East Coast Tour Starts Here

Independent Eye, Bearing “Gifts,”

Returns to Norfolk

            The Independent Eye, seasoned veterans of over 50 years in the badlands of theater production, will open the East Coast tour of their latest dramacom in Norfolk.

            Traveling from their home base in Sebastopol, CA, theater gypsies Conrad Bishop and Elizabeth Fuller will bring “Gifts” to The Venue on 35th for one night only, Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m.

            Their show, a highly personal exploration of love, loss, aging, and change, puts the multi-talented couple on display as writers, actors, composers, puppeteers, technical innovators, and honest brokers.

            They return to The Venue in the wake of last fall’s visit, when an enthusiastic audience applauded readings from their co-authored memoir, Co-Creation: Fifty Years in the Making.

            Unlike that appearance, which included only two short skits from the company’s vast repertoire, “Gifts” is all performance, an hour’s entertainment in which three interlocking tales unfold.

            A young couple is trapped on an endless freeway. A mid-life dream of prestigious award dissolves into sanding a rusty fence. Elders moving into a dingy third-floor walkup discover gods in a cardboard box.

            These are the kinds of stories only the Eye would contrive to tell. Recipients over the years of countless awards, grants, and critical raves (as well as their share of disses), Bishop and Fuller have played on the edge since they hooked up together in college.

            Admission to the performance is $5, with a hat passed at the end of the show. The Eye’s extensive collection of DVDs and publications, including their Co-Creation memoir, will also be available for purchase.

            For more information on The Independent Eye, including a trailer to “Gifts,” click here.

            For a personal introduction to the Eye by yours truly, prior to last year's appearance at The Venue, click here, then scroll down.

            The Venue is located at 631 W. 35th St., Norfolk, VA. For reservations, call 757-469-0337.