15 Minutes of Fame
Sun, 9 Mar 2003, 12:52 pmWalter Plinge8 posts in thread
15 Minutes of Fame
Sun, 9 Mar 2003, 12:52 pmI've never done one of these before and I'm not really sure what to write, but this show has inspired me.
I went to see 15 Minutes of Fame at the Blue Room Last Night and i must say it was worth every minute. There were 8 monologues by eight different writers performed by eight different professional actors. (and a segway piece between each monologue)
Sounds like a long night right? Wrong. Even though each monologue is around fifteen minutes long you hardly even notice the time fly by and the subjects are hilarious, thought provoking and reminicent of actual events in the paper.
The acting alone was exceptional and the blue room has been transformed into a caberet setting which is a perfect surrounding for the subject matters.
Saying that there is always a few things that I thought could have been done differently but the transistions between monologues is fabulous and your not sure what you're going to get next.
Please go and check out 15 Minutes of Fame. Local Writers and actors at their best. and at just $18/$12 it's worth going to see how the other half live
Jo xxx
I went to see 15 Minutes of Fame at the Blue Room Last Night and i must say it was worth every minute. There were 8 monologues by eight different writers performed by eight different professional actors. (and a segway piece between each monologue)
Sounds like a long night right? Wrong. Even though each monologue is around fifteen minutes long you hardly even notice the time fly by and the subjects are hilarious, thought provoking and reminicent of actual events in the paper.
The acting alone was exceptional and the blue room has been transformed into a caberet setting which is a perfect surrounding for the subject matters.
Saying that there is always a few things that I thought could have been done differently but the transistions between monologues is fabulous and your not sure what you're going to get next.
Please go and check out 15 Minutes of Fame. Local Writers and actors at their best. and at just $18/$12 it's worth going to see how the other half live
Jo xxx
Re: 15 Minutes of Fame
Thu, 20 Mar 2003, 12:49 amWalter Plinge
WHAT: 15 Minutes of Fame
WHEN: Wednesday, March 19 (2003)
WHERE: The Blue Room, Northbridge (WA)
I've lost track of the number of times I've read on this webpage, "Hi. I'm going for an audition and I need a good monologue. Where can I get one?" Well look no further.
15 Minutes of Fame is a collection of 8 monologues. Just like with One-Act plays, if you don't care for one, there'll be another along shortly. However, no complaints tonight. All 8, based around the concept of "Fame", were riveting.
Trying to keep it short:
Melissa Cantwell opened the evening with her portrayal as the archetypal Aussie Sheila. She grew up in a house where cricket wasn't just a sport, it was a religion. And the most famous person on the field was the inevitable streaker. With absolute mastery of the pregnant pause and the knowing look, Melissa took us back to those glory days, re-establishing this once proud tradition.
Paul Goddard had his work cut out for him with an involved, multi-character-laden tale of schoolboy legend. Keeping control of the speech patterns and mannerisms of the several boys, and the often frenetic pace of their journey to The Dark Side, Paul enlightened us as to how Simon McKinley earned his fame (and cool nickname) during the Great Gnome Heist of 1983.
I don't want to say too much about the third monologue, suffice to say that I don't think I've ever been so unnerved by a piece of theatre. Speaking mainly from the shadows, we barely saw Shirley Van Sanden, but, Dear Lord, did we hear her. Truly great theatre engenders feelings and emotions you don't soon forget.
This was quickly followed by another stunning performance, this time by Helen Burgess as a nationally syndicated amnesiac astrologer (for want of a better description). She was famous - but didn't know it. Sat with notebook in lap, Helen barely moved but we were absolutely transfixed by her performance. She communicated the difficult, non-linear, often non-verbal script with body language, facial expressions and faltering speech. Shades of Memento. Never boring and indeed mesmerizing to watch. PS: Ulan Bator.
After the interval, Tina Musumeci brought to life a piece from today's headlines dealing with unwanted fame. At first I though she was a politician or actress, but as she delivered her "statement to the media" we soon realised who she was. You get a totally different perspective when you hear a story from the person's mouth, rather than hearsay and misquotes in a newspaper....
Back to comedy with Yoshitaka, God of Meadows and Streams. Haven't heard of him? Well he's been around for years. Centuries even. He used to be famous, along with many other Gods, until one guy (nice enough fellow) cornered the market on worship. Now Yoshitaka takes what he can get and, in return, gives us something to think about. The man of many secret identities, Ethan Russ, gives us cause to laugh and ponder.
Renee Newman-Storen hit fame when she gave birth to pentuplets. A Current Affair, New Weekly and Who Magazine can't get enough of her and her family. Five children cost a lot to maintain though, so the money from those interviews has to keep coming. In that case, so too do the stories, and you'll have to admit, five babies can generate some pretty amusing anecdotes. But is hubby taking it all that well? Is there are darker subtext behind the hyper-bubbly facade? Is fame a two-edged sword?
Mike Frenchman is the eighth performer. What he does is, well, it's sorta hard to describe. And it is getting late. Trust me though, he's bloody good with what may be the hardest role(s) of all.
Three more performances and that's it. Well worth a couple of hours of your time and it's certainly worth supporting the local writers and cast. As I said before, ALL of the pieces were great (running out of adjectives). I don't know if any of the pieces got their so-called 15 minutes - I was too engrossed to pay attention to the time. Spooky, funny, thought-provoking - a wonderful mix. Congrats and thanks to directors Jen Moffat & David Ryding.
JB
WHEN: Wednesday, March 19 (2003)
WHERE: The Blue Room, Northbridge (WA)
I've lost track of the number of times I've read on this webpage, "Hi. I'm going for an audition and I need a good monologue. Where can I get one?" Well look no further.
15 Minutes of Fame is a collection of 8 monologues. Just like with One-Act plays, if you don't care for one, there'll be another along shortly. However, no complaints tonight. All 8, based around the concept of "Fame", were riveting.
Trying to keep it short:
Melissa Cantwell opened the evening with her portrayal as the archetypal Aussie Sheila. She grew up in a house where cricket wasn't just a sport, it was a religion. And the most famous person on the field was the inevitable streaker. With absolute mastery of the pregnant pause and the knowing look, Melissa took us back to those glory days, re-establishing this once proud tradition.
Paul Goddard had his work cut out for him with an involved, multi-character-laden tale of schoolboy legend. Keeping control of the speech patterns and mannerisms of the several boys, and the often frenetic pace of their journey to The Dark Side, Paul enlightened us as to how Simon McKinley earned his fame (and cool nickname) during the Great Gnome Heist of 1983.
I don't want to say too much about the third monologue, suffice to say that I don't think I've ever been so unnerved by a piece of theatre. Speaking mainly from the shadows, we barely saw Shirley Van Sanden, but, Dear Lord, did we hear her. Truly great theatre engenders feelings and emotions you don't soon forget.
This was quickly followed by another stunning performance, this time by Helen Burgess as a nationally syndicated amnesiac astrologer (for want of a better description). She was famous - but didn't know it. Sat with notebook in lap, Helen barely moved but we were absolutely transfixed by her performance. She communicated the difficult, non-linear, often non-verbal script with body language, facial expressions and faltering speech. Shades of Memento. Never boring and indeed mesmerizing to watch. PS: Ulan Bator.
After the interval, Tina Musumeci brought to life a piece from today's headlines dealing with unwanted fame. At first I though she was a politician or actress, but as she delivered her "statement to the media" we soon realised who she was. You get a totally different perspective when you hear a story from the person's mouth, rather than hearsay and misquotes in a newspaper....
Back to comedy with Yoshitaka, God of Meadows and Streams. Haven't heard of him? Well he's been around for years. Centuries even. He used to be famous, along with many other Gods, until one guy (nice enough fellow) cornered the market on worship. Now Yoshitaka takes what he can get and, in return, gives us something to think about. The man of many secret identities, Ethan Russ, gives us cause to laugh and ponder.
Renee Newman-Storen hit fame when she gave birth to pentuplets. A Current Affair, New Weekly and Who Magazine can't get enough of her and her family. Five children cost a lot to maintain though, so the money from those interviews has to keep coming. In that case, so too do the stories, and you'll have to admit, five babies can generate some pretty amusing anecdotes. But is hubby taking it all that well? Is there are darker subtext behind the hyper-bubbly facade? Is fame a two-edged sword?
Mike Frenchman is the eighth performer. What he does is, well, it's sorta hard to describe. And it is getting late. Trust me though, he's bloody good with what may be the hardest role(s) of all.
Three more performances and that's it. Well worth a couple of hours of your time and it's certainly worth supporting the local writers and cast. As I said before, ALL of the pieces were great (running out of adjectives). I don't know if any of the pieces got their so-called 15 minutes - I was too engrossed to pay attention to the time. Spooky, funny, thought-provoking - a wonderful mix. Congrats and thanks to directors Jen Moffat & David Ryding.
JB
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