As this year's Fringe Festival draws to a close, much of the buzz has centered on an excellent piece entitled Sandy the Dandy and Charlie McGee: A Study In Harsh Realities, a vaudevillian fable about the pitfalls of pursuing your dreams in New York City, served with a healthy dose of verfremdungseffekt. 

Co-writers and actors Mat Sanders and Guerrin Gardner have been written up in such publications as the Onion and Time Out New York, thanks in part to the unique nature of the piece's origins.  Sanders was a member of the cast of the controversial American Girl Revue, the labor practices of which were called into question by Actors Equity, leading to a strike in 2006 that resulted in American Girl shutting down the performance rather than allowing its actors to join the union.

Sanders and Gardner mine this as well as American Girl's questionable attitudes about race in the show, which is profiled today on psfk.  Gardner's insights about the production are well worth the read, but this anecdote about the show's unique aesthetic struck me in particular:

Mat and I have been insanely meticulous about the aesthetic of the show in every facet. I work in marketing/branding at Real Simple Magazine and Mat is an incredible artist with an intense eye for detail. I think this combination has helped us keep every inch of this show on brand. From scouring for the perfect vintage-esque paper for our press kit, to a two-week hunt for Sandy’s perfect umbrella, to making sure the set accurately brought to life the whimsical story book tale we have created- we have painstakingly made sure every element of our show reflects our initial vision of curating a modern vaudeville. Our script was the bible but the press kit, tone of the website, blog, postcards, e-blasts, and verbiage had to have our personal touch of offbeat dandyism. We brought in our good friend Ryland Blackinton of the indie band, This Is Ivy League, to add music that pokes fun at classic musical theatre standards-and the final touch was adding our director, Stephen Brackett, who was fresh off of an assistant directing gig with Passing Strange on Broadway. Everyone seemed to instantly get our very specific vision.

For an idea of what she's referring to, check out she and Sanders's website, Too Muchery Productions.