A defining feature of the Orlando International Fringe theatre festival, now in its 21st year, is all the gay acts from home and abroad. This supremely weird and fun festivalâ┚¬â€Âthe oldest of its kind in the nationâ┚¬â€Âtakes over Loch Haven Park May 16-28.
“Demographically, LGBT audiences make up 24% of our patrons, and purchase more tickets per person than any other segment of our community,â┚¬Â states incoming Festival Producer Michael Marinaccio. â┚¬Å”As Orlando Fringe reaches out to new audiences and demographics, we continue our commitment to supporting one of the most loyal and valued segments of our Fringe community.â┚¬ÂÂ
In fact, the Fringe was listed as one of the reasons when Advocate called Orlando the second gayest city in the nation.
Because Central Florida possesses such strong performersâ┚¬â€Âfrom theaters and theme park alikeâ┚¬â€Âoften the national acts get a late start. Out-of-towners succeed on word-of-mouth, a high staple emerging from the Fringe's â┚¬Å”Green Lawn of Fabulousness,â┚¬Â where performers and patrons mingle.
This year, Watermark features six national LGBT acts, to get the buzz going early!
James Judd (San Francisco)â┚¬â€ÂFunny Stories
What's your show about?
My show is called Funny Stories, and that’s what it isâ┚¬â€Âfunny stories from my life. I’m gay and so is Eric, my pre-Prop 8 semi-legally recognized husband. All of the stories in my show are autobiographical. I may throw in a few other bits, like the story about the time Rosie O’Donnell hit on me, or the 10 Spanish phrases that every traveling gay must know, like, “I need pill!’ and “What about my needs?”
What are you looking forward to at Fringe?
This is my third appearance. The professional attitude and dedication of the staff and volunteers is stellar. Plus, the audiences of the Orlando Fringe are smart. Also, I’m shacking up in a condo with friends from Florida, North Carolina, Boston, and Medellin. If you need to find us we will be at the Parliament House after 9 p.m. Monday-Sunday. I hope I see some awesome drag. Let’s be honestâ┚¬â€Âthere’s a reason why there are lots of Florida Queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race and zero from San Francisco. Maybe the humidity brings out the fishiness.
D'yan Forest (New York City)â┚¬â€ÂI Married a Nun
Tell us a little about you and your show.
It’s about marrying a nun. I did! Then she left meâ┚¬â€Ânot for Godâ┚¬â€Âbut for some grandkids. So, I high-tailed it off to the demimonde of Paris where I visited the strip clubs and swingers clubs and had a very good time. The production company in one word is: Me! Originally, I’m a Boston girl who found her heart and sexuality in Paris and brought it back with me when I moved to New York City.
You developed your show through writers' groups, right?
What has fascinated me is how all peopleâ┚¬â€Âyoung, old, straightâ┚¬â€Âin my different writing groups have all been so encouraging with the development of this show. I thought the story of a woman in her 70s going to swingers clubs would be too much, but they kept saying, â┚¬Å”We want more!â┚¬ÂÂ
Have you been to Orlando before?
A few years ago, one of my first French love insisted I take her to Disney World where she fell in love with Minnie Mouse. I never forgave her. This time, I'm tracking down Minnie Mouse and having fun.
Paul Consentino (New York City)â┚¬â€ÂBad Connections?
In your show you play nine different characters. Is it difficult?
I've found the responsibility of holding the audience's attention for 90 minutes to be both overwhelming and exhilarating. After performances, people have asked, â┚¬Å”Aren't you exhausted?â┚¬Â I've found that I'm not. My training as an actor has taught me to learn to relax on stage, and to allow the characters, their voices, and the storyline to flow through me. And what wonderful words and characters to let flow!
Tell us about how you met the show's writer:
Michael Levesque directed me in a production of Godspell when I was 15 in San Jose, Calif. Twenty years later, in New York City, Michael casually mentioned to me one day in that he was â┚¬Å”available for hireâ┚¬Â as a playwright. And that was about it; Michael came up with the intricate plot and fully fleshed out, richly detailed characters.
Bad Connections? has already been a hit at the Hollywood and Edmonton Fringes, with sold out audiences and critical praise. What are you looking forward to in Orlando?
Really, just meeting some great people and sharing this wonderful piece of theater with them!
Alexa Fitzpatrick (Aspen, Colorado)â┚¬â€ÂTangled Ribbons
Your show was borne out of your experience raising money for AIDS and breast cancer groups.
Yes, it's based on the nine years I spent traveling around the country producing events for a cure. My story mainly focuses on one summerâ┚¬â€Âmy second year with the company. I refer to it as my summer of sex, drugs and events for a cure because we were like roadies for a cause.
It sounds like an interesting life.
On any event there were 50 to 60 of us, living on rock and roll style tour buses. We ranged in age from about 23 to 45, were all attractive and fit (because you need to be to work that hard, the fit part that is, attractive came from how much everybody cared about the world) and mostly single (because who else can go on the road for seven straight months?). We spent five days of every week producing AIDS Rides and Breast Cancer Walks, both events that change people’s lives. Then we'd spend two days in strange cities blowing off steam from producing events that change people’s lives.
Kevin Thornton (Nashville, Tennessee)â┚¬â€ÂStrange Dreamz
What can you tell us about your show?
My new show is a concert/stand-up hybrid. I’ve been on the road since 2009 developing the style and material. Audiences may remember my 2011 show I Love You (We’re F*#ked), which did pretty well at Orlando Fringe. This year I went for less of a storyline and (hopefully) just a lot more funny. I really tried to push boundaries this time with themes of sex, race and AIDS. Oh and TLC. Yes, the 90s R&B girl group.
What makes your show interesting for LGBT audiences?
The show isn’t a “gay show,” per se. However, there are lots and lots of gay-related topics, simply because that’s my perspective. I talk very openly (probably too openly) about my life: sex, love, all of it. I was raised on the Indiana/Kentucky border by two good Midwestern people and Jesus Christ. Learned the few chords my dad knew on my grandpa’s Gibson [and] spent years singing and writing. During that time I also discovered a love for penises, which Jesus is totally not down with. So I chose cock over Christ. That’s funny, right? I took that funniness and translated it to the stage. And that’s what I do now.
