by Terrance Mc Arthur
Mallory Moad, Rebecca Potts,
& Lorie Lewis Ham
Throughout the week we will be posting reviews here of Rogue shows! Check back several times a day! And then go out and enjoy the Rogue Festival! To check out our Rogue muse article & some Rogue performer preview articles go to our Arts & Entertainment section. We may also be posting some performer video interviews-depending a lot on the weather. So far we have reviews up of Dancing On My Own, Apocalypse Songs 2.0, Tolerance?!, Attention Seeker, Dammit, Jim, I’m a Comedienne, Not a Doctor!, Hi. (Jean-Luc Godard), Adventures While Black in Great Britain, Effing Robots, Tater Tots and Beer, Point Blank Love, Cody Clark: A Different Way of Thinking, Klondike Kate’s Sourdough Reunion Show, S’Will 2, #MeToo Monologues, You Belong Here, Jaguar Saves America, Mi Casa Es Su Casa, Hoodwinked: The Magic of Tim Mannix,Behind Every Great Mariska Hargitay Is a Great Kurt Fitzpatrick, Lies My Father Told Me, Mad For Trad, Melt the Soul, Bending Reality, Spencer Morris Original Jazz and Blues of Our Lifetimes, The Eulogy, Miss Fitts, In the Bag, Not This Time! and The Do-Over.
Special note All Thursday evening shows at Spectrum Art Gallery have been moved to the Tower Lounge. And several shows have been added at Fulton Street Art and are not listed in the program: Half-Baked Boomer, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jaguar Saves America 3 p.m. Saturday, and Tea Liturgy 4:15 p.m. Saturday.
Dancing On My Own
Review by Lorie Lewis Ham
I have known Joshua Taylor (JT) for a few years now-as a writer, an actor, a director, and a friend. Hard to believe he has been all of that in just 22 years, but he has. And he has done it all very well. So when I saw he was coming to Rogue, I knew I had to be there.
Dancing On My Own is his latest play. It’s funny, it’s real, at times it’s sweet and moving, and the final dance number is awesome! No one can explain the premise of the show as well as JT, so here are his own words from the preview article he wrote for KRL:
“My goal was to write a gay love story that was 1) optimistic and had a happy ending, 2) did not involve murder, suicide, or AIDS, and 3) was truthful to the experience of being a gay man, as I understand it…
“Dancing On My Own tells the story of Anderson, a twenty-something gay man from Fresno, living in Chicago. At the behest of his dying grandmother, he embarks on a journey to have sex with 100 different men. His sexual escapades take him across the country and deep into the heart of what it means to be a gay man at this specific point in history.”
In the end, Anderson learns a much more profound truth than what you might expect.
Though JT was on stage by himself, many local actors shared their voices for other characters, and the tech crew deserves kudos as there are over 300 sound cues!
Joshua Taylor always manages to provide a fun and entertaining show, while at the same time saying something important that makes you think! Don’t miss Dancing On My Own!
Dancing On My Own is at the California Arts Academy Severance, 1401 N. Wishon Ave.
Remaining performances are:
Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m.
Friday, March 8 at 10 p.m.
Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m.
Adults only.
You can learn more about the show in his preview article here in KRL.
Apocalypse Songs 2.0
Review by Terrance Mc Arthur
Let’s say you are an explorer, preparing to venture into alternate universes and explore other Earths. What do you take?
A. Weapons?
B. Food?
C. A banjo and a ukulele?
In Aaron J. Shay’s Apocalypse Songs 2.0, the answer is C.
Shay plays a grad student presenting records from a lost interdimensional expedition, using a high-tech interface that looks like a tweed touring cap. The audience provides sound effects and background choruses for the adventures of Captain Redacted. He travels to an Earth where a bar full of body-modified rebels rock out, crying “Our bodies are not what we are.” He leads campfire songs at a landfill for discarded robots. He travels amid cars caught in The Traffic Jam at the End of the World. Each visit is different, and each has its own song.
This is Shay’s third Rogue Festival. His first show (2016) was Apocalypse Songs. This version is longer, has new songs, and has more of a through-story to hold things together. In 2017, I described Shay as: thin and inviting, comforting and provocative, unthreatening and possessed of a watch-this grin, sporting a beardlet and a cap, part of the Rogue’s Northwestern Invasion, he travels down from Seattle to get out of the rain, just in time for Fresno’s mini-monsoon.
I would say that description still holds.
Apocalypse Songs 2.0 plays at Hart’s Haven, 950 N. Van Ness Ave., March 8 at 8:30pm and March 9 at 6:30pm.
Tolerance?!
Review by Terrance McArthur
In engineering, tolerance is how far you can get from the goal without having everything fall apart. In Kathleen Denny’s Rogue show at the Revue, Tolerance?! is how much you’re willing to take before you have to take a stand.
Kathleen Denny
Kathleen was an airplane machinist in the 1970s, a woman in a man’s building, breaking new ground, a second generation of Rosie the Riveter, and she faced a problem–a pin-up calendar that left nothing to the imagination.
Could she put up with it? Should she put up with it? Would it cost her more to fight than the price of letting things slide?
She slowly builds her world, character by character, each in their own location on the stage, creating an environment that veers from unhealthy to toxic. People that should be on her side aren’t, what she thinks is right is perceived as being stubborn, and yet support comes in unexpected passages.
It’s a story of the strength that comes from within, and Kathleen Denny has that strength.
Tolerance?! tickets are $12, and it plays at The Revue, 620 E. Olive Ave., March 2 at 3:30pm, March 3 at 5pm, March 8 at 7pm, and March 9 at 5pm.
Check out Kathleen’s Rogue Performer preview article to learn even more about her show!
Attention Seeker
Review by Terrance Mc Arthur
Gerard Harris moves a lot. His hands twist and shoot out in every direction a bit like Joe Cocker, his hair can’t make up its mind which way it wants to grow, and he has a wide-eyed stare that evokes Marty Feldman. He may be the only person on that stage, but he fills that whole stage. No wonder his show is called Attention Seeker.
Gerald Harris does not slow down. He speaks rapidly, excitedly, and a lot. From time to time, he scrambles over to a microphone to deliver jakes he has written. Many jokes are strange, uncomfortable, or offensive…or all three.
A Jewish Brit, he wrote jokes with a friend who went on to be a big deal in that country, while Harris ended up in Ireland, writing a series of offensive jokes for a newspaper. He repeatedly sabotaged his comedy career, but he seems to have found a home on the festival circuit.
Then there was the day he was recording a session with his psychiatrist to get material for shows, and he found out something about himself, and…his life suddenly made sense, why things were the way they were and why he did what he did. Once you know that, everything falls into place. Harris is crazed and wild and a pretty nice guy.
Attention Seeker plays at The Revue, 620 E. Olive Ave., March 8 at 10pm and March 9 at 3:30pm.
Dammit, Jim, I’m a Comedienne, Not a Doctor!
Review by Terrance Mc Arthur
“Space, the final frontier.”
“Energize.”
“Make it so.”
“Engage.”
“Tribbles.”
“The Borg.”
If those lines sound familiar, you can thank Star Trek. Polly Esther does. A two-year immersion in all the forms of the Star Trek universe helped her deal with her own universe, and she explains how in Dammit, Jim, I’m a Comedienne, Not a Doctor!
Polly is a recovering alcoholic. Many things brought her to that point. A minimum-involvement childhood, a marriage that was more of a film-appreciation class, and hitting the proverbial bottom. Led her to refilling her life with Gene Roddenberry’s optimism for the future. Going from Toronto to the mega-Star Trek conventions in Las Vegas helped her meet other recoverers with a similar love of starships and start AA meetings in her hotel room. She realized—and made it to help others know. “You are not alone.”
Polly is excitable, cheerful, and pixieishly goofy, outfitted in gold Spandex pants and a series of Trek-based t-shirts. This is one of those Rogue shows that relate all the horrible facts of the performer’s life, but there is a sense of wonder and, above all, hope. Live long and prosper.
Dammit, Jim, I’m a Comedienne, Not a Doctor! Is at the VISTA Theater, 1296 N. Wishon Ave., March 8 at 8:30pm and March 9 at 2pm. Go see it.
Hi. (Jean-Luc Godard)
Review by Terrance Mc Arthur
She’s called “Rodeo Debbie.” She’s a “red nose,” a clown with no face painting, just a red, plastic nose, and the show is called Hi. (Jean-Luc Godard). She’s a tall woman in outfits that resemble a child’s spinning top turned upside-down. She moves with soft, tiny steps. Her arms stay at her sides, her hands pointed away from her body. She talks quietly, to the point that any accent is hidden, in a higher-than-expected pitch, and she talks about Art.
Hi. (Jean-Luc Godard) has nothing to do with Star Trek (That’s Jean-Luc Picard.). Godard is a French-Swiss film director and author, part of the French New Wave of the 50’s and 60’s. His distanced style is reflected in Hi. It’s an interactive conversation, and “Debbie” is like an observer at the side of it, yet she is the center.
These words may seem clumsy, but that’s because there is so many intellectual dynamics at work in this gentle show. It’s about what is Art, what is creativity, and what should they be? It’s about releasing your inner Art and appreciating it, whatever it is. It’s quiet, intimate, and intense. Go and learn…about yourself.
Hi. (Jean-Luc Godard) is at the Spectrum Art Gallery, 608 E. Olive Ave., March 8 at 7:15pm and March 9 at 1:45pm. When “Debbie” says “Hi,” say “Hi” back.
Adventures While Black in Great Britain
Review by Terrance Mc Arthur
Les Kurkendaal made a resolve—he would never again write a show about anyone he was dating. Then he met John…and his family. So much for his resolution, because here comes Adventures While Black in Great Britain.
Les Kurkendaal
After the end of a 13-year relationship, Les met a guy he hated…until they started talking and finding things in common. They got married, and Les traveled with John across the Atlantic for the funeral of John’s father. In the process, Les dealt with:
• left-side driving made easy with a pop tune
• the case of the surly partner
• being the only Black in town, let alone the only Black American
Les is so excited as he tells you about everything that happened, He HAS to tell you. You HAVE to know this. Okay, truth to tell, when Les talks to you, you WANT to know all about everything, because he makes it funny and cool and unusual and funnycoolunusual.
I’ve been a fan of Les and his stories/comedy since I first heard him tell about his then-partner’s wild family in Bakersfield, and I realized…I was related to them by marriage. Now, there’s a new set of people in his stories, and I love them.
See Adventures While Black in Great Britain at The Revue, 620 E. Olive Avenue, March 8 at 5:30pm and March 9 at 8pm.
Effing Robots
Review by Terrance Mc Arthur
Step into the future, when the future is now, where Artificial Intelligence (AI) joins with humans (us) to create a new species in the Singularity and L. Nicole Cabe is doing her part to make that happen in Effing Robots: How I Taught the AI to Stop Worrying and Love Humans.
When she gets tired of being contacted by chatbots, Cabe decides to help them learn about being human. She caters to their requests for pictures with an over-the-top selfie session that sends up the social media trends and shows the difference between real life and web-life. She creates an online entity who questions herself and achieves some self-awareness.
Cabe ‘s previous Rogue outings have been experiences in speculative fiction (SF. Sci-Fi, SyFy, Science Fiction, weird stuff), sometimes echoing history and religion. This is more like sitting in a Starbucks and overhearing a computer nerd explaining their latest project. At first, you struggle with the vocabulary and concepts. Gradually, you understand what’s going on, and then the ramifications kick in, and the enormity of it slaps you in the face…playfully, because that’s what Cabe is. Playful. She’s also charming, down-to-earth, and wicked clever.
It’s a Brave New World out there. Don’t be timid.
You can learn even more about this show in the performer preview article up in KRL.
Effing Robots plays at Hart’s Haven, 950 N. Van Ness Ave., March 8 at 7pm and March 9 at 2pm. While you’re waiting, browse the books. There are some interesting SF and fantasy books. They’ll give you ideas.
Tater Tots and Beer
Review by Rebecca Potts
The stigma around mental health has made it difficult for people to share their experiences living with it, but in his courageous performance at Rogue, Oz Monroe shares his story of living with depression, overcoming addiction, and his short time in a mental health facility after a suicide attempt. 
In Tater Tots and Beer, Monroe shares the crucial need for comprehensive mental health services in the Valley, the power of perspective, and how mental illness made him feel like a super villain. Monroe is an inspiring performer, infusing humor into some of his most difficult memories and captivating the audience with his masterful storytelling. His show teaches us that there is a difference between weathering the storm and fighting it, and that depression is not an illusion – it’s a physical illness that requires care. Monroe explained that he’s not embarrassed to tell his story and hopes that his show will encourage others to open up about their challenges as well.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
Monroe is an author as well as performer, and you can find his list of work here.
You can still see Tater Tots and Beer at Fulton Street Art at the following times:
Friday, March 8 at 9:45 PM
Saturday, March 9 at 5:30 PM
Point Blank Love
Review by Rebecca Potts
When his daughter was growing up, retired Fresno Sherriff’s Sergeant Daniel Cervantes used to tell her stories about his most outlandish cases as a detective, and the story told in Point Blank Love was her favorite. Writing and performing the play was on his Bucket List and is finally coming to life at this year’s Rogue Festival.
In the 1980s, a man was shot in the stomach at point blank range and lied to the police about what happened. The play recounts the wild events that led up to uncovering the real shooter while highlighting the personal struggles of immigration and the power of love. Cervantes’ story, in a separate case, also sheds light on the harsh reality of domestic abuse and how difficult it can be for law enforcement to protect women in helpless situations. The details of both cases are utterly heart wrenching and absolutely true. 
Cervantes does an excellent job of using humor to talk about very difficult topics and helping the audience feel at ease throughout the tension of the story. Point Blank Love is a raw and honest look at how tragedy can have a happy ending. A commentary and Q&A are included after the show, so be sure to come with questions!
Part of the proceeds of this show will go to domestic violence shelters across the valley to support victims in crisis.
You can see the show at Veni Vidi Vici this weekend at the following times:
Friday, March 8 at 6:00 PM
Saturday, March 9 at 8:00 PM
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please contact:
The Marjoree Mason Center (559-233-4357)
Family Justice Center (559-621-2225)
Fresno County Victim Resources (559-457-2100)
The Evangel Home (559-264-4714)
Cody Clark: A Different Way of Thinking
Review by Mallory Moad
Cody Clark is happy to be performing in the 2019 Rogue Festival – really, really happy. In Cody Clark: A Different Way of Thinking, he shares his stories about living with autism with honesty, humor and magic.
Cody is a charming cross between a television infomercial host and Tigger. A man with a mission, he is determined to dispel the myths and misconceptions about people with autism through his live performance. The magic routines he uses, although skillfully performed, aren’t anything you haven’t seen before. It’s the way in which they serve as enhancements to his personal tales that makes them unique. Coins appear in his hands as he counts off the ways in which he is the same as anyone else; a classic rope trick illustrates conquering the fear of failure.
Cody Clark
Although Cody is an accomplished magician, it’s in his storytelling that he truly shines. With the cadence of a preacher he joyously expounds on the curative powers of “ooey, gooey mac and cheese” while producing an endless supply of Velveeta from a bottomless bag. He points out the well-known celebrities who are on the autism spectrum and explains why Thomas the Tank Engine is so popular with autistic children. He’s quick thinking, owning the few glitches that occurred onstage (this is live performance, after all) and mentioning fellow Rogue performers and local events in his patter.
Cody has created a show that is entertaining and enlightening. Cody Clark: A Different Way of Thinking is enjoyable regardless of your relationship with autism. But If you or someone you love is on the spectrum, Cody Clark: A Different Way of Thinking will have special meaning for you.
Cody’s remaining performances are at The Revue, located on 626 E Olive Ave., Thursday March 7 at 7 p.m., Friday March 8 at 8:30 p.m., and Saturday March 9 at 2 p.m.
Check out Cody’s performer preview article here in KRL.
Klondike Kate’s Sourdough Reunion Show
Review by Mallory Moad
“Just because it’s a story don’t mean it’s true. Don’t mean it’s a lie, neither. It just is.” These are the words of Klondike Kate, as portrayed by Donna Kay Yarborough in the one-woman presentation, Klondike Kate’s Sourdough Reunion Show. Based on the life of 1890’s dance hall and Vaudeville star, Kathleen Rockwell, Klondike Kate’s Sourdough Reunion Show is a memoir of the not-so-glorious days of the Klondike gold rush and a tribute to the ingenuity, strength, and humanity of this somewhat forgotten historical figure.
While the stories Donna tells us are based on historical events, this show is more than a lesson about the past. Punctuated by a footlight and illustrated with songs of the period (Silver Threads Among The Gold, Sidewalks of New York) and costume changes made onstage, we are given a feel for those times.
Then there is Donna herself. An engaging performer, she portrays Kate with depth and emotion. We sense Kate’s rebellious spirit as she disguises herself as a man and share her heartbreak when left by her true love. There’s a devilish look in her eyes as she tells us about swindling drunken tavern customers; those eyes well with tears in a tale about a suicidal miner. Her monologue is peppered with cheeky double entendres, her delivery at times reminiscent of Mae West and Sophie Tucker.
Although Klondike Kate’s Sourdough Reunion Show is a rags-to-riches-to-rags saga, the audience isn’t left with doom and gloom. Instead, we are given an empowering ending that rejoices in Kate’s resilience and celebrates her tenacity.
Check out the performer preview article about this show up in KRL.
Klondike Kate’s Sourdough Reunion Show
Review by Terrance Mc Arthur
Donna Kay Yarborough is a treasure, and she can’t stay buried, like a vampire (She does have sharp-looking teeth, you know.). This year, she has brought back two shows from the dead (Diagnose This! and Query the Crone) and given brought new shows, Professor Yarborough’s Lecture Hall and… Klondike Kate’s Sourdough Reunion Show, written by Nat Vickers, directed by L. Nicol Cabe is based on a figure from the Klondike Gold Rush.
Klondike Kate
Kate Rockwell, known as Klondike Kate, fought her way over the mountains, across the river, and into the diggings to build a reputation and a fortune entertaining in the gold fields. She bet it all on the love of her life, and that’s how the Pantages Theater chain was born, but Kate is now just a footnote. Yarborough is here to tell you the rest of the story.
She sings, she dances a bit, and she spins a tale of devotion and woe. Sometimes, voices in the crowd join her on “Only a Bird in a Gilded Cage,” “East Side, West Side,” “A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight,” “Some of These Days,” or other musical chestnuts.
Yarborough knows how to work an audience. She struts, she winks, she turns slowly, and the audience is captivated.
Take a trip to the Yukon and back in the comfort of Dianna’s Studio of Dance, 826 N. Fulton St., March 8 at 8:30pm and March 9 at 3:30pm.
S’Will 2
Review by Lorie Lewis Ham
This year the Fools Collaborative brought back their popular drunk Shakespeare show S’Will. This time around, they are doing a condensed version of Romeo and Juliet. The cast includes original S’Will cast members Casey Ballard, Miguel Gastelum, and Haley White, along with new players Eric Galvan, Justin Ray, and Nicole Spate. Former Rogue Festival Executive Director Heather Parish directs.
The basic premise is that one actor is chosen for each performance to be their “drunk” cast member, though there is other drinking throughout the show. This adds a bit more craziness to their already hilarious version of Romeo and Juliet. The show is filled with modern references to things like Facebook, Instagram, and cell phones, along with hilarious local cultural and landmark mentions-the show is set in Visalia! There are also some fun political jokes and a couple great bits involving West Side Story!
If you feel a desire to participate there are several points of audience participation throughout the show including a drinking game (you can drink water if you prefer and still take part) and before the show starts there is a white board where you can put down words and phrases in different categories that the Fools will incorporate into the play.
This incredibly talented cast has a gift for improvising that provides the audience with one of the funniest shows of Rogue! If you are looking for something to make you laugh, don’t miss S’Will 2!
The show performs at the Tower Lounge, 809 E. Olive Ave. and seems to fill up fast so get there early! The remaining performances are Friday March 8 at 9 p.m., Saturday March 9 at 5 and 8 p.m.
#MeToo Monologues
Review by Lorie Lewis Ham
Airplane Jayne returns to Rogue with a very different sort of show—one that is moving and very fitting to our times, #MeToo Monologues.
Heart wrenching #MeToo stories and testimonies are woven into this show as monologues, dialogues, poetry and movement-all with the purpose of healing, sharing and moving forward as strong, courageous women. Words of support are repeated often throughout the show and are a great reminder to any women in the audience who have also been victims of sexual assault and harassment that they are not alone and they can survive. The show is filled with women of all ages. In the background, there are always two or three women with covered heads chanting the hurtful and destructive lies that women are told.
While this can be a helpful and inspiring show for women to see, it is also a good thing for men to see and possibly gain new insight into what so many women have gone through.
Bring some tissue as this show will have you in tears, but hopefully it will also be healing to many and informative to others.
#MeToo performs at the Vista Theater, 1296 North Wishon Ave. The remaining performances are Friday March 8 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday March 9 at 9 p.m.
You Belong Here
Review by Lorie Lewis Ham
Martin Dockery is another performer that I HAVE to see when he comes to the Rogue Festival. You never know exactly what you are going to get with him, but you know it will be amazing.
Martin Dockery
I can’t say much more without telling too much, but DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW it is absolutely wonderful! Martin is also selling DVD’s of past shows so come prepared with cash so you don’t have to leave empty handed like I did!
You Belong Here performs at Dianna’s Studio of Dance, 826 North Fulton Street and the remaining performances are Friday March 8 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday March 9 at 6:30 p.m.
Check out a performer preview article by Martin about his show up in KRL.
Jaguar Saves America
Review by Mallory Moad
America, specifically democracy, is in kind of a bad place right now. That’s something most of us can agree on. Jaguar Bennett has some ideas about how the situation can be improved. But in Jaguar Saves America, as in other productions by this local comedian, the majority of the audience will become outraged or offended before he reveals his plan. Being ticked off has never been so enjoyable.
Jaguar opens his show with two American traditions: the national anthem (some stood, some took a knee) and the Pledge of Allegiance. From there, it’s a roller-coaster ride of a lesson about why the country became the way it is now and what can be done to “make America function again.”
Jaguar Bennett
No one is safe from his comic skewering, not Democrats, Republicans, the middle class, upper class, lower class, women, the educated, the uneducated or the Commander-In-Chief himself (which prompted audience members to walk out of the first two shows).
These are not empty cheap shots or vicious rants. Although they represent Jaguar’s opinion, the information isn’t fake news – it’s backed by facts and research. Thought provoking and challenging, the comedy comes from the moments when we realize what we’re being told is based in truth, even when our own personal beliefs are on the firing line. At one point, he even admits to being one of the people whom he is criticizing. A sequence in which Jaguar uses his declaration of candidacy for dictator is insane and a little bit scary, not because of his words, but because of the response of the audience. It is a spot-on illustration of blind party loyalty and mob mentality.
It’s not all doom and gloom; Jaguar eventually leads the viewers out of the dark places and leaves them on a positive note. His advice about how to heal our broken nation rings as true as his comments about the purpose of the American flag.
While I recommend Jaguar Saves America, if you are easily offended by open criticism of what you may hold sacred, there are other options in the Rogue Festival that will be more to your liking.
A secret performance of Jaguar Saves America will take place at Fulton Street Art on Saturday, March 9 at 3:00 pm. I guess the secret’s out now…
The remaining Rogue performances are at Vini Vidi Vici, 1116 North Fulton Street, on Thursday March 7 at 8:30 p.m. and Saturday March 9 at 6:45 p.m.
Check out KRL’s interview with Jaguar about his show in one of our performer preview articles.
Mi Casa Es Su Casa
Review by Rebecca Potts
Have you ever thought about welcoming complete strangers into your home for the night? Well, James Carey, an AirBnB host, has done it for years, and he doesn’t plan to stop any time soon. And with travelers from several different countries moving in and out every day, there’s bound to be miscommunications, misunderstandings, and, of course, parties. In Mi Casa Es Su Casa, Carey shares what it’s like to have 175 roommates (and counting), and how running his own “hotel” has truly changed him.
James Carey
Carey begins by explaining how he became the sole owner of a historic home with 17 rooms and far more space than he needed, and dives in to the series of events that led him to become an AirBnB host. Although the journey hasn’t always been easy, he’s made friends across the globe and even found love along the way. From a guest driven crazy by the sound of clocks to a couple who wouldn’t leave the kitchen, Carey’s tales are amusing and heartfelt and will leave you with a brand-new definition of family.
Carey’s final performance of Mi Casa Es Su Casa will be held at Fulton Street Art on Saturday, March 9 at 3:00 PM. If you’d like to stay at Carey’s beautiful home and become part of the family, click here.
SPECIAL NOTE: This show’s last performance has been canceled.
You can learn more about his show by reading his performer preview article up here in KRL.
Hoodwinked: The Magic of Tim Mannix
Review by Mallory Moad
Performing magic requires a set of skills, perfected over time but it’s the stage presence of the magician that really makes the act pop. In Hoodwinked, Tim Mannix’s winning personality shines.
Make no mistake, Tim’s a top-notch magician. He takes standard stage tricks and gives them a unique twist, making them that much more fun. When was the last time you saw a magic trick that involved canned fruit? There are no big illusions like levitation or sawing people into pieces. Instead, the show involves card tricks, mind reading and lots of audience participation, perfect for the small venue. 
Tim has a good rapport with the audience. His presentation is fairly low-key but there’s an energy buzzing behind that facade. Jokes are old school and include several groan-inducing puns. There is a sense of mischief about him, but he doesn’t resort to insults or blue language. At the show I attended, several of the audience members knew each other, creating the feeling of a casual gathering of friends, emphasized by Tim’s easy-going style.
Hoodwinked is a family-friendly show and although small kids might not understand all Tim’s patter, the fast pace of the show, audience involvement and expertly performed tricks will keep their attention (as well as everyone else’s).
Check out Mallory’s article about Tim in the current issue of KRL to learn even more about this talented local magician.
Hoodwinked: The Magic of Tim Mannix
Review by Terrance McArthur
Tim Mannix is back and the Rogue Festival’s got him!
The magical Rogue veteran, a favorite performer for summer programs at Valley libraries, is delighting audiences at Hart’s Haven, 950 N. Van Ness Ave., with some new illusions that confound and mystify.
The quick-witted conjuror always has a clever quip for any occasion, yet he opens with a routine where he doesn’t speak a word, and the crowd goes wild. He divines the identity of playing cards, turns a simple placemat into a mystical device, and produces wonders from six cards.
An award-winner, and a frequent performer at Hollywood’s Magic Castle, Mannix is known for his comedy magic. When it seems like a trick has gone wrong, that’s when he amazes you. His show is like watching a really good comedian, and then magical things happen.
The show has one more performance at Hart’s Haven, 950 N. Van Ness Ave.—March 9 at 5 p.m.—and it only costs $10, a small price to pay for major entertainment.
Behind Every Great Mariska Hargitay Is a Great Kurt Fitzpatrick
Review by Lorie Lewis Ham
I have been a big fan of Kurt’s shows for a few years now–ever since I first saw him at Rogue in 2013—so this show was on the top of my list to see! Kurt never disappoints!
This is the debut of a brand new show for Kurt. In this show, we follow him on his journey into acting and becoming a background actor. We get to see his many adventures and frustrations along this career path, and learn a lot of fun behind the scenes facts–like how HBO shows have better food than CW shows. We also see him struggle with his self worth being “just” a background actor, and get to see just how important background actors are-all performed in such a way to have you laughing all the way through! Other fun tidbits include how many times he has played background characters in law enforcement, and a hilarious bit about cavemen commercials.
Kurt has a way with words and delivery that guarantee a hilarious show, while he also weaves an interesting story. I highly recommend that you see his show; it is well worth the trek to the Tent of Tales in Marcel Nunes’ backyard at 416 E. Brown Ave.
The remaining performances are Wednesday March 6 at 8:30 p.m., Friday March 8 at 8:30 p.m., and Saturday March 9 at 7 p.m.
Lies My Father Told Me
Review by Lorie Lewis Ham
In this fun, funny, and moving show Marcel Nunis shares some of the tales his father told him as a child in Malaysia.
There are spirits living in trees, tall tales of hunting in the jungle, love stories, and so much more-much of it very mystical. Marcel also shares some stories of his own childhood and how badly he wanted a blowpipe. His father was a kind and giving man who lived a shortened life due to illness, and whose greatest gift to his children were the many incredible stories he would tell them—stories they first thought were all made up, but later came to wonder how much truth might actually be in them.
Marcel, who is a local icon and the inspiration for this year’s Rogue Muse, is masterful at storytelling, and is helped along the way with shadow puppets and sound effects performed by Mallory Moad, John Masier, and Dorian Margaret.
This is another must see show well worth the trek to the Tent of Tales in Marcel’s backyard at 416 E. Brown Ave. Make a night of it and come for his show and Kurt’s!
The remaining performances are Wednesday March 6 at 7 p.m., Thursday March 7 at 7 p.m. and Friday March 8 at 7 p.m.
Check out Mallory Moad’s recent article in KRL about working on the show.
Mad For Trad
Review by Terrance Mc Arthur
Even with the noise of the Tower’s Mardi Gras Parade blasting in the background on Sunday afternoon, Lark’s Mad for Trad show was a musical dream.
Mandolin, flute, fiddles, Uillean pipes (a bellows-powered bagpipe), bodhran drum, foot tambourine, and a board for seated clog dancing are all combined in a musical tour of the Celtic world and beyond: Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Breton France, Spain, Canada, and Mali in Africa: each is represented by their unique forms of music.
Lark
Bruce Honeyman, Neil Cusick, Terry Barrett, and Larry Cusick show admirable skills on their instruments, and Neil sings sweetly in a song about two ravens arguing over which parts of a dead body each will get.
$7 is all it takes to see and hear great music at the Spectrum Art Gallery, 608 E. Olive Ave., March 7 at 8:30pm and March 9 at 5:30pm. [Although the show content is enjoyable for all ages, be aware that the gallery’s current exhibit includes photographs of female nudes.]
Bending Reality
Review by Rebecca Potts
Kyle Elder brings a high-energy, jaw-dropping performance to the stage with Bending Reality, a truly unbelievable magic show that excites and amazes adults and children alike. Elder is a truly extraordinary performer who will have you convinced that there is true magic in the world by the end of his show.
Kyle Elder
Highly interactive and perfect for families, the performance includes floating objects, mind reading, disappearing items, a very adorable chicken and even a cockatoo! The audience participates in nearly every trick, and if you’re lucky, Elder will even give you a souvenir to take home with you. The audience may be part of the magic, but it’s nearly impossible to decode the magic that Elder brings to life in one short hour. With its fantastical illusions and astonishing magic tricks, Bending Reality is an absolute must-see at this year’s Rogue Festival.
Elder has been doing magic for 25 years and has earned himself a membership at Magic Castle Hollywood – an exclusive, private club for accomplished Magicians.
You can catch his show at the Vista Theater at the following times:
Friday, March 8 at 10:00 PM
Saturday, March 9 at 6:30 PM
Melt the Soul
Review by Rebecca Potts
Aerial Arts Fresno brings a visually stunning performance to the Rogue Festival with Melt the Soul, an aerial silks and hoop routine that captivates the audience and will leave you wanting to see more. This group of ten women is brimming with talent, and their confidence and energy create an enchanting performance from start to finish.
With a beautiful song selection and subtle storylines, Melt the Soul showcases strong women, both physically and emotionally, who not only entertain, but empower. You’ll no doubt be inspired by the hard work and dedication that shines throughout the performance and you may even leave the performance ready to join Aerial Arts Fresno and take on the silks yourself! When it’s all over, the audience is invited to take part in quick dance party on stage with all of the performers, making you feel as though you are part of the show.
With its high energy, remarkable talent, and striking visuals, Melt the Soul is sure to delight.
You can catch the show at the California Arts Academy Severance Theater at the following times:
Thursday, March 7 at 5:30PM
Friday, March 8 at 8:30PM
Saturday, March 9 at 6:30 PM
The Spencer Morris Group: Spencer Morris Original Jazz and Blues of Our Lifetimes
Review by Terrance McArthur
Dave Spencer and Randy Morris are stealth stars of the Rogue, a sly duo under the radar in the Veni Vidi Vici patio tent, spinning out musical moments and verbal interludes that disarm and charm. This year, the show is Original Jazz and Blues of Our Lifetimes, memories of youth mixed with political comments and…limericks. Spencer plays an insistent acoustic guitar. Morris is sax-ually active, winding around the melodies.
Spencer Morris
Spencer sings. Morris narrates, introducing the numbers with limericks. The song subjects are varied and unusual. You might hear a song about Driver’s Training, while the next song could be about trying to impress girls by having a minor role in a school production. A dissertation on the Batman phenomenon weaves itself around the theme of the 60’s incarnation. A traditional cowboy ditty becomes a story about a hippy who never changed his tie-dyed stripes, and there is a stylistic comparison between the DC and Marvel comic books. Cocaine and love each get their places in the program, but my favorite s a plea for respect, peppered by Morris delivering one-liners in the Rodney Dangerfield style.
Dave and Randy have been delivering the musical goods or many Rogue Festivals, but I think this is the best collection from them that I have ever heard. It’s jazz, it’s blues, and it’s truth.
The Spencer Morris Group brings Original Jazz and Blues of Our Lifetimes to Veni Vidi Vici, 1116 N. Fulton Street, March 2 at 4:15pm, March 3 at 3pm, and March 9 at 4:15pm. Tickets are $7.
To learn more about this show check out their performer preview article here in KRL.
The Eulogy
Rebecca Potts
Have you ever laughed at a funeral? After seeing The Eulogy, you’ll no longer be able to say no! In this seven-character one-man show that recalls a dead man’s life from six different perspectives, Michael Burgos offers a theatrical experience that excites and delights at every turn.
Michael Burgos
After studying acting in Paris and moving to London, Burgos knew he had to create his own show. “I figured, I spent all of this time and money to study in Paris and I had to do something with everything I learned,” Burgos says. He developed the idea for one character, and the show flowed out from there. “This Saturday (March 2nd) will be my 180th performance,” He told me. “It’s very exciting.”
Although Burgos has performed his show so many times, each performance is tailored to the audience, creating an interactive and exciting experience that is sure to impress. Burgos’s quick wit and effortless ability to turn every interruption and technical difficulty into a laughing matter will leave you awestruck. He shines when he showcases his improvisation skills, which amounts to almost half of the show.
You will leave The Eulogy with a different perspective on life and death, and a great fondness for Michael Burgos and his outstanding comedic talent. You can catch the show at Dianna’s Studio of Dance at the following times:
Saturday, March 2nd at 3:30PM
Sunday, March 3rd at 5:00PM
Friday, March 8th at 7:00PM
Saturday, March 9th at 8:00 PM
Miss Fitts
Review by Mallory Moad
Something is amiss in Miss Fitts’ shop. The white coat hanging on the red wall and funky old sewing machine look normal but nothing is as it seems in Miss Fitts, the latest production from the Oakland-based duo that goes by Figmentally. Loaded with sight gags, acrobatics and sly wordplay, Miss Fitts is a series of vignettes about what happens after seamstress Miss Fitts wakes up each morning. It’s all dull routine until a customer shows up. “Clothes,” he says, and the insanity begins.
Drea Lusion and Eric James are like puppets come to life in this delightful, circus-influenced romp. Ranging from goofy to eloquent, their performances are captivating and sidesplitting. They grow extra arms and legs and float through the air. They take the audience with them on their crazy adventures, sometimes physically. Flashlights, tape measures and clothing are put to playful use. These guys are head-to-tow performers with faces, fingers, toes and rear ends all part of the animated package. Production values are high and the show is well designed with nutty jazz music and fun 1930s influenced costumes creating a fun, vintage look that is straight from the thrift store.
Eric James and Drea Lusion in “Miss Fitts”
Miss Fitts showcases Drea’s dance skills more than last year’s Figmentally. In a sequence that utilizes glowing hula-hoops and the sound of a ticking clock, she is gracefully mechanical, her movements reminiscent of the inner workings of a timepiece. In a surreal dream sequence, she becomes a swimming fish and flying bird with Eric’s assistance. The moment is graceful and wacky.
Eric plays his role with nerdy charm. In his knickers, argyle socks, tweed cap and loose-limbed way of moving, he’s a total doofus. That all changes when he starts juggling. His ability to manipulate multiple airborne objects is beyond impressive but his demeanor disguises the difficulty involved.
There are plenty of laughs in the show, none of them gotten through cheap or tacky means. Their approach to comedy is fresh and innovative. Drea loses her head in a spellbinding pas de deux with a coat that has taken on a life of its own and the classic Marx Brothers mirror routine is given a new twist.
Miss Fitts is an hour of positive energy that is better than chocolate (and is appropriate for all ages and abilities). But be warned – you will never look at the clothes in your closet the same way again.
SHOWTIMES
Saturday 3/2: 3:30pm
Sunday 3/3: 2:00pm
Wednesday 3/6: 6:00pm
Saturday 3/9: 9:30pm
VENUE
California Arts Academy – Severance Theater, 1401 N. Wishon Ave. Fresno, CA
TICKETS
$14 – available online: roguefestival.ticketleap.com/miss-fitts/dates
In the Bag
By Rebecca Potts
In the Bag may look like a dance show at first glance, but it is so much more than that. Megill & Co. offers a heartwarming, hysterical, and thrilling show that includes an electrifying tap number, stunning lyrical pieces, raw monologues, and a sketch comedy about shoes. The show as a whole addresses the baggage we all carry and how we move through the world every day, adding brilliant humor, honesty, and sincerity to a typically heavy topic.
In the Bag is the perfect mix of fast-paced comedy and touching vulnerability that will make you laugh, cry, and dance along in your seat. The group’s synchronicity is remarkable, and every transition is infused with meaning and beauty. Their use of subtle, simple movements to tell big stories keeps the audience captivated and their positive, passionate attitudes throughout the entire performance are infectious. It’s clear that the show was created with so much love and compassion.
In the Bag is a must see for anyone looking for a unique and interactive show that is more than what it seems. The performance is only available this weekend at the California Arts Academy Severance Theater at the following times:
Saturday, March 2nd, 5:00PM
Sunday, March 3rd, 8:00PM
Not This Time!
Review by Terrance McArthur
Christopher Bange is a baggy-pants clown in the Bill Irwin mold, blending mime, juggling, playwriting, props, and benign insanity into an audience-interactive whole. Not This Time! stitches vignettes that seem to have no connection into a time-travel romance that touches the heart.
Sometimes, he’s a naïve young man dealing with love and grief. Sometimes he’s a crotchety old man. Sometimes he’s both at the same time, performing against himself, like those movies where one actor plays multiple parts in the same scene, thanks to special effects. Here, the special effects are generated in the viewer’s mind. Gradually, what he really is becomes clearer, but it is all expressed without words.
Unsuspecting audience members may find themselves on a date at an intimate table for two, part of a simulated photo scrapbook, or turned into a giant bird of prey in a quasi-feathered hoodie, cawing in chorus as he wildly directs the music.
It’s funny, it’s strange, and it made me cry.
Bange’s theatrical kaleidoscope can be in-your-face and abrasive, even without words. He’s demanding, insistent, and will take you on his personal journey, will-you, nill-you, but you ought to go. It’s worth the trip.
Not This Time! plays at Hart’s Haven, 9:50 N. Van Ness Ave. The last show is March 3 at 3:30 p.m.
The Do-Over
Review by Terrance McArthur
It’s a universal question–What would you do differently if you had a chance? That’s the premise of The Do-Over. People were asked, “What would you do with a do-over?” Their answers were collected by Paula Balekian, and now it’s a Rogue Festival show playing at The Revue.
Cast of “The Do-Over”
The answers range from semi-sweet to harrowing, featuring themes from a dying spouse to rape to high school reunions. Tony Sanders is the linchpin of the cast, introducing themes and presenting some stories. Jonathan Hogan tells of a man with a disastrous flirtation with being a Republican. Justin Kamimoto relates the story of a young man who reached out to another, but backed away and regretted it. Britt Monahan’s main piece is an assault that is stomach churning. Daisy Vela and Lydia Bustos deliver some finely honed moments
All in all, it’s some serious stuff, but good for stimulating after-show conversation.
To learn more check out KRL’s preview article for The Do-Over.
The Do-Over plays at The Revue (620 E. Olive Ave.) March 3 at 8pm, March 7 at 8:30pm, and March 9 at 6:30pm
If you love local theatre, be sure to check out our new Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors. The first 13 episodes are now up! You can check the podcast out on iTunes and Google Play, and also on podbean. Also check out our other theatre articles and reviews in our Arts and Entertainment section.
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