I spent Friday evening in Over-the-Rhine takingin two shows by solo Fringe performers. I stopped at First Lutheran Church at 6:45 and then headed to Coffee Emporium at 8:30 for Toronto-based Gordon Neill’s WINNING: Winning is both unusual — even by Fringe standards — entertaining and heartfelt. It’s a “silent-ish clown journey of self-discovery” and Neill gives it his all … even though that’s never quite enough as things go awry in the same vein as many silent film comedians like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. He is indeed silent through 90% of the performance; when he speaks, he’s worth listening to. More performances on 6/8, 11 and 13.
Jim Julien’s shadow-puppet tale of adventure by The Squid and The Octopus is inventive, telling a story of a pair of mollusks (he offers some scientific definitions) who come dangerously close to becoming appetizers in a seafood restaurant. The tyrannical chef and his kitchen minions (played by cardboard cutouts) are thwarted when the pair undertake a daring rescue. It’s a cute show performed by an accomplished artist from Pennsylvania. One more performance on 6/8.
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The 22nd annual Cincinnati Fringe runs through June 14. Check out the website, www.CincyFringe.com for encore performances on the final day. Tickets for all remaining productions can be purchased via the website.
