FrenetiCore Presents 6th Annual Houston Fringe Festival

Press/Public Contact Information:

Mollie Miller

(281) 384-1036 cell

Email: mollie@freneticore.net

www.freneticore.net

FrenetiCore Presents the 6th Annual Houston Fringe Festival

Dates:  October 2-6, 2013

Locations:
Bohemeo’s, 708 Telephone Road, Houston TX 77023
Frenetic Theater, 5102 Navigation Boulevard, Houston TX 77011
The Barn, 2201 Preston Street, Houston TX 77003
The Orange Show, 2402 Munger Street, Houston TX 77023

Tickets: $10 per individual performance/ $45 5 show pass/ $80 10 show pass/ $90 All festival pass.
Purchase tickets at https://freneticore.secure.force.com/ticket

The 2013 Houston Fringe Festival is a 5 day performance feast celebrating the weird in all of us. This year the Fringe turns 6 and runs October 2-6, 2013 at East End Venues including Frenetic Theater, The Barn, The Orange Show and Bohemeo’s.

The 2013 Fringe offers the best independent theatre, film, dance, music and visual arts, and welcomes performers from across the state of Texas and as far away as Arizona, DC, New York and Montreal.  Featuring disciplines ranging from wild one woman shows and burlesque to drama and contemporary dance, Fringe performances will excite, shock, and provoke audiences.  Experimental art veterans perform alongside daring newcomers, with works presented between 15-60 minutes in length.

Look out for more information about other upcoming Fringe Happenings at Frenetic Theater including a Fringe Benefits Press Peek on October 2, Fringe Benefits Bash on October 4 and the closing night performance, ‘Anything Goes’ on October 6.

Join us, and Get Your Fringe On!

The 2013 Houston Fringe Festival has received funding and sponsorship from Arts+Culture Texas, Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Press and The Naked Grape.

Other Fringe Happenings at Frenetic Theater:

Fringe Benefits Press Peek October 2 at 10:30pm – Press and public are invited to view short excerpts from a selection of Houston Fringe Festival performances. This free evening of snippets will serve as a kick off for the festival.

 

Fringe Benefits Bash October 5 at 10:30pm – Party with the performers and producers of the Houston Fringe Festival at the outdoor Fringe Benefits after a day of outrageous performances!

‘Anything Goes’ October 6 at 8pm – Fast paced, over-the-top works from any and all disciplines by Houston’s best performance artists!

Visual Arts Exhibit featuring work by Children’s Prison Arts Project, on display at Frenetic Theater during the entire festival, featuring artwork by incarcerated youth. Learn more about CPAP at www.childrensprisonart.org/.

Descriptions of Shows:

A New Statement (October 2 at 8pm, October 3 at 9:30pm and October 5 at 6:30pm at The Barn – paired with Oooh, ok. That’s Cool!)
A contemporary Afro-fusion piece presenting a look at the identities of African American women, beginning with the image of Saartjie Baartman (Sarah Baartman) and paralleling it to the imagery of African American women in contemporary society.

Felicia Woodard is a native Houstonian with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and English from Sam Houston State University. She is a company member with LD Samba Dance Company. Stacey Baldon received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a minor in Spanish from Sam Houston State University. Stacey currently dances with Urban Souls Dance Company and KoumanKele African Dance and Drum Ensemble.

An Absolutely Absurd… Meal (October 2 at 9:30pm, October 3 at 6:30pm and October 4 at 11pm at Frenetic Theater – paired with Isis & Nepthys)
An Absolutely Absurd…Meal is an unconventional dance concert that consists four dances in the order of a four-course meal with an appetizer, salad-course, main entrée, and dessert.

An eccentric dance maker/improviser, Annabelle Chen interplays between speed and density with unpredictability and indeterminacy in her movement and works. Also known for her nonsensical sense of humor, her choreography has been compared to the process of solving monstrous chaotic equations that lead to linear results.  Originally from Taiwan, she recently received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance Studies from Texas Woman’s University, and she wishes to continue her research in Contact Improvisation and Butoh to enrich her practices in improvisation, performance, and choreography.

An Incomplete (Sex) Education (October 4 at 9:30pm, October 5 at 8pm and October 6 at 6:30pm at Bohemeo’s)
In a unique storytelling experience, four short, short humorous stories are told about one woman’s early experience of sex education. Come travel back in time with her and hear personal first lessons of sexual politics when she was six to twelve. Along the way, feast your eyes on a garden of delights pollinating as a leaf grows into a flower, a skirt, and a book all while nibbling on erotic dessert. For adult audiences.

Irene Chan is a multidisciplinary artist who works integrates print media and sculptural book arts into her storytelling performances. Her stories are about being a first generation Asian American woman in this time frame, and how the influences of the past and questions of the future affect how she lives. She is an Associate Professor in the departments of Visual Arts and Asian Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, U.S.A. http://ch-anpress.com

Aquaria (October 3 at 9:30pm, October 5 at 5pm and October 6 at 6:30pm at Frenetic Theater)
Through dance and costuming, Aquaria takes the audience on an underwater journey where they will encounter mermaids, fish, sea urchins, jelly fish, and a host of fanciful water creatures.

Performing throughout Texas since 2008, ChinaCat Dance, under the artistic direction of Maggie Lasher, is a fun, fresh company with a unique approach to contemporary dance.  Known for creative and memorable costuming and design elements, ChinaCat presents simple themes that speak to the imagination and the heart.

Beans Barton and the Bipeds (October 2 at 8pm, October 3 at 9:30pm and October 5 at 3:30pm at The Orange Show)
Houston Gland Opera presents Beans Barton & the Bi-Peds. For more than 27 years Bi-Peds of Proper Proportion have been providing Rock & Role Theater Under the Bars to the Gulf Coast region. This All Star Revue features such highlights as the Tribal Lily Belly Dancers, music by The Lugnuts, the Reeking Havocs, Pound of Flesh, Vomitorium, The Whistle Boogers, Gig Burley® and more, and the spoken word poetry of Waldo Bob Frost.

El Diablo y Cristo Negro (October 4 at 6:30pm, October 5 at 6:30pm and October 6 at 5pm at The Orange Show)
El Diablo y Cristo Negro is a series of short scenes influenced by the Black Christ Festival held annually in Portobelo, Panama. The text imagines a complicated, yet close relationship between Black Christ and The Devil and their interactions with two other characters, Psychologist and The Monster. Four characters, played by 3 performers engage in dialogue that traverses a range of topics including but not limited to existential dilemmas, avant garde art, black culture, fantasy basketball, neglected birthdays, and occupational hazards for the supernatural.

Autumn Knight (Writer/Designer/Director/Performer) received a BA from Dillard University and an MA from New York University. Her performance work has been included in shows at DiverseWorks, Art League Houston, Project Row Houses, TSU University Museum, and most recently Alabama Song.   Maurice Duhon (El Diablo/The Devil) is a former rapper and United States Congress candidate. He is a local Houstonian, real estate agent, farmer, poet and performer.  Philip Pyle (Cristo Negro/Black Christ)  is a native Houstonian visual artist, sports blogger, and musician. He is part an art/music collaborative Everything Records with local artist Robert Hodge He recently completed an Idea Fund project: Beauty Box, a public installation in Third Ward.

Excerpts from Vignettes (October 2 at 6:30pm, October 3 at 11pm and October 4 at 8pm at Frenetic Theater – paired with Soul Sucking Panties)
Excerpts from Vignettes is a collaboration between choreographer Yvonne Montoya, composer Jordane Lafitte and poet Bobby LeFebre. Each piece is a fusion of poetry, choreography and composition. Vignettes originally debuted as a site specific performance in March 2013.

Safos Dance Theatre is an emerging non-profit modern dance company founded in Tucson, AZ in 2009. Safos creates contemporary artistic forms that reflect the common experiences of our diverse community. Focusing predominately on Latina/os, we are committed to: providing a safe space for artists, encouraging innovative movements, and using multi-disciplinary forms and body types to represent the cultural diversity of the US/Mexico borderlands.

Isis & Nephthys (October 2 at 9:30pm, October 3 at 6:30pm and October 4 at 11pm at Frenetic Theater – paired with An Absolutely Absurd…Meal)
Struggle creates pressure and pressure creates diamonds. The diamonds in the rough, Isis & Nephthys, will take you to a place where relationships are amplified, strength is tested, and the perception of the conscious mind is discovered. A presentation of grace, strength, and athleticism, Isis & Nephthys will be a movement that is both dynamic and captivating.

Donna Crump, known as “The Donna” is a native New Orleanian, founder, and artistic director of Good Dance Since 1984. Upon receiving a B.F.A in dance from Tulane University, she has studied with Brazil’s premiere dance company Grupo Corpo and she has performed with her founding company Good Dance Since 1984, The John/Allen Project, The First Physical Theatre in Grahamstown, South Africa, and Tsunami Dance Company.  Good Dance has performed at the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, Southern Voices Dance Festival, and  the New Orleans Fringe Festival, where 1984’s presentation of Isis & Nephthys earned the company its first Big Easy Tribute to the Classical Arts Award for “Outstanding New Choreography” (New Work).

It Takes A Village (October 4 at 6:30pm, October 5 at 9:30pm and October 6 at 5pm at Frenetic Theater) is a dance theater exploration on family and relationships. Whether it is your blood family or the family you chose these interpersonal dynamics can be very difficult to maneuver, especially when we get older. The dancers take the audience on a journey to the center of truth and reality.

Corian Ellisor has choreographed over 30 dances. His choreography was presented twice at the American College Dance Festival and awarded a coveted spot in the Gala performance. He has produced five dance concerts including: “The Atlanta Queer Dance Festival,” “WikiDance,”  “Be(a)stie,” “Coming Out Party,” and “It Takes a Village.” He has recently started his own dance company, Ellisorous Rex and the Dance Machine which can be seen performing around town. Corian was also awarded the Walthall Fellowship through Wonderroot in 2012 and was named the “Top 20 people to watch in 2013,” by Creative loafing.

Oooh, ok. That’s Cool! (October 2 at 8pm, October 3 at 9:30pm and October 5 at 6:30pm at The Barn – paired with A New Statement)
Oh ok…that’s cool… is about gracefully falling down and awkwardly getting yourself back up. Using comedy and juxtaposition this piece demonstrates people’s actions and reactions during social awkwardness.

Tory Pierce is originally from the woodlands, tx. She is a dancer with Psophonia Dance Co. Kristina Prats has studied at the UH School of Theater and Dance department. She is in the process of building her own dance company.

Passport To Womanhood (October 2 at 8pm, October 2 at 9:30pm and October 5 at 5pm at Bohemeo’s)
Passport To Womanhood is a one-woman theatrical show that infuses poetry and dramatic monologues.  It seeks to answer the questions that if life is a journey, then for females, the moment of clarity and transformation into adulthood can be considered a passport. And if this is true, then all the experiences had, people met, lessons learned are all just stamps on the passport. But what is it that truly defines a woman?  What is that moment of transformation marked by? Meet Kenya, this is her journey, this is her life, this is her story, this is a glimpse into her passport to womanhood.

Alexandria Gurley, aka Alex Tha Great (Poet/Actress/Vocalist) received a M.A. in Cultural Studies from Claremont Graduate University and a B.A. in African American Studies from University of California, Irvine.   Passport To Womanhood is the first of her own original theater projects and she is currently working on writing a script called Hair And There Been There Done That.  As a poet, she has been performing over the country since 2009 in venues such as 2nd Verse, Words Over Lattes, Austin Neo-Soul Lounge, and Natty Roots & Rhyme.  She is currently based in Dallas, Texas where she is building a new open mic as co-founder of The Lyrical Project.  She is also the author of collection of original poetry Sticks and Stones Dont Break My Bones.   (www.1greatpoet.wix.com/alexthagreat)

Phone Whore (October 2 at 8pm, October 4 at 9:30pm and October 5 at 6:30pm at Frenetic Theater)
Truth and taboo collide in this intimate, one-hour visit with a phone sex operator. Listen closely: she may change your views on sex forever. For adult audiences.

Cameryn Moore is an award-winning playwright/performer, sex activist and educator, and, oh yeah, a phone sex operator. Her work in theatre, literature, and activism/advocacy is both a challenge and invitation to adventurous audience everywhere. She is the creator and performer of multiple sex- and kink-positive solo shows, including Phone Whore (2010), slut (r)evolution (2011), for | play (2012), and Release (2013). These shows have toured to 34 cities around North America so far; this year, Phone Whore headed to the Edinburgh Fringe and a five-city UK tour in August and September.

Process (October 3 at 8pm, October 5 at 5pm and October 6 at 6:30pm at The Barn)
Process is a journey through cancer treatment and the discovery that bad things aren’t always bad. From a hilarious frenzy of insurance paperwork to an emotional moment facing reality to an unlikely love story, it is a lesson in choosing to seek happiness through pain.

Emotions Physical Theatre is a brand new company that combines physical theatre and contemporary dance. We desire to build artwork that is entertaining, thought provoking, and accessible to everyone. Emotions Physical Theatre is committed to using the collaboration process to create productions that enrich the human experience, inspire stronger human relationships, and comment on current culture. Our performances are organic, athletic and theatrical.

Raspberry Fizz (October 4 at 8pm, October 5 at 9:30pm and October 6 at 3:30pm at Bohemeo’s)
Ellson is 11 years old. He is chomping at the bit to ask Samantha out to the harvest dance. What’s with that strange carnival barker with the mysterious sideshow bally? RASPBERRY FIZZ is an exploration of expectation and the potentialities of the future tied up in a tender and humorous slice-of-life coming-of-age encounter between two adolescents in the small town America of 1949.

Proudly based in Dallas, Texas, Audacity Theatre Lab is a platform for the imaginations of a collective of individual theatre artists. The artists of ATL are empowered to use the company as an outlet for the creation of new theatre projects, be they bold re-imaginings of existing works or the incubation and exploration of completely original works for the stage.

Some Women See Things As They Are (October 2 at 9:30pm, October 5 at 6:30pm and October 6 at 5pm at Bohemeo’s)
Jackie reads history, recites poetry and seeks privacy as she continues to recover from her husband’s assassination in 1963. When the former First Lady learns the White House may force public disclosure of her late husband’s marital infidelities, she plans to protect his reputation. Also, because of her opposition to the Vietnam War, she entrusts her assistant Frannie to help her find the means to manipulate the 1968 presidential election.

Olivia Jimenez (Frannie) facilitates workshops for Conspire Theatre in Austin. The Austin native graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from the University of Southern California, where she appeared in The Alcestiad, Among the Sand and Smog and several more productions.  Leslie Paula Robinson (Jackie) is a FUNauctions Professional Ringman and Stage Manager. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theater from McNeese State University. Her performance in Hamlet two years ago at City Theatre marked her stage debut in Austin. She is also a physical therapist and dance student.  Cindy Hebert (Producer) is a life-long resident of New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina survivor and dedicated art and theater patron.  Jessie J. Flores (Program/Set Design) is an independent graphic artist based in Corpus Christi and San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Southwest Texas University.  Kay Diane Lee (Poet) is a member of the Highland Lakes Writers Club in Marble Falls, Texas. She graciously gives the Highland Lakes Players permission to recite her poem “Return From the Land of the Living.”  Raymond V. Whelan (Playwright/Director) is a proud member of Script Works Austin. He has written, directed and produced two plays for Frontera Fest in Austin, including Southie Pride Ezzah Given in 2012 and Some Women See Things As They Are in 2013.

Soul Sucking Panties (October 2 at 6:30pm, October 3 at 11pm and October 4 at 8pm at Frenetic Theater – paired with Excerpts from Vignettes)
Soul-Sucking Panties, Rocket Girl Burlesque’s premiere Fringe Fest performance, starts with an old-school Burlesque routine and segues into a dance and Vaudeville-style mockery of societal standards of beauty and expectations put on people in today’s world.

Heather Mia (aka Heidi von Hoop), along with being one half of Rocket Girl Burlesque, is also known as the The Hooping Hottie of Houston. She teaches hoop dance and burlesque classes in the Spring/The Woodlands area, and spends her spare time doing volunteer work with the Benefit Betties. Meredith Spies (aka Mistress Mimi) is a belly dancer, burlesque performer, romance novelist and SAHM in the Spring area.  She performs regularly in and around Houston and teaches dance in the Woodlands.  In her spare time, she writes romance novels and plays dinosaurs vs pirates with her son. Rocket Girl Burlesque was formed by two performers who love the old style, Vaudeville burlesque, and who want to use performance to comment on society, to tell stories, and embrace beauty in all forms.

The Death of Print (October 3 at 8pm, October 4 at 6:30pm and October 5 at 11pm at Bohemeo’s)
The Death of Print laments the slow, witless murder of the printed word to the giggling tunes of texting while driving, sexting while legislating, and chewing of popcorn while “reality stars” shape the culture of the 21st Century. But we’re not mad about it.

Invisible Lines is a bar-based troupe of poetry performers who seek to take the sounds of poetry out of your head and put them back up on stage where they belong. Invisible Lines principals are Salvador Macias, a visual artist, poet, and raconteur, and Bucky Rea, a poet, chapbook editor, and writer of blurbs.

TETZEPI (October 3 at 8pm and October 5 at 3:30pm and 8pm at Frenetic Theater)
Created by all the artists via, Internet, Text, Email, and phone calls, lots of phone calls! The ideas were gathered and joined while the artist lived in different location, states and cities. Opening the doors to a new show and creation, Cirque La Vie brings a show of high level acrobatics and movement with a very deep but light, dark but happy, square but rounded story line about “Daring To Be Different”. Directed by Kelly Tran. Artistic director: Reyie Nal

Cirque La Vie  is a circus company that allows artist to run away from their everyday  life by creating works of art that some people have called crazy, others imaginative and some left speechless. Cirque La Vie has been seen in Americas Got Talent and WithOut A Net FIlm Premiere. Living by its motto “Dare To Be Different.” C.L.V brings a breath of fresh air every time they set foot on a stage living audiences both moved and inspired.

The Quiet Persistence of Memory (October 2 at 9:30pm, October 3 at 8pm, October 5 at 9:30pm at The Orange Show)
The Quiet Persistence of Memory explores the role that memory (and perception of memory) plays at a personal, professional, psychological, and societal level.  An original music composition with accompanying visuals and live improvisation, [TQPoM] explores the process by which information (memory) is encoded, stored and retrieved, how memory is utilized, its decay over time, the influence/impact of chemical augmentation/diffusion, memory disruptions and disorders, and memory’s value (currency) in a hyper-information rich society.

The Quiet Persistence of Memory Ensemble is comprised of several artists from Houston’s new music and improvisation community, performing an original composition written by Paul Connolly. Each performance will feature a slightly different configuration of performers, with the written score augmented by live improvisation, and accompanying visuals.

Untitled (October 5 at 8pm and October 6 at 3:30pm at The Barn – paired with Wanderland)
Untitled was ignited upon Amy Ell’s travels to the Middle East earlier this year and explores the role of women and homosexuals in the cultures of that region.

VauLt Houston www.gyrotonichouston.com

 

Urban Austin (October 4 at 9:30pm, October 5 at 5pm and October 6 at 3:30pm at The Orange Show)
Urban Austin…a journey through love, tragedy and triumph…woven together through spoken-word and music.

Imagine Whose Line is it Anyway had a baby with Hip Hop. If it were handsome, witty, good with words, great at improv and musically gifted…then that baby would be a lot like SaulPaul. SaulPaul is an acoustic Hip Hop artist who creates complete songs from scratch live on the spot with just his voice, his guitar, his loop pedal and a variety of other live improvisational elements to create a live show that is nothing less than an experience. Capitol View Arts provides programming with the purpose of bringing people together, providing cultural awareness, educating artists in regard to career decisions, and improving quality of life in east Austin, all while preserving Austin’s African-American heritage.

Wanderland (October 5 at 8pm and October 6 at 3:30pm at The Barn – paired with Untitled)
It all started with a bad day, a cheap bottle of wine, and a chair by the grocery store dumpster. In Wanderland, an evening-length dance for camera film, a woman battling with monotony teeters on the edge of reality and is transported to a bizarre place where nothing is as it seems. The cast’s diverse movement and theater backgrounds help create collaborative movement that is inventive and exploratory. Director Ashley Horn joined forces with UH School of Theatre graduate and Texas Tech graduate student studying costume design, Angela Alongi, to create more than 40 original costumes ranging from quirky to couture. Experimentation with volume, texture, and unlikely combinations of pieces transports viewers into a fantasy world of eccentric characters. The soundtrack for Wanderland was created by Houston recording artist Poopy Lungstuffing (AKA Olivia Dvorak). Lungstuffing’s album Sorry, I Am Bad is full of haunting melodies that drive and compliment Wanderland’s athletic modern dance choreographic score.

Ashley Horn is a dancer, choreographer, filmmaker, costume designer, and artist from the Houston area.  She has shown choreography and films at ACFD, The University of Houston, Big Range Dance Festival, The Texas Weekend of Contemporary Dance, Third Coast Dance on Film Festival, The Houston Fringe Festival, and Dance Month at the ERJCC among other venues and events.  She has created costumes for FrenetiCore, Frame Dance Productions, Sol Y Luna Dance, and her own works.  Ashley is the co-founder and curator of Motion Captured: An Evening of Dance on Film at the ERJCC as a part of Dance Month.  In 2012, Ashley was a recipient of an individual artist grant from the Houston Arts Alliance to create Wanderland.  Ashley was named one of the 100 Creatives of 2013 by the Houston Press.

 

We Stole This (October 4 at 8pm, October 5 at 8pm and October 6 at 6:30pm at The Orange Show)
Like a speeding, feverish locomotive throwing rain and steam from its proud smokestacks, We Stole This is a rapid, boisterous departure through many genres that captures the frenzied feelings, whims, & desires of our day’s hysterical youth. The Aesthetic of Waste presents an indeterminable number of scenes in an order chosen by the manic invisible hand of the audience.

The Aesthetic of Waste is a performance collective of Artists, Actors and Aggressive Egotists from San Antonio specializing in savage and bizarre theatrical experiences. Focusing on devising original works, the Aesthetic of Waste expounds upon the virtues of speed, chaos and anti-pleasantness.

What Lies In Wonder (October 2 at 6:30pm, October 5 at 9:30pm and October 6 at 5pm at The Barn)
A tale of Compassion, Magic, Ego, Wonder, Addiction and most importantly Love.

Jacquelyne Jay Boe is a Houston based dancer/teacher/artist; “What Lies in Wonder” is her choreography premier in the area.  Boe has the pleasure of working with Jessica Bell, Cori Miller, Tina Shariffskul and Alex Soares for this particular project.