...And Thanks for the Fringe

October, 2006

A big note of thanks to all who supported the IRC's inaugural show Three One Acts at this year's Philadelphia Fringe Festival. We played to large, gracious houses; received terrific, very specific feedback on the show, and discovered that, as far as we can see, the audience and interest in Absurdist Theater is alive and thriving in Philadelphia.

Many thanks also to Jim Caiola, David Salama and their terrific staff at L'Étage for their great work and hospitality in hosting the show - the venue was clearly a major contributor to the success of creating the ambiance so reminiscent of 1930's Paris cabaret, and the environment where these plays might have debuted.

We're now focusing on the holiday season and Spring 2007 - pouring over the works of authors we're considering producing: of course, more Ionesco and Beckett, but also casting the net for vintage Pinter, Arrabal, Havel, Tennessee Williams - there are so many possibilities! Our ideas are only constrained by budget; what makes many of these authors' works such a wonderful creative challenge is the sheer scale of the production requirements. How does a small company on a limited budget do justice to the complicated production demands of these authors? One solution is to employ technology -- we can now float bodies down the Seine and magically transport characters to other countries if the script demands it. And many of Ionesco's plays do demand it. Of the several plays I'm considering for next season, in one, the playing area gradually fills to capacity with furniture (The New Tenant); while in another, a body gradually expands, bursting through the apartment walls while mushrooms sprout through the floorboards (Amédée). As an audience member, these beautiful visual metaphors intrigue me for what they add to the author's words; as a director, they challenge me by the demands they make on a small theater's tiny budget.

The IRC is on the road to getting our 501C3 non-profit status, and along the way, we're casting out the net for "angels" who share our enjoyment of these authors enough to support this fledgling effort with resources - whether you're interested in volunteering time, expertise, finances - whatever your specialty - theater companies rely on the community of theater enthusiasts to make these productions come to life, especially in a company's infancy. I would very much enjoy hearing your thoughts and ideas as we take small steps towards creating a place in Philadelphia where audiences can enjoy the works of those authors that come to mind when we think of the loosely-defined group encompassing "The Theater of the Absurd."

Thanks for your interest, and I hope to meet you in person at our next show.

Tina Brock
Artistic Director

info@idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.com