Erika McDonald: Tea Time

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Erika McDonald has a squinting smile that is hard to forget. I have seen past Orlando International Fringe shows in which she performed and I was never disappointed. I therefore decided it was Teatime.  This performance was at the Savoy in the Starlight Room which is a short hike from the Fringe lawn. The room was packed.

The show was about time and finding an everyday ritual that brings some joy and satisfaction. Erika threw an orange extension chord with a loud clatter on stage as the audience filed into the theater. She unpacked her travel bag which was filled with items she carries everywhere to prepare the perfect cup of tea. She had a bowl-shaped device which accordioned upwards to become a Mayan temple of tea brewing. That was the device that required the chord. She joked that she should get a stipend for promoting the product since she gets so many questions about it. She also had a timer and multiple storage containers full of tea.

Preparing a cup of tea is ritual that Erika cherishes. She filled an empty tea bag full of a personal blend of tea leaves and sealed it up. She filled the boiling pot full of the proper amount of water and asked the audience to whistle when they saw the red light go on. The one thing she regretted is that the high tech travel sized tea pot does not whistle.

After putting the tea bag in the boiled water, the cup must be left to rest or steep. Stepping is the time it takes for the tea to achieve its perfect flavor. There are varying opinions about the perfect amount of time a cup of tea should seep.Erika set the timer for 3 minutes. It became clear that many humans in today’s fast paced society never take the time to steep. We are taught to rush through life never taking the time to steep or slow down to achieve a perfect creative bliss.

In preparing a second cup of tea, Erica abandoned the timer. She sat on the stool, smiling, and invited the audience to imagine 3 minutes. The room became perfectly silent. When the audience as a group imagined 3 minutes had passed they were to make a communal humming noise. It was a peaceful 3, 4 or 5 minutes. The point was that the time taken to wait isn’t a perfect science. It requires some instinct and a certainty that no matter what time was taken to seep, the tea would be delicious. If someone rushed you through a daily routine, you are permitted to say, F**ck off, I am steeping!”

I am hard pressed to figure out where the hour went. The act of preparing tea was an intimate ritual that offered many insights into Erika’s life and well being. It was time well spent.

Fringe: Poems for God

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Poems for God was a hilarious one woman show at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Victoria Watson Sepejak, a Toronto based artist looked like a 10-year-old boy with baggy pants, a yellow jacket which was a bit too big, and a skull cap. Her mannerisms and her petite size made her very convincing as a young boy. People in the audience were throwing things at her on stage. They were not tomatoes, but she made it seem she was devastated any time an audience member managed to hit her. It was a fun interactive show from the moment the audience got settled finding their seats.

For her first sketch, she wanted to go sledding. She brought a black plastic sled on stage and then she saw her father in the audience. Her father was actually a surprised member of the audience. She asked him if he would pull her up the hill while she was in the sled. He agreed and dragged her around on stage. She took delight in every moment and expressed her affection for dad helping her out.

After a quick costume change, she sang about the ideal of womanhood while Belle from Beauty and the Beast was on screen singing about wanting more that her provincial life. One clip kept repeating of a gruff baker yelling at his wife, “Marie, the baguettes, hurry up!!”. Victoria read deep into the ongoing verbal abuse that Marie must have to endure. When repeated over and over, you begin to wonder if more than bread is pounded each day by the baker in this provincial village.

Late in the show, the actress performed as a men’s club dancer. She wore a cheep blonde wig and danced with plenty of twerking. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she still seemed to be 10 years old. The man she had brought on stage to act as her father now was brought on stage to squirt body lotion on her while she acted like she was enjoying the shower as if in Flash Dance. She opened her mouth but thankfully the dad missed the mark getting it in her eye and face instead. Though funny, it also felt very wrong.

This was a very funny hour that twisted ideals of affection, womanhood and sensuality.

Fringe: The Unbothering

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The Unbothering set consisted of hundreds of knick knacks hanging on screens at the back of the stage. Post its were pasted in an intricate pattern in an attempt to find order in the chaos. Marie was up against a website design job deadline that she has been putting off. Her boss was losing patience and ready to let her go. She was late on her rent and any time she started to focus on the website another advertiser or debt collector would break her concentration. From all the visual clutter and the attempts to find order in the chaos, it became clear the Marie has ADHD.

Ben knocked at Marie’s door and she was annoyed at the distraction. She ran down the litany of things he might be selling but he just wanted her signature on a marijuana legalization list. She liked the idea but insisted on signing later. Ben was fine with this, and just hung out in her apartment while she worked. Well, she didn’t work long. Soon enough they are playing video games and having a pillow fight in slow motion. Ben took joy in Marie’s exciting and creative cluttered life. They seemed perfect for one another, but Marie pointed out that she is a lesbian. Her partner, Sissy, called and stopped by adding another layer of distraction to the website design that Marie should be focused on.

The woman that Marie said was her partner turned out to be Marie’s sister who is getting married. Marie must have invented the lesbian relationship to be sure Ben never had any hope of a romantic relationship. There was friction between the sisters since Marie had let her sister down leading up to the most important day in her life. Ben chimed in and offered suggestions on how Marie might help her sister more and Marie became furious. She told Ben to straighten up his own life and get out. I felt bad since it seemed he was a kind person just trying to help, but she gave him a firm push out of her life.

In the end Marie did manage to complete the website design in a hilarious slow-motion sequence set to classical music and she lived happily ever after.

Generic Male: Just What We Need, Another Show About Men

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This two man show at the Orlando International Fringe Festival was quite hilarious. The show features Ashley Jones and Darren Stevenson using acrobatics, clowning, and physical theater to deconstruct and skewer outdated stereotypes of manhood. To start they asked all the men to stand in the audience. In one point in the play there was to be a call and response, and the men of the audience had to grunt out their response as loudly as they could. The second acrobat was pulled out of the audience making it seem like he was your average man.

One particularly funny routine had the two men pulling long johns high up over their shoulders and then their hands were held down near their crotch acting as sock puppets. The from inside the crotch. There were were many costume changes and some more racy numbers where clothing was just an afterthought. These acrobats were ripped.

One intriguing routine had one of the duo having an in-depth manly conversation as he used the other man as a chair. He then crawled over, around and upside down between the legs of the other man, using him in a delicate balancing act. I resisted sketching these more precarious moments since I knew it would be a problem to make them believable since they would only last qonly fraction of a moment.

I chose to sketch a rather still moment in the action where one actor stole a chair from the other. The heated discussion for the other actor to be permitted to sit dug much deeper into hidden resentments, where minor concessions would not appease a pattern if taking while offering little in return.

I find that describing the action is difficult since what the two would do often defied gravity. What is more important is that I was laughing out loud throughout. This was a wild fun show presented by Push Physical Theater of Rochester New York.

A Christmas Carol: Final Poster

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For the final A Christmas Carol poster for the Orlando Shakespeare Theater had to revise Mrs. Cratchit and I think she turned out well. Tiny Tim was updated and I paid particular attention to how the leg braces were assembled. I pumped up the light shining from behind Tiny Tim to get him to pop out from the background better. Ebenezer Scrooge just needed a top hat. Cratchit was revised several times. He isn’t holding Tiny Tim as solidly so I think his intention is a little lost but overall the poster is working solidly.

If I were to assemble all the Christmas Carol posters together, both approved and not, it would make a fun collection. Many feature this dark snow filled gas lit street scene. For some reason A Christmas Carol for me is dark and brooding with bright sparks of light and hope.

I have been doing write ups for all these posters because I realized that I didn’t have time to do write ups at the time the shows were being performed. I am thinking there should be a category on this site for process images that show the evolution of any given concept. Illustration is seldom a one and done approval process. Changes are very much a part of the creative process. I am always searching for a way to express the idea behind a show as boldly as possible. Each poster has it’s own challenges. I started doing these posers after doing a painting every day during the height of the pandemic. I gather my thoughts and assemble the ideas in very much the same way I did then. Working digitally is a blessing. Changes can easily be made, especially if I plan ahead. If a character must be removed or replaced. I can often just turn off a layer in the painting program to make that happen at the flick of a switch. Another advantage is that the previous version remains in memory if I should want to refer back to it.

A Christmas Carol ran at the Orlando Shakes from November 26-December 24, 2025.

Fringe: Dolly F***king Madison

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This Orlando International Fringe Festival show was at Ten10 Brewing which was packed. I managed to find a spot at the back of the room at a picnic table. A full-length portrait of George Washington. An American flag stood at center stage. America’s first president was hung on stage. I started this sketch fascinated by a cowboy seated at the bar.

This Fringe show was about Dolly Madison, the wife of James Madison the fourth president of the United States. In the War of 1812, America was once again at war with Britain because American trade with France had been limited. In 1814, America lost a major battle and the British invaded Washington DC.

Dolly Madison was a highly regarded hostess who held parties at the White House that brought both parties of government together to discuss policy over food and drink. She helped to establish the idea that members of each party could amicably socialize, network, and negotiate with each other without violence. She essentially created and nurtured bipartisan politics.

Two British Soldiers entered the stage from the back of the theater. A private was played by Brandon Roberts who was glad to accept a cup of drink from Dolly Madison. What followed was an open discussion about what makes American politics work. Brandon’s superior officer was a misogynist who firmly believed women had no place in a male dominated society. Brandon started to understand and accept Dolly’s position, while his superior stood firm. When the first lady shouted out, “Do you have any idea who I am? I am Dolly F***king Madison!” The audience went wild.

Brandon, whose speech began to slur, started to talk about King Charles who was narcissistic and was showing signs of irrational dementia. It was clear that the king was acting very much like the 47th president of the United States. When Dolly explained the system of checks and balances in the American constitution that should keep such a madman from absolute power, the audience cheered.

The British wanted to burn the house down, but Dolly made sure that the portrait of Washington and important documents were saved. She talked the British soldiers into helping her get the portrait off the wall. By the end of the scene even the patriarchal British Lieutenant was sitting and started to accept Dolly’s hospitality and opinions. Reason was winning over force.

British troops led by Major General Robert Ross entered the city of Washington DC and set fire to the U.S. Capitol, the White House, and other public buildings. The burning of Washington, D.C. marked the only time since the Revolutionary War that a foreign power has captured and occupied the U.S. capital.

Though Dolly could not stop the rampage, she managed to talk reason to two soldiers. The world be a much better place if a woman could lead the country away from violence and towards rational thought.

I love a play that introduces some often ignored history and manages to make it feel very contemporary.

Brandon, if you are out there, get in touch with me at analogartistdigitalworld@gmail.com.I want to get this original sketch to you.I am drawing a blank trying to get in touch with you through Facebook.

Fringe: Private Parts: The Secrets We Keep

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The acclaimed one-woman show Private Parts: The Secrets We Keep, was written and performed by female actress and masterful storyteller Joanna Rannelli in Ten10 Brewing at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival. Her show was candid, raw  and often funny.

When she started reflecting on her youth, her story started to cause me to reach deep into my own memories which I had long swept into the recesses of my mind. She started talking about her mother being in the hospital. Relatives decided it would be best if the young Joanna did not see her mother when she was so close to the end of their life. I imagine they must have wanted to save the young Joanna from seeing her mother so sick. They were trying to shelter her from pain.

The Joanna’s reaction was anger. Who were they to keep her from seeing her mother? This triggered a deep anger that I had felt when I was not allowed at 10 years old, to visit my mother in a New York City Hospital. A candy stripper at the hospital had given me a small kit to make an art project which I had made to give my mother on Mother’s Day. Joanna’s mother had died around Mother’s Day as did my mother. I never got to give my mother the art project I had made. Joanna’s story caused me to feel that deep hidden anger and I had to stop sketching because the tears caused my vision to distort and blur. Mother’s Day has always been a painful day that I try to ignore.

The same people who wanted to save me from seeing my mother in the hospital then allowed me to go to my mother’s wake and funeral. A room full of people sat and looked at my mother’s open coffin. Someone whispered in my ear, “Doesn’t she look peaceful? It is as if she was sleeping.” I spent the next hour watching my mother’s chest waiting for her to take a breath. She never did.

Johanna’s show also went on to deal with long hidden memories of assault and difficult relationships. Her stories are her own to tell. There were also so many stories filled with joyous delight. In the end, she left me feeling hopeful and delighted to celebrate each day that we all have on this earth. This show was such an emotional roller coaster. She knew how to reach in and touch hidden memories. She was telling my life with her words.

There were only four opportunities to hear this consummate storyteller. I am so glad that I was in the right place at the right time to allow her stories to bring back hidden memories. This was my favorite solo show at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival.

Fringe: Awaken

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Cindy Heen is the Founder and Artistic Director of Emergence Dance based in Orlando Florida. Having sketched Emergence Dance rehearsals in the past, I knew that Awaken at this year’s Orlando International Fringe show could be an emotional roller coaster. Ed Anthony, one of DEM Guys, had given me a fountain pen to experiment with to do this sketch. The line work was fluid, and I was having a blast catching the dancers gestures while being inspired by the story line and choreography.

Awaken had a circus act announcer with a top hat and formal attire. She performed her spoken word introductions with verve and aplomb. The dances followed the stages of grief. It is a story that has weaved it way through my life and every creative soul’s life. Early dance routines expressed loss and pain and over time that dark chaos was replaced with healing and acceptance.

The line sketch I was working on felt lively and fluid. I loved the fountain pen I was playing with. Then I started adding watercolor to the page. I placed a few flesh-colored splashed o the page. The lines exploded and every wash I put on the page turned dark black. I realized eventually that the ink in the fountain pen I had borrowed was not waterproof. If I were to put a large watercolor wash on the whole page every line would bleed turning the whole sketch black. The darkness of grief was winning the battle to dominate the sketch. Delicate details I had sketched were being washed away. I had to work hard to keep light and hope in the sketch. Working in the dark theater I was not sure what the final result would be.

The dancer who was overcome with grief was helped on her journey to recovery by other dancers who refused to let her waste away. It is a story of hope and being able to rise from the ashes. Eventually her fractured and distorted movements became fluid and joyfully graceful. Pain turned to sharing and pleasure.

As I was sketching, I was afraid that I would lose every line I had put down on the page, but then I accepted the chaos and started to enjoy the uncertainty. There was so much more beauty than darkness but fate insisted that darkness should dominate the sketch.

This captivating show had 5 performances at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival.

Fringe: Liquid Sunshine 2

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I got to sketch Zelda Grey‘s one woman show, Liquid Sunshine last year and fell in love with her soul-filled performance. I wondered if I should sketch Liquid Sunshine 2 this year and decided to take the chance. I am so glad I did, because this year’s performance by Zelda Grey was a world different that the solo show she did last year. This year she had a full band, The You Know Whooz. They performed original songs from Zelda as well as lead guitarist Jeremy Lovelady and bassist Brian Byle. The drummer is Derek Engstrom.

There was a relaxed vibe between the band members and Zelda. They were so well rehearsed and I could feel feel their joy. As I sketched I was tapping my toes and rocking to the beat. Zelda knew a couple of the female artists in the front row, and she got them involved in the chorus of one song. One artist resisted, but then shouted out the lyrics of the chorus and the audience went wild.

The sketch I did was very different than any other sketch I did at Fringe this year. When I searched through my art bag, I discovered that I had left my pens and brushes back at the studio. I just had a tin of colored pencils. The music was so inspiring that I didn’t consider that a setback. I picked up colored pencils at random, and the lines danced on the page. Honestly, I should work like this more often. I cared less about accuracy and let the music establish the flow.

Zelda really pumped up her singing performance when she stripped off her guitar. She became a fierce singer, and she had the audience in her grip. I was mesmerized. I stopped sketching when the performance reached a fevered pitch, and I let the power of her singing just wash over me.

There is only one more performance of Liquid Sunshine 2. You don’t want to miss this performance. They will blow you out of your seat. As a matter of fact, you might find yourself wanting to get up and dance to let the music flow through every fiber of your body. Though I didn’t get up and dance, I felt the lines I was putting down dance to the beat. This show is pure unfiltered passion. If you are seeing several shows in a day, then Liquid Sunshine should be your concert intermission which will rejuvenate your soul with pure joy.

The final show for Liquid Sunshine 2 in the Brown Venue in the Shakes. The show is rated 13 and up and runs 60 minutes. Tickets are $12. Be sure you have your Fringe button for admittance.

Sunday May 24, 3:00pm

Fringe: Automatic Orchestra, Just Add Music

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At this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival, Automatic Orchestra: Just Add Music in the Blue Venue of the Orlando Shakes is an immersive improvisational orchestra where the actors are inspired by the music created by the audience. Entering the venue, there were various methods of making sound in every audience seat. I moved a rattle from my seat over to the next seat. There were kazoos, cooking pans, one of those metal barrels with metal beads wrapped around it, and so much more. I was hoping to play a trumpet while I sketched, but I didn’t see one. I would just be making the sound of a pen scratching on the page.

Actors entered from back stage and through magic portals. There were duels, fights, peaceful negotiations and so much action.  No actor ever spoke, they simply listened to what sounds came from the audience to decide what they should do next. The audience also fed off of the action. The fellow seated in front of me to my right banged a pot any time a gun was fired. It was as if the entire audience was hired to act as folly artists. Since my hands were busy sketching, I simply hummed and made other vocal noises.

If there was a story line, I missed it. Not knowing what was happening made sketching a challenge. I like to think of what the verb is before I start sketching someone. Chaos begets chaos. Kayla Fischl from her show Unconditionally, acted as the guest conductor. She had a music stand in front of her, but every member of the audience had their own agenda in terms of making sound. Conducting would be like trying to herd stray cats.

It was an hour of nonsensical experimentation. With a drink or two in you and a very open mind, you will likely have a blast. Just don’t go in expecting any three act play with  a well-defined character arc. Go in to laugh and make plenty of noise.

Here are the remaining show times for Automatic Orchestra, Just Add Music presented by Renie and Bob Productions of Altamonte Springs Florida. In the Blue Venue in the Shakes. Rated for all ages. Run time 60 minutes. Tickets are $13. Be sure to pick up a Fringe button for entry.

Saturday May 23, 5:24pm

Sunday May 24, 6:55pm