May 29 — Scratch your fringe festival itch with an IndyFringe fundraiser
If you are a fan of fringe theatre, the August 22 opening of IndyFringe probably seems a long ways away. Don’t despair, you can get a temporary fix when fringe favorite TJ Dawe performs his one-guy show, “The Slip-Knot.” A tale of three horribly funny day jobs — dumpster driving, drug-store stocking, and tracking Christmas parcels for the post office — “The Slip-Knot” has picked up awards and critical raves across Dawe’s native Canada.
When: 
Thursday, May 29, 2008, 7:00 pm
Where: American Cabaret Theatre
TJ Dawe is a funny, insightful guy. Don’t take the word of Provocate, or for that matter the word of TJ Dawe … check out the clip below.
Know before you go … You can check out TJ Dawe’s website for more bits of his performance art. And visit IndyFringe’s website to remind yourself why we are fortunate to be part of the fringe tsunami that has washed over cites in North America and Europe.
If this sounds cool, be sure to check out … TJ Dawe represents the union of theatre and stand-up comedy. Another intriguing fusion comes to town June 24, with a performance by Katsura Kaishi, English-language master of the centuries old Japanese story-telling art of Rakugo. It’s interesting how similar are the video clips of TJ Dawe (below) and Katsura Kaishi … a sign of the Seinfeldization of the Eastern and Western Worlds.
Interesting the way stand-up and performance art has merged in fringe theatre. It has taken off all over the world, including (we are fortunate) in Indianapolis. Get warmed up with a guy who won’t make it to Indy in August.
Canadian TJ Dawe has performed in over 60 Fringe Festivals in Canada and the US. His 2007 summer tour included 110 performances in just under six months and 2008 is equally demanding. He wants to perform at the IndyFringe but just can’t fit it in to his busy schedule. His solution?
TJ Dawe is “whistle stopping” Indianapolis to help raise money for the IndyFringe festival. Direct from the Orlando Fringe Festival (the first leg of the 2008 Fringe US/Canadian circuit), TJ will perform one of his most popular one-man shows—The Slip-Knot—at the American Cabaret Theatre on Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 7:00 pm.
“Fringe festivals give back 100% of the box office to performers. I want to help fringe festivals raise money so they can continue to support and assist independent artists. Alice Nelson (Canadian) who performed Local Celebrity had great things to say about how things went for her at IndyFringe last year” explained TJ.
TJ first visited Indianapolis two years ago for the Star Wars Convention. “I directed a One Man Star Wars show, which went from touring the fringe to touring the world. Anyway, it got me to Indy, and I really got off on walking around town, looking at all the big stone monuments. I’m also a big Kurt Vonnegut fan.”
Pauline Moffat, Executive Director of IndyFringe has worked with TJ for eighteen months to find this window of opportunity. “We are excited that performers like TJ want to come back to Indianapolis. Word of mouth in the global fringe movement is very powerful in attracting international performers to IndyFringe. And one of the great benefits of TJ visiting Indy is that he will have an audience and will not be starting from square one when the time comes to be part of the festival itself. A big audience may encourage him to perform in 2009!”
The Slip-Knot is a one person show about working horrible day jobs: stock-boy at a drug store, truck driver for a dumpster company and Christmas parcel tracker for the post office. There are three subplots: a long distance relationship, an attempt to sell a used van and the ordeal of finding an apartment in a new city.
Tickets are $25 each ($15 students and Fringe performers). You may purchase tickets by phone at 317-522-8099, or e-mail: executivedirector@indyfringe.org.
