The Statistics say 'Go see another show'
Rating: 1
The Statistics
by KC Fringe Festival
While sitting in the performance space waiting for the show to start (which was about 10 minutes later than it should have started), one has time to look around and admire the recreational, shotty-but-in-a-good-way performance spaces that the Fringe Fest always seems to produce. Above the stage, there hung a clothes line with bras, socks, and towels draping down next to a screen which, undoubtedly, would have projections on it during the show. Only slightly confusing was Rachel Cox sitting in the middle of the stage, changing positions every couple of minutes, for no apparent reason. But it was simple enough to ignore her evil stares that probably made a great many audience members feel extremely awkward.
About 6 or 7 minutes into the show, this reviewer was wishing she had chosen to see something else and was hoping that something interesting in this production would happen soon. It started off with the actors spinning onto the stage with their chairs while Cox acted as their Puppet Master or something to that nature. Then after everyone announced that they were not people, but statistics, the contrived nature of the piece was evident to the entire audience. The dances were awkward, to say the very least - not because of the choreography (which was a series of movements split up by freezing in place), but because it was more than clear that the actors felt silly doing it. The dances were more in the style of an informative children's show than anyone felt like seeing that night, and the projections were almost useless and unnecessary. The only projection that was even close to being cool was when the light was just red, and it lit the upper half of Sierra Berry while she!
talked about the blood all over her body.
As far as the acting goes, 3 of the actors stood out with their energy, commitment, and characterization: 6 (Tony Cintrony), 3 (Marvita Oliver), and 4 (Antoine Williams). These actors were aware of their audience and did not try to play "School House Rock" on us...as much as they could help it. And generally, the men had more consistent characters than the women - but overall, the acting was a disappointment.
Sadly, the two coolest moments of the play were still not very impressive: the actors holding a chair to double as a pool table while another actor bent over it ready to take a shot and the moment in the last dance where Roger Hawkins and Rachel Cox broke out into a rather entertaining version of the "Carlton Dance."
The performance was planned out, staged, and organized, but it was lacking a freshness in material, and proved to be nothing special. This production was on the lower rungs of the standards held by the Fringe Festival, and being that there are many very impressive pieces out there to watch this year, seeing this one will make you feel like you just missed out.
read the review at KC Stage
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