Jill's PLAF Diary for Saturday, September 9

Performances: Carlo vs. Carlo (Aaron Cromie) (No future performances); The Water Engine (Ankit Dogra Productions) (No future performances).

After seeing four performances last Saturday, it was really nice to slow down and only see two shows yesterday. But then I looked at the schedule and saw all of the great shows that I could have fit in, but missed. And it made me a little sad. But a lot less tired than I was last weekend.

Carlo vs. Carlo
This was one of the free works-in-progress that the festival puts on every year, so there was no telling what to expect. It could have been anything from a staged reading to a dramaturgical presentation. Turns out this was something in between. Aaron Cromie is currently developing Carlo vs. Carlo and has a few scenes written, and a lot of research (gathered with the help of his dramaturg, local playwright Michael Hollinger). I'm a nerd, so listening to the presentation of historical theatre research on commedia del arte made me perfectly happy. But if it wasn't up your alley, Cromie also brought with him local performers Seth Reichgott, Laura Catlaw, and Matt Pfeiffer (all of whom I've seen in performances around Philly) to read both Cromie's already scripted work, and also to read the historical texts that Cromie and Hollinger have been compiling for research. Cromie also had with him the amazing Fabrizio Paladin, who got the presentation started with demonstrations of commedia characters, complete with authentic commedia masks. I feel as if it would be unfair of me to actually rate Carlo vs. Carlo at this time in its development, but I can tell Cromie and all his collaborators that I can't wait to see the finished product.
No Festival Rating.

The Water Engine
I figured you could always tell a David Mamet. Misogyny, lots of uses of the "F-word." So I was intrigued by the idea of a David Mamet radio play set in the 1930s. The misogyny might still pass, but choice Mamet words would be expressly forbidden. Plus, I've seen several radio plays brought to the stage, and I'd always enjoyed seeing the sound effects generated live. Maybe it's all those "radio classics" tapes that my grandparents gave me when I was younger.

I know nothing about Ankit Dogra Productions, but judging from the ages of most of the actors onstage, not many people do. That didn't keep the production from being oversold. Five minutes to curtain, the stage manager (director?) came out and asked if any members of the audience would be willing to stand for the duration of the one-act play. Moments later, the company took the mostly bare stage in perfect period costume and the play began. The script was compelling enough (a bit dark for Mamet, but still funny) to deliver even the weaker actors (which might not be a fair statement, since all of the actors did a pretty good job with the several characters they each had to play). I would have been interested in seeing how much farther the play could have gone with on-stage sound effects, or what it would have been with professional actors, but it certainly didn't disappoint. Seeing as literally anyone with the application fee can participate in the Fringe (and sometimes, anyone does), this was one amateur group who did a great job with what they had.
Festival rating: Good.