The Power of the Crystals

James Call and Greg Travis' "The Power of the Crystals" is a loopy self-help seminar and rock concert that epitomizes the sort of well-conceived but laxly staged performances that end up in the New York International Fringe Festival.

Call also comports himself here as a kind of idle prophet, diviner of the Far-Out Way. This halfhearted religion draws its power from seven crystals and steers followers toward alcohol, "sexy anger," and polygamy as a means to "attain Hawkman" and "success, success, success." Call charmingly pronounces the word as "sook-cess," thus transforming it into yet another piece of humorous but believably cultish jargon.

Alas, neither Call's consistent allure nor E.J. Cantu's smarm as an Anderson Cooper–ish newsman profiling the guru can weather the unintelligibly loud musical interludes by Call's band, the Missing Teens, which add a cacophonous oomph to the proceedings but ultimately distract from everything else in director Quin Gordon's production.
 
Presented by Mishap Productions as part of the New York International Fringe Festival, at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center's Flamboyan Theatre, 107 Suffolk St., NYC. Aug. 12–28. Remaining performances: Sun., Aug. 14, noon; Thu., Aug. 18, 3 p.m.; Fri., Aug. 26, 5:30 p.m.; Sun. Aug 28, 3:45 p.m. (866) 468-7619 or www.fringenyc.org.