2014-WHEN WE WERE IDIOTS

Created & Performed by XAVIER TOBY

Fringe CENTRAL at the Clemente
114 Norfolk Street
New York, NY 10002
www.fringenyc.org
August 8 through August 23, 2014

This is a comedy walking tour of the lower east side, hosted by your own personal penguin from the future, Xavier Toby. Put on your bright green traffic safety vest and follow the tall critter with the megaphone as passersby stare at you. A mix of historical trivia, humorous comments on our way of life, random talking to strangers, and applauding diners in local eateries, this is pure fun.

Tour participants are in the year 2114 and your guide explains the excavated ruins of 2014 New York City, recently excavated from a mountain of coffee cups, stale cupcakes, discarded subway tickets, cigarette butts, and coffee grounds. The penguin explains that all the buildings and vehicles we see are recreations of items used in 2014. All the people we will see are actors, playing their parts as characters from 2014.

Xavier does point out actual places and things of historical interest hidden in plain sight. These highlight fascinating trivia and obscure details of the area, including a certain large clock, a statue, and the story of Mr. Delancey of Delancey Street. We discover the real reason why the Dutch decided this was a great place to settle.

Because we are touring from the future, he must explain the concepts of “money”, “traffic”, and “garbage”, as these don’t exist in 2114. His narratives are hysterically clever. He is also an agitator, encouraging his followers to stand in front of restaurant windows and applaud the diners for their “good acting”, for example. The loveable penguin has a come-back for every question and remark. This tour is a wonderful treat on so many levels. It is true fun, letting you be a silly kid again while getting some exercise and learning some history. Xavier is charming and the “actors” we encounter are good-natured about our applause, if a bit confused. Totally different, utterly enjoyable, and peppered with surprises, this tour is not to be missed.

-Karen D’Onofrio-