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1 Quandary Place
Abundance
ADVENTURES OF A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
Barroom Philosophers
Border Crossings
Class Notes
Embarrassment & Death
The Falls of Vincent Millay
Found and Lost: Goals for 2002
Frisco Fred's Cabaret!
Fuck You Cancer
Great Hymn of Thanksgiving / Conversation
Storm
The Hasheesh Eater
Heavy Metal Playground
HER KIND: The Life & Poetry of Anne
Sexton
i hate my friends
Jesus Rant
Kiss My Booth
Korean Badass
Low Hanging Fruit
Monkey Poet Stand-Up!
Organic Boxed Chicken Stock
parts is parts:
Party of One
RM3
The Sewers
Shopping as a Spiritual Path
Spotless
Stetson Manifesto
A Strange Black Passion
Super Glossy!
TeleMongol
Terrible Voice
Tesla's White Pigeon
Turn of the Screw
You Go First
Play: The Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Jean Beatrice
4 Stars
Excellently and innovatively executed. The cast morphs in and out of the
various characters like a dream. Intense. Highly recommended
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Lena & Chris
5 Stars
Victorian gothic (a particular personal favorite!) with very inventive set
and light manipulation, psychological spookiness and ghosts, excellent costumes,
well-developed characters, great acting... Very imaginatively staged. One
of our 2 favorites this year.
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Mr. Waldorf
5 Stars
The FoolsFury production of "Turn of the Screw" is without hyperbole
one of the best Fringe shows I've seen in five years of heavy fringing.
I came in to the performance without familiarity with the Henry James story
and that was not a problem at all; I found the story quite easy to follow
and more importantly the performances were thrilling.
Few Fringe shows are so completely realized due to the technical restraints of the festival. But because FoolsFury is only sharing their venue with one other company (Banana Bag & Bodice) they can get away with more elaborate staging -- and they know how to use it.
I would recommend sitting on the stage (set up in the round) if at all possible; being so close to the action heightens the claustrophobic effect that the Victorian ghost story is trying to achieve.
The actors are fearlessly committed to the work. The intensity with which they take on their roles (three of the four portraying multiple characters) is inspiring, and the lead, playing the governess, was positively gripping.
This is by far the best and most fearless show this year and as I said one of the best Fringe productions I've ever seen.
Their use of on-stage lighting is worth the price of admission alone.
It makes an excellent double bill with BB&B's "The Sewers" since some of the same performance techniques -- carefully crafted absurdity, actor controlled lighting fixtures -- are utilized, and they play on the same set.
Play: The Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Ben Yang
5 Stars
I saw this and The Sewers back to back at the Garage.
These two plays made up the finest night of fringing I've had so far (I've
been to this year's and last year's). I would consider both to be 5 star
plays but for very different reasons.
Sitting in one of the seats adjacent to the stage, I think, was a great
idea. The ability of the performers to develop a combined sense of urgency
and creepiness through the use of sound, lighting, and choreography was
amazing. The strength of the acting made sure that, although the individual
actors often swapped roles, the story was still tight. There is honestly
no negative criticism I could give this play.
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Kate
5+ Stars
Oh. my. god.
Not only is this the best show I've seen in the Fringe, it's possibly the best show I've seen in SF. The storytelling is so captivating, the use of space and light is so dynamic, the twisted torquing of the character lines is so complex. I love love love love love this show.
I cannot tell you enough how much this play excites me. Go see it. Get enraptured in the story, play along with the symbolism, and get creeped out by the experience. Sit on stage if you can so you can get completely enveloped in the story.
This is storytelling at its finest. It is a beautiful and demanding piece of theatre.
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Jerry Padilla
5 Stars
For such a small stage production the use of the space was very well done.
The acting was superb and I particularly liked the staging. I like to support
fringe theater because I think it's important to hear new voices and fresh
readings- This play was a pleasure. I really recommend seeing it!
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: The Stingy Fringies
4 Stars
Have you ever had one of those bumps on your arm that, when you gave it
a tiny squeeze, you were rewarded with not only a squiggly worm of white
stuff, but also a really long hair that had never seen the light of day?
That's how tiny, terrific, visceral and jam-packed with wonderful surprises
this show is. Although we weren't genuinely terrified, we were genuinely
entertained.
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Shaun Simms
3 Stars
I'll be honest, I am a film student and do not see much theatre so I went
to this play because it had a lot of good reviews. I thought this play had
some interesting staging and use of lighting, but as far as the narrative
and structure I was very confused. Actors were switching characters and
gender haphazardly, there was a guy with a horse's head that I still have
no earthly idea what he was doing with it. I really couldn't follow the
story except for what was written in the program. Maybe it's a theatre thing
and I just don't get it. Also, there was this clock ticking throughout the
entire play and it's slow beat caused me to get really sleepy. I'm guessing
that's not the desired effect. The couple next to me was pretty confused
also, they only perked up when the brother and sister characters started
going at it.
Play: The Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Sara K.
3 Stars
The star of the show is not any of the actors, but the way they mold the
theatrical space. To avoid spoliing it, I will not give specifics, but the
way they use simple objects is wildly creative. The downside is that, 20
minutes into the show, you get used to their way of shaping the space, and
so the novelty wears off, and the show has to stand on its story. The director,
Rod Hipskind, did a Twelfth Night a few years ago, which had a great story
to sustain the show once the novelty of the theatrical devices wore off.
However, Turn of the Screw is not my kind of story. I have not read the
original Henry James story, but in this adaptation it is a bit hard to figure
out what was going on, and when I did understand, I was barely interested.
During the last 25 minutes of this 70 minute show I was just waiting for
it to end. I’m not sure whether it’s my tastes, or the adaptation,
or both, which are at fault. Nonetheless, FoolsFury is a theatre ensemble
that you should know!
about, and if never seen a FoolsFury show, this is your chance.
Play: The Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Bob Hayden
5 Stars
I do not believe I will see a better show at this year’s fringe than
foolsFURY’s "The Turn of the Screw". Jeffery Hatcher justifies
his reputation, the acting is flawless, and Rod Hipskind’s direction
was incomparable. The action is choreography itself, and the use of scenery
and props is magic. You will believe that chair arms are sensuous. Do not
miss this show . . . if you can get in the door.
Play: turn of the screw
Reviewer: Kevin Rolston
I haven't been geniunely afraid in a theatre for a while. It's pretty amazing that foolsfury can do with some ripped up books and oldie time chairs what many established theatres cannot do with a huge budget. I have to admit that I was even more scared the first time I saw it at Traveling Jewish. Alexander Lewis had much more room and freedom to lurk, creep and crawl his ten year old bad seed in the house seats, while the audience sat far upstage. (It's unfair for me to review Csilla Horvath, I would watch her read the phone book) but the smaller space at the Garage (975 Howard, for the mapquest-challenged) is merely a different demon for the audience to be faced with.
Play: Turn of the Screw
Reviewer: Bob Hayden
I wish I could tell you how much I enjoyed this show. Unfortunately, I could not find the venue until after curtain time. The on-line map I consulted showed The Garage at 6th and Howard. No, it is about 1/3 block east of Sixth on the south side of Howard. You do not see that it is a theater until you are standing right in front of it. Not having my Fringe program, I, like the young woman who was holding an advance ticket, missed the show.
With an adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher, one of the bet script/playwrights around, and a show by Banana, Bag & Bodice, The Garage may have the quality program of the festival. But for God’s sake, take your program and get there early enough to find the place