Fringeist: Kafkaesque

Alon Nashman's one-man show Kafka and Son returns to Toronto for the Fringe. This is a piece he's been doing for some time, and it shows; it's one of the most professional-looking productions you're likely to see at the Fringe this year. In fact, sitting inside the Tarragon Theatre's mainspace watching the talented performer enact Kafka's famous "Letter to his Father," it's easy to imagine that you're seeing a show from the theatre's regular season.

The show has a stark feel to it, accentuated by the set, constructed entirely of black feathers and rusty cages, which Nashman utilizes beautifully, moving and reconstructing the cages into various configurations. He perfectly captures the author's hesitant personality and tortured relationship with his overbearing, domineering father. It's not the most uplifting show on the block, but considering that about 90% of the shows at the Fringe are some kind of comedy, it's nice to see a drama in the festival as well.