TAMPA BAY'S FRINGE BOUND! Benefit Celebrates Orlando Int'l Theatre Fringe 5/20-31

TAMPA BAY'S FRINGE BOUND! is a celebration of three Tampa Bay productions that have been selected to perform at the Orlando International Theatre Fringe Festival May 20 - 31, The Dumb Show, Oddlie, and Reefer Madness!!! The Play!!! This festive evening will include 20-minute teasers of each production, a silent auction, and refreshments. All monies from the event will help defray the artists' costs of being a part of the Fringe, such as travel, housing, and per diem. Join us for some drink, some theatre, some prizes, and some fun!

The Orlando International Theatre Festival is in its 19th year and takes place in and around Downtown Orlando over the course of ten straight days. Frequently referred to as the premier springtime cultural event in Central Florida, The Orlando International Fringe Festival encompasses more than 500 uncensored and non-juried shows from all over the world. It is the oldest Fringe Festival in the United States.

THE DUMB SHOW is a hilarious, irreverent, surreal take on the world from the minds of two long-form improvisors. Starting with a simple audience suggestion, Gavin Hawk and Ricky Wayne create a series of characters and scenes that showcase the best and worst of humanity, and will have you laughing and shaking your head in wonder at the same time. Heidi Lux of the Tampa Bay Informer states, "Their characters come alive, with interesting shifts taking the show in unexpected directions, and even scenes within the scenes, with hilarity at every turn." And, Mark Leib of Creative Loafing adds, "They find more humor in their unscripted hijinks than most actors ever find in the most celebrated of comic texts. If you love to laugh, you ought to give them a look." 

ODDLIE is the story of a (mostly) mute outcast's search for her voice in a city of garbage heaps. Through spoken word poetry, traditional storytelling and song, Aleshea Harris spins the tale of Oddlie's journey to herself. Oddlie is an unfortunate young woman who is ignored by everyone and leads a pretty miserable existence. Everything changes the first time she hears the brash and unapologetic Rope Haired Man, a spoken word poet. His bold assertion that he is "nobody's gutta" sets Oddlie afire in pursuit of poetry. Oddlie then encounters Sasha, a former poet starlet whose right arm holds an invisible thing, whose body is bent with disease, and whose spunk guides Oddlie from Here to There. But Oddlie's most important encounter is the one with herself, the truth of where she's been and where she hopes to go. This is a completely original tale of someone who, despite the dinge and frustration of her existence, finds a reason to be. Oddlie is a celebration of the strength and ingenuity of the human spirit.

REEFER MADNESS!!! THE PLAY!!!, based on the 1936 cult film, is a town hall meeting warning "Marijuana is Public Enemy #1!". Join Dr. Alfred Carroll and a troupe of actors as they reenact what happens when College Students get hooked on Marijuana given to them by diabolical dope dealers: car accidents, manslaughter, suicide, and descent into madness - REEFER MADNESS!!! This limited engagement stars Katie Castonguay, Jan Ray, Michael Titone, and T. Scott Wooten as Dr. Alfred Carroll. The St. Petersburg Times described this zany send up of the original film as "fast paced and intentionally ridiculous" while Creative Loafing stated, "you'll get high on this parody". Come find out why!

TAMPA BAY'S FRINGE BOUND! will be performed one night only, Monday, May 17, 7:00pm at The Studio @ 620, 620 1st Avenue South, St. Petersburg. Tickets are $15. There will be a cash bar and a silent auction. Reservations can be made by calling 727/895-6620.

TAMPA BAY'S FRINGE BOUND! is produced by Economic Stimulus Productions, Hawk & Wayne, and freeFall Theatre Company along with Bag of Beans Productions.

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