Sunday, August 7, 2016

Fringe Festival 2016: "Break Your Heart"

Day: 3

Show: 13


Category: Something Different

By: One T Productions

Written by: Scot Moore

Location: Intermedia Arts

Summary: A show about love, the endings and the beginnings and the part in between.

Highlights: This one-man show (written and performed by Scot Moore, with direction by Ben Layne) is quintessentially what the Fringe is about, quintessentially what theater is about. An artist takes a life experience, the good and the bad of it, and turns it into art that's both a personal catharsis and something that entertains and touches the audience. On what was supposed to be an 8-week trip around the world with his girlfriend, Scot instead encounters heartbreak and a solo journey to amazing and unexpected places, both geographical and emotional. In addition to being beautiful personal expression, the piece is also really well constructed (including actual scientific citations!). The technical elements are spot-on: well-chosen music (from guitar pieces by Scot's friend Geordie Little to Bonnie Raitt's classic "I Can't Make You Love Me"); projected images, maps, text, and videos; and a trippy video animation that's mesmerizing (by Tim D. Tapp). Video interviews with friends on the topic of love and heartbreak make this bigger than just one person's experience. I exited the theater feeling like I'm seeing the world differently now, and I don't think that feeling will go away for a while. That's the best possible result of theater.