Purely by chance, my Thursday Fringe experience included two shows that seem to be opposite to each other, "Darker," a presentation by New Edgecliff Theatre, and "Fire and Light," by Incendium Arts, both local groups.
"Darker" is an eerie love story taking place, ostensibly, in the office of a light bulb factory. Max (Michael Carr) has just come to work there, inadvertently muscling in on the desk of co-worker Tom (Jeffrey K. Miller) at the urging of office manager Lucy (Mindy Heithaus). For a light bulb factory, it is an extremely ill-lit office, and a half-dozen or so bare light bulbs dominate both the set and light designs. It all looks too familiar to Max, however, who questions Lucy and Tom if he has worked there before.
There's a lot working beneath the surface of "Darker," a noirish "Twilight Zone" kind of story, and we have to wonder if this is a literal office or a dark place in some other kind of universe. Under the direction of Illana Stein, a former staffer at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, the trio of actors keep the action suitably minor key and subdued. It's an enjoyable puzzle, though without a definitive solution.
There's one more chance to see "Darker," 9 p.m. tonight (Friday).
There's no ambiguity or confusion about "Fire and Light," however. It's based on a simple aesthetic: Fire is cool.
With flaming batons, sticks, balls, drums, hula hoops and other props, Incendium Arts creates a thoroughly entertaining show of short, tightly choreographed, thrilling numbers that skirt the edges of danger. The drumming sequences are the most spectacular as they keep the drum heads covered with some explosive substance that sends columns of fire into the air with every strike.
For pure adrenaline-fueled excitement, "Fire and Light" is a unique Fringe experience. Unfortunately, last night was the final show, but I hope that we'll be seeing more of Incendium Arts.
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