My Own Private Fringe Show

I was the only one in the audience. There were more people on stage than in the seats. I was outnumbered. But THREE (whose title's meaning still escapes me) was well worth the awkwardness of being the only one to see their premiere performance. And, upon further reflection, perhaps it was even apropos given what the show exposed. The troupe presented a complex, layered production that masterfully used projection and other theatrical effects to expose our multimedia world and the demise of the text. Script and action echoed, layering multiple representations, multiplying meaning, or losing it. I didn't think it was possible to create such fragmentation and layering in a live theatrical piece, but they did it. What does it mean to live today? Does what we say really matter? When reality is so exposed through Internet media, what do our words and actions mean anymore? -- Curious to ask yourself these questions? Go see THREE.

On Friday, I went to see How to Survive an Existential Crisis. I went because I had been intrigued by the preview at the Fringe-For-All. I was disappointed. Jake Smith bombarded the audience with a heap of cliches related to existentialism, all while in his underwear and bathrobe. There were great little moments of original writing and a lovely guitar song, but otherwise the show was lacking. I'm not sure if there were technical difficulties, but the lighting effects were just downright weird. All in all, I'd advise against this show, spend your $10 elsewhere.