Today’s Orlando Fringe Festival reviews are “Dreamwalker,” “Luna | Lorraine,” “Mother: A Postpartum Comedy,” “My Life as an ‘Inspirational Porn’ Star” and “World Peace Through Humor: A German 101.”
‘Dreamwalker’
The first impression of “Dreamwalker” (Green, 60 minutes) intrigues as arriving patrons encounter a large drum with chairs around it, plus natural wooden instruments. The audience is invited to participate in playing and singing along with original music performed by four costumed people — led by writer, director, instrument maker, costume designer and cast member Joseph Breton — who tell the story of the Unicorn Clans, a people of compassion and kindness.
For a show that relates to nature through its storytelling and song, the accompanying film and narration feel out of place, unnatural and somewhat jarring. The video appears to have been created at least in part using AI, and this show would have captivated more with human-delivered narration around a makeshift campfire, perhaps, and not one that just shows up on the screen.
But there’s an impressive amount of lore crafted into the Unicorn Clans’ story, and Breton’s costumes are unique and well-made. And there’s the enjoyment of adding your spirit to the music and story with the chance to bang on that giant drum in this all-ages experience.
‘My Life as an “Inspirational Porn” Star’
“My Life as an ‘Inspirational Porn’ Star” (Scarlet, 60 minutes) will likely draw in curious audience members with its title. Upon seeing Gabrielle Leonore onstage in lingerie, one might think it’s about something risqué like sex and drugs — and there are tie-ins with those taboo topics in certain moments.
In reality, the one-woman show centers on the performer’s experiences as someone living with autism. The show makes reference to the kind of “inspirational porn” in media that objectifies people with disabilities or neurodivergence.
Sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek humor carry the performance, which is candid and vulnerable during many moments of Leonore’s autobiographical monologue.
‘Luna | Lorraine’
An innovative pop musical written and directed by Caseny Guarasci, “Luna | Loraine” (The Corner Orlando, 30 minutes) cleverly uses TV screens in a show tailored to its downtown venue to help tell the story of a star’s battle with anxiety and an eating disorder.
The original score, with songs sung by lead actress Wray Szenderski, strike a chord and is catchy, though the mic level for her was a bit low in the mix as heard during a press preview. Hearing the main character’s lyrics clearly would have helped the story resonate even more, though Szenderski did a good job of portraying someone struggling with mental health in anxious glances and on-stage mannerisms.
The show also takes a hard look at the pressure put on rising stars by the media and fans, shining a light on the humanity behind a fictional rising star.
‘Mother: A Postpartum Comedy’
While wearing clown makeup, Portland, Oregon-based Anne Zander delivers an emotionally powerful solo performance that has the audience laughing and crying, sometimes all in the same breath. “Mother: A Postpartum Comedy” (Green, 60 minutes) shares an intimate look into the experience of giving birth and the roller coaster ride of postpartum in sometimes jarring and raw scenes.
Mothers in the audience can certainly relate to feelings of maternal guilt and the intensity of labor, while everyone else benefits from a vulnerable look into the chaotic and sometimes painful experience of motherhood. The show is at times weird, uncomfortable and not for the faint of heart — but it also has a lot of heart behind it, rooted in the child-rearing experiences of the performer, a mother of two.
“It’s so Fringe,” one audience member accurately remarked.
‘World Peace Through Humor’
In “World Peace Through Humor: A German 101” (Ten10 Brewing, 60 minutes) German-American comedian and Orlando Fringe veteran Paco Erhard crafts a set that’s both funny and meaningful. While detailing an experience at the U.S.-Mexico border, Erhard asks what would make someone as close-minded as the agent who questioned him and argues that traveling is a way to broaden one’s horizons.
Through funny quips and personal stories, Erhard touches on the pitfalls of nationalism in any country and argues that borders are “just lines in the dirt.” He also muses on the nature of Central Florida and Orlando, which he describes as “an island of the arts in an ocean of truck nuts” and as the “only city that puts gay into gators.”
Orlando Fringe Festival
• Where: Shows at Loch Haven Park are in color-coded venues; off-campus locations are identified by name.
• When: Through May 25.
• Cost: $10 button required for ticketed shows, then individual performance tickets are no more than $15.
• Schedule, tickets, more info: OrlandoFringe.org
• More reviews: OrlandoSentinel.com/fringe