Fringestravaganza 2010! Day 4: on to the main course

Fringe Day 4:

1:00

My first show of the day was Clamlump, put on by The Missoula Oblongata at the Mudlark Theater. This would be the first of three shows I saw at the Mudlark in a row (they were also all puppetry shows).

Before I go any further, a word on the Mudlark Theater.

The Mudlark is located in a fairly unassuming white building at the intersection of Port and Marais streets in the Marigny. The only thing which outwardly identifies it as a theater is the large, red banner which hangs from the side of the house. The interior, however, is another story. There is a small puppet theater space located off to the right, but what is really amazing is the front room, which is decorated floor to ceiling with puppet of all sizes, varieties and shapes. In all it’s a really great space and puts you in the right state of mind for the theater you’re about to see. The building itself has only been in operation for a little more than a year, but I can confidently say it is one of my new favorite spaces in the city.

Clamlump is probably the “fringiest” show I have seen thus far. The aesthetic was odd and a little unsettling; the premise was weird, and the tone brash. It could also be argued that Clamlump is more of a kids show, however, it is so oddly dark that I don’t think the slightly kiddy tone is really relevant.

Basically the set up is about this misshaped entity named Clamlump who lives under a bar in an abandoned stadium and wants nothing more then to leave his home to become a stand up comedian. Also, there is a very well spoken cassowary that malls 2-3 people per year, a traveling popcorn salesman who never travels, and a pair of smugglers who only smuggle birds. The three actors on stage switch between playing the various characters and manipulating a number of different puppets. There are also some entertaining little ditties thrown in for good measure.

Clamlump was certainly a well done show, and I caught myself laughing from time to time, but overall I just don’t think it was quite my bag. I think it was mostly the acting, which was really brash and over the top. I’m sure that was what was intended, but it made me feel a little awkward and uncomfortable.

I did really like the overall message of the show, and the ending was this wonderful mélange of hope, fulfillment, and uncertainty. Over all I’d give it a look, people doing original things should always be supported, even if we’re not sure how those things make us feel.

3:00

The second show on my puppet theater trilogy was Order of the Wolf by Night Shade Shadow Theater, and it was amazing. I have always thought shadow puppets were pretty cool, but the level of detail and loving time and attention put into these paper puppets was simply breath taking. Basically the show is a werewolf story with some heavy mythical themes thrown in for good measure. Actually, the story was probably the weakest part of the whole thing, but the visuals were just so gosh darn stunning it really didn’t matter.

Order is divided into two sections: the first was your more traditional rear-projection style shadow puppet show, where all of the puppets and light sources are on the opposite side of the screen. I caught myself thinking during this section “this is really cool, but I wish I could stand back stage and see how they make the images we’re seeing.”

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind when suddenly, from behind the screen, two actors stepped out in wolf skins and opened a large popup book from which they projected the rest of the story. 

A page from the book

For the next 30 minuets I sat there, slack jawed and dumbstruck by the images being projected. The cut out puppets themselves were amazing, but what was even more impressive was the level of skill which went into manipulating and projecting them. I caught myself shifting my eyes from the images on screen to the actors creating them, wondering which was more impressive or entertaining to watch.

This has got to be one of the “must see” shows this year at Fringe, because it was not only unlike anything I’d ever really scene before, it was also flawlessly executed.

There really isn’t anything more to say, the show is amazing, go see it.

5:00

My final puppet show at the Mudlark was Hunter’s Blind: a Story of Love and Transformation Based on True Events. Coincidentally, this was the second show I’d seen today which dealt with wolves.

This show put on by the resident Mudlark’s resident theater company, the Mudlark Puppeteers. These are the same individuals responsible for all of those wonderful puppets I showed you earlier, and Hunter’s was very similar aesthetically. The story was kind of a take off on little red riding hood, only mixed with the story of Baron Gilles de Rais, who was a close associate of Joan of Arc, and fought with her at the battle of Orleans. Basically the story centers on a young girl’s quest to discover why children have been disappearing from her village.

What begins as sort of dark fairy tale quickly descends into abject blackness, and without giving anything away, puppet evisceration abounds.

Hunter’s Blind was another very good show. From a purely objective stand point it was probably even better than Order of the Wolf, if only because it had an actual story. 

In addition to see two really good shows, I am glad I went to the Mudlark if only because it is an active theater which has three or so different shows it offers a month. Not all of these performances are puppetry, and some are not even theater, but it is a wonderful space, and I will certainly be keeping an eye on what other performances they have coming up.

7:00

Our Man by Goat in the Road at the AllWays Theatre was a show I’d heard some great buzz about, and I was not disappointed. At this point in my Fringe going experience I was entering what you may call the “main course,” shows with great buzz by more established theater companies.

Our Man is a two man show, and the show’s visual gimmick is that the two actors spend the entire show in a roughly 5x5 see-through plastic box, while a tube outside of the box deposits mail onto an ever-growing pile. According to the program this show is one of a trilogy by Goat in the Road about American political events, although it is not immediately obvious which. Basically the story centers on two broadcasters stuck in this plastic box who keep reading the same letter, purportedly written by Ronald Reagan, with ever evolving embellishments and tones.

The acting in this show was excellent, and I am starting to feel bad for cutting some earlier shows so much slack in that department. Our Man was also absolutely hilarious from beginning to end, with one bit involving a tennis racket and some red tempera paint being particularly great.

When it comes to how this show ties into the whole “American political events” the answer is not immediately obvious. Reagan is mentioned by name, but he could have been replaced by anyone. Rather, I think the play is something of a metaphor for the election process, and the American public’s relationship with the president. The actors go through the gambit of emotions from hope, to disillusionment, to anger, to nostalgia.

I may be completely wrong, but it was nice to see a show where the message could be up to interpretation.

9:00

Bam Bam Boom! Baby Boom!! is a spoken word performance featuring numerous spoken word artists from across the country at the Maison on Frenchman. I have to admit that I was a little dubious before heading into this performance. All of the other spoken word performances I have ever seen have made me see the genera as, frankly, a little angsty. In addition to the aforementioned angst, and there is no delicate way to put this, I can’t help but feel a little left out because I am white.

This performance was refreshingly accessible, and some of the poems were really very good, if not down right moving. I particularly enjoyed a poem by this girl named “Tank” about her grandmother’s house and how it was destroyed in Katrina. There was one line about why people down here keep writing “those Katrina poems,” which I think really resonated with the audience.

11:00

My final show for the evening was Lead Paint Libretto put on by Case Miller and Nina Nichols at the Den of Muses. This was the first really good musical I’d seen at the Fringe, and was the perfect note to end a night of really good theater.

The show starts off with a group of Romans singing about how the lead they used to sweeten their food made them all go crazy, a touch which made the historian in me squeal for joy, and the rest of the show was essentially an EPA training video on how to properly remove lead paint from a buildings exterior. I know that doesn’t sound like a very compelling premise, but trust me, it was absolutely brilliant. 

One bit in particular that worked really well was a guy dancing around as the personification of lead in a skintight catsuit. There was also a great bit about Chinese drywall that must have been tacked on last minuet for the New Orleans audience which really brought the house down. 

It's Leadman!

Part of what made Lead Paint such a good musical was how central the songs were to the story’s advancement, something a number of other shows I’ve seen this week could learn from.

In all this show is definitely worth your time.

That is all for Day 4, tune in tomorrow for the final installment.

Until next time gentle readers,

Ignatius

Fringestravaganza 2010! Day 3: a more auspicious start

I had my day off, and now I'm back on track.

The plan of attack

7:00 PM

My first show for the evening was called Revenge of the Deep Water: a Circus Play put on by First Line of Inspiration Circus Theater at the Den of Muses. This would have been a much better start to the whole Fringe experience, since the show was refreshingly competent and fun.

Before I go any further I should offer a disclaimer that this show is what you might call “kid-oriented.” This doesn’t mean that there isn’t something here for older audience members, but it is definitely intended for the under-tens. 

The beads were used to fight Godzilla

Before Deep Water even began I was already excited, because half of the appeal of watching this show is its venue: the Den of Muses at the intersection of Port and Architect in the Marigny. The Den of Muses is where many of the city’s Mardi Gras and Halloween floats are constructed and stored. The building itself is a cavernous, otherwise unremarkable warehouse, and the scaffolding from which the acrobatic equipment was hung making it a perfect location for this kind of theater. The floats, which line the walls of the facility, are as much a part of the scenery as anything else and give the whole space a creepy, whimsical feel which works well for the show which follows. The floats are exactly what you’d expect for New Orleans, colorful, decadent, and often subversive (a particular favorite of mine was one of Bobby Jindal forcibly sodomizing a pelican). In all the floats almost provide reason enough to pay the price of admission.

Oy vey

Deep Water is described as a “circus play;” however, I would liken it more to Cirque du Soleil with a plot, which is basically a New Orleans version of Mothra v. Godzilla, right down to the telepathic fairies and Mothra-Larva shooting silly string (amusingly, even some of the musical score is lifted directly from the movie). In this version the monsters are the result of a toxic oil spill, and the primary antagonists are the unfeeling oil executives, indifferent to the harm they are causing by not returning Mothra’s giant, papier-mâché egg.

Overall the acrobatics, which were the real focus of the show, were definitely solid and on occasion quite impressive; one scene in particular where the acrobats formed a kind of two man walking monstrosity was a highlight for me.

One of Mothra's Fairies

The other selling point is of course, the monster costumes, which were really quite good. Much of the appeal for those over the age of ten could probably be attributed to the combination of acrobatics, and the kind of absurd humor that can only be found in watching a regular size guy stumble around in a Godzilla costume as he smashes a small, cheesy model of New Orleans. There were also a few good lines about “top kill missiles” and the like being deployed against the monster, and obvious nod to the top kill procedure which failed to plug up the BP oil well.

The monster is slain...

...or is he?

I only have two real complaints: the acting and the volume. Because this is mostly an acrobatics performance and not a “play” in the traditional sense, and because preparations for festival shows like this are undoubtedly somewhat rushed, I am prepared to cut the show some slack when it comes to the acting, which I will call “unpolished.” Some cues were missed, a few times the actors spoke over each other, and one or two pauses in the beginning of the show went on for what seemed like forever, but on the whole it was functional if unimpressive.

One thing I can not forgive, however, was the volume of the voices used by the actors. I was pretty close, so I managed to hear almost everything, but I must have been one of the last rows to be able to do so. When you are acting in such a large, cavernous space you must project your voice or it will get lost before it reaches the folks in the back. Microphones would have helped, but they were not necessary, just a little more volume from the actors on stage would have been sufficient.

Occasionally the tone and dialogue came off as a little eco-preachy, but expecting subtly from a show where a giant moth and lizard fight under a strobe light may have been asking a little too much, and perhaps after the spill we are entitled to act a little preachy.

In all these complaints are pretty minor, and I have to admit it is gratifying to finally see a show which was competently executed and worth my time.

9:00 PM

The Executioner, a musical, while not without its moments, did not quite work. The premise started out promisingly enough, a kind of cosmic death bureaucracy is having trouble dealing with ghosts who won’t cross over, and decide that tasking unsuspecting humans with the task would be the best course of action. Now, I was a big fan of the show Dead Like Me, which had a very similar premise, and I think the idea of death being some sort of huge, uncaring and incompetent bureaucracy works really well as the set up for a show.

Good premise aside, however, The Executioner really wasn’t all that good.

But first the positives.

There were some lines that worked and were pretty funny, out of context it makes little sense, but the line “sure, for $75 an hour I’ll definitely paint a penis between your breasts” was one of my favorites. The show also incorporated great little videos which represented what was happening in the spirit world. This mixing of mediums is a neat idea, and the movie sections with the spirits discussing their jobs were, for me in any event, the best parts of the show.

There were quite a few things Executioner had going for it, however there were two overriding factors which doomed the production from the start: the lead actress and the songs.

While there were three people on stage and a number of other individuals featured in the videos, this was essentially a one woman show, and therein lays the problem. To put it gently the lead actress was not up to the task of holding this show together, and had neither the stage presence nor the singing ability to make the show work on her own. In addition to reading from the scrip on several occasions (which you could argue may have been an artistic choice, but if so it was a profoundly destructive and distracting one) the tone of the show was painfully subdued, feeling more like a sedated stand-up routine broken up by the occasional irrelevant song than a play. There was one instance in particular at the end of the show when she was singing and then told the audience to get up and dance. No one did because no one had been able to get excited or invested in the show.

Which leads me to the songs. Oh the songs.

Part of the problem with the “musical” part of this musical could probably be attributed to the small space and poor sound system, which forced the actress to sing quietly, greatly reducing the quality of her sound. However, the real problem was far more fundamental. When you are writing a musical it is imperative that the songs move the action or characterization of the play forward, that they reinforce the spoken content on stage. A great example of a musical which does this well is one of my personal favorites: Fiddler on the Roof. There is not a single unnecessary song in that show. Every song advances the action on stage, fleshes out the characters that sing them, and ties the show together with recurring musical themes.

Executioner did none of these things. Not only did the songs do nothing to advance the action of the show (in fact on several occasions the singing portion was broken up by spoken exposition) but they also told us nothing about the characters and the only thing which tied any of them together musically was an omnipresent techno beat. Basically what this meant was that every time a song came up it essentially slammed the breaks on what was an already slow production.

There were certain points when this slow pacing lent the show a kind of dreamlike quality, but without a solid lead to carry it forward, “dreamlike” quickly gave way to boredom.

11:00

 

My final show for the night was Girl Next Door Theater’s No Exit (from the Zombie Apocalypse) at Brydie’s Gallery on St. Claude.

I have to admit I had reservations about No Exit (from the Zombie Apocalypse) before I even entered the theater, however, my concerns had nothing really to do with this show in particular, but rather its relationship to another show I’d seen earlier this year. I might as well just come out with it: No Exit is the second zombie play I have seen this year. I don’t have any problem with the idea of zombies in theater, I quite enjoy the genera in movie, TV, and comic form, but I nonetheless worry what it says about me as a person that I have seen two zombie plays in less than three months.

I guess what I’m saying is don’t judge me too harshly.

No Exit was also different in one other respect, and that is the fact that I met the director, which played a major role in my decision to go. So you can understand my relief when No Exit turned out not only to be good, but actually the best show of the night.

No Exit (from the Zombie Apocalypse) is, of course, an adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, so it has the distinct advantage of working with already solid material. The original story is about three individuals who find themselves confined together in a small room, and gradually create their own version of hell through their interactions. This version is essentially the same thing, but instead of being confined to a literal “hell” our three misanthropes are survivors of the zombie apocalypse, hold up together in a safe house.

On thing I have to give a shout out to immediately about this show, and what sets it apart from everything else I’ve seen thus far, is the acting. It was, in a word, excellent. Each actor really got a chance to shine, and Hazel’s monologue about her 18 year-old lover was a highlight for me.

The set was also perfect. While I suspect it was probably a product of the location, the tight, claustrophobic space really added to the trapped atmosphere of the show.

The opening, which was the only part of the show that was not a direct adaptation, took a cue from Dawn of the Dead, using a series of frantic TV new reports and pundits to establish the emerging crisis. As a framing device it worked well enough, although I don’t know if it was really necessary, and its goofy, lighthearted tone was a little out of place when compared with the rest of the show.

One of the most interesting things about this adaptation is that it was intended as a comedy. The B-movie setting and updated dialogue did, on occasion, elicit a little chuckle, but what is perhaps most fascinating is that, despite the whole zombie thing, the crushing bleakness of the original play remains largely intact. The fatalistic cruelty of Sartre’s characters seems an unlikely survivor of the zombie apocalypse, but I think it is a real testament to the skill of the actors and director involved that it did. I’m sure there must have been a real temptation to play the entire show fir laughs, ironically mugging the whole way through. This would have been a mistake and I’m glad it was avoided.

Sartre’s material is actually quite well suited to the Zombie genera (I know that sounds kind of silly, but hear me out), because, at a certain point, almost every zombie story stops being about the zombies, and starts to be about the survivors. Their foibles as individuals and how they affect the group’s chances at survival are what provide the real drama of the story, just look at Night of the Living Dead. The characters in these movies are striped bare, forced to confront what they truly are when there no longer exists any reason to be anything else. This is more or less the entire conceit of No Exit, exploring the darkest parts of the human soul through three individuals with absolutely nothing left to lose, and nothing left to do but inflict their petty cruelties upon one another.

In all No Exit (from the Zombie Apocalypse) is a very clever idea given a skillful execution, and I would definitely check it out.

That is all for now, join me tomorrow and Sunday for the final two days of Fringestravaganza 2010!

Until then gentle readers,

Ignatius

Fringestravaganza 2010! Day 2: whoops...

I'll make this very brief, last night I was way too tired to go out and see theater. The good news is the two shows I really wanted to see, Hunters Blind and Port/Architect, can be worked into the schedule this weekend, so bully for that.

Tonight I will actually be seeing three shows: "Revenge of the Deepwater", "The Executioner: a musical", and "No Exist (from the zombie apocalypse)".

I am confident tonight's offering will be a decided improvement on my first night's, and if not, well, then there's always Saturday and Sunday.

I'll keep you posted.

Until then gentle readers,

Ignatius

Boy, that's a lot of tickets...

Fringestravaganza 2010! Day 1: An inauspicious start

We can learn a lot about ourselves from the way we deal with adversity, like say for example having the first two shows of the week long festival you have been waiting in for months to see not be very good. As it turns out, I just go to sleep.

Before getting into the specifics let me just say this evening was a pretty big disappointment and kind of a set back to my overall goals, I was going to see three shows tonight, and in all I only saw about one and a quarter, and the little I did see was just not very good, but enough about that, lets talk some theater.

Tonight was what you might call my “night of improv/comedy” since two of the shows I was going to see had a strong improvisational component (although I did not know that about the first until I got there) and all three were comedies.

7:00 PM

I began the evening with a spring in my step and a song in my heart. I’d been waiting two months for this day and it was finally here. Nothing, but nothing was going to ruin my night. I set out for the Bywater fully expecting to enjoy some really great theater.

 The first show I went to see at seven was the “The Fifth Charismatic Battle of the Interactive Social Contract” at the Hi Ho Lounge, a show I picked purely for its name and the incomprehensible description which accompanied it. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was really hoping for something truly weird or pretentious.

 Just a cursory glance at the poster for this show seems to scream awesome, but unfortunately in this case, looks can be deceiving.

The idea behind the show was this: each audience member is given a slip of paper with a pin number, and then using that pin number you enter ideas for laws which the performers, or “charismatics” as they call themselves, then debate, and you vote on both the laws you like and the performer you most enjoyed. 

 In theory this sounds like it could be an absolutely amazing idea. The set-up gives the performance a nice, robust structure in the form of rounds, and the approach to getting audience suggestions is novel and really quite clever. Best of all, I have seen more or less this exact thing work really well even without actors. Back in college at the 1813 Society we used to have stump debates at every meeting which were essentially the same thing, a motion is put before the floor (usually, but not always something silly or ridiculous) and then each individual would get a certain amount of time to make their arguments and then offer a rebuttal. They weren’t always great, but with two really witty people they could be the highlight of the evening.

That is why this show was so crushingly disappointing, because it was just flat out boring, and it didn’t have to be. At least two of the performers had really no business being up there, and you could tell the other two could really have benefited from more structure. Actors were talking over one another and no one seemed to really know what they were doing. From a technical standpoint the set up was very impressive with computers for writing laws and casting votes, but that was not enough to make the show work. In all I left after only one round, although my law did win, along with two others, so that is something.

To some up what this show really needed were some performers who felt comfortable with what they were doing and a moderator who could keep the debate on track.

Needless to say I set off from the Bywater a little disappointed, but also understanding of the fact that not every show was going to be a winner, and besides my next show promised to be a slightly more professional affair.

9:00 PM

The self titled "A.s.s.tronots" was put on at the La Nuit Comedy Theater on Freret Street in Uptown, so it was about a six mile hoof to get there by bike, but I figured it would all be worth it since the premise seemed so interesting. Basically A.s.stronots is an improv show, but an improve show which tells a kind of space opera. What seemed so neat about this show was the idea that audience members would presumably be asked for suggestions which would shape the course and events of the show. As it turns out we were asked for suggestions, once, at the very beginning of the show, and it had absolutely no effect on the plot or characters whatsoever.

 The show was improved, it must have been for the dialogue to have seemed so clunky, but we, the audience, were only spectators. Basically the show just followed a kind of loose script with individual scenes being improved as they went along, only many of these scenes went on far, far too long and the members of the cast kept talking over one another and yelling so loudly it became a real distraction. The costumes were very nice, bight white uniforms for the A.s.s.tronots with light-up belts which were very clever. I also give the show real credit for having a pretty funny back-story and set up (anything with “Space Hitler” as one of the main characters has to be good) but it all came to astro-naught (ha, space puns).

 Perhaps I am missing something, but I really don’t see the appeal of watching and improvised show if the audience is not going to be a participant. What makes improv fun is seeing actors construct a scenario they could not have known in advance, and then watching them work their way through it. This is not to say these actors don’t rehearse some things in advance, but they still have to react to and incorporate the new material they are supplied with every night. In this case there was nothing truly spontaneous because they already knew, more or less, what they were going to be doing, save the one non-plot related bit I mentioned earlier. Not only didn’t the show live up to its potential, it didn’t even live up to normal improv.

I almost feel like the group really wanted to do a play about goofy astronauts with Latino accents but were just too lazy to write a proper script.

That, dear readers, is when I called it quits for the evening. I was tired and sweaty from biking, and it was starting to get pretty cold¸ but most importantly I was dispirited. After two crushing disappointments the thought of biking another three miles back downtown for an 11 o’clock show, and then biking back home at one am only to get up again at six was altogether too much to bear.

I don’t want anyone to think this means I have in given up on my goal, because I am as determined as ever to see 15 plays this week. I am confinement tomorrow’s shows will be much better, and even if they all aren’t, that’s just sometimes the way it goes. Today’s shows were experiments on my part; sure, they didn’t work out, but you always have to give things the opportunity to surprise you.

I’ll see you all again tomorrow for Day 2.

Until then gentle readers,

Ignatius

Fringestravaganza 2010! Day 1

Today marks the beginning of the New Orleans Fringe Festival and I have three plays lined up to see at 7, 9 and 11.

Here is my renewed schedule:

11/17

7:00-The Fifth Charismatic @ Hi-Ho Lounge, 2239 St. Claude Avenue ($5.00)

9:00- A.s.s.tronots (only if time) @ La Nuit Comedy Theater, 5039 Freret Street

11:00- Assholes @ Le Chat Noir, 715 Saint Charles Ave

11/18

7:00- Port/Architect @ Mardi Gras Zone, meet at the corner of Port and Architect Streets

9:00- Open space if time (Options: Izazaga 734, The Liar Show, lie, lay laid, Vespers)

11:00- Hunter’s Blind @ The Mudlark Public Theatre, 1200 Port St.

11/19

7:00- Revenge of the Deepwater @ Den of Muses Port St. and Architect St

9:00- The Executioner (only if time) @ Skull Club 1003 N. Spain St

11:00- No Exit @ Byrdie's, 2422-A St. Claude Avenue

11/20

3:00- Order of Wolf @ The Mudlark Public Theatre, 1200 Port St.

7:00- Our Man @ AllWays Theatre, 2240 St. Claude Ave.

9:00- Bam Bam Boom! Baby Boom!! FREE @ the Maison, 508 Frenchmen

11:00- Lead Paint Libretto @ Den of Muses Port St. and Architect St

11/21

3:00- Burying Barbie @ The Elm Theatre, 220 Julia Street

7:00- Du Fu, Mississippi @ Party World 3621 St. Claude Avenue

11:00- Duo Rococo @ NOLA Candle Factory 4537 North Robertson (at Japonica Street)

I will strive to have my thoughts on tonight's showsup before tomorrow morning.

This is going to be a very long, very awesome five days.

New Orleans Po'boy Preservation Festival

Today was the much anticipated Po'boy Preservation Festival on Oak Street. I think I'm going to keep this one more of an impressions than a blow by blow recounting, because lets be honest, who wants to hear that.

There were quite a few people

This being Nola the food was naturally amazing and the atmosphere was jubilant. For the uninitiated a "po'boy" is similar to the myriad of terms other cities use to describe a sandwich situated on a long, roll-like piece of bread. So far as I can tell the only real thing that makes a po'boy a po'boy, besides being awesome and made in Nola, is the bread, which must be French.

The Second Line Leader

What Nola gathering would be complete without a brass band?

In all I sampled some six different po'boys, which was maybe an tenth of the overall options, however I tried to maintain a solid terrestrial to seafood ratio so that I at least got wide sample.


The Best:

Fried green tomato with shrimp remoulade po-boy by Jacques-Imo's. This was hands down the best sandwich of the day. The shrimp was absolutely perfect, the remoulade was plentiful and added just the right note, and the big slice of fired tomato was simply divine. This sandwich did really well what several of the others did not, and that is balance. All-meat sandwiches have their place, but they feel way too heavy without some crisp veggies to lighten them up. Jacques-Imo's struck just the right balance.

Confit pork Cuban po-boy w/black pepper bourbon mustard by Dante's Kitchen. This is runner up for first prize. The pig is one of those wonderful animals which is delicious pretty much no matter how you prepare it, and this sandwich was no exception. My only real complaint was they could have put on a little more of the really tasty cucumber they added. It would have balanced out the really strong pork, ham, and mustard flavors and probably wold have put the sandwich over the top to make it the day's best.

Preparation is essential

The Worst:

Crawfish sausage po-boy by Vaucresson Sausage. This was my least favorite of the day. It's possible I'm just not that much of a sausage person, but crawfish sausage is no ambassador. I guess sausage is supposed to be able to carry a sandwich pretty much on its own, but with only some lettuce and tomato the sandwich seemed to be crying out form something more. Some heavy brown mustard did improve it somewhat.

Honorable Mentions:

Smoked duck po-boy with citrus jalapeno marmalade by Palace Cafe. I really like duck, so I was excited for this sandwich, however, while it was still quite good, and I don't really know what I was expecting with it being smoked and all, it was a little too salty for my taste and could probably have used some extra greens to balance it out somewhat.

Grilled shrimp and blackened avocado po-boy by Red Fish Grill. This was wonderful. The avocado was flavorful, and the grilled shrimp was a nice change of pace from the usual fried. Gulf shrimp, in my experience, can be a little bland if not seasoned properly, so it was gratifying to see it done so well with these.

Pork belly & pepper jelly po-boy by Mahony's Po'boy Shop. I'm still not really clear on what pepper jelly is, but the pork belly has a pleasant crunch, as did the virtual salad of greens. Honestly I was so stuffed by this point I could only manage a bite or two, but it was quite good nonetheless.

Oak Street has a kind of arty vibe, so it shouldn't surprise you to here that there were quite a few art stalls with some fairly interesting work.

Art this way

Hot-pads

In all it was a pretty awesome day. I'm definitely going to head back to Oak Street at some point, if only to check out the Maple Leaf Bar, which I understand has some great music.

Revelers at the Maple Leaf

Don't forget to tune in next week for my coverage of the New Orleans Fringe Festival.

Until next time gentle readers,

Ignatius