“Freefall Frostbite” at the New York International Fringe Festival at the Ellen Stewart Theatre – La MaMa
“Freefall Frostbite” at the New York International Fringe Festival at the Ellen Stewart Theatre – La MaMa Written by Michael Fixel with Music by Marc Irwin and Michael Fixel Directed by Juliet Fixel Reviewed by David Roberts Theatre Reviews Limited
Falling from grace often results in disaster as does the freefall from reaching too far beyond one’s capabilities or corporeal limits. Whether these limits are other-imposed (the gods, or a particular monotheistic god) or self-imposed, they are boundaries that come with sanctions: eat the wrong fruit and get expelled from paradise; fly too close to the sun and bank on a fiery freefall. Set up a financial scheme that sends your family and friends into poverty (while you and your staff cavort about the office) and expect to serve serious time. Send the ninety-nine percent a-begging in the park and expect a frosty global response.
These post-the-Fall themes tumble about in Michael Fixel’s “Freefall Frostbite” with limited success. The large cast scrambles (literally) to make sense of the esoteric and often dense verse text so they might enable the audience to connect to the musical in some meaningful way. We all want some sense of home now and in some real or imagined post-mortem future. Depending on our place in line or our place around a lighted (not fiery) oil drum, that sense of home is quite different: home might be where the heart is or it might be no more than an “underwater mortgage.”
“Freefall Frostbite’s” young cast delivers a respectable ensemble performance: the Homeless (appropriately nameless and numbered 1 through 6) fare better than those privileged to be in Line. One standout performance is delivered by Jim Dadosky, a recent transplant to New York City from North Carolina, who clearly understands his character The Scholar and provides the best transition from Line to Homeless. In fact, Mr. Dadosky would have been a far better choice for the lead role of Steven. All nineteen perform the show’s pedestrian choreography well and under Juliet Fixel’s uneven direction do their best to prevent a fate of dramatic freefall.
FREEFALL FROSTBITE
“Freefall Frostbite” is presented by The New York International Fringe Festival, Parallel Universe, and Theater Resources.
All performances of “Freefall Frostbite” take place at on the following schedule: Friday August 9th at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday August 10th at 2:00 p.m.; Sunday August 11th at 9:45 p.m.; and Monday August 12th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $18.00 at the door and $15.00 for advance purchase. The running time is 2 hours. For more information about the show visit www.paralleluniversetheaterresources.com For more information about the 17th Annual New York Fringe Festival visit www.FringeNYC.org.
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Sunday, August 11, 2013
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