Last Three Fringe Reviews

Here is the transcription of my most recent video blog:

(And here’s the audio on AnchorFM)

Well, hey, friends – Queen Mab here, reporting on the last three shows that I saw at the 2021 Hollywood Fringe. Today is actually the last day of the festival, although you’ll be seeing this tomorrow, so I guess yesterday was the last day of the festival, and so I’m going tell you about three shows: “Versatile,” written and performed by Kevin Neighbors, “Dating Detox/Romance Rehab/Pussy Power/Outages” by Synida Fontes, and “I Have Too Many Feelings” by Bethany Vee. 

Okay. So “Versatile” is a very powerful show. It’s one thing to learn about intersectionality and microagressions and all those kinds of things. It’s really another thing to experience someone performing examples of these from his own life, especially when it’s someone who’s got a very mixed identity like Kevin Neighbors does. He’s half black, he’s half white, he’s been in foster care…he’s been through a lot of things in his life. And it’s just a very visceral and intense show. I really love it when he does the hip hop/spoken word parts of his show; those were really standout moments for me. And anytime he jumps up on the table to perform the African animals characters – those are also really exciting moments. I’m sure, you know, today’s the last day of Fringe, but I’m sure he’s going to be performing that show elsewhere, so if you have a chance to see “Versatile” by Kevin Neighbors, go see it.

Okay, so the “Pussy Power” show. I really wish that there was a Fringe award for Best Poster, and again, I wish I could show you the posters over here instead of just my plant, because this was an outstanding poster. It was like a little South Park-esque vagina saying “I ain’t afraid of no blackout!” I mean…if that doesn’t make you want to see a show, I don’t know what will. Synida is really, really hilarious, and she’s able to take this sort of…I don’t know, valley of celibacy that many of us women find ourselves in and make a really, really funny – and also very technically well-executed show out of it. She had multiple actors and actresses involved, and it was all done virtually, and it was just seamless. So I was very, very impressed, and I’m really glad I got to see that show, so don’t miss “Dating Detox/Romance Rehab/Pussy Power/Outages” by Synida Fontes.

Okay, and the last one I’m going to talk about is close to my heart – “I Have Too Many Feelings” by Bethany Vee. Bethany is a masterful comedian. She’s so funny, and the characters that she plays in this show – because this is another solo show – were also really hilarious. My personal favorite is when she portrays her childhood sleeping bag, and you’ll have to see it to understand why this is such a pivotal and important character in her life. The reason, though, that this show was so important to me is because I actually wrote some lyrics for her and picked out some music. We used that stock Tchaikovsky (sings the Romeo and Juliet Overture)…yeah, you know what I’m talking about, haha…”We played it in youth schymphony when I wasch a kid!” But anyways, so I took that. I wrote some words to it based on what Bethany had already written in a scene, and then I watched her sing it. It was so cool. It was so cool to watch somebody else singing some words that I wrote. And it was such a relief not to be the one singing it! But Bethany totally nailed it, and it’s an outstanding show, so…I have a feeling she’ll be taking that on the road. If you get the chance to see “I Have Too Many Feelings” by Bethany Vee, do not pass up on that opportunity. 

So today’s the day they’re going to announce all of the Fringe awards, and I’m gonna go get ready for that, although when it’s virtual, you don’t really have to do anything to get ready. If you like what I’m doing, please give me a thumbs up, and if you don’t, well then that’s okay, you don’t have to do anything. Comment, subscribe, I love to hear from you…and I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye!