THE FRINGE IS BACK

The St. Lou Fringe Festival is beginning its 13th run. Almost 40 shows will run over six days next week. The festival is open to all and uncensored. Many of the shows are chosen by lottery.

Things got going with a new, full-length musical, Big Machine by Fly North Theatricals. The complex story centers on the development of lead additives to gasoline (really) with its poisonous consequences, workers’ rights, capitalism and communism, loneliness, romance and a precocious child. The show will be repeated several times over coming days.                

ST. LOU FRINGE - "BARE" GETS TRIPPY

Times change. They always do, including in schools and on the stage. Two more scenes from the musical Bare. The first was a dance party that I assume was not held under the auspices of the school. (The Jesuits and the Archdiocese of New York would never have tolerated such things when I was young). Boys dancing with boys! Girls dancing with girls! Occasionally girls dancing with boys! 

The second photo represents a dream one of the main characters had. It's the young man in the foreground in yesterday's post. He is conflicted by his desires and guilt. One of the nuns from the school appears as the Virgin Mary to comfort him and guide his decisions. She has two backup singer-dancer angels. The crowd went wild.