Kaleidoscope

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Published: Sep 9, 2009

[ fringe-o-scope ]

Underappreciated rabble-rouser (is there any other kind?), Thomas Paine receives the credit denied him in life (1737-1809) and since in William Hollenbach's gripping one-man tribute, Citizen Paine (through Sept. 13). While awaiting a court decision on his revoked voting rights — "denying a man his vote is like denying his soul!" — Adam Altman as a fiery Paine graces us with his story and views. His pro-freedom, pro-equality passions resonate today: How can we not hear our health care debate in "Should America not make itself great by the treatment of its people?"

Cross Cultural Theatre Initiative's Everyman (through Sept. 13) is a damned brilliant reworking of an old English morality play which harkens back to those glorious days when the Church's main job was to frighten sinners back on to the straight and narrow path of righteousness. Meticulous attention has been heaped upon every aspect of this production: There isn't a misplaced word, action or note for the cast who deftly pull off their very physically demanding roles.

—Rodney Anonymous

Two-time City Paper cover model Brian Sanders doesn't need much to make something spectacular. With Urban Scuba (through Sept. 13), it's mainly bungee cords, some basic aerial apparatus, trash bags and a pool. Yep, the show is performed in a long abandoned pool, in the basement of the Gershman Y. Sanders turned it into yet another of his curious urban landscapes. Here, cast members are exploratory creatures finding their way around two different time periods and environments. Per usual for Sanders, there are daredevil feats and simple acts that somehow feel really big.

Eschewing his cast of New Paradise Laboratory regulars (save Matt Saunders doing set/media design here), director Whit MacLaughlin creates a most expansive program for FATEBOOK: Avoiding Catastrophe One Party at a Time (through Sept. 18): a warehouse-filling multimedia mystery whose texting-LOLing-partying-fighting crew and grainy video settings lend the entirety the feel of The Hills meets Inland Empire. Brilliant.

—A.D. Amorosi

You Make Me Compete
4Play
Outback to the Future
Emma's Parlour
The Freedom of Fiction