Whenever hubby and I are hankering for a quickie getaway, we usually take a little jaunt to Tucson. We live on the very southern edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area, and it’s easier for us to drive a little over an hour to Tucson than to traverse the entire valley to reach the freeway that leads to Sedona, which is the destination most Phoenicians aim for.
Tucson is an often-overlooked cultural gem that boasts more unique events and festivals than Phoenix typically offers. We’re always looking for a good excuse to head down there for a couple of days, and last weekend’s reason was to attend their Fringe Festival. For some reason, Phoenix discontinued its version of a Fringe Festival after only a couple of years, so if we want to enjoy some random shows, Tucson is our closest destination for that kind of entertainment.
We left early Saturday morning after waking up to the coldest morning so far this winter. A freeze warning was in effect, and for the first time in ten years, I didn’t have any plants to cover since I wasn’t growing salad greens anymore. We arrived in Tucson at 10 a.m. and made a quick stop at Mission Garden for a seasonal tasting event. I had been wanting to check out this garden, which is a re-creation of the Spanish Colonial walled garden that was part of the original Mission San Agustín del Tucson. It interprets 4,000 years of agricultural history, but I hadn’t found the time to visit until now.
The property was lovely, filled with various Sonoran Desert-adapted heritage fruit trees, traditional local heirloom crops, and edible native plants. We attended their “Tasting History” event, which focused on olives. The garden has several olive trees, and we were able to taste the difference between olives processed in lye versus those processed in salt. It was fascinating to learn about olives, and we greatly enjoyed walking around the lush grounds. The desert never ceases to amaze us.
Our first Fringe show began at 12:30 p.m., and to be honest, it was quite disappointing. I ended up falling asleep, while Ryan struggled to stay awake. It was a storytelling performance, but the narrative simply wasn’t engaging. Sorry to say, it just wasn’t good at all. It genuinely set a new low for us to compare all other performances against. Thankfully, everything improved from that point onward.
Overall, we attended five shows over two days and were thoroughly entertained. Two shows stood out as our favorites. One was titled “You and Infinity,” performed by Dr. Kevin Hainline, a professor at the University of Arizona and an astronomer, and the other was called “Paperclip,” starring Microsoft’s ill-fated Clippy played by Douglas Widick.
In “You and Infinity,” Dr. Hainline explored humanity’s struggle to understand the complex and strange concept of “endlessness” throughout history. Using the light of an overhead projector, he discussed how Greek philosophers feared Infinity, how the idea of treating Infinity as an actual number created divisions among mathematicians for centuries, and how we, as humans, fit into this grand concept. The performance was a humorous blend of history, philosophy, and science, tackling both abstract ideas and universal themes. It offered a hopeful perspective on our place in the vast, unending story of the cosmos. By the end of the show, I felt confident I could explain the concept of Infinity to anyone who asked, but I’ve already forgotten much of the reasoning now. It would be far better to ask him to explain it to you directly.
The “Paperclip” show was downright hilarious. Actor Douglas Widick was a true gem to watch. A multi-talented performer, he took on the role of Clippy, the once-unpopular paperclip from Microsoft Word, who “has seen a bleak future.” Determined to prevent the impending techno-dystopia caused by Artificial Intelligence, Clippy travels back in time to warn humanity of its dangers. This was a true Fringe performance, justifying our reason for being there.
While watching “Clippy’s” performance, I started reminiscing about another Fringe Festival show we attended in Philadelphia over ten years ago. The artist was Gunnar Montana, and his show was called “Kink Haüs.” It took place inside the Latvian Society building, which is home to The Philadelphia Society of Free Letts. Their mission is to foster public appreciation and understanding of Latvian culture and language, while also maintaining and preserving archives, records, books, manuscripts, bibliographies, and all materials related to Latvian culture, art, and language. This bit of information is important to know because the Latvian Society members received free tickets, and many of them attended wearing their little Shriners-style hats. I have no idea if they knew what they were about to see, but what they got was an underground gay art dance show. There was nudity, men in high heels, and a whole lot of fierceness.
Seeing this show made me want to live in a big city. Tucson would be way too provincial for the likes of Gunnar Montana, who, by the way, still occasionally sends me promotional holiday cards.
My books Memory Road Trip (e-book or paperback) and Time Traveled (e-book or paperback) are both available! You can also find them at most major international book sites.
Krista Marson 