Archive - Aug 20, 2010
#fringeNYC - Saving Throw Versus Love
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 08/20/2010 - 16:34As a person who spent a lot of time playing role playing games years ago, the show Saving Throw Versus Love sounded very interesting to me.
It started off with an improbable premise. Sam and Carol are announcing their engagement and Carol thinks that Sam's Thursday evening out with the boys is about playing poker and not role playing games. I'm not sure that I've ever heard of a gamer dude getting engaged without his fiancee at least knowing about and being interested in gaming, if not being a gamer herself.
However, gamers are especially versed in the willing suspension of disbelief and are likely to forgive the diifficulties of the initial idea as well as the important device at the end of the play where the judge cannot make it to the wedding.
Instead gamers will appreciate Carol's beginners luck in the game as well as the struggles not to take a game too seriously. Yet how would non-gamers appreciate the show? One older man I spoke with after the show said he was so thoroughly involved with the show that he didn't notice these difficulties.
Saving Throw Versus Love is a light but completely enjoyable show with an amusing script and good acting. I highly recommend it to balance out seeing too many serious shows.
#fringenyc Thursday Journey
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 08/20/2010 - 10:22It started off pretty much like the other days heading into New York. I was fairly well rested. I sat on the train full of well being. I would be seeing four plays with two of my daughters.
Then, the phone rang. It was my eldest daughter. One of her co-workers had an emergency and my daughter needed to work a double shift. She would miss the first couple of plays but hoped to join me in the evening.
At Bridgeport, the was a delay. I wasn't concerned. I had extra time built in to my schedule. They delay lengthened. Then, it was announced that there wires down. We had to change to shuttle buses.
I was glad that this didn't happen on Wednesday with Fiona and I looked around the crowded train. It was full of families heading in to the Yankees game. I felt csorry for the kids waiting for the train or at leat updates from their father's cellphone about the score.
I arrived in New York too late for the final performance of Butterfly, Butterfly, Kill Killl Kill. I stopped at Fringe Central briefly before heading east to the Connelly Theatre for The Maid of Orleans, Two Girls and As You like it. Each show was good and Two Girls was amazing. It has taken over the role as my top mustsee show.
It made for along late night. I am now back on the train heading in for what I expect to be the final day of FringeNYC for me. I am heading off to Cape Cod for a week. I hope to get up reviews of these plays before I leave, but I am very tired and need to rest.