The Lake Effect Fringe Festival Kicks Off 5th Season

The Lake Effect Fringe Festival kicks off its 5th season of bringing new theatre to West Michigan all through the month of February on Wednesday, February 1 and 2, 2017 at 8:00 pm with a performance by Shadblow Theatre, reprising their production of Anatomy of Gray, by Jim Leonard. A coming of age story that is relatable to all. Its themes of community, family, questioning faith, fear of the unknown, acceptance, and love speak to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The play's ensemble driven story-telling, sometimes delightful and sometimes devastating emotional depth, as well as its often presentational style allows this play to truly connect to its audiences. The story follows fifteen-year-old June Muldoon, her mother, the colorful townsfolk of Gray, Indiana, and the mysterious doctor who crash lands in the center of the "most boring town in the world." Seeking to raise questions about what it means to be a part of this incredibly diverse world, the heart of this play touches on themes relevant to all. Fast-paced clever staging, beautiful lyrical narration, and a small but talented nine person ensemble, this play offers a compelling story in an immersive setting that is sure to offer a lot of laughs and a few tears.

There is a full calendar of events that are guaranteed to have something for everybody scheduled at the Dog Story Theater, 7 Jefferson SE, Grand Rapids throughout the month of February, right into early March. Again this year, Dog Story's popular Comedy Outlet Mondays will continue throughout the Festival (February 6, 13, 20, & 27) at 7:00 pm each Monday night, for the low price of just $5.00 Comedy Outlet Mondays (COM) is an experimental comedy hub in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids. From 7pm-8pm, audiences only pay $5 to watch a variety of local artists performing brand new comedy from improv, to sketch, to puppets and music and beyond!

The second hour opens up the stage for those who wish to watch, or participate in, a free open comedy lab. Here, anyone can try new games, network, and may even be inspired to create an act and return as a performer. COM has become an ongoing circuit of performing, playing, producing, and polishing, all leading back to establishing new artists/art forms in Grand Rapids. It is brought to the community by No Outlet Improv Troupe and Dog Story Theater.

The full schedule includes:

Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company - February 3, 4 @8:00 pm and 5 @ 3:00 pm

The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company will present Titus Andronicus.

Pigeon Creek Repertory Company member Scott Lange directs Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy with an all-female cast. Roman general Titus Andronicus navigates the "wilderness of tigers" that is the Roman Empire, amid political intrigue and revenge plots. Pigeon Creek's productions present Shakespeare's

plays in a lively, audience-interactive, and accessible atmosphere that brings the plays to life for modern audiences. Please note that this production is not recommended for audience members under 13.

The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company is Michigan's only year-round, touring Shakespeare Company.

Bard to Go - February 4 @ 3:00pm and February 5 @ 8:00 pm

Joining Pigeon Creek for a weekend of Shakespeare, Bard to Go presents a 60-minute, 6-person production of Shakespeare's Macbeth. A famous Scottish warrior receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. Unwilling to wait for fate to crown him, Macbeth and his wife murder the current king and then struggle to maintain their grip on power. Bard to Go is the touring arm of the Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival.

The Brutal Sea - February 8 & 9 @ 8:00 pm

The Brutal Sea presents Love & Semiotics, a new play written by Kimberly Snyder and directed by Alex Michael Cook. A play about how we create our own reality and what makes up the foundation of what we believe. When a young woman is visited by a novelist's ghost, she is forced to confront her relationship with reality and herself.

This play is not recommended for young viewers due to strong language and mature themes such as suicide and sexual abuse.

The University Wits - February 10 & 11 @ 8:00pm and February 12 @ 3:00pm

God of Carnage, a dark comedy by Yasmina Reza, directed by Morgan Springsteen. After 11 year old boys Benjamin and Henry get into a fight on the playground, resulting in one child getting hit in the mouth and losing a few teeth, the four parents meet to discuss the unpleasantness calmly and politely. However, as tempers rise and neuroses collide, the night devolves into disturbing and hilarious mayhem.

LEFF Songwriting Workshop with Julia Yob - February 11 @ 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Keep It Simple, Songwriters! Join area songwriter/composer/all-around-artist Julia Yob at this fun 2-hour songwriting workshop. Learn new tips and tricks to help keep your music fresh and interesting, including different ways to find song ideas in the first place. No instruments required, but bring writing materials - we are songwriters, after all! All experience levels welcome.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: Julia Yob has an Honors B.A. in Music from Carthage College. She has spent the six years since graduation writing over 150 songs and three original musicals. Julia is a member in good standing of the Grand Rapids Songwriters Alliance, and she is a regular attendee of the Above The Bridge Songwriter's Weekend workshop series. She has performed in both Grand Rapids' Festival of the Arts (2011-2016) and ArtPrize, and she has also produced "Kissing Frogs," a CD of her original songs, which can be found on CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon.com, and more.

M.Y. Musical World - February 12 @7:00 pm

A 2-hour musical-writing workshop is led by local playwrights Ian Mockerman & Julia Yob of M.Y. Musical World. Told through the lens of their original musical productions, TIP$ the Musical and Inferno - the Musical, Mockerman & Yob will take participants through their writing processes on TIP$ and Inferno... what worked, what didn't, and how they got it done without killing themselves or each other in the process.

Both TIP$ and Inferno premiered in Grand Rapids' Lake Effect Fringe Festival, and TIP$ was also produced by the Heritage Theatre Group during their 25th Anniversary season in 2015.

HIGHLY recommended for both creative writers/musicians and anyone with interest in the genre. Attendees will also get a glimpse into the duo's upcoming original fairy tale production: Princess Story - the Musical.

Art by Ellis - February 16 & 17 @ 8:00 pm

The Bald Soprano, by Eugene Ionesco and directed by Roger Ellis. The classic French farce that launched "Theatre of the Absurd" a half-century ago. The family maid seduces the disappearing Fire Chief in the living room as the Smiths entertain and insult their guests, The Martins, who can't remember whether or not they actually know each other! Art by Ellis is a West Michigan fine and performing arts organization that has been producing work in Grand Rapids since 1982.

The Blue Star Players - February 18 @ 8:00 pm and February 19 @ 3:00 pm

36 Questions, by area playwright, Cassandra Chance, directed by Ann Celeste Cloyd. In the early 90's, a team of psychologists attempted to create real love in a laboratory setting - and succeeded. In 36 Questions (or "The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness"), two college seniors, Cat and Dan, attempt to replicate the experiment - on themselves.

Christopher van Der Ark - February 22 @ 8:00 pm

Grand Rapids playwright Christopher van Der Ark will present a staged reading of Collage of a Dystopian Midwest: a play by various authors.

Midwest Stage Company - February 23 & 24 @ 8:00 pm

Sexual Perversity in Chicago, by David Mamet, directed by Dennis Henry. Set at the height of the free-swinging disco era, Sexual Perversity in Chicago is an hilarious, fast-paced look at sex and relationships. Just as relevant now as it was in 1976, Danny, Joan, Deborah and Bernie are struggling to connect in a brave new world of liberated sexual expression. It's blunt, it's crude, it's offensive---and it's a great time. Recommended for mature audiences.

Hole in the Wall Theatre Company - February 25 @ 8:00 pm and February 26 @ 3:00 pm

T. J. Corbett leads the Commedia Dell'Arte troupe in The Whole Vine Yards. In this tantalizing tale, the diVonstro family vineyard has slowly been going bankrupt over the last three generations, and Modestina, the current head of the estate, is at the end of her financial rope. Not to mention her daughter seems endlessly caught in flights of fancy, and her nosey neighbor keeps inviting himself over with his swashbuckling son. All seems lost, until a mysterious box is discovered - and inside is what looks like a treasure map! It's a race to the "X" against crafty servants, pedantic neighbors, love struck youths, and a desperate vineyard owner, as the map changes many hands, and entices many minds. One thing Modestina knows for certain - she has her work cut out for her!

Stephen Douglas Wright - March 1 & 2 @ 8:00 pm

Local playwright Stephen Douglas Wright's newest, The Ghost of Jimmy Dean, tells the story of Sebastian, a famous actor who goes crazy while playing James Dean in a movie, and locks himself in his mansion. His best friend and lawyer Germaine hires Guinevere, a therapist, to move in and "fix" him.

GEM Theatrics - March 3 & 4 @ 8:00 pm and March 5 @ 3:00 pm

The husband and wife performance team of Gary E. Mitchell and Mary Beth Quillin will finish off the festival with the West Michigan premiere of Chapatti, by Christian O'Reilly. Romance is a distant memory for two lonely animal-lovers living in Dublin. When forlorn Dan (Gary E. Mitchell) and his dog Chapatti cross paths with the amiable Betty (Mary Beth Quillin) and her nineteen cats, an unexpected spark begins a warm and gentle story about two people rediscovering the importance of human companionship.

Originally commissioned as a radio play, this deeply emotional two character play combines traditional Irish storytelling with conventional dialogue laced with charm and a dark sense of Irish humor. The Chicago Tribune calls it "An exquisite dramatic pas de deux..."

The Lake Effect Fringe Festival seeks to highlight performer-focused theater in a non-traditional theater space, creating an intimate performance experience for audiences who can expect different seating configurations and differing levels of interaction with the performers at any given performance. Along with the Dog Story Theater, organizing partners include; GEM Theatrics, Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company, and The University Wits. All performances take place in the black box performance space of the Dog Story Theater, 7 Jefferson SE, Grand Rapids, 49503. Tickets for all events can be purchased in advance on the Dog Story Theatre's website: www.dogstorytheater.com, and are $14/adults and $8/students and seniors. Comedy Outlet Mondays are just $5.

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