FringeNYC Previews

CYCLE

Produced by Wiltsie Bridge Productions with Off The Leash Productions

Author: Rose Courtney, with original music by Rachel Kaufman

A desperate New Yorker named Charlotte Shrubsole has one day to find the Secret Of Success. A troupe of displaced vaudevillians must get back to the year 1938 in time for their big opening night at the Palace Theatre. To find their way back, the troupe must save Charlotte. This sets them on a hilarious and touching journey, with the eight member ensemble inhabiting over 60 characters in Charlotte's marathon day and using every skill in their repertoire — from Shakespeare to soft-shoe — to guide her safely home. As our heroine speeds from scene to scene on her shiny red Schwinn, the action is accompanied on piano, accordion, guitar, flute, fiddle, recorder, slide whistle and more.

In it's whimsical way, Cycle questions our culture's obsession with "Success." Performed under an amazing 1930's era Spiegeltent ("the world's most beautiful travelling venue") Cycle is a delightful combination of original and classic songs, comedy, dance, poetry and magic — a charming, retro dream.

We chose to present this show because we think live, unadulterated entertainment is a rare thrill in this technology-driven age. Cycle is a unique theatre experience that harks back to a time before movies and TV — when it was pure talent and inventiveness that kept audiences wanting more!

Rose Courtney, playwright/performer