[
{
"name": "500x250 Ad",
"insertPoint": "5",
"component": "15667920",
"parentWrapperClass": "",
"requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
}
]
Barkha Dance Company: A Live Music & Kathak Dance Performance
Wednesday. Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.
Sloan Performing Arts Center, University of Rochester: Smith Theater, $15
Kathak, one of India’s oldest forms of dance, has long been associated with oral tradition and storytelling. In the capable hands of Barkha Patel — a New York City-based dancer, choreographer, educator and artistic director — Kathak’s history comes alive in a modern context. This performance of Patel’s new work called “Aham | Maha” features Patel’s movements accompanied by traditional musicians playing the tabla and sarangi. Patel will also bring the show to Jamestown and Corning during her time north of the Hudson River. Between those two stops lies her promising Fringe debut. — PATRICK HOSKEN
“Latin Tones” With Duo Capriccioso
Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage, $15
“Capriccioso” means “capricious” in Spanish, though the synonym “whimsical” better describes the pairing of flutist Denissa Rivas and violin player Raúl Munguía. Duo Capriccioso’s Fringe showcase is a musical journey around Latin America; the two combine the poise of classical performers with the exploratory freedom their name suggests, allowing for plenty of crossover appeal. “Latin Tones” offers glimpses into the music of Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay and beyond; when’s the last time you heard Peruvian and Venezuelan melodies led by a flute? Ever? Rivas and Munguía make recontextualization their mission. — PATRICK HOSKEN
“String Quartet Theatre”
Friday, Sept. 13 at 8:15 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Temple Theater, $25
A string quartet itself can tell a compelling, self-contained story without words. So it makes sense that the interpersonal dynamics required to play the music would lend itself to a more explicit, engaging narrative. Cordancia Chamber Orchestra Artistic Director Evan Meccarello and Breadcrumbs Productions Artistic Director Tanner Efinger have teamed up to create “String Quartet Theatre,” a theater piece featuring professional string players, in which the audience is given an immersive experience that transcends the traditional seated concert hall. Meccarello described the performance as a “60-minute show about cycles of love and loss,” with music by prominent contemporary composers Missy Mazzoli, Angélica Negrón and Charlton Singleton of the band Ranky Tanky. — DANIEL J. KUSHNER
Drunk Opera
Friday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m.
MuCCC, $10
Along the lines of “Shotspeare” — a recurring favorite at Rochester Fringe Festival — Drunk Opera acts on the idea that what the arguably antiquated art form needs is a good, stiff drink. For this show, audience members get treated to a 19th-century Bel Canto classic, Gaetano Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love,” now with less temperance and more profanity. Whether this truncated production can retain the opera’s charming qualities (as one of the cast members is randomly selected for inebriation) is an open question, but it’s sure to be entertaining.
— DANIEL J. KUSHNER
Thank You Kiss Presents: “Strangelove Letters”
Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
The Focus Theater, $15
Comedy shows are always a gamble, and comedy shows at a Fringe Festival? Yuge gamble. Fortunately, the sketch-comedy of Thank You Kiss — Marc D’Amico, John Forrest Thompson, Beth Winslow and WXXI’s own producer Megan Mack — finds something to tickle nearly every funny bone through witty writing, improvisation and strategic use of technology. The group’s members have studied and worked at renowned comedy theaters like iO, The Second City, and the Annoyance, not to mention TYK is a winner of The Missouri Review’s prestigious Miller Audio Prize for Humor. A solid bet for either Fringe weekend. — LEAH STACY
“How to Look at Art When You Don’t Get It (It’s OK to Laugh)”
Saturday, Sept. 14 at 5 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1:30 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
School of the Arts: Club SOTA, $10
A few years ago, storyteller Amy Boyle Johnston — also known as “Bonk” — uncovered a previously unknown short story penned by “Twilight Zone” creator Rod Serling, a Binghamton native. Johnston’s own adventure through art school and beyond doesn’t necessarily mirror Serling’s, though her probing performance uses humor and connection to walk a similarly noble path. Johnston, a graduate of Visual Studies Workshop, tackles modern art (and ways of thinking about it) with nuance — a tool preferred by Serling himself. Not a bad storyteller to look up to. — PATRICK HOSKEN
“Play in a Day”
Sunday, September 15 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Writers & Books, $20
The once-monikered “24-Hour Plays” return for another year to test the mettle of local thespians. Writers, actors and directors will gather at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 14 to split into groups and begin working on a short play to present just 24 hours later to a live audience. One of the most unpredictable performances each year, but also one of the most enjoyable — there’s always a familiar face (or three) onstage, and some of the work is overtly impressive given the timeframe. Mostly, though, it’s just fun to see a gaggle of deliriously tired folks have fun and present something they’re proud of. — LEAH STACY
“Shotspeare”
Thursday, Sept. 19 at 9 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 20 at 9:15 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9:15 p.m.
Spiegeltent, $30-$160
The only thing better than The Scottish Play itself is an adaptation that’s soaked in scotch and performed by five actors with spot-on comedic timing in a glittering Spiegeltent during Rochester Fringe Festival. With a reputation for being One of the Few Shows I’ve Returned to Multiple Times™, this year’s Shotspeare production from the minds of Matt and Heidi Morgan (it’s “Macbeth,” in case you didn’t catch that theater-coded reference above) will undoubtedly feature some whisky, err, risky business — and a whole lot of laughs. — LEAH STACY
For the full Rochester Fringe Festival schedule, visit their handy show finder.
Wednesday. Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.
Sloan Performing Arts Center, University of Rochester: Smith Theater, $15
Kathak, one of India’s oldest forms of dance, has long been associated with oral tradition and storytelling. In the capable hands of Barkha Patel — a New York City-based dancer, choreographer, educator and artistic director — Kathak’s history comes alive in a modern context. This performance of Patel’s new work called “Aham | Maha” features Patel’s movements accompanied by traditional musicians playing the tabla and sarangi. Patel will also bring the show to Jamestown and Corning during her time north of the Hudson River. Between those two stops lies her promising Fringe debut. — PATRICK HOSKEN
“Latin Tones” With Duo Capriccioso
Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
CenterStage Theatre at the JCC: JCC Ballroom Stage, $15
“Capriccioso” means “capricious” in Spanish, though the synonym “whimsical” better describes the pairing of flutist Denissa Rivas and violin player Raúl Munguía. Duo Capriccioso’s Fringe showcase is a musical journey around Latin America; the two combine the poise of classical performers with the exploratory freedom their name suggests, allowing for plenty of crossover appeal. “Latin Tones” offers glimpses into the music of Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay and beyond; when’s the last time you heard Peruvian and Venezuelan melodies led by a flute? Ever? Rivas and Munguía make recontextualization their mission. — PATRICK HOSKEN
“String Quartet Theatre”
Friday, Sept. 13 at 8:15 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Temple Theater, $25
A string quartet itself can tell a compelling, self-contained story without words. So it makes sense that the interpersonal dynamics required to play the music would lend itself to a more explicit, engaging narrative. Cordancia Chamber Orchestra Artistic Director Evan Meccarello and Breadcrumbs Productions Artistic Director Tanner Efinger have teamed up to create “String Quartet Theatre,” a theater piece featuring professional string players, in which the audience is given an immersive experience that transcends the traditional seated concert hall. Meccarello described the performance as a “60-minute show about cycles of love and loss,” with music by prominent contemporary composers Missy Mazzoli, Angélica Negrón and Charlton Singleton of the band Ranky Tanky. — DANIEL J. KUSHNER
Drunk Opera
Friday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m.
MuCCC, $10
Along the lines of “Shotspeare” — a recurring favorite at Rochester Fringe Festival — Drunk Opera acts on the idea that what the arguably antiquated art form needs is a good, stiff drink. For this show, audience members get treated to a 19th-century Bel Canto classic, Gaetano Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love,” now with less temperance and more profanity. Whether this truncated production can retain the opera’s charming qualities (as one of the cast members is randomly selected for inebriation) is an open question, but it’s sure to be entertaining.
— DANIEL J. KUSHNER
Thank You Kiss Presents: “Strangelove Letters”
Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
The Focus Theater, $15
Comedy shows are always a gamble, and comedy shows at a Fringe Festival? Yuge gamble. Fortunately, the sketch-comedy of Thank You Kiss — Marc D’Amico, John Forrest Thompson, Beth Winslow and WXXI’s own producer Megan Mack — finds something to tickle nearly every funny bone through witty writing, improvisation and strategic use of technology. The group’s members have studied and worked at renowned comedy theaters like iO, The Second City, and the Annoyance, not to mention TYK is a winner of The Missouri Review’s prestigious Miller Audio Prize for Humor. A solid bet for either Fringe weekend. — LEAH STACY
“How to Look at Art When You Don’t Get It (It’s OK to Laugh)”
Saturday, Sept. 14 at 5 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1:30 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
School of the Arts: Club SOTA, $10
A few years ago, storyteller Amy Boyle Johnston — also known as “Bonk” — uncovered a previously unknown short story penned by “Twilight Zone” creator Rod Serling, a Binghamton native. Johnston’s own adventure through art school and beyond doesn’t necessarily mirror Serling’s, though her probing performance uses humor and connection to walk a similarly noble path. Johnston, a graduate of Visual Studies Workshop, tackles modern art (and ways of thinking about it) with nuance — a tool preferred by Serling himself. Not a bad storyteller to look up to. — PATRICK HOSKEN
“Play in a Day”
Sunday, September 15 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Writers & Books, $20
The once-monikered “24-Hour Plays” return for another year to test the mettle of local thespians. Writers, actors and directors will gather at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 14 to split into groups and begin working on a short play to present just 24 hours later to a live audience. One of the most unpredictable performances each year, but also one of the most enjoyable — there’s always a familiar face (or three) onstage, and some of the work is overtly impressive given the timeframe. Mostly, though, it’s just fun to see a gaggle of deliriously tired folks have fun and present something they’re proud of. — LEAH STACY
“Shotspeare”
Thursday, Sept. 19 at 9 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 20 at 9:15 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9:15 p.m.
Spiegeltent, $30-$160
The only thing better than The Scottish Play itself is an adaptation that’s soaked in scotch and performed by five actors with spot-on comedic timing in a glittering Spiegeltent during Rochester Fringe Festival. With a reputation for being One of the Few Shows I’ve Returned to Multiple Times™, this year’s Shotspeare production from the minds of Matt and Heidi Morgan (it’s “Macbeth,” in case you didn’t catch that theater-coded reference above) will undoubtedly feature some whisky, err, risky business — and a whole lot of laughs. — LEAH STACY
For the full Rochester Fringe Festival schedule, visit their handy show finder.
