The intrepid crew from the Weekly View started the 2021 IndyFringe Theater Festival with an old favorite. Stewart Huff delivered in his inimical way, riffing about the space between “chaos and capitalism,” a space he claims to love. Among his list of favorite people who occupy that space is the “Flat-Earther” who built a rocket without calculating for the curvature of that Earth. He ended the set with a sober contemplation on the wounds that we suffer from those we might trust and urged the audience to remember that the wounded are worthy of our care.
Grace Bahler and Nicholas Polk presented their comedic take on relationships with “Have You Been Drinking?” The eight performers of “Being Black” gave the audience a glimpse of and recounting of the ways in which a multiracial society functions. In “Win, Lose or Die,” six players contend against each other, with the audience contributing by throwing the die. “Honk, Squawk, Love” has three actors (one of whom plays a Canada goose) who demonstrate how our relationships with wild fowl can influence our human interactions. The View crew ended the first week of Fringing with the “Act a Foo Improv Crew,” who solicited audience suggestions that their comedic talents turned into a delightful performance.
Paula Nicewanger’s 2 cents worth — I have thoroughly enjoyed every show I have seen so far. I told Stewart Huff after his performance that he made me laugh and cry and he said “so did I.” And I was really shocked that “Honk, Squawk and Love” made me cry too — the goose was a sock puppet after all! Such talent all around — you gotta go to Fringe! This weekend is the last for “Shakespeare’s Histories: Ten Epic Plays at Breakneck Pace” by Tim Mooney, another favorite that I never miss. Shows now through Sept. 3 — check out indyfringe.org
