Theatre
on the Edge: Woodstock Fringe 2007 Festival of Theatre and Song
By Jay Blotcher
This
season, First Looks presents staged readings of two new works: the
black comedy Nuts & Bolts by Charles R. Traeger and A Necessary
Madness, a meditation on youth and youthful dreams by Peter McCoy.
(Aug 25 and Sept 1)
Wallace
Norman is not above utilizing Woodstock Fringe for his own work.
And why not? Oh Virgil! A Theatrical Portrait, written by Norman
and Larry Alan Smith, pays honor to the mercurial, challenging works
of 20th century renegade composer Virgil Thomson. Brilliant and
dif€cult, Thomson collaborated with avant-garde artists such as
Gertrude Stein, Orson Welles, John Houseman and Frederick Ashton,
ultimately confounding the status quo. The world eventually caught
up with his genius and gave Thomson a Pulitzer Prize. Oh Virgil!
takes place in the celebrated Chelsea Hotel, where drug addicts
and madmen hobnobbed with prophets and where Thomson was a longtime
resident. From his bed, Thomson holds forth on the personalities
with whom he danced across the 20th century and what demons drove
him to his lofty artistic goals. This is a workshop performance.
(4 perfs. Aug 25-Sept 2.)
For
a full schedule of productions for the Woodstock Fringe 2007 Festival
of Theatre & Song from August 5 through September 2, please
visit www.woodstockfringe.org or call (845) 810-0123. Tickets are
$20 and $17 seniors/students. All performances at Byrdcliffe Theatre,
Upper Byrdcliffe Road, Woodstock.
|
