I was talking with Paul Strickland earlier today (the best part of Fringe, by the way, is communing together), and I expressed that while I always love his work, sometimes I don’t always feel like I understand it. His grasp of how to use absurdity is genius; his use of language is brilliant.
I am always afraid that when I express something in that vein that it will be taken as criticism of their art rather than an indictment of my own failings as an audience member and critic.
In his gentle way, Paul suggested that his shows require one to listen carefully so that the words and the stories linger in the consciousness until they’ve ripened. He also hinted that his new show, 1nce Upon a Lie, might be less abstract.
He’s 100% correct on all accounts. This is a more straightforward message. Don’t misunderstand - Paul never uses a hammer or a club to get his point across. But in these historically significant times, when people would like not only time to stop but for us to go culturally and politically backward, mincing too many words wouldn’t be prudent.
The stories in this marvelous hour remind us that we need to listen. That change is inevitable. That love heals. And it’s done so beautifully, with that linguistic elegance that this masterful storyteller has perfected, that I was moved to tears more than once.
1nce Upon a Lie is another MUST SEE. And it will likely sell out, so get your tickets now.
SHOWTIMES ARE:
Saturday, June 10th at 2:30 PM
Sunday, June 11th at 8:45 PM
Tuesday, June 13th at 7:00 PM
Friday, June 16th at 7:00 PM
Tickets and more can be found here.