The Last Straight Man in Theatre is a comic multimedia show produced by Too Much Free Time Productions and Kurt Fitzpatrick of New York at Theatre on the Square Stage II at the 2010 Indianapolis Fringe Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana.
What's the Scoop?
It's hard to describe The Last Straight Man in Theatre – truly, it's a theatrical experience that must be experienced first-hand in order for all of its brilliant nuances to become apparent, but for simplicity's sake, let's boil it down to being a series of short character pieces, a cast of at least a dozen lives all intertwined and woven together into a narrative that is somehow linear while keeping an undercurrent of lovable, self aware absurdity.
These character pieces are delivered not through simple monologue or dialogue alone, but through the star's interaction with a prerecorded performance, projected on a screen. This allows the live actor to play off a previously recorded 'co-star' – himself, making the entire production feel like the world's only real 3-D movie-going experience.
At the center of this production is Kurt Fitzpatrick, the writer and star of the show, who takes on the roles of characters from all walks of life: from a cheesy Venezuelan male prostitute to a brainy teenage girl to a neurotic, stingy recluse and many, many more. With grace, he slips from one role to another seamlessly, weaving a coherent, cohesive story of a small town in the dead of night and the diverse cast of characters who live there.
A More Personal View...
I've had the chance to see this particular production twice now, first at the Rogue Festival in Fresno, California and again at the KC Fringe Festival in Kansas City, Missouri and now, in Indianapolis, I will happily see it a third time – and go on seeing it at every opportunity that presents itself. On every revisiting, I find something new to love about it. Aside from giving us a great performance with a witty script and a fascinatingly unique delivery, The Last Straight Man in Theatre has the added appeal of being not only entertaining and watchable, but re-watchable. And quotable!
Final Verdict
If any show on the Fringe circuit has the potential to become a true underground cult hit, it's The Last Straight Man in Theatre. It's innovative, hilarious and unusual, and unlike anything you've ever seen before. Five stars.
Warning: Adult language.
Lydia Ballard - A writer who got her start in the perilous world of fan fiction, Lydia Ballard is an aspiring comic book writer and self proclaimed lover ...
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