Encore performances: Best of SF Fringe Oct 1 & 2

Friday, October 1

7:00 p.m. – Zero to 90 in 60 Minutes:

A Smorgasbord of Short Plays and Monologues written by Smart Bay Area Women. Selected plays from the original 2010 Fringe award-winner, Zero to 90 in Ninety Minutes. Written by LindaAyres-Frederick, Joya Cory, Janet Johnston, Ruth Kirschner & Naomi Newman. Starring Juliet Tanner, Heidi Wolfe, Paul Gerrior, Linda Ayres-Frederick, Joya Cory, Bruno Kantor.

Excellent writing, acting and directing…The whole evening is fun, professional and deserves to be seen!... Joya Cory is succeeds at being funny, sad, and universal all in the same moment. And the rest of the players are clearly professionals at the top of their games, engaging with real stories and real content.... It is rare indeed when you get the full impact of the magic which is theater at its best, an experience of art that touches our core and leavens ones understanding of life and human nature. This show has MANY such moments. Its writing is super smart and penetrating and the acting is superb. I give an unqualified A. – Fringe audience reviews

8:30 p.m. – Arousal

A sudden death in the family leaves Clifford, who has Asperger's and has never been with a woman, all alone for the first time in his life. Driven to desperate measures he responds to an ad online for a "special friend". Albena, a immigrant from the Ukraine who runs a one woman prostitution business out of her studio apt. and who is running from her own troubles, is the one who placed the ad. What happens when they meet? Sex? Absurdities? Orgasms? Yes! Yes! Yes! AROUSAL. A comedy about connections, lost and found.
 
A top-notch production: funny and poignant and thought-provoking. Thanks to a terrific, well-crafted script and phenomenal acting, this story of a Ukrainian hooker and her new Aspergers client performs the rare trick of delighting us and moving us at the same time. A 45-minute gem. Don't miss it! – Fringe audience review ... I was amazed that something so short felt so engaging. The characters had a wonderful balance of irony & authenticity…and I laughed and laughed and laughed. At the same time, they were real, authentic, and the play was quite moving. I was in tears at the end & it left me reflecting on the human condition, and wanting to see more. Overall, I thought they did a remarkable job & highly recommend the play to everyone. – Fringe audience review
 
Saturday, October 2

7:00 p.m. – Homeless

What does home look like when you are a black, gay immigrant? And where do you find it? Rotimi Agbabiaka's "Homeless" is a sometimes funny, always poignant trek from Bulgaria to Nigeria to the United States of America. On his journey to find home our protagonist encounters past loves, present obligations and future fantasies. In this piece, Rotimi uses music, dance, storytelling, and shapeshifting to examine the meaning of identity in our global village.

Homeless is an auspicious debut…Agbabiaka is a performer with the muscular fluidity of a trained dancer, the nuance of a veteran actor, and a personality that audiences can’t wait to embrace…his is a major talent that is well worth following. – George Heymont, My Cultural Landscape.

8:30 p.m. – The Burroughs and KookieShow: Late Night at the Interzone

Welcome to INTERZONE'S favorite late night talk show. Hosted by the God-Father of Punk, William S. Burroughs. Join Christopher Kuckenbaker as he assumes the role of William S. Burroughs and takes the audience on a journey through the twisted, irreverent, and darkly comedic world of William S. Burroughs. Ripe Theater and Secret Theater conspire together to bring this Ripe/Secret to the stage. Ripe Theater received "Best of Fringe" in 2002 and "Best Ensemble" in 2006. WARNING: Mugwumps may be milked, cut-ups mended, and a vibrator may get a good talking-to.

Kuckenbaker ably switches between burroughs and the acerbic, paranoid writer’s hapless talk-show guest…smartly directed by Sarah McKereghan, with deadpan musical support by Louis libert, “Burroughs” is a blithely mind-altering visit that soars with wry witon excerptsfrom its namesake’s writings. – Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle

For complete descriptions of the four encore shows in the Oct. 1 and 2 “Best of the Fringe,” go to www.sffringe.org. Or call the fringe hotline at (415) 673-3847. All shows are at EXIT Theatre, 156 Eddy Street in downtown San Francisco. Tickets are $20 per show available at www.sffringe.org.