReinemer with intergalactic comedy “Lost in Space,” MartinDockery with a timely plea for intimacy during all this distancing in “RightNow,” the FourthWall Ensemble of “Fruit Flies Like a Banana” fame with family-friendly music and fun in “Fallen fromtheToybox” and the Japanese Theatre GroupGumbo, with its off-kilter brand of performance in “PeacefulHospital,” a story about quality of life.
“As always, Fringe is uncensored sowe’re not going to screen for content,” Taylor said of the recorded shows. “Butwe’re making sure they are high quality.”
The recordings will have closed captions, provided by the Fringe staff, and ideally will not look like the boringZoommeetings fromwhichwe are all trying to escape.
“I think people have
Zoomburnout,” Taylor said.“We’re encouraging people to be more creative.”
The FringeWinter MiniFest also includesVisual Fringe, with an online painting class aswell as an artist’s ghost story, and Kids’ Fringe, with online and in-person shows.
One big change: The Fringe— notorious for the strictness of its schedule andfirmno-latecomers policy— has thrownall that out the windowfor the online shows. Whenyou buy your ticket—$10 for an individual show, or $75 for a pass to all the shows — you canwatch whatever, whenever Jan. 7-14.
“You don’t have toworry about being late, you can do everything on your own time,” Taylor said. “We’re just so excited to have a dose of Fringe.”
Orlando Fringe Winter Mini-Fest
When: Jan. 7-10 Online: $10 per online show;$75towatch all online shows
In-person: $25 for a one-night ticket that includes three to fourshows and access to the food and drink in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center courtyard; $80 for a pod of four people
Info: orlandofringe.org