Seven Plays in Three Weeks

September is a busy month.  With everything from theatres starting their seasons to Philly Fringe, there’s a lot going on.  I think it’s absolutely amazing, and it’s super exciting for me and Zoe Writes Theatre, because we are raring to go.  I have a super busy, but super exciting, three weeks coming up.  Stuffing seven shows into a very narrow time window is quite the endeavor, but I know it will be so worth it.  Can I just say I’m excited for all the one-person shows?  Here’s everything I have to look forward to in the coming weeks!

Is This Thing On (Yellow Bicycle)

I think it’s super awesome that I’m kicking off my September adventure with a one-person show, especially since I have many more to see this year.  And it also involves music!  There is so much about this show that piques my interest.  The music, the deep emotion we’ve been told we’ll be experiencing…I love shows that evoke something in me, and even just reading about Is This Thing On evokes something in me.  I have a feeling this is going to be a good kickoff show, and also something that is really going to stick with me.

Prometheus Bound (Yellow Bicycle)

Okay, so I absolutely love weird stuff, and I think Prometheus Bound is really going to hit that for me.  This particular show is a staged reading…I haven’t been to one of those in awhile, but I’ve always enjoyed them.  There’s something really beautiful about the starts to shows.  Everything we see on a bigger scale, or a professional theatre at all, started out as something small.  In my interview with Josh Crone, he talked about Prometheus Bound.  What it is, and what it’s going to become.  And I know it’s going to become something amazing.  I’m so excited to see the seed!

Show Pony (Yellow Bicycle)

This is another one-person show with music.  I’m entirely sure I will never get tired of that.  I’m really looking forward to this one…it looks like it’s going to be tackling some hard issues, some of which involve the theatre business.  Nobody ever said that was easy, of course, and along with the other issues it brings up, I think this is going to be a very intense and beautiful piece.  Women are a strong sort, and I get the feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot of that sentiment in Show Pony.

Conquering the Canon (Yellow Bicycle)

You don’t have to say anything other than “Shakespeare” to have me thoroughly hooked.  I am a Shakespeare nerd to the very core (something I have definitely discussed before).  Shakespeare and a one-person show?  That sounds even better to me.  I’m really interested in this play for so many reasons, and I definitely can’t wait to see it.  The story sounds captivating.  Yes, I definitely want to know about this man, the only African-American man to have been in every Shakespeare show in Canon.  I’m sure this is going to be an absolute delight for the middle of my shows!

My Needy Letters to Keith Urban (Yellow Bicycle)

I’m completely sure that this one-person show is going to be a really funny one.  I can’t say I know a ton about Keith Urban, but the setup of this show- a lonely father who buys Keith Urban’s 30 Songs in 30 Days DVD collection off of an infomercial- sounds extremely promising for a good laugh.  Looking at some of the other topics this show covers really excites me.  “Gender neutral B-mitzvahs”?  Sign me up yesterday!  I feel like this will be a good one coming over the hump of seven shows in three weeks.

Horsegirl & Cowdaddy (The Wilma Theater)

Hoh boy.  This is a play that I’ve been dying to see for some time now!  I was so excited when The Wilma announced that it would be opening this season.  It’s a risky show for sure, with it’s themes and subject matters, but I can’t think of a better place for it to be than The Wilma.  As a trans non-binary person, I love seeing trans representation in theatre.  It’s definitely a big deal, especially in today’s world.  Horsegirl & Cowdaddy has been in the works for awhile now, and I haven’t caught anything before now, so I definitely can’t wait to see this!

Shangri-La-La (SideQuest Theater)

I can’t believe I’m finishing Seven Shows in Three Weeks with a show about Siegfried & Roy.  Damn, isn’t Fringe great?  Everything I’ve read about this makes it sound like it’s going to be a lot of fun.  How could it not be, with this subject matter?  Reading about this show promises so much, and I’m sure it’s going to deliver to absolutely every last piece.  All the buzz words are definitely getting to me…satire? yes!  Comedy? yes!  Performance art? absolutely!  I think something like this show is going to be the perfect end to my month.

I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to see this many Fringe shows in a very long time…and I’m so excited that I get to do all this in just a few weeks.  I may be extremely sleep deprived, but this experience is going to be invaluable.  I can’t wait to tackle all this…I think each show is exactly what Fringe is about, and The Wilma’s season opener will fit in perfectly.  The world of Philly theatre has a lot to offer.  I’m so glad I get to be a part of it.