by Paul Gillis
Last night I caught the second Fringe performance of "My Way Little Girl" in the alley next to the Warehouse Arts Center. (The first was on the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage.) This was definitely one of the most remarkable, out-of-the-mainstream programs I have seen at the Fringe this year.
Called an "installation piece", it begins with a tableau vivant of provocatively dressed women lounging on hay bales around a sleeping male figure, and banjo music. (The musical accompaniment by Dan Mazer is quite effective; there are no spoken words.) A stern woman teacher gives a mysterious lesson to a girl; then the man dons a doctor's garb and all hell breaks loose.
The piece was created by Andrew Zox, and seems to have been dredged up from a deep level of dreams. But to my mind, it dealt with very real cultural issues--specifically, the control and oppression of women, and the domination of the medical establishment over the process of childbirth.
The alley setting is very effective. The thought of it playing at the Ken Cen is particularly amazing--but I heard there was a very good Q & A session there after the performance. This is definitely a show to see if you are seeking the real Fringe element. More photos are posted in my web gallery:
http://paulgillis.phanfare.com/album/338390/490153#imageID=22398850
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