Review: (Ottawa) Deranged Dating (Fringe)

Finding a Mate on Internet
by Sonia Blanchette

Recollecting some of my childhood memories, I can tell you that we (my family) had outings when the weather was bad. The logic behind this was if it was rainy, snowy and/or generally yucky, then nobody would be out and about. No headaches with line-ups, admissions, parking, and so on. I used that theory this evening to attend Deranged Dating and boy, was I in for a surprise. Having departed from home, with what I thought was a lot of time to kill, I could not find a parking spot to save my life, and once I found the venue (Avant Garde) with minutes to spare, the place was packed. I was lucky to score a bar stool. So I would have to say that this is where it was at!

Review: (Ottawa) Rachel and Zoe (Fringe)

...Those Are Some Of The Questions...

by Sonia Blanchette

How is it that these two are BFFs? You would think that at the core, they would loathe one another considering their such diverse lifestyles. Not so. 

Both Zoe and Rachel are besties. This is made clear by their loving, non-judgmental acceptance of each other. Their conversations about happiness, sexuality and self identity are important and heartfelt. Could their choice of "red, white or whatever you have" have weakened inhibitions and loosened lips have anything to do with it? If so, I say bottoms up! 

There continue to be, as much as my generation would choose to ignore and disagree, taboos surrounding sex and relationships. e.g., what happens (or doesn't happen) in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom. To fake or not to fake? To settle or not to settle? ... those are some of the questions. 

These actresses are formidable. I don't know if they are BFFs in real life. I would hate to think that they are mortal enemies as their interaction/connection with one another could not have been more real and sincere. And the audience feels it.

Last but not least, the Don Juan, the Jason, the Mark, the guy of long ago, the best never forgotten lay who sometimes appears in my Harlequin dreams... all played by Chris Wyllie. Dang! Mothers, lock up your daughters! If it wasn't for him, the play wouldn't have quite satisfied as it did. His performance is quite, ummmmmm, solid.   

Is it hot in here?

June 19 - 29

Review: (Ottawa) Fucking Carl (Fringe)

Les Lavigueurs and Trailer Park Boys come to mind

by Sonia Blanchette

Of the few francophone performances being presented at Fringe this year, I definitely did not know what to expect. 

Through an ad on Kijiji, Jay/Jason (Caroline Yergeau) meets Jess/Jessica (Louis-Philippe Roy) to discuss the sale of her gran-pa's pick-up truck. A hot romance quickly ensues, no thanks to the Blue 24-pack they just polished off.  

Is it wrong of me to say that a mix of Les Lavigueurs and Trailer Park Boys came to mind? Where the locals in bum-fuck nowhere Quebec* or Ontario (or insert locale here) can't wait for the yearly poutine fest, carnival rides and Monster Truck rally to come to town?  

As simpletons with a sudden opportunity of introducing a 'kid' into their lives, they strive not to only persuade themselves but also the audience that they are a respectable, deserving and loving couple. Their re-enactments of pivotal events in their relationship to convince you of just this are bang on.  

Having lived in * for a good part of my teenage years, I so related. How could I not? Waking up in the bed of a pick-up truck after a well liquored night - no, not ever! 

There's nothing wrong with simple living and loving just as long as you are happy. And if your convictions are solid, who are we to judge if someone is worthy of parenthood?

Both masterfully portray a complicated yet comical relationship - Caroline and Louis-Philippe perform wholeheartedly. Couples young, old, franco, anglo or otherwise, will relate to the struggles and challenges. Four years crammed into 65 minutes flew by and didn't disappoint. The venue was particularly quaint and made the connection much more special. 

June 19 - 29

Review: (Ottawa) Blackout (Fringe)

Different Blackouts
by Sonia Blanchette

There are many definitions of what a 'blackout' is. Upon entering the BYOV Café Alt, you are led to believe that there has been one version of these blackouts - a power outage with only the auxiliary lights on. 

It dawned on me only after I was seated and after I realized that the dimmed lighting portrayed prison bars, that I had been greeted by a uniformed male sporting RCMP credentials. It simply solidified the synopsis of the play. 

Review: (Ottawa / Theatre) Hedwig and the Angry Inch

An Angry Inch Short of Perfection
by Sonia Blanchette 

Hedwig and The Angry Inch has received accolades and ultimate cult status. Time Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine and The New York Times among others have heaped their praises on this gender bending rock and roll musical. It is exactly this type of show that should be the answer to growing the new age of theatre patrons, so the buzz and anticipation for this show is palpable.

Not being much of an expert or cult aficionado myself, I wasn't sure what to expect. From the moment that Hedwig, played by Tim Oberholzer, appears on stage, the crowd is sucked in by an overwhelming electricity that immediately manifests itself by tapping feet and bopping heads. Alas, unlike some, I was unable to lip-sync along as I knew not the lyrics. The reality is I have never been much of a concert goer and I now question if I missed out big time. This felt nothing like conventional theatre, it is a powerful musical manifestation! 

Review: (Ottawa) Age of Arousal

Seduction of Heart and Mind
by Sonia Blanchette

Linda Griffiths' Age of Arousal begins with Rhoda Nunn (Lisa Jeans) brushing Mary's hair. Mary Barfoot (Eleanor Crowder) has just had a terrible nightmare and shares some of the ordeals she endured as a radical militant in women's movements. They operate a female-only school teaching secretarial skills but it is made clear from the start that far more awaits when the Madden sisters are introduced. There is a level of apprehension, bewilderment and maybe even a glimpse of curious excitement when Virginia (Margo MacDonald), Alice (Rachel Eugster) and Monica (Anna Lewis) are tempted with promises of independence and self-sufficiency. Mary is a stern and stubborn woman who will have it no other way, yet you can definitely detect that Rhoda is the pearl in her eyes and a profound tenderness exists there.