A Well-Titled “Catastrophe!”

By Ernest Kearney  —  Catastrophe!, which played two nights at The Lounge in Hollywood, is unfortunately the most aptly named show of this year’s Fringe.

The resume “clown” Hank Curry offers in his program is impressive. His short, maladroit, ill-conceived and, at times, inexplicable show is anything but.

In eight brief skits bearing such titles as “The Pianist,” “The Circus,” “The Penny” Curry attempts to convey the same existential, everyman slapstick that Jacques Tati did. Sadly, while his sensibilities may be attuned to the French mime and director who starred in such films as Mon Oncle and Play Time, Curry hasn’t even the minimum of chops to pull off the level of “clowning” required.bronze ribbon - Fringe Festival

His efforts were a dismal failure with his audience, but not an affront to them, and this only earns

him a –

BRONZE MEDAL


 

There are no more shows scheduled for Catastrophe! at this time.

For updated information go to: http://hff19.org/6200

Stay abreast of all Fringe happenings by exploring the website: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/


 

Written by

An award-winning L.A. playwright and rabble-rouser of note who has hoisted glasses with Orson Welles, been arrested on three continents and once beat up Charlie Manson. His first play, "Among the Vipers" was a semi-finalist in the Julie Harris Playwriting Competition and was featured in the Carnegie-Mellon Showcase of New Plays. It was produced at the NPT Theater in Ashland, Oregon and Los Angeles’ celebrated Odyssey Ensemble Theatre. His following play, “The Little Boy Who Loved Monsters” was produced at The Hollywood Actors Theater, where he earned praise from the Los Angeles Times for his “…inordinately creative writing.” The play went on to numerous other productions including Berlin’s The Black Theatre under the direction of Rainer Fassbinder who wrote in his program notes of Kearney, “He is a skilled playwright, but more importantly he is a dangerous one.” Ernest Kearney has worked as literary manager or as dramaturge for among others The Hudson Theater Guild, Nova Diem and the Odyssey Ensemble Theatre, where he still serves on the play selection committee. He has been the recipient of two Dramalogue Awards and a finalist or semi-finalist, three times, in the Julie Harris Playwriting Competition. His work has been performed by Michael Dunn, Sandra Tsing Loh, Jack Colvin and Billy Bob Thornton, and to date, either as playwright or director, he has upwards of a hundred and thirty productions under his belt, including a few at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater as puppeteer. Kearney remains focused on his writing, as well as living happily ever after with his lovely wife Marlene. His stage reviews and social essays can be found at TheTVolution.com and workingauthor.com. Follow him on Facebook.

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