A Few of my Favourite Things

Was I really just in Calgary? I'm writing this on the bus, on my way to my first day on set for the feature film House at the End of the Street, and it all just feels like a blur. Especially after two days of catching up on Lost - Season 3 (What do you mean "We have to go back"?!?! - rhetorical question - please no spoilers!) But, it did happen, and it was wonderful!

The Calgary Fringe was just grand.  I don't think I know of a single performer who had any major complaints.  And catching up on my friend Amy's blog about her Saskatoon Fringe Adventures, I really don't feel like I'm missing out (no beer gardens or place for performers to hang out?  Tsk tsk, Saskatoon!)

My only issue with the entire Fringe didn't have anything to do with the  festival, but rather the neighbourhood it was located in: It was impossible to get any food after 11 pm.

That said, there were so many other amazing things, including really responsive patrons, wicked cool volunteers, a Fringe Festival app for your smartphone, two reviews for almost every performance, and an executive director that gives hugs instead of handshakes and, well, you can be sure that I already want to go back next year!

And if/when I do, here are a few things I want to remember for the future:

Best Coffee - Wildernest Dream Cafe - you get your coffee in an individualized French press with a little timer - the place also includes free WiFi

Best Food (Quality & Price) - Eat Eat - my personal fave is the homemade buffalo chicken burger - also includes free WiFi

Best Place to Hang Out: The Fringe Club - enjoy some late night cabaret performances at The Stroke! - oh and more free WiFi

Best Beer - Wild Rose Raspberry Ale - it gives the Apricot Wheat Beer in Ottawa a run for it's money

Best Bike/Running Path - all along the river near the festival site - go north instead of south

If you were in Calgary for the Festival, what are some of your favourite things?

Nancy's MUST SEE List at the Edmonton Fringe

I will not be at the Edmonton Fringe Festival this year. My journey with No Exit Upstage ended in Winnipeg. That said, since my most popular blog posts of late have been for my MUST SEE LISTS in both Ottawa and Winnipeg and since I have many friends who will be performing at the festival, I thought it would be a good idea for me to throw a plug their way. Since this is suppose to be the largest festival in Canada (we'll know by the end of the run if Winnipeg beat them or not) and I've seen way more shows on tour than I thought I would, my list shall be a tad bigger than the one for Winnipeg. My requirements for this list? That I saw the show and I liked it. Trust me, you can't go wrong if you see anything on this list.

So without further ado, in alphabetical order, Nancy's MUST SEE list at the Edmonton Fringe:

Boat Load I've plugged Jayson McDonald's shows before and I will do it again. Boat Load was my favorite show at the Ottawa Fringe last year. The guy is an amazing writer and performer and this show is the best showcase for all his talent. Do yourself a favour and see it in Edmonton.

CHAOTICA A cool show which turns one woman's life into a board game. Worth it for the tap dance number alone!

Fruitcake Rob Gee has an amazing show that's part spoken word performance and part therapy. The whole thing is hilarious and culminates with a little song and dance that you just won't be able to get out of your head for at least three days. I wonder if the voice of God will still be there? Someone let me know!

Grandpa Sol and Grandma Rosie Saw this touching piece in Ottawa and I hear it's gone through some positive modifications throughout the run. The puppetry work is excellent and Lana gives an incredibly charming performance.

GRIMMER THAN GRIMM To be fair, I saw this show on a special fundraiser night and they allowed, nay encouraged us, to drink throughout anytime someone got maimed or murdered. Drinking games exponentially increase my enjoyment of a show. Who knows, maybe they will serve drinks here too?

Inviting Desire DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW. It's incredibly hot and sexy, but also very beautiful and touching. Hands down my favorite show at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival this year.

Little White Lies My girl, Amy Lester, representing for Ottawa. She had some trouble in Winnipeg which is a shame since she has a decent show that's worth seeing. Most of all, I want her to do well because I absolutely admire her strength and bravery. How many 19 year olds do you know who have the guts to tour a one person show across the country on their own? Oops, sorry Amy! I meant to say almost 21 ;)

More Bange For Your Buck Magic, mystery, and a little Back to the Future thrown in for good measure. Tell Rocky the Raccoon I said hi!

murder, hope A stunning and captivating show by the multi-talented Becky Poole. I love non-linear theatre when it's done well and this show is done VERY well. This is exactly the kind of risky show Fringe Festivals should be all about.

Reflections On Giving Birth To A Squid I saw this show in Winnipeg on a whim without knowing anything about it or anyone in the cast and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. This was a very original show with an interesting concept that never got too hockey or sentimental. I believe this was due to some very strong acting from the lead actress whose name I have unfortunately forgotten. In the spirit of Fringe, take a chance on this show.

Spiral Dive: Episodes One AND Two I was lucky. I got to see both these shows mere weeks apart and therefore got to properly indulge in this slice of epic theatre. The people in Edmonton are even luckier. You are actually able to sit and watch both shows in a row! My only disappointment? Episode Three won't be out for another year.

The Seven Lives of Louis Riel Natasha's absolutely favorite show at the Winnipeg Fringe. More fun than educational!

Unfortunately, this is a list of shows I've seen. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't some other good stuff out there too!

Honorable Mentions: Circumference Though I haven't seen Circumference, I have seen Amy perform before and she is incredibly funny and engaging. I've also heard really great things about this piece, so I did not want to leave it out in the cold.

G-MEN DEFECTIVES Placed in this category since I never got a chance to see it when it was originally performed in Ottawa with a different actor. But how could I not plug the hometown team? Ray and Sterling are two very fun guys and I heard they did incredibly well on the first leg of their tour in Saskatoon. pornStar I didn't get to see this show because it sold out in Ottawa. However, Anne Wyman (Why, man?) was my stage manager in Winnipeg and I had the pleasure of watching her shine in Jayson McDonald's The Last Goddamned Performance Piece in Winnipeg. She is absolutely beautiful. Also, the show is called pornStar. What more do you want?

The Domino Heart I saw a solid non-fringe production of this show in Ottawa a few years ago. I don't know anything about this current incarnation, but I did like the script.

Totem Figures Though I've never seen the show, TJ Dawe's podcast of the play helped me get through some tough times in Winnipeg.

Who's Afraid of Tippi Seagram? Though she never knew it, Colette Kendall was definitely my Fringe Crush in Winnipeg. I really enjoyed The Cockwhisperer (and the fact that my iphone recognized the word as I was trying to tweet it). I love it when she drops F Bombs.

HAPPY FRINGING!

It's Because I'm From Ottawa, Isn't It?

Well, the first weekend of the Winnipeg Fringe Festival has come and gone and I must say I have mixed feelings about the darn thing.  There seems to be a bit of a media bias towards some of the Ottawa folks as Amy Lester seems to be in the same boat.  You know, they won the Canal Feud, so why are they still picking on us? As a whole, the festival is wonderful.  Tons of productions (146 to be precise), lots of interesting people to talk to, plenty of socializing... in fact the touring groups have been absolutely wonderful in making me feel welcome.  I feel like the kid sister with her very protective family around her.  Yesterday, someone said the nicest thing to me: "You can't end your tour here.  We want the two of you to carry on the rest of the run with us."  Man, is that ever tempting.  I almost wish I could.

Almost.

You see, all the Winnipeg reviews for the show are now out and they are just terrible.  The Winnipeg Free Press was actually kinder than the others, but she totally spoils the ending.  If you haven't seen the show yet and were planning on it, don't read the review if you don't want to know what happens.  The WFP reviewer also totally got the existential nature of the piece - something the CBC and Sun did not - but I now realize it's because they saw the show on opening night.

(I'm kind of sick of seeing these reviews, so I won't be linking them.  That said, you can easily look them up yourself through CBC Manitoba, the Winnipeg Sun and the Winnipeg Free Press.)

Opening night was quite the gong show of technical glitches.  In fact, I wouldn't call them glitches, they were outright problems.  The entire beginning of the piece had to be reworked on the spot and some key elements were cut out.  Of course, there were two reviewers sitting in the audience when this happened.

The reviewers also all seem to have a problem with the show being 30 minutes (or shorter depending on which reviewer you ask).  This puzzles me like you would not believe.  In Ottawa, as I was marathon fringing I was always thrilled for a 30-45 minute piece.  It gave me more of a break in between shows and I had time to digest what I saw.  Besides, wouldn't you rather see a quality 30 minute piece instead of a bloated 90 minute one?  Apparently not.  It seems time equals value for money here.  Natasha, while flyering, had this conversation:

"I don't go to Ragpickers (our venue) because it's too hot."

"Oh well, we have air conditioning now.  Besides, the show is only 30 minutes..."

"30 minutes! No, I don't think I'm going to go to that."

Uh, ok.

As of Friday, we had definitely found our groove with the show.  Our performances are better than they have ever been and I'm quite pleased with the rapport we've established on stage.  Unfortunately, our first review also came out this past weekend which coincided with a 60% drop in our audience.  Saturday, only 3 people had paid to see the show; the other 9 were performers and volunteers.  Sunday's audience was similar in size, though half of them stuck around after to talk to us.  They loved the show.  I was also thrilled to notice how young they were and they still understood it.

I guess this is the kind of show you either get or you don't.  I thought Winnipeg was a more understanding theatre town, but I guess I was wrong.  So far, only two people seem to know who Judith Thompson is.  An American woman from Portland and a sweet teenager in a Zombie Prom T-Shirt.  Weird.

Next step: more flyers!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Ugly Tuesday was an off day for both of us.  The festival hadn't started yet, our posters were up, and it was raining which meant we decided to stay in and relax... with our thoughts.  Let me tell you something, it's never really a good idea to leave me alone with my thoughts.  I am a doer.  I like impulses and following them.  I love being around people.  I don't need to be thinking too much.  When I think too much, I dwell; I worry; I get filled with doubt; I create highly preposterous scenarios in my head and somehow manage to make myself believe them as truth.

It wasn't pretty and the less said about that the better.

The Good

Wednesday was much better!  We missed our bus in the morning (I know, this should fall under The Bad, but keep reading).  Lugged down with our set, props and costumes, we started walking when suddenly a horn blares behind us. There he was, our knight in Chevy armour!  Our billet pulls up to the curb and yells: "I'm going downtown, hop in!"

Best. Billet. Ever.

Somehow, we also managed to finish our tech rehearsal in less than three hours as crews were setting up the space around us.  Our technician and stage manager rocks!

We then found out that Industry Images - our printing experts - were located practically next door to the venue.  This is also where we met handsome firemen IN UNIFORM in the elevator.  Sorry ladies, I was too bashful to take pictures.

We went on a trek to the main fringe office, checking out how our posters fared in yesterday's rain.  Of course, all was well.

I also checked in at the Advance Ticket Box Office and found out that we have bums in seats for almost every show during the run!  I was shocked.  As an out-of-town performer who's never been to the Peg before, I never imagined that people would just, you know, show up... in advance.

After setting up a volunteer appreciation show (Go Go Friendly Volunteers!), we ran into some Ottawa locals and headed out to the Towne Cinema 8 to watch the new Harry Potter movie FOR FOUR DOLLARS!  (my review - it's pretty good though they cut a lot out of the book and the ending feels a bit rushed)

I also bought a belt because my pants were falling off (What? That's good right?)

We then had dinner and headed out to watch our first fringe show, Amy Lester's Little White Lies.  It's a very cute show.  Then, on the other end of the spectrum, we saw Colette Kendall's The Cockwhisperer, a damn funny show.  Colette is incredibly sexy and self-confident.  At one point when she lost her place in what she calls a workshop piece, she told any reviewers who might find this unprofessional to fuck off.  I think I'm kind of in love with her.  Oh! Did I just find my first Fringe Crush in Winnipeg?  Cool!

The Bad

I realized late last night that I lost my bus pass.

Ah well, today is another day. No Exit Upstage opens tonight at 7 pm in Venue #13 - Ragpickers Theatre. Buy your tickets now!

Thursday, July 16 – 7:00 PM Friday, July 17 – 9:15 PM Saturday, July 18 – 6:00 PM Sunday, July 19 – 8:30 PM Monday, July 20 – 6:00 PM Tuesday, July 21 – 8:45 PM Wednesday, July 22 – 5:30 PM Thursday, July 23 – 7:00 PM Friday, July 24 – 9:15 PM Saturday, July 25 – 7:30 PM Sunday, July 26 – 6:00 PM

On Your Mark, Get Set, TAPE!

Yesterday morning things were off to a bit of a rougher start.  Both Natasha and I slept poorly in our new surroundings.  I woke up feeling disoriented and lost.  Where am I again? Oh yeah, Winnipeg.  Natasha shook the sluggishness off faster than I did and even had breakfast with our billet while I debated such intellectually stimulating life choices as:  Should I take a shower in the morning? Is today a shorts kind of day? Maybe I should just go back to bed? Do I really want yogurt for breakfast? You are all fascinated with the complexities of my life, I'm sure.  I also realized that my face wash had somewhat exploded in my toiletries kit.  This didn't bother me yesterday as it was easy enough to clean up... or so I thought.  Apparently, some of that soapy goodness seeped into my contact lenses' case and I ended up spending half the day looking like I had been crying because Natasha says mean things to me in the middle of the night... which she totally doesn't! Nope, not like her at all... ;) Having put the pull-out couch away, going back to bed was not an option.  So after a blog post, a shower, a skort, some coffee, and some breakfast, we were basking in the Manitoba sun on our way to the bus stop, ready for a busy day of postering.  We were delighted to know that Winnipeg Transit offers weekly passes which now make it a breeze for us to get around.

When we were nearing the festival area, Natasha turned to me and said something that sent chills down my spine: "Did you bring the posters?"

Shit!

We checked our bus schedule and realized we had about 40 minutes before we could go back, so we went to sign in to the performer services area instead.  Posters were already covering the vast majority of surfaces as we approached the Manitoba Theatre Centre and I ran into one of the first people I recognized: Jonny P from GRIMMER THAN GRIMM.  He also introduced us to the people we would be having beers with later that night: Rob Gee (Fruitcake - Natasha, the Graphic Designer, adores his poster so it's definitely one not to miss!) and Chris Bange (More Bange For Your Buck!)

Being in a rush, we excused ourselves and hurried in to sign in with a very friendly volunteer. We got our beautiful program, our performer and company cards and then ran to catch the bus, waving madly at Dave Dawson (Jayson McDonald's Trashcan Duet which I didn't see in Ottawa last year, but will probably see now) on the way.

Finally, we had our posters and were on our way back downtown to check out our venue: Ragpickers Theatre.  This is also where we were to meet our new stage manager, the lovely Anne Wyman (Jayson McDonald's The Last Goddamned Performance Piece).

It was here that I ran into an old acquaintance from London, ON, Jeff Culbert.  He's involved with two shows:  archy and mehitabel, directed by Jayson McDonald and Fall Fair in which he directed Jayson McDonald. For a guy who isn't even in town yet, Mr McDonald is proving to be very pervasive...

After a great lunchbreak/tech meeting at The Fyxx with Ms. Wyman, where we had the pleasure of meeting Jeremy Baumaung (Homeless - which Anne tells me is the greatest piece of theatre she's ever seen, ever!) and Ryan Paulson (Ryan Paulson: I'm Uncomfotable), we headed off, finally, to poster.

This is also where we ran into another Ottawa local: Ms. Amy Lester (Little White Lies).

Since we were tired from such a busy day of posters and password collecting (check out Emily Pearlman's Ottawa Fringe Festival blog post for the meaning of the password system), we headed over to the King's Head Pub where we ran into, well, pretty much everyone else we saw today, including some newcomers - the ladies from Inviting Desire, the gentlemen from Advanced DnD, and the producer of The Seven Lives of Louis Riel.  This is also where we met Francis, the most awesome barkeep evah!

Wow, what a day, and the festival hasn't even started yet!