New York City Fringe (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is an open, lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented.
No Bones About It
Writer and performer Matt Storrs is obsessed with dinosaurs. As a child he sent dino themed Valentine’s Day cards. No Bones About It wraps his infatuation into a monologue beginning as a child who now looks back “to see how healthy it really was”.
One Valentine was sent to a girl he liked with a special note written to her. She ripped it up. Another later one results in a friendship that is still lasting. Mr. Storrs asks, and we want to know, “Have I been diagnosed with anything?” The answer is yes. He has been diagnosed with a love of dinosaurs.
Favorite one? Dilophosaurus. You know. The one in Jurassic Park that has those crazy head flaps and spits acid. That movie franchise has taken a few liberties in their characterizations of these beloved creatures. These falsehoods “caused a lot of problems”. There is no denying Mr. Storrs has dinosaurs on the brain.
This good natured narrator weaves a light tale recalling some of his dino related diversions and what it means to him. His particular mania gives him “something to focus on whatever is going on in his life”. Some fun facts are interspersed between bits of biographical stories.
My favorite sections were the ones that were quirky and very specific. As a child he was advocating for a carnivorous dinosaur, his favorite one, to be the state dinosaur of Arizona. A religion lesson in middle school teaches the Earth was created in 4004 BC on October 23rd at 9:00 am. How does one reconcile that with the fossil record?
Tales of celebrities trading in bones, the illegal collectors market and commentary on museum collections and their questionable provenance are the more serious topics gently discussed. A sorority party and a drug dealer further solidifies how closely he identifies with these beasts. The world, after all, is inhospitable.
No Bones About It meanders down a genial path but the impact lessens as the monologue continues. A winning smile helps Mr. Storr engage with his audience and there are some amusing asides to enjoy. Who actually collects these bones? “Rich white men with a history of relationships that failed.” he quips.
Finally, and incredibly, this is my third source in the past few weeks (and second in the festival) to reference Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant. I’m starting to wonder if there is a new obsession forming amongst comedic white men. This establishment, appropriately, is in a Jurassic themed amusement park. For Mr. Storrs that must really be a “Cheeseburger in Paradise”.
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A Drag is Born
Fanfare is played. Lights are flashing. Yet no entrance is made. The audience dutifully claps. Then a repeat. More fanfare, etc. A reluctant individual timidly walks on stage but skirts the spotlight. The microphone is approached. “Hello” precedes “can your hear me?” From this tentative beginning, A Drag is Born.
Sweats and a backpack will transform into an outfit. A “Broadway Baby” dances and twirls in a crazy red dress. The spinning reminded me exactly of the mascot Christmas tree for Stanford University. Both are insane and both embrace that insanity head on. Another morph follows and the silhouette is now Bea Arthur.
Edu Diaz is the man thrust into the spotlight for his drag debut. His characterization is clearly newbie to the scene. The show promises clowning and magical realism. A tongue-in-cheek warning also notes “with advanced age, abundant body hair and limited talents, he is an unlikely candidate”.
A Drag is Born is wordless. There are a series of costume changes and reveals. When one leg of the track suit will not cooperate, there is a funny mishap played to the hilt. Clothing no longer needed is unceremoniously flung off-stage. Early on we hear crashing noises backstage. The goofy staging ideas are the most entertaining aspect of this debutante ball.
Pacing is unhurried as exemplified by how long it takes to put on heels. That is probably commentary on the work drag requires but the length of time (after a very slow start) stretches that bit too far. At this point, however, we move into drag show performance complete with lip synching and assorted reveals. The presentation appears to be intentionally manic. The show has the rough around the edges vibe of an amateur drag show performed in a friend’s basement.
There are a few messages touched upon in this mostly mimed performance. I did hear a “Yes!” when Mr. Diaz donned a red feather headdress replete with cape during a Carnivalesque number. Nutty onstage antics were not enough to sustain my undivided interest throughout this hour long solo piece. The wings and heart pendant surely had meaning but I found it difficult to join the celebration as the show never really took flight.
The New York City Fringe runs through April 21, 2024 at three locations: The Wild Project, 14Y Theater and UNDER St. Mark’s. Most shows are also livestreamed.