Delco Times Feature Story

PHILADELPHIA -- Three soon-to-be bald women hang suspended on giant scaffolds placed between the red and white Christmas lights draped from the second floor dance studio's ceiling.

Their harnesses give them expanded movement -- the ability to fly and thrash midair to a dissonant mix of water drops, electric noises and various other audible elements in the background.

This is the SCRAP Performance Group rehearsal for the segment choreographed by Newtown Square artist Myra Bazell for this year's Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the avant-garde music, theater extravaganza opening Wednesday and running through Sept. 19 at various venues throughout the city.

Bazell's dexterity of stretching the boundaries of dance and art are one example of what the 11-day performance art extravaganza is all about.

"Fringe Festival is a condensed festive time," Bazell, 35, said in between rehearsals at Kumquat. "It creates a lot of inspiration to create work. It's a really good time. The Fringe Festival provides an opportunity for artists that take risks who are more experimental."

To get an idea what the Fringe Festival is about, just scan the schedule. On Wednesday, Zen in the Basement presents "PMS (Poor Me Syndrome)"; next Friday Joe Lorenzo presents his work "Bash-A-Catholic" in the ironic location of Old First Reformed Church; Huffamoose rocks the TLA on Sept. 11; Theater Outlet stages "The Woman Who Thought She Was A Dog" and at various times after midnight on Sept. 13, Brat Productions presents "A 24-Hour Bald Soprano."

PHILADELPHIA -- Three soon-to-be bald women hang suspended on giant scaffolds placed between the red and white Christmas lights draped from the second floor dance studio's ceiling. Their harnesses give them expanded movement -- the ability to fly and thrash midair to a dissonant mix of water drops, electric noises and various other audible elements in the background. This is the SCRAP Performance Group rehearsal for the segment choreographed by Newtown Square artist Myra Bazell for this year's Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the avant-garde music, theater extravaganza opening Wednesday and running through Sept. 19 at various venues throughout the city. Bazell's dexterity of stretching the boundaries of dance and art are one example of what the 11-day performance art extravaganza is all about. "Fringe Festival is a condensed festive time," Bazell, 35, said in between rehearsals at Kumquat. "It creates a lot of inspiration to create work. It's a really good time. The Fringe Festival provides an opportunity for artists that take risks who are more experimental." To get an idea what the Fringe Festival is about, just scan the schedule. On Wednesday, Zen in the Basement presents "PMS (Poor Me Syndrome)"; next Friday Joe Lorenzo presents his work "Bash-A-Catholic" in the ironic location of Old First Reformed Church; Huffamoose rocks the TLA on Sept. 11; Theater Outlet stages "The Woman Who Thought She Was A Dog" and at various times after midnight on Sept. 13, Brat Productions presents "A 24-Hour Bald Soprano."
	Myra Bazell of Newtown Square, front, leads SCRAP members Katie McNamara, Brenda Kunda and Rebecca Sloan in rehearsal for the Fringe Festival opening Wednesday in Philadelphia.
The second annual Fringe Festival is even expanding its own scope. "We've doubled the run of the festival to 11 days," Fringe spokeswoman Diane Eacret said. "The number of performances has tripled." Respecting the fest's vision to keep art accessible, the cost remains affordable. Most tickets for the hundreds of shows are $9 and $7 for those with Fringe buttons. They are available at the Fringe box office on North Second Street between Market and Arch Streets in Philadelphia up to two hours before the performance. Bazell's dance/physical theater creation, called "Rapunzel," is one-fifth of SCRAP's 50-minute production "TRAPTURE." "'TRAPTURE' is the oscillation between guilt and innocence, between shame and grace," Bazell explained. "Rapunzel is one of the metaphors. It's about finding the power to live your life passionately and sensually and not be prescribed to by convention but you can also have stability and clarity," she said. That philosophy is materialized through the scaffold dancers with 8-foot-or-so wigs and others. Their performance can be seen at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 and 10 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Arden Theater at Second and Church streets. The Fringe Festival also brings international and national artists, like Deke Weaver of San Francisco. Weaver, who brings his one-man show "The Crimes and Confessions of Kip Knutzen: A Hockey Way of Knowledge" to Christ Church at 20 N. American St., Philadelphia, said he relied on his Minnesota upbringing. "It's more about that Midwestern attitude about not showing off too much," he said. Weaver said everyone has a special talent and it's difficult to express that in this mind-set. He reveals this clash by portraying five major characters through body motion and voice changes. This includes hockey coach Kip Knutzen, his aerobic instructor wannabe wife Katie, their twins Heidi and Helga and the hockey co-captain, Thor. "It might hit some nerves," Weaver said. "There're a lot of things that happen out there on the ice." But shock is not the complete message. Weaver said he wants people to walk away from his Sept. 9, 12 and 13 shows with significance. "I guess it would actually be faith, just a faith in themselves or some sort of greater force," he said. Other performers include Mum Puppettheatre, Poets and Prophets, Edgar Allen and the Poettes, the Pig Iron Theatre Co., Fetishes Boutique, Break Even Productions, and the Hairy Aureolas.