Asheville Fringe Arts Festival: #txtshow (on the internet)

In the year of virtual Fringe, I was hoping for at least one show that fully embraced the digital medium. I got my wish with #txtshow, an immersive solo Zoom performance piece from artist Brian Feldman.

Featuring a page of written instructions and a pre-show “curtain speech” from the “screen manager,” #txtshow is not for those who wish to kick back and passively take in a show. It is explicitly geared for those who are willing to participate.

The premise is that the audience provides all of Feldman’s dialogue. He begins seated behind a simple table, and we the audience send Zoom messages to a separate account that he reads and performs. Essentially, the script is crowdsourced in real time and every performance is distinct.

Some examples of things the audience required Feldman to say, sing, or act out: Song lyrics, the prologue from Romeo and Juliet, movie quotes, Robert Frost poetry, a drinking game, pretending to be a cat, and a long, screamed, “HELP!”

Through the magic of Zoom, every account is labeled “Anonymous” so no one knows who is providing the bits of dialogue. But the mics and cameras are all on and we are encouraged to watch in Gallery Mode, so you quickly get to know each other’s appearance and demeanor and laugh, if not their name.

It was sort of uncomfortable, especially because there were only about seven people in my audience, not including Feldman and the “screen manager.” I imagine the ideal size for this show is 20-25 — small enough to still be intimate but large enough that the anonymity feels more robust. Nevertheless, we had a great time in my show. The 45 minutes flew by, something that I definitely cannot say for most other virtual theatre I’ve experienced.

I like #txtshow because it’s the execution of a single, interesting idea. It’s not trying to be overly complicated or obtuse. It’s a conceptual Zoom piece that was creative and engaging. That’s something to :) about.

The 2021 Asheville Fringe Arts Festival runs through Sunday, January 24. For a complete listing of shows, visit ashevillefringe.org

(Photo courtesy of Asheville Fringe)