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After a day of “rest”, which we spent writing, editing, and at the hospital, we’re back on the beat for CapFringe IX, Day… 5? Six? Does the Monday count? We’re looking at another hot, sticky day, Washington, though we may see another awe-inspiring thunderstorm like we had yesterday around 4 p.m. Let’s hope.
He’re a half-dozen Capital Fringe shows playing today that’ve won the coveted endorsement of the Fringeworthy Action News & Commentary Squad. Satisfaction not guaranteed.
Medea’s Got Some Issues (Warehouse, 6 p.m.) — FANCS alumnus and Washington City Paper theatre critic Rebecca J. Ritzel praised this solo spin on the Greek tragedy starring Lisa Hodsoll on the first episode of The FringeCasting Couch. “What’s smart about this is it frames Medea as a woman who wanted Jason to pull out,” says Bec. “That’s why she was able to kill her children.”
A Fire in Water (Atlas Performing Arts Center: Lang, 6:15 p.m.) — Our Camila Domonoske loved the big themes and big voices of this new, myth-inspired chamber opera, asking, “Next to an opera singer, who doesn’t feel more merely mortal than usual?” Who indeed.
Hey, Hey, LBJ! (Goethe Institut Mainstage, 6:30 p.m.) — Army Combat Correspondent-turned-antiwar demonstrator-turned-San Francisco Chronicle-journalist-turned-raconteur David Kleinberg shares his experiences of the Vietnam War and its aftermath. Our Derek Hills found his show overlong and lacking in vulnerability, but was moved by its conclusion.
W3 (Fort Fringe: Warehouse, 7:30 p.m.) — Macbeth reimagined as an ecological cautionary tale? Joshua Buursma decrees that it works. “Eloquent but maddeningly elliptical one moment, grounded in outright slapstick the next, W3 is never boring,” he writes, “even when it’s testing our patience.”
The Monster Songs (Gearbox, 8 p.m.) — An “ethnocrytozoomusicologist” sings about things that go bump in the night. “A perfect Fringe choice for your inner child or an actual child, but you’ve been warned: You will leave humming the songs and scouring the internet for an mp3,” Jonelle Walker warns.
Coosje (Goethe Institut Gallery, 8 p.m.) — This surreal play-with-music about the romance and creative partnership of sculptors & art theorists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen is utterly unexpected and charming. Greg Benson thought so, and I did, too. After Sunday’s night’s performance, the cast and crew sat on the FringeCasting Couch to discuss the piece’s origins and evolution.
If you see these shows or any others, Tweet us @Fringeworthy and let us know what you thought.
Photo of Lisa Hodsoll © Andrew Bossi, whose flickr pool can be seen here.