Fringe has drama, song, dance

There are just a few more days to catch Jewish performers at the Fringe, which runs until Sept. 15. For tickets, call 604-257-0366.

Spending 45 minutes with Susan Freedman at her one-woman play at the Fringe Festival was like visiting a good friend. Sixty With More Lies About My Weight played to a full house on a rainy Sunday afternoon and the only disappointing moment came when we all realized it was over too soon.

A follow-up to her Fifty-Seven and Still Lying About My Weight at the Fringe three years ago, Sixty left us all hoping to hear what was going to happen at 61.

The performance takes place on a stark stage, bare except for a chair, a slide screen and a bag with dark glasses and a red feather boa, but it felt like Freedman's living room. We had all been invited over for a family slide show and hilarious stories.

"Once you've had a friendship for over 25 years it is really too late to end it, even if you can't stand the person," she states, making you feel like she's confiding in you, and she's so relaxed and enjoying herself that you have to do the same.

A slim, graceful and lovely woman, she never weighs in.

"One really good look in the mirror can give you all the bad news you really need," she jokes. "Why stand on the scale and make it official?"

And about her husband, who so skilfully finds his way to any destination in any unknown city but can't find a thing around the house, she remarks, "If it doesn't jump out and hit him in the face, he declares it lost. I swear if God hadn't attached it, overpopulation wouldn't be a problem."

The show was a mixture of stories, with adept use of slides of her and her family, as well as perfectly placed songs piped in. It was an entertaining show.

"I am going to keep celebrating the good parts [of getting older]," she states, "It has worked so far." Indeed it has, Miss Freedman, and we'd love regular updates on how it's going. More information on Freedman's work can be seen at www.susanfreedman.ca.

Sixty With More Lies About My Weight runs Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. and Sept. 14 at 4 p.m. at the Ballard Lederer Gallery, 1540 West 2nd Ave.

– Jannette Edmonds

Truth and fiction

Also at Ballard Lederer is Where You Are, with Karl Knox and Razielle Aligen. Knox and Aigen explore the world of relationships and dating and how film versions compare with reality. The performance includes song, dance and comedy. It runs Sept. 13 at 8:15 p.m. and Sept. 15 at 3:45 p.m.

Women's role reversal

Everybody plays a certain role in society: as a mother, a wife, a lover, a child. We try hard to play our role as well as possible and we seldom think to change it. The play Eve and Lilith suggests, using extreme examples, that women should try to change their roles in order to gain this new viewpoint.

In the play, two contrasting women meet each other. Eve Maria Schackle, a faithful wife for 20 years, visits Lilian Moonback, her husband's lover.

The two meet in a dream as the archetypes Eve and Lilith. Eve, wearing a long, white dress, her voice soft and smiling, is in complete bondage to a male voice, which represents Adam. In contrast, Lilith is dressed as an aggressive cat, self-confident, with a strong voice. Lilith tries to help Eve to escape from Adam's captivity, but without success.

Back in their characters of Lilian and Eve, Lilian persuades Eve to switch roles. Eve is reluctant at first, but finally slips from her conservative clothes into Lilian's tight dress.

Although the characters eventually return to their original roles, they are happy having had the chance to play such different personas. Both express their belief that, in this way, they could learn to understand and accept each other better.

The play presents some interesting points but, judging from the reaction from the audience, the subject matter hits home more with women. Perhaps with the involvement of a male character, such as Adam, the play would reach out to both sexes alike.

Eve and Lilith shows at the Waterfront Theatre Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 15 at 6:15 p.m.

– Ömer Raglan

Second helpings please

Take two parts music, one part story, add a smidgen of standup comedy and you have the basic ingredients for No Feet in the Pie, Please! – a sexy, dark and vivacious glimpse of human nature, as seen through the eyes of Derek Brans, one of Vancouver's most mischievous solo artists.

Brans's unique recipe blends intimacy and emotion with an edgy sense of humor to create an atmosphere all his own. Funny, inspiring and offbeat, his songs and stories are sure to leave you wanting a second helping.

No Feet runs at Studio 16, 1545 West 7th Ave., Sept. 13 at midnight and Sept. 14 at 3:30 p.m.

As cheesy as they come

According to Rob Bosse, the secret to finding success on Broadway is as simple as being as cheesy as you can possibly be. Fortunately, Bosse is just a character (a musical director) in the Fringe Festival play How to Be Cheesey in Showbiz Without Even Trying.

Starring Richmond Jewish community members Matthew Rossoff and Shira Elias, How to Be Cheesey takes a fun look at the personalities and dreams of Broadway hopefuls.

In a play within the play, the group is nearing the final stages of preparation for a performance about how Canadians should separate their ties from the United States, when a rocky relationship causes the male and female leads to quit the show. The couple ends up finding happiness, but not before two other hopefuls are convinced that they can carry the show on their own.

How to Be Cheesey combines the melodramatic, over-eager personalities of the characters with cute, slapstick humor, dancing and catchy tunes. It doesn't take long for the somewhat naive characters to grow on the audience.

Everyone involved in the show is part of a new theatre group called Breaking Broadway. This was the first Fringe appearance for all of the performers.

How to Be Cheesey runs at Performance Works Sept. 13 at 4:15 p.m. and Sept. 14 at 10:15 p.m.

– Kyle Berger

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