Capt. Discovery and “Escape to Planet O”
Capt. Discovery and “Escape to Planet O”
By Jeff Ferree
Jamie Mykins Theater
Orlando, FL, 2010 Orlando International Fringe Festival</strong>
This is downright silly. Next to the volunteer room, there’s this abandoned closet that once held a furnace or gas water heater, and now is an impromptu puppet theatre. It’s about 5 feet wide and 10 feet deep, and just large enough to hold nine agoraphobic arts lovers. Jeff Ferree and his daughter Sophie rigged an outer space puppet stage, and if you’re lucky enough to get in the line, or start the line, you might see this quirky little show. Admission is by donation, the money goes to fund a future puppet “Titus Andronicus.” I’m so already there.
At one end of the room is a small puppet stage with a black curtain. More black fabric punctuated by small incandescent Christmas lights covers the walls, and they really hurt when you lean into them. About 15 people arrive for the show, but Fringe code only allows two badge wielding people with unnaturally colored hair in the space. The solution was simple if not fair – whoever is first in line gets too decide who else is allowed in. A heated discussion arose, topics of “If we cooperate for the common good” clashed with “We’ve been waiting for over an hour” and “I’m so much smaller than any of you.” When the kerfuffle settled, nine of us crammed into the escape pod, including the two smallest people in the Orlando Arts scene: Adrienne Feldman and Brandon Roberts.
Oh, yeah, there’s a puppet show in this closet. Captain Discovery is a windbag astro jock, and he’s BS’ing Betty Jane who we all know should be in love with Billy Nerd. The Eyeball puppet narrates, and when the Mushroom People attack, Captain Discover pees his pants and claims the victory. The planet of She-Wolves whips out its tractor beam and drags them down to steal the guys’ precious bodily essences, and once again Billy Nerd saves the day. Will he ever get the nooky he deserves from Betty Jane? Probably not, it’s the destiny of the Guy in the Horn Rim Glasses to never get the girl.
After ten minutes, the story is done, the oxygen is consumed, and I no longer have to worry about accidently touching Brendon Roberts inappropriately. Too bad the cute girl in the glasses didn’t stick around to see the show. She was just over HERE.
This event is part of the 2010 Orlando International Fringe Festival. For schedule and ticket information, please visit http://OrlandoFringe.org<P>Not that you’re going ot get in to see this. Just sayin’….
