Editor’s Note: The 35th Annual Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival will be held May 13-26 at different venues in and around Loch Haven Park and downtown Orlando. Freeline Media will be previewing the shows right up to the festival date.
ORLANDO — It likely wouldn’t be the Orlando Fringe Festival with some cabarets, and if you’re a Fringe veteran, hey let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be Orlando Fringe without some kinky cabarets.
Katie Thayer certainly hopes to uphold that fine theatrical traditional.
Playwright and performer Thayer and her Bikini Katie Productions is a part of Orlando Fringe this month with her show Intimi(Dating): A Cabaret About Sex and Dating, which will have seven performances at the Starlite Orlando in Ivanhoe Village.
And will it really be juicy and sultry?
Ask Katie.
What is the Show Intimi(Dating)?
Directed by Central Florida theater legend Beth Marshall, Intimi(Dating) is something of a tell all, Thayer promises.
“Polyamorous strippers, ex-cons, and TOO MANY Canadians … Katie has dated them all,” the show’s press notes reveal. “Now she’s ready to kiss and tell! In this millennial musical dark comedy, she’ll take you through her sultriest secrets, her most salacious scandals, and why she isn’t allowed to date Canadians
anymore. After all … life’s more fun when you kiss and tell.
“Come see the show that had only 6 unsold tickets in its entire 8 show run in Ottawa!”
What the story behind Intimi(Dating)?
Intrigued, Freeline Media reached out to Katie Thayer to learn more about his production.
Freeline Media: Sex & dating can be hot topics at Fringe! Tell us about the origins of Intimi(Dating).
Katie Thayer: Ever since my first cabaret, Beneath the Bikini, I knew I wanted to write one about dating. I have had some WILD dating stories over the last couple decades, and, as hard as some of them are to believe, they’re all absolutely true. One theme kept emerging, no matter how different my dates were: They kept telling me I was intimidating. Okay, I guess two themes emerged, because they’d also usually bow out after that. But that’s what led me to the title, and the main question in my show: Am I intimidating?
FM: Tell us about “too many Canadians” and “salacious scandals?”
KT: Oh, believe me, I do! I’ve dated married people, age gaps, my teacher (and those are all just my first girlfriend), an ex con, a long distance affair, and almost enough Canadians to play on a hockey team. You’ll have to buy a ticket if you want all the gorey details though
FM: What are the challenges (and benefits) of putting together a cabaret show?
KT: I think in songs, so it’s part of my storytelling. One of the biggest challenges, I think, is editing. I’ve got over 20 years of content that I have to boil down into a 60 minute show with songs. I have an entire Drive folder labeled “Extra Music” full of tracks I had to cut from the show for time. I also have some original ukulele songs, so it was finding the blend of when to use which type of song. Then, of course, there’s the fact that’s it’s autobiographical. I get real. I get ugly. I talk about things I’m not proud of. When I invite people to see A One Woman Titanic Parody in 59 Minutes or Less, everyone has fun. Intimi(Dating) is fun, but it’s also incredibly intimate. I’ve already had to tell my Dad he’s not allowed to see it.
FM: How have past audiences responded to those salacious tidbits?
KT: I had a nearly sold out eight show run in Ottawa last year, and every night there were gasps! One story was about a guy from Ottawa, so that one certainly got the most attention. I’m interested to see how audiences here react to them, especially since people in the audience might know some of the people in my local stories. The weirdest reactions I got were from several people who saw my show and asked me if I needed a hug. Canadians are so nice (except some of the ones I’ve dated).
FM: What’s coming up next for Intimi(Dating) after Orlando Fringe?
KT: You’ll have to stay tuned! One of the biggest challenges about writing such a personal show is that my story continues, even when that story is done. And, at a certain point, it might not be a story I want to tell anymore. I’m taking my one woman Titanic show to Edinburgh in June, so that gets a lot of my future focus. But you can always follow my Instagram @BikiniKatieProductions for all the updates on where to see one of my shows next!
Where Can I See Intimi(Dating) at the Orlando Fringe Festival?
Bikini Katie Productions is presenting Intimi(Dating): A Cabaret About Sex and
Dating for 7 performances at the Starlite Room at Savoy Orlando, 1913 N. Orange Ave. as part of the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. The show is 60 minutes long and this production is for audiences age 18 and older. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here.
The show will be performed on:
- Thursday, May 14 at 8:30 p.m.
- Friday, May 22 at 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday, May 16 at 1:30 p.m.
- Saturday, May 23 at noon
- Sunday, May 17 at 6 p.m.
- Sunday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 19 at 7 p.m.
Michael Freeman is an Orlando journalist, playwright, and author of the chilling horror novel “Bloody Rabbit”. Contact him at Freelineorlando@gmail.com.
