It is understandable that the discovery of his grandfather’s journals is fascinating for his grandson. But the excerpts presented in Newfound Histories do not have the same fascination for a general audience.
Added to the generally boring nature of the content, the awkward attempt to connect past and present by having Evan Walsh move between rocking chair and restaurant table creaks more than a little.
The blurb on Newfound Histories sounded attractive for history buffs. The reality is a disappointment.
The performance is devilishly powerful, sometimes enhanced and sometimes hampered by the chosen venue.
Veteran fringe performer John D. Huston, elegant and dapper in a smart business suit, dress shirt with French cuffs and cufflinks, polished shoes and a scarlet tie — the only concession to traditional hellish tones — advises his nephew on how to perfect his abilities as a tempter, while he prepares his keynote address to the next graduating class of young devils.
This dramatization of C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters, updated to include computer technology and such current references as mention of corruption in the Senate, is fascinating. It is also somewhat uncomfortable to have this content presented in the sanctuary of a church (the acoustics are not that good anyway) with the final speech delivered from the pulpit.
In the performance I saw, Huston pitched his presentation at such a high level from the beginning that it was difficult for him to extend his emotional reach. Nevertheless, this is one of the must-sees of the Fringe.
Note: This production is 75 minutes. Plays in St.Paul’s Eastern United Church Sanctuary (BYOV)
One of the few shows at the Fringe to offer a program (thank you) Autoerotic, directed by Wayne Current, is a story of sexual fantasy that is only partly successful, despite well controlled and choreographed performances from Sterling Lynch (also the playwright) and Linda Webster.
Whether this is a recounting of an ordinary business transaction about buying sexual favours that evolves into a relationship or simply a series of imagined encounters and a way for a lonely man to escape temporarily is unclear. Either would work if Autoerotic created a closer connection with the audience than was apparent in the performance I saw.
A heartwarming fantasy that unfolds on the set of a silent film with written signs telling where we are what time it is, when all this is happening. A contemporary fairy tale with bright colours, an imaginary space where a timid and introverted man grasping at this youth, cohabits with a flitting fairy-like creature who is always trying to catch his attention and show him that she has feelings for him.
Madeleine Hall is the fairy with the many faces in what is essentially a mime show of a personal sort, where Kevin Reid’s long lanky body, his malaise out in the world, his mythical props – raincoat, umbrella and hat, his slightly awkward demeanor, all suggest the work of French mime star Jacques Tati, the creator of the wondrous M. Hulot on the screen . The resemblance is almost uncanny. Hulot’s space was small French towns where he, as a perfect but always awkward gentleman, walked (or biked) around tipping his hat and doing good deeds for all. He never encountered fairy tale creatures because he was squarely anchored in the reality of the “la France profonde”. Reid twists the Tati style (unwittingly so it seems) into his own imaginary world and that is what makes this so charming and endearing. More work on the physical precision of his performance and more clarity in the middle portion, would give the show more strength. Also instead of an intermission, shorten the show by 5 minutes. But as it is, it’s a delightful surprise for the young at heart.
Hannah and George presented by Strange Visitation. Performed by Kevin Reid and Madeleine Hall. Directed by Rebecca Laviolette. Plays in the Studio Léonard Beaulne
Rachelle Elie is the consummate performer. Her light hearted singing sparkles with dramatic energy. She puts her face, her body her hands and even her shiny blond hair to work as she peels off her outer costume to reveal a new costume for every change of scene and then moves on to the next challenge.
Accompanied on the guitar by Luke Jackson, Elie actually tells us her life story through musical theatre (and the lyrics ar witty and captivating) especially the evolution of her experiences with love and sex. . Beginning as a wide eyed , innocent young girls kept in tow by a very strict catholic franco-haitian father she moves through all the nuances of her relationships with men. Even the most scrungy parts that evolve into the disillusion and bitterness of the later years, are all filtered through the lovely glow of Disney-like musical theatre for adults, full of fun and joyous, or not so joyous sex, and lyrics that always find the humour in the most despairing moments.
Elie is a very talented performer. She has a great gift for accents and a greater gift for bringing to life a story that is not always pleasant but that always finds gentle humour in human relations. The raunchy explicit becomes natural human behaviour the gives us a jolt. A darling of a show, a show that will make you giggle a lot and you will leave feeling good and loving the performer.
Sh!t I’m in love with you again in the Courtroom (Arts Court)
Sh!t. I’m in love with you again! , lyrics and interpretation by Rachelle Elie, directed by Rachelle Elie, Music and lyrics by Luke Jackson,
The Black and the Jew Go Buddhist is one of those shows that promises a lot and gives a little. Epstein and Hassan tell a story of their happy 27-year marriage. They tackle all sorts of sensitive subjects – race, spirituality, sex. Since they are not “politically correct,” the comedy in the show has the chance to develop in a really provocative and challenging manner. Unfortunately, except for some blunt phrases and being funny from time to time, they tell us basically nothing. There is no theatre element, but rather a lesson on how to treat each other when in a mixed race relationship. Audience participation makes it possibly a fun workshop, but definitely not a decent theatre piece of any genre. Another problem they encounter is trying to encompass too much in one hour, so that, in the end, they do not say very much about anything. The connecting thread is not there, a promising idea is lost in trivialities, and stress is put on a “shock” effect, killing any chance of digging a bit dipper into a problem which is still persistent in our world. Being funny and entertaining still can result in a good quality theatre. Unfortunately, Epstein and Hassan missed the mark this time.
The Black and the Jew Go Buddhist plays at Ottawa U in Studio Léonard-Beaulne
I Think My Boyfriend Should Have an Accent, written and performed by Emily Pearlman. Directed and dramaturged by Laurel Green
Emily Pearlman is a storyteller who captures our full attention because we feel she is telling us something special, almost secretive and certainly the truth,at least her truth. We enter into her world of intimate revelations, confessions, frustrations, and a world of trials and tribulations of a very personal sort, trying to develop a process that opens us to the understanding of diversity in our immediate world and in the rest of the world that beckons to her. This is a performance style that establishes its own conventions and avoids creating a “character” in the traditional sense of a theatre performance. The powerpoint images and sentences on the screens suggest a lecture but the tone is always familiar, friendly and at times even light hearted.
Three Men in a Boat is a charming romp on the river Thames. The play, based on Jerome K. Jerome’s 1889 British travelogue, is about three bored, incompetent friends. With too much money and not enough interests, they fall back on discussing the many ailments the young men fancy they suffer. They conclude that they suffer from “overwork,” and so decide to take a holiday punting on the river Thames with hilariously disastrous consequences. Pea Green Theatre Group’s stage adaptation is just as hilarious and witty as the novel. Scott Garland, Matt Pilipiak, and Victor Pokinko use everything from facial expressions, to body language and pacing, to give life to these absurd, entitled characters.
The performers are full of energy and director Sue Miner has choreographed the chaos to make the most out of the characters’ buffoonish actions. Three Men in a Boat was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It’s clever and well-executed. The only shame is that it couldn’t last longer!
Three Men in a Boat plays at Studio Léonard Beaulne
Lara Loves Leonard is a real gem at the 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival. Lara MacMillan performs parts of Cohen’s poems and songs such an infectious passion that she elevates the already great artist’s work. Her interpretations of Cohen’s songs are emotional and sensually sultry. Her diction and pacing while reciting the artist’s poetry allow the words to seep into your very skin. MacMillan knows just how much time to give each word and each pause. She leaves you hanging on a word, desperate for her to continue, to fill you with the emotion she so readily shares through her craft and talent. Everything is so precise when it comes to MacMillan’s performance, from her diction to her movements.
She intersperses the songs and poetry with personal anecdotes of how a particular songs affected her. However, she maintains a balance between the three elements so the show, even though it’s just her standing on stage, never feels stilted or boring. It helps that MacMillan has such an expressive face and oozes charisma. This is a performer you want to get lost in; you want to be taken along on her journeys. This is a performance you wish didn’t have to end after only one hour.
For those who love Leonard Cohen, and for those who wish to be carried away and feel something extra, this is the show for you. Wonderfully put together with
Lara Loves Leonard plays at Studio Léonard Beaulne
Tonya Jone Miller tells a story about a girl who, by merely being enrolled in studies of Asian history and languages, falls in love with the subject and, following her heart, travels to far away Vietnam to teach English. There she connects with the people, especially with a disabled orphan boy who she wants to adopt and take with her to America. In the meantime, many complications arise: the war ravaging the country is taking its toll, Americans (civilians) are leaving the country, Vietnamese people are trying desperately to leave with them in order to at least save their children, and there are bodies alive and dead lying along the streets. Plus, Tonya is nine months pregnant and about to give a birth to her child in the Saigon airport. She lives through this chaos and reaches the USA, where she is reunited with her brother just in time to see him in the hospital dying of leukemia.
The story is very touching, but told without passion. There is a lack of connection with the character. It is more than clear that the actress never lived through the kind of hell she describes., so naturally, cannot understand its devastation. The only scenes where she comes to life are the one in the airport when she thinks that she is giving birth to her child, and the one when her brother is dying. There, she fully connects with the story and shows what a good actress she might be once she fully understands the problem. Her story telling lacks natural flow, especially the phrase endings which sound unfinished.
Tonya Jone Miller includes too many details and events in the story. The focus of the narrative is lost, and with it, the atmosphere that is so essential for this kind of theatre.
