Fresh, funky, fun Fringe benefits

Lisa Bornstein, Rocky Mountain News

Saturday, August 11, 2007

In its third year, the Boulder International Fringe Festival is living up to the second word of its name.

"We have somebody coming from Poland, somebody from England, somebody from Alaska, Puerto Rico," festival director Alana Eve Burman says. "That's exciting, the international involvement as well as all the local people."

Like many fringe festivals, Boulder is unjuried. Performers were drawn in a lottery, making the lineup arbitrary. In that spirit, here's an arbitrary list of events that intrigued us in the festival that starts Thursday.

The Daily C.R.A.B.

What: Hosted by Eddy the Eskimo (actor Ryan Eggensperger), this late-night talk show features sneak previews and interviews with performers.

When and where: 10 a.m. nightly at the Laughing Goat Coffeehouse and (on Thursday) the Dairy Center. myspace.com/bouldercrab The Neon Man and Me

What: Slash Coleman, a wandering Jew from Virginia, had a best friend, a Pentecostal musician who was killed at 35 when he was blown into a power line while hanging a neon sign. A month after he died, his girlfriend found out she was pregnant. Coleman turned it all into a one-man comedy about friendship.

When and where: Opens 8:30 p.m. Friday; through Aug. 25, Dairy Center. $6 to $15.

The Centering

What: Portland clown Chris Harder performs Steve Patterson's drama about a political prisoner who escapes torment through the memories of an Arab clown and dreams of the circus.

When and where: Opens 7 p.m. Friday; through Aug. 25. Dairy Center. $5 to $15.

Pressure to Prove: The Sex Lives of Teenage Boys

What: Three Naropa graduates previously took audiences inside the intimate conversations of adolescent girls; now it's the boys' turn.

When and where: Opens 9:30 p.m. Friday; through Aug. 22. Dairy Center. $12 to $15.

Emily Dickinson and I: The Journey of a Portrayal

What: A show for those who found The Belle of Amherst too edgy. Actually, Brit Edie Campbell drew acclaim for her show about writing a show about her favorite poet (very meta) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

When and where: Opens 5 p.m. Aug. 18; through Aug. 26. Dairy Center. $12 to $15.

Ghosts of Pasha

What: Festival director Burman was smitten with this folk-music duo when she heard them on This American Life. She added them to the festival's My Space page; now they're performing in Boulder. Self-described as "upbeat noisy melodic indie folk soul w/harmonies, video game soundtrack music & questionable banter."

When and where: 8:30 p.m. Aug. 25. Laughing Goat. $7 to $10.

Shadows and Journeys

What: Betsy Tobin directs a site-specific, multimedia performance with drumming, dance, puppetry and video. Later, the ensemble heads to canyons around the country.

When and where: Opens 8:15 p.m. Friday; through Aug. 25. Naropa Green, 2130 Arapahoe Ave. $10 to $12.

Boulder International Fringe Festival

• When and where: Thursday through Aug. 27, Boulder locations

• Cost: Free to $15 a show; passes available for $70 to $240.

• Information: 720-563-9950 or boulderfringe.com