Fringe Festival Web Report #7
Wednesday, July 11th

By GLENN SUMI

What is it about the 1940s that fascinates this year's Fringe writers? Sure, the cheesy, hard-boiled dialogue - familiar from any number of black and white films - lends itself well to parody and satire. The role of women is fascinating in this era, too. Think of those strong, independent dames played by Joan Crawford or Barbara Stanwyck. They're way more complex figures than the 1950s' Doris Day clones. And the fashions? For the women: big shoulders, tailored sensuality, lots of leg. For the men: fedoras, suspenders and those ubiquitous trenchcoats.

At least four shows at the Fringe borrow from the 1940s, with varying degrees of success. Here's a look at them, with a look at how they measure up in terms of authenticity, style, fun and sex and gender issues.

Show: LAST LAUGH
Synopsis: A musical comedy brother duo act looks for love and success from New York to Hollywood.
Authenticity: High. The show mimics the entertainment scene beautifully, with genuinely good singing and comedy routines that feel authentic.
Style quotient: Stunning. Moody spotlights, appropriately vintage duds. Fun: Sky high. It's affectionate, without being satiric.
Sex and gender issues: Not dealt with. But who cares?

Show: THE DICK'S A DAME
Synopsis: Woman detective tracks down murderer, falls for woman suspect.
Authenticity: Sky high. Every cliche in the noir book comes alive, from the interrogation scene to the car chase.
Style quotient: High. Every spat, suspender and shoulderpad is in place.
Fun: Moderate. There are some great set pieces and cameos, but the jokes become quickly monotonous and the central characters remain thin.
Sex and gender issues: the lesbian subplot isn't developed fully, but it nicely suggests the repression of that era.

Show: BLACK JACK JUSTICE
Synopsis: Actors in a detective serial try to finish the show when their author falls off the wagon.
Authenticity: Moderate. The comic serial Sin City travelled the same territory this year, with sometimes more entertaining results.
Style quotient: High. The show is well cast, and the stylistic high point is seeing a radio producer stick various pencils into her well coiffed head.
Fun: Moderate. The show kicks in at the halfway mark.
Sex and gender issues: Powerful women, powerful men.

Show: THE CONTRACT
Synopsis: A corporate hitman tries to leave the biz.
Authenticity: Moderate. The show is apparently contemporary, but is written like a 40s mystery.
Style quotient: High, a hybrid of two eras, with costumes probably bought during an afternoon at Kensington Market.
Fun: Low. The show's a bona fide hit, but the dialogue needs sharpening and apart from Scott McCord's mesmerizing performance, a couple of other actors never leave Overacting Land.
Sex and gender issues: A gay subtext is genuinely funny, though the women's roles are underdeveloped.