A special Fringe workshop performance from The Bengsons.

NYC-based husband-wife duo, The Bengsons, are proud to be sharing this performance of choral music from their new mixed-media folk opera, The Proof. The Proof is the story of a young couple who face the sudden diagnosis of a terminal illness. With only a year to spend together, they decide to live 12 months as though they were the 60 years they feel they were owed, creating a world of rapidly changing seasons and tiny moments of stillness. This special Fringe performance will feature a selection of The Bengsons celebrated compositions and will feature THE FRINGE CHOIR, a collection of the finest singing talent of the Fringe and SW Ohio.

Catch another special performance from The Bengsons at the CityBeat Fringe Kick-Off Party on May 31st!

Visit The Bengsons website

Artist/Company Bio: The Bengsons are the best in vaudevillian indie folk and rising stars in the NYC experimental music and theater community. They have performed their original shows, performances pieces and original musicals, Ain't That Good News and The Magic Show: The Story of the Barefoot Angels, across the country and around the world. They have appeared to acclaim at such venues as Culture Project’s Women Center Stage (NYC), MASS MoCA (North Adams, MA), terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival at The Daryl Roth Theater (NYC), La MaMa E.T.C. (NYC), Dixon Place (NYC), BRIClab (Brooklyn, NY), The Flynn (Burlington, VT), Town Hall Theater (Middlebury, VT), The Thacher School (Ojai, CA), the Tijuana Christian Orphanage (Tijuana, Mexico) and the Market Theater (Johannesburg, South Africa). The Bengsons are also activists and teachers, who have taught students in NYC's public schools and Cambodian immigrants in Massachusetts, as well as internationally, including at the Market Theater Lab of Johannesburg, ZA, the Tijuana Christian Orphanage of Tijuana, Mexico, and ASAPROSA, in Santa Ana, El Salvador.

An interactive food art show from Chef Joshua Campbell.

From: Joshua Campbell

Chef Joshua Campbell presents his fun and imaginative edible art show, introducing you to a creative way to look at what you eat. You will experience food as you never have before, with an inventive twist on the appearance, taste, and smell of many familiar foods, with the help of new styles and techniques for cooking.

About Joshua Campbell: Chef Joshua Campbell was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the Chef/Owner of Mayberry (Downtown on Vine St.) and The Skinny Pig (East Walnut Hills on Woodburn Ave.). He was the Director of Cuisine at the only Five Star restaurant in the Caribbean, Graycliff, serving many famous celebrities, as well as Royalties. He took a professional cooking course in Thailand, obtaining a degree from The Royal Thai Culinary Academy. He brings the knowledge and skills that he obtained to every dish he creates. He is quickly establishing a name for himself here in Cincinnati.

Critics' Reviews

Part of FringeDevelopment

Come join us for an evening of True Theatre...where time slows down and we can listen.

From: True Theatre

Brief Description: True Theatre is one of Cincinnati’s hottest new tickets, selling out shows advertising only “true stories told by real people.”  Their themed shows (trueFEAR, trueBEGINNINGS, and trueFOOLISHNESS) have drawn storytellers from all walks of life.  Their next scheduled show is in July, but they’re adding an evening just for the Fringe Festival! trueFRINGE, like every True Theatre show, features 5 storytellers (all artists in this year’s fringe festival) sharing true, personal stories—this time, about life in-and-around the theatre.  Don’t miss the chance to make your Fringe experience complete with this ONE NIGHT ONLY show!

Artist/Company Biography: The mission of True Theatre is to bring together a wide variety of people to share stories in an effort to create community, encourage discussion, and remind everyone that ALL of us have stories to tell with unique insights and broad appeal. Though storytelling can take on many forms, True Theatre realizes that what great stories have in common are their power to hold attention, slow time, and capture the imagination. They may redden cheeks, make eyes water, and elicit eruptions of laughter. They take you somewhere. Although great storytelling is not limited to true, personal stories, True Theatre believes that these real moments of our lives, from the mundane to the extraordinary, give both the speaker AND the listener the ultimate sense of being part of a larger community than they were aware.

Visit True Theatre's website for more information

A poignant, seriocomic piece exploring identity through soundscape and movement

From: Maythinee Washington

Most Fringy Thing: Initially, WHITE GIRL has been about me exorcising my demons to bring about change for myself, but the more I perform it, the more I see the potential for catharsis; that the piece asks the audience to delve deeply into themselves and remark on their own experiences.

Brief Description: What is beauty? What is race? How do we see ourselves and determine our identity? WHITE GIRL is an original solo show employing found text & sound with movement and pantomime telling a story of a girl exploring these questions. At times comic and poignant, the artist draws from her personal history and plays with pop culture to create a work that continues to be thought-provoking long after it has ended.

Artist/Company Biography: Recently listed in Vegas Seven magazine's Intriguing People 2011 issue, Maythinee Washington is a theatrical artist who writes, directs, and performs. She passionately declares that her life's work is "onstage and on the mat." An accomplished yogi, she relishes physicality, flexibility, and strength, and translates that interest towards bringing fully-embodied characters to the stage. She is an alumna of Brown University and has her MFA in Acting from the University of Washington. Find out more at maythinee.com and follow her on twitter: @maythinee.

From: Las Vegas, NV

Critics' Reviews

Man, even once, is twice.

From: Powerhouse Productions

Most Fringy Thing: The Masculinity Index is a patchwork of theatre, spoken word poetry, narrative, movement and music, both instrumental and vocal. It's a story that everyone may find familiar with the visceral feel and rough edges that make it real. This is our story. It could be your story.

Brief Description: What makes a man? The answer to this question is ever elusive, but John Ware and William Brown delve fearlessly into their own hearts, minds, and guts, popular culture and conventional wisdom to uncover the truth. The Masculinity Index is the journey of one young man to attain a sense of having grown up and to cross the mythical barrier between boyhood and manhood. His path is littered with all the trials young men must conquer before they can rightfully call themselves men. Through soliloquy and encounters with the outside world, our young hero learns what is truly important.

Artist/Company Biography: The journey of The Masculinity Index began humbly, with just a few scattered notes jotted down in a notebook belonging to cast member and writer John Ware. He had hatched an idea for a show that was visceral, interdisciplinary and expressed what he had wanted to say through years of growing up, admittedly still in the process. He wanted to tell the story of someone like himself, but who was also an archetypal hero who could express the anger, the frustration, and the triumph of an entire generation: Young Joe. As time wore on, John realized he would not be able to do it alone. One night, William Brown made an offhand remark to John about the responsibility of a man, to which John replied: "Exactly. Listen William, I have this show I'm working on, and I need help..." And the rest is history. Powerhouse Productions is a brand-new company of two artists whose powers of expression balance each other perfectly. They are logic and soul, staccato and flow, aggressive and pensive, guitar and drums. Together they have one mission: to tell a story so seldom told truthfully in the modern world, the story of manhood.

Previous Fringes: 2008 Cincy Fringe (It Might Be Ok)

From: Cincinnati, OH

Critics' Reviews

FringeNext

Seeing the world through a blind boy's song

From: The Players of The Imaginarium

Most Fringy Thing: This play is historical, with a world outlook and remarkable characters that will capture anyone’s interest. The creative combination of art and alluring music promotes passion and collaboration of art forms perfect for Cincinnati’s artsy community. Audiences will be touched by the sweet melodies and uplifting outlook on their world.

Brief Description: Raphael, a young blind boy in 1800’s Northern France, finds solace in the memory of his deceased mother and the colors taught him to sing. Raphael strives to protect his younger sister, Annalise, against their father’s drunken abuse. Raphael and an elderly painter uncover a beautiful combination of music and art leads them to discover that they are much more connected than by their love for color alone. Raphael searches for answers about his mothers death and a crucial moment leads him to decide whether he will continue succumbing to his father’s cruelty or fight for what his family deserves.

Artist/Company Biography: The Directors: Aly and Carly are high school senior drama majors from the School for the Creative & Performing Arts (SCPA) who have always had an interest in directing, both stage and screen. Both intend on pursuing their acting careers after graduation. Aly plans to get her BFA in Acting at Wright State and Carly will get her AFA in Acting for Film at New York Film Academy, Universal Studios. They both jumped at the opportunity to direct such a moving show, written by a close friend of theirs, Emilie, a senior creative writing major. The Writer: Emilie revamped this play from the winning short story she wrote last year for the school's Corbett-Mayerson competition. Emilie loves to explore the unwinding of plot and character both in fiction and reality, and she plans to pursue a career in creative writing and journalism. Through this play Emilie hoped to speak to the importance of the welfare of children while their undying bravery is a testimony to the overcoming of hardships. The cast ranges from grades 5th through 12th. They were auditioned and selected by Aly, Carly and Emilie, and are made up of a wide range of SCPA majors including a visual artist, vocalists, pianists, as well as actors.

From: Cincinnati, OH

Critics' Reviews

Seven dances inspired by calligraphic photos, original music and Japanese culture.

From: Pones Inc.

Part of The Body Speaks: seven photos inspire dance, film and theatre. Explore three independent interpretations and one unique collaboration. See The Body Speaks: scripted and corresponding visual art & film exhibits.

Most Fringy Thing: Pones Inc. engages the cast and the community in the creative process through a series of True Body Project-conducted workshops, public space performances and volunteer efforts that benefit topics explored in the show. 

Community engagement includes Japan relief efforts, Take Back the Night March, and Ohio Families for Safe Birth Benefit, inviting artists and audience members alike to get involved and expand their impact.

Brief Description: As Pones Inc.'s fourth consecutive original Cincy Fringe Festival premiere, The Body Speaks:  Movement is the company’s most dance-focused, collaborative project to date. Pones Inc. responds to Sean Dunn’s calligraphic photography while focusing on the traditions, spirit and pulse of Japanese culture.  Inspired by the images’ themes of distortion, sensuality and exposure, Pones Inc. explores our relationships to our bodies and how we use them to communicate.  If your body could speak, what would it say? 

The Rehearsal Process:

Week One:  Cast members enjoyed a Stacy Simm's TRUE BODY PROJECT workshop to inspire and inform the creation process through writing, movement and composition work.  "We investigated how our body speak and what our bodies hide in an engaging and interesting way," said Pones Inc. Co-Director Lindsey Jones.  "Stacy's workshop gave us the creative jump start we needed to collectivelly dive into this multi-layered show."

Week Two:  Cast members performed at Take Back The Night March and Vigil and listened to survivors, supporters and advocates voice how their bodies speak.  Watch video slideshow now. 

Week Three:  Click here to meet the cast!

Week Four:  Click here to meet the collaborators!

Week Five:  Meet the Composers -  Leif Fairfield, Cary Davenport, Isaac Hand and Molly Sullivan, Eddy Kwon, Turmeric, Ian Gullett of Diet Audio, and Triangle.    

Week Six:  Click here to watch the show trailer!

Artist/Company Biography: Pones Inc. Laboratory of Movement is a non-profit performance art group dedicated to creating original work that blends various disciplines and focuses on community, site-specific performance and educational outreach. The company explores theatre for social change through its combination of dance and theatre in its signature style of pedestrian-influenced movement.  Founded in 2008 by Kim Popa and Lindsey Jones, Pones Inc. continually collaborates with a diverse range of artists and groups and performs in multiple locations. For more details visit www.ponesinc.com.

From: Cincinnati, OH

Critics' Reviews

Acclaim Nominated: Choreography, Costumes (Patricia Solorzano & Sophia L Torres)

Rip in the Atmosphere is sure to upset your equilibrium!

From: Psophonia Dance Company

Most Fringy Thing: Experienced 3rd year Fringies, Psophonia Dance Company knows how to impress. Soaked in strong visuals, sensual dancers, original and popular music, this repertoire concert combines uncommon elements of flip flops, blind bodies and paper cranes.

Brief Description: Descend into the depths of Psophonia’s rabbit hole. Where weightlessness ensues, everyday reality ends. Such abandonment is natural at Earth’s highest atmospheric level. But what if the ability to control your body stopped working at ground level? If your sensory flow suddenly disappeared, how would you function in the world? In Rip in the Atmosphere, our sensory deprivation is your sensory overload. Experience every atmospheric level as Psophonia Dance Company dares to split your mind. So point yourself over to this mixed repertoire of the senses and upset your equilibrium. Let it rip!

Sneak a Peak of Rip in the Atmosphere!

Artist/Company Biography: Founded in 1998, innovative, imaginative, theatrical and daring, Psophonia Dance Company (PDC) explores ideas and images through a kinetic language that will enchant audiences of all ages. This Houston based company is recognized for its ability to engage diverse audiences on a truly unique level by utilizing everyday objects, sounds, and technology to re-examine and transform the familiar into new territory of discovery and infinite possibility. Psophonia shifts the audiences from the known to the unknown producing work for both intimate spaces and grand theater. Psophonia has performed at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas, TX, Cincy Fringe Festival, Chicago Dance Festival, Brazos Contemporary Dance Festival. Nurturing collaborations with other arts organizations and independent artists, PDC is supported by the Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Endowment, Inc., corporate grants and individual donors.

From: Houston, TX

Critics' Reviews

Come back from the future!

Most Fringy Thing: OTR 2081 is about OTR 2011, a historical re-enactment resort of the future that takes audiences back to the present. In other words, it’s the Colonial Williamsburg of the future that recreates our lives right now. Shyer Fringers will be happy to know that audience participation is optional and very easy to avoid. OTR 2081 is only as Fringy as you want it to be.

From: DIY Productions

Brief Description: It’s the winter of 2081. You leave the underground Wrigley Settlement and travel over 300 miles in an armored bus that protects you from searing heat and nuclear winds. You’ll visit OTR 2011, a resort that promises to take you back to the luxury of early 21st-century Ohio. Tour guides and re-enactors will offer you a peek at authentic pre-environmental-melt-down city life. You’ll see a functioning coffeehouse, parking garage, and “nightspot,” plus the largest known collection of Pre-EMD vehicles. It’s an adventure of a lifetime--who knows what you’ll do after you see life in 2011.

Artist/Company Biography: OTR 2081 is the third piece of interactive performance art created by DIY Productions exclusively for the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. DIY is dedicated to creating alternative, site-specific arts adventures that cross media and genres in new, challenging, and incredibly fringy ways. Our 2008 and 2009 Cincinnati Fringe Festival entries took audiences to Over-the-Rhine’s past using high-tech media of the everyday present: 2008’s InnerCityused an historic walking tour delivered by iPod to invite audiences to imagine Over-the-Rhine’s roots as a 19th-century center for arts and theater; 2009’s Call Mebrought audiences to a gritty film noir OTR of 1947 using snippets of lost conversations delivered by cell phone. DIY’s 2011 entry will take audiences into a post-apocalyptic future where the most basic experiences of our present are displayed as wonders.

Previous Fringes: 2008 Cincy Fringe (Call Me!)

From: Cincinnati, OH

Critics' Reviews

Immerse yourself in a provocative and introspective live media barrage!

Visit paulschuette.com for a show preview.

Most Fringy Thing: This is a program of music about time and place and how the media available to us helps to shape our understanding of the times and places in which we live. It is music which must be performed live and often in order to have any meaning at all.

Brief Description: Music for Newspapers and Radios is a concert of musical compositions which make use of either newspapers or radios as the generating source of musical sounds, forms and ideas. The program will include three compositions by CCM doctoral candidate Paul Schuette including: no news is good news, for string quartet, Media Counterpoint, for 2 radios, sine tone generator, piano, electric guitar and suspended cymbals,and Tomorrow?, for 2 male and 2 female actors.  The program will also include two piece by John Cage: Radio Music and Water Walk. 

Artist/Company Biography: Paul Schuette’s music seeks to expose and explore paradoxes and dualities of all kinds. His recent works have a built in malleability which allows them to function in a variety of artistic contexts. This aspect of his work reflects the unstable realities of artistic expression in the digital age. His works which are featured on this program seek to contradict the idea that art is fixed or permanent in any way, for each piece in its own way necessitates live and repeat performances. Paul’s interest in this line of thought has been fueled by a powerful respect for the idea’s of John Cage. This has lead Paul to open the doors, which Cage left in many of his works, for reinterpretation. Paul’s work in this vein includes a YouTube specific version of Water Walk, which will be performed as a part of the Fringe Festival, a US transcription of 49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs, and a world wide version of A Dip in the Lake. The program will be realized by talented musicians from CCM including the newly formed Frequency String Quartet featuring Michael Jorgensen, Joshua Ulrich, Dominic DeStefano, and Amy Gillingham.

From: Cincinnati, OH

Critics' Reviews