{"id":11890,"date":"2014-05-24T00:12:51","date_gmt":"2014-05-24T07:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=11890"},"modified":"2014-05-24T07:31:14","modified_gmt":"2014-05-24T14:31:14","slug":"fringe-of-marin-spring-2014-season-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/fringe-of-marin-spring-2014-season-opener\/","title":{"rendered":"Fringe of Marin Spring 2014: Season Opener"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Fringe of Marin has gotten off to a good start for Spring 2014, opening their 33rd<\/sup> season\u2019s Program One at Dominican University\u2019s Angelico Hall.\u00a0 This relatively new venue (2nd<\/sup> season there) is in most ways a decided improvement over the stage at Meadowlands.\u00a0 There is, for example, a real theatrical sound and lighting system, a real stage and several hundred banked seats.\u00a0 These, taken together, add a theatrical polish to the overall production, and this in turn brings out the best in the performances.<\/p>\n

One of the best of these is the opener, \u201cFourteen\u201d (written by Inbal Kashtan), a glimpse into the frustration and desperation of an adolescent girl (very well played by Stefanee Martin) seeking connection in a disintegrating household.\u00a0 Very well staged and directed by Jon Tracey.\u00a0 Gaetana Caldwell-Smith\u2019s \u201cAndrew Primo\u201d looks into a woman\u2019s discovery that her man is, literally, a machine.\u00a0 Wth Edith Reiner\u2019s performance as Elaine, it all makes sense.\u00a0 Lesbian honeymooners on a camping trip are \u201cFighting for Survival\u201d against all intruders\u2014men, bears, nude dancers, a thunderstorm.\u00a0 Lucas Hatton\u2019s over-the-top stint as a hapless campground-census taker brought the evening\u2019s richest laughter.\u00a0 Dylan Brody\u2019s \u201cPreOccupy Hollywood\u201d takes us to the staging room of a group of movie extras hoping for a shot at the bigger time.<\/p>\n

For all that this new venue adds, something has been taken away\u2014the close-in intimacy of Meadowlands\u2019 black-box narrow hall.\u00a0\u00a0 This is particularly noticeable in \u201cLittle Moscow\u201d where Rick Roitinger\u2019s estimable portrayal of a Russian Jewish tailor\u2019s reflective monologue to an unseen customer loses much of the potency of Alecks Merilo\u2019s powerful script to the cavernous auditorium.\u00a0 It is a credit to his performance and physical embodiment of that tailor, that Roitinger transcends the difficulties of giving an outward projection to the thoughts and words of an inwardly-directed character.<\/p>\n

Altogether, a great evening\u2019s entertainment right here in San Rafael.\u00a0 Program Two promises at least as much, if not more.\u00a0 Premiere Program Two Saturday May 24, 2:00.<\/p>\n

For all dates this season, click Fringe Spring 2014<\/a><\/p>\n

Box office:\u00a0 Fringe 2014<\/a><\/p>\n

Review by David Hirzel\u00a0 www.davidhirzel.net<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Fringe of Marin has gotten off to a good start for Spring 2014, opening their 33rd season\u2019s Program One at Dominican University\u2019s Angelico Hall.\u00a0 This relatively new venue (2nd…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[716,155,517,190,516],"class_list":{"0":"post-11890","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-david-hirzel","7":"tag-david-hirzel","8":"tag-fringe-of-marin","9":"tag-gaetana-caldwell-smith-2","10":"tag-marin-fringe-festival","11":"tag-rick-roitinger"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"