Amy F's PLAF Diary for Saturday September 12 – Sunday September 13

Performances: The Last Cargo Cult (Mike Daisey) (no future performances); daDAda (Anthology Project) (Future Performances); MICROWORLD(s) Part #1 (Lucidity Suitcase Intercontinental/Thaddeus Phillips) (Future Performances)

Well, I had an awesome Fringe/Live Arts weekend. I loved, for different reasons, each of the three shows I got to see.

The Last Cargo Cult
When I found out that Mike Daisey was going to be performing at this year's Live Arts Festival, I got super excited. I'd been wanting to see his monologue How Theatre Failed America for quite some time. And the things he had to say in that show really resonated with me. I have to admit, I was a bit less interested in The Last Cargo Cult, until I learned what a cargo cult is. Daisey's monologue details his time spent living among the last cargo cult on the island of Tanna, who worship John Frum, a perhaps mythological figure who went to the island during WWII. The people who worship John Frum believe him to be a messiah, who will bring them wealth and other American goodies if they follow him. Daisey ties his experiences with the cargo cult into the current mess that is the financial market and leads his audience to think long and hard about this thing called money and why we value it—and our stuff—so much.

A kind of modern day Homer, minus the blindness, lyre, and dactylic hexameter, Daisey is a thoroughly engaging storyteller. He blends humor with poignant, spot on commentary, making you laugh and while you're laughing, actually think about what's going on. Both his monologues have closed now, but I really hope he comes back next year.
Festival Rating: A gazillion million stars

daDAda
Anthology Project's daDAda is perhaps the most ridiculous show I've seen. And I don't mean that in a bad way. A barely there treat at just over half an hour, daDAda features a blue-wigged girl, Didi, and a man named #Orange, who act out the words on cards from the game Apples to Apples, tear the pages out of books (don't worry, they're crappy books, such as The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the Cliff's Notes to The Grapes of Wrath. When passed the Arden's Complete Shakespeare, Didi coolly tells #Orange, "we don't tear up Shakespeare," and randomly rushes out of the performance space to scream "dada!" to those dining at the restaurant across the street. In case you haven't guessed from the name, daDAda gets its idea from dada, that avant-garde cultural movement from the early 1900's. Dada's goal was to "reflect the illogicality, fragmentation and chaos of ... life" (taken from the program note). daDAda does that, but perhaps with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

The two performers, Thomas Choinacky and Chrissie Harms, are energetic and appear to fully embody their dadaist characters. The audience is encouraged to interact as much or as little as they are comfortable with. If you get to see it, I'd recommend interacting as much as you can. I'm a bit shy and kind of wish I had jumped in more. The show was, for me, everything a fringe show should be: incredibly strange, short, held in a non-traditional space (The Northern Liberties Community Center), and produced by a young, up and coming company.
Festival Rating: Dada!

MICROWORLD(s) Part #1
Lucidity Suitcase Intercontinental/Thaddeus Phillips have created a festival within the festival, called Off The Grid. All performances during the Off the Grid Festival are powered by renewable, sustainable energy. I have to admit, I was a little worried going in to see MICROWORLD(s) that the conceit of the show would override the actual performance. Thankfully, my worries were unfounded. The gimmick of the show is intrinsic to the theme of the show, but does not overpower it in any way. As with most art, the limitations of the piece were what made it truly beautiful. Thaddeus Phillips, the sole performer in the piece, plays Milo, a Serbian astrophysicist living in the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo. The tower was built of small self-contained apartment units, designed to be individually removed and updated as needed. As it goes with so many things, the capsules were not maintained and the building's residents voted to demolish the building. All except for Milo, who is determined to go down with the building when it is demolished at 5AM.

We're used to seeing complex lighting design and large sets. MICROWORLD(s) set is a small box built of recycled materials that Phillips manipulates around the stage to show us different views of Milo's small apartment. The concept is certainly unique and some of the ways the box is transformed are truly amazing, giving us stage pictures that would not have been possible under regular stage lights. The off the grid factor of the show makes you think about how theater can be done with less energy waste and more focus on sustainability without sacrificing an enjoyable performance. Seriously, don't miss this show. And if you should happen to miss it, Part #2 will be at the Painted Bride in February.
Festival Rating: Go See This Show!